美国国家公共电台 NPR--Courtroom drama: Ukrainian widow confronts Russian who shot her husband

Courtroom drama: Ukrainian widow confronts Russian who shot her husband

Transcript¹

KYIV, Ukraine — In an emotional scene in a Kyiv courtroom, a Ukrainian widow on Thursday spoke² directly to the Russian soldier who's pleaded guilty to killing³ her husband.

The widow, Kateryna Shelipova, broke down in tears on the witness stand. But she was allowed to continue, and addressed the Russian army sergeant⁴ in a glass box used to hold defendants⁵.

"What did you feel when you killed my husband?" she said. "Tell me, please."

The Russian soldier, Vadim Shishimarin, 21, replied, "Fear. I understand you probably won't be able to forgive me. But I ask for your forgiveness."

This case is the first war crimes trial in Ukraine since the Russian invasion, and is being closely watched. More than 100 journalists overwhelmed the tiny courtroom Wednesday, leading authorities to move it to a larger courthouse on Thursday.

Shishimarin pleaded guilty Wednesday. But Ukrainian prosecutors⁷ wanted to introduce evidence and call witnesses, which they were allowed to do Thursday.

In addition the widow, one of Shishimarin's fellow Russian soldiers was also called to the stand.

The soldier, Ivan Maltisov, testified that an armored vehicle carrying several troops broke down in the village of Chupakhivka in northeastern Ukraine on Feb. 28, just four days into the Russian invasion.

The Russian troops then stole a Volkswagen Passat and were driving through the village. They encountered 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov, who was walking with his bike and talking on his phone.

The Russians allegedly feared that Shelipov might be divulging⁸ their position. One of the other soldiers in the car told Shishimarin to shoot the man, Maltisov said. Shishimarin initially⁹ refused, but after an argument, he fired several rounds out the window from the back seat of the car, hitting the victim in the head and killing him instantly.

His wife, Shelipova, heard the shots ring out. When she looked out of her house, she saw a car with Russian soldiers in it. After they left, she went out looking for her husband, and found his body several hundred yards down the street.

Ukrainian forces captured the Russian troops the following day, March 1, according to testimony¹⁰.

The prosecutor⁶ asked Shelipova what an appropriate sentence would be for the Russian sergeant, and she said life in prison. But she added that she would support a trade of the Russian for the Ukrainian fighters who have surrendered this week to Russia at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

Ukraine takes a different approach

War crimes trials have traditionally been held after a conflict is over, and in recent years, international bodies, like the International Criminal Court at the Hague, have presided over them.

But Ukraine is taking a very different approach. The country says it has already identified more than 11,000 potential Russian war crimes. Ukraine believes that if it waits until the conflict ends, evidence can go cold and witnesses can be hard to track down.

Ukraine says it has identified more than 40 Russian suspects for offenses¹¹ that include bombing civilian¹² targets, killing civilians¹³, rape¹⁴ and looting. But capturing them will almost certainly be the biggest obstacle.

Russia, meanwhile, denies that its troops have harmed civilians despite the overwhelming evidence. A Kremlin spokesman called the current trial in Ukraine "simply fake."

War crimes trials could also complicate¹⁵ Ukrainian efforts to get back their prisoners of war from Russia. Both sides have captured prisoners and made small exchanges.

But some Russian officials are making the unfounded claim that a number of the Ukrainian fighters who surrendered at the steel plant in Mariupol were Nazis¹⁶, and should be put on trial in Russia.

1 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。

2 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。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

5 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

6 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

7 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

8 divulging   

v.吐露，泄露( divulge的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The soldier was shot for divulging the plans to the enemy. 这个士兵因向敌人泄密被击毙。 来自互联网
• Gives itself a small seat. Divulging heartily. 给自己一个小位子。尽情的宣泄。 来自互联网

9 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

10 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

11 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

12 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

13 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。

14 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

15 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

16 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》