Civilians in southern Ukraine are trying to get away from the assault in Mykolaiv

Civilians¹ in southern Ukraine are trying to get away from the assault in Mykolaiv

Transcript²

Ukrainian soldiers are still hanging on in Mariupol while the country waits for more weapons from the U.S. In the southern port city of Mykolaiv, residents are fleeing the Russian attacks.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

President Biden says we will speak softly and carry a large javelin³. He's playing off a line by Theodore Roosevelt, speak softly and carry a big stick. Biden made that remark while discussing $800 million in weapons shipments to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles. Some of the weapons may arrive this weekend as Ukrainians await a further Russian offensive. We've been watching for that assault in the eastern part of the country, but we also have some news this morning - indications of a Russian advance in the south near Russian-occupied Crimea.

One of our correspondents has been watching civilians get out of the way of that apparent assault. NPR's Brian Mann is in Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine.

BRIAN MANN, BYLINE⁴: Things are tense today. We spoke⁵ to several military sources here this morning who say Russian ground troops are now active about 15 miles from the city. When we arrived, we found a fleet of city buses lined up in the center of Mykolaiv, surrounded by crowds of people with suitcases and garbage bags full of clothes, many of them carrying children and pushing strollers.

IRYNA MATVIYISHYN: They're evacuating⁶ children and women and elderly people.

MANN: That's Iryna Matviyishyn, a Ukrainian journalist and translator who's working with me here, Steve, for NPR. And together, we spoke with a woman named Ina who was leaving her home in Mykolaiv with her teenage daughter, Polina. They were carrying their little dog. Like a lot of people here, Ina said she's afraid Mykolaiv could turn into another Mariupol, a war zone crowded with civilians.

INA: (Non-English language spoken).

MANN: "I have a small kid, and to save her life, I have to leave to go to Odesa," she told us. So while these people flee, the battle for Mykolaiv is considered to be crucial here in the south. If this city does fall, Russians would be positioned to threaten Odesa, which is, of course, Ukraine's major port on the Black Sea. And that's also a place where a lot of refugees are now staying.

INSKEEP: Brian, I'm interested to hear you say people don't want to be trapped in the city where you are because they don't want it to be like another Mariupol with a lot of civilians in the crossfire⁷. We have evidence - or we're hearing stories of mass graves in Mariupol. What is the evidence?

MANN: Yeah, there are new satellite images that appear to show mass graves on the outskirts⁸ of that city. NPR hasn't been able to independently confirm exactly what's happened there, but again, it's clearly troubling. And meanwhile, we have Vladimir Putin publicly calling off the assault on the remaining Ukrainian fighters. But I have to say, there are reports that heavy shelling of those positions does continue.

INSKEEP: Yeah, Russia has not said it will stop the offensive in Mariupol, just that they're not going to go in directly into that steel plant where Ukrainians are holding out. What are Ukrainians saying about this new supply of weapons from the United States?

MANN: You know, over and over, I hear gratitude⁹ from soldiers for Western aid, but also an appeal for more. Some of the Ukrainian soldiers I talked to here today say they still lack basic supplies - you know, ammunition¹⁰ and other essentials. And top Ukrainian officials say what they really need are those heavier weapons, like the artillery¹¹ that's on its way. They also want tanks and aircraft.

INSKEEP: Which is something that the United States would conceivably have. Is this enough to make a difference, though?

MANN: You know, so far, Ukrainians have held the line as Russian bombardments and airstrikes and probes have escalated¹² on the ground. Military officials in Ukraine and defense¹³ experts I've been speaking to say if Ukraine can quickly build up their firepower, it could make a difference as this Russian offensive escalates¹⁴.

INSKEEP: NPR's Brian Mann, thanks so much.

MANN: Thank you, Steve.

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 javelin   

n.标枪，投枪

参考例句：

• She achieved a throw of sixty metres in the javelin event.在掷标枪项目中，她掷了60米远。
• The coach taught us how to launch a javelin.教练教我们投标枪。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 evacuating   

撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空

参考例句：

• The solution is degassed by alternately freezing, evacuating and thawing. 通过交替的冻结、抽空和溶化来使溶液除气。
• Are we evacuating these potential targets? 能够在这些目标地域内进行疏散吗？

7 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

8 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

9 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

10 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

11 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

12 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

14 escalates   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的第三人称单数 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• As the challenge escalates, the need for teamwork elevates. 面临的挑战越大，越需要团队协同合作。 来自互联网
• I cannot understand why a minor disagreement escalates into a fist-fight. 我真不明白为什么一点意见不合就变成了拳头相见。 来自互联网