美国国家公共电台 NPR--Ukraine's rail system is working overtime to keep people and goods moving

Ukraine's rail system is working overtime¹ to keep people and goods moving

Transcript²

With airlines shut down and many of the country's road's destroyed, Ukraine's train system has been both the literal and figurative lifeline for the country.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's the second-largest country in Europe by land area. It stretches some 1,200 miles from east to west. Since Russia re-invaded, no planes are flying, many roads are damaged or blocked or slowed down with checkpoints, but the rail system is working. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley took a ride on the rails.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STATE ANTHEM³ OF UKRAINE")

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE⁴: Since the war began, the Ukrainian national anthem plays throughout the Dnipro Station every time a train departs. Vadim Busurulov is the director of this rail hub in central Ukraine.

VADIM BUSURULOV: At the beginning of the war, every day we departed about 15,000 people from this station.

BEARDSLEY: Some 4 million Ukrainians have been evacuated⁵ by train since the Russian invasion on February 24. The activity has been so intense that key rail workers are still living at their stations. Dnipro rail human resources director Irina Lytynova remembers the first days of the war.

IRINA LYTYNOVA: (Speaking Ukrainian).

BEARDSLEY: "When the Russian troops were advancing very fast, we had urgent meetings every hour," she says, "so we could follow the situation on the front lines and know how to adapt our schedules to rescue people and defend our infrastructure⁶." Valeriy Garbatyuk has been a railroad worker for 40 years. He says his job has never been so important.

VALERIY GARBATYUK: (Through interpreter) Ukrainian railroad does the same job like Ukrainian military, you know, because we are saving people. And our role is very important because one week, we take IDPs, the other week, we take wounded people.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAIN WHISTLE)

BEARDSLEY: The Russians are targeting railway infrastructure - tracks, electric grids⁷, stations. At least 161 railway workers have been killed since February. Railway repairs that would have taken weeks before are now done in a few hours, says Oleksandr Kamyshin (ph), head of the state-owned Ukrainian rail system, speaking here in a video about trains in the war.

(SOUNDBITE OF VIDEO)

OLEKSANDR KAMYSHIN: And that's our main mission now, once the shelling is over, to repair everything and get back to operations. Railways became the lifeline of the country. We help to do evacuation program. We do humanitarian⁸ aid program. We bring people with iron diplomacy⁹ program.

BEARDSLEY: Iron diplomacy - global stars and politicians who have come to visit President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv by train - Angelina Jolie, Nancy Pelosi, Boris Johnson.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON: Hi, it's Boris Johnson here, prime minister of the United Kingdom. I'm travelling on a fantastic Ukrainian Railways train through to Kyiv from Poland. And I just want to say a massive thank you to all the staff of Ukrainian Railways for what you're doing.

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: (Speaking Ukrainian).

BEARDSLEY: I finally get my own experience on the Ukrainian train system, known as Ukrzaliznytsia.

Well, we're just setting off from Kyiv to go to the Lviv. It's an overnight trip. I have a little berth¹⁰. There's bunks¹¹. It's for two people, but I've got the whole space to myself. And it's kind of nice. Thank you. Dyakuyu.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Please.

BEARDSLEY: Stepping out onto the platform the next morning in Lviv, I meet 18-year-old Lisa Plesshanova who's come to discover the western city.

LISA PLESSHANOVA: So I'm the simple student from Kyiv.

BEARDSLEY: Plesshanova just took the train as a tourist and paying passenger. But in March, she rode for free when she was fleeing the war.

PLESSHANOVA: I don't know how to explain it, but it's pretty cool that we have something more than just train.

BEARDSLEY: Plesshanova says Ukraine's rail system embodies¹² the spirit of the country as it's come together in this war. I have one more question before we part. How do you pronounce your train again, the company?

PLESSHANOVA: Oh, Ukrzaliznytsia.

BEARDSLEY: It's very difficult for us.

PLESSHANOVA: Yeah, for us, too, a little bit sometimes. Yeah.

BEARDSLEY: Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Lviv.

1 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

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 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

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 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 grids   

n.格子( grid的名词复数 )；地图上的坐标方格；（输电线路、天然气管道等的）系统网络；（汽车比赛）赛车起跑线

参考例句：

• Typical framed structures are beams, grids, plane and space frames or trusses. 典型构架结构为梁、格栅、平面的和空间的框架或桁架。 来自辞典例句
• The machines deliver trimmed grids for use or stock. 这种机器铸出修整过的板栅，以供使用或储存。 来自辞典例句

8 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

9 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

10 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

11 bunks   

n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话

参考例句：

• These bunks can tip up and fold back into the wall. 这些铺位可以翻起来并折叠收入墙内。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At last they turned into their little bunks in the cart. 最后他们都钻进车内的小卧铺里。 来自辞典例句

12 embodies   

v.表现( embody的第三人称单数 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This document embodies the concern of the government for the deformity. 这个文件体现了政府对残疾人的关怀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》