美国国家公共电台 NPR--Ukraine's long-awaited military offensive against Russia has begun

Ukraine's long-awaited military offensive against Russia has begun

Transcript¹

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has finally broken the silence and announced a long-awaited military offensive against Russia is underway.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has given just a little information about his country's military offensive.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Russian defenders² are also talking, so we have an early assessment³ of the Ukrainian move. For months now, Ukraine has gathered troops and supplies while promoting the idea that they can push back Russian invaders⁴.

INSKEEP: So what are they doing? NPR's Greg Myre has been gathering⁵ information from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Hey there, Greg.

GREG MYRE, BYLINE⁶: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: OK. Starting with what the Ukrainians are saying or not saying, what do you hear?

MYRE: Yeah. Steve, for a war that's been so public and so well-documented, it's pretty strange to see this pivotal event take place with limited visibility. Now, President Zelenskyy did come out and acknowledge the offensive had been launched. He did this at a press conference Saturday with Canada's visiting prime minister, Justin Trudeau. But Zelenskyy really didn't offer details. He only said, quote, "I'm in daily contact with our commanders. Everyone is positive. So pass it on to Putin," in, of course, a reference to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

INSKEEP: Sure.

MYRE: What we can decipher is that Ukraine is attacking in three specific areas or lanes in the east and southeast. And, in the middle lane, if you will, Ukraine says it's liberated⁷ four small villages. And the best evidence we have is Ukrainian soldiers posting videos raising the blue and yellow flag there.

INSKEEP: What do those data points and claims tell you about the broader offensive?

MYRE: Well, to be sure, this is the very first salvo of what's expected to be the biggest battle of the war, one likely to play out for much of this summer, if not beyond. And it's shaping up the way many predicted. Looks like Ukraine wants to drive to the southeast coast. This would cut the Russian forces in half - one group to the east, one to the south - and leave the Russians much more vulnerable. Ukraine thinks they can do this because they have brigades that have been freshly trained in Europe, and they're going into battle with these newly acquired NATO weapons, Bradley Fighting Vehicles from the U.S., Leopard⁸ tanks from Germany, missiles from Britain and an assortment⁹ of other upgraded weapons.

INSKEEP: Well, how do Russians talk about this Ukrainian offensive?

MYRE: Well, Putin says the offensive is already failing, though the consensus¹⁰ among military analysts¹¹ is it's just way too early to be making any judgments¹². However, the Russians did expect the Ukrainians to attack in the southeast, and they've been digging in with minefields, extensive trench¹³ networks for their troops, concrete barriers in the places Ukraine is likely to advance. Russia's defense¹⁴ ministry¹⁵ put out a photo showing about a dozen of these new Ukrainian vehicles, these Western tanks and armored troop carriers that were clustered together after they'd been damaged and then abandoned by the Ukrainians. So this is just one snapshot, but it shows Ukraine will have a tough time surprising the Russians. And a lot of these battles will be fought on flat farmland where the attacking forces will be very much exposed.

INSKEEP: Analysts, at least some of them, speculated that Russia may have destroyed a dam the other day, partly to make it more difficult for Ukraine to advance in some areas. What is the situation now in the areas that were flooded?

MYRE: Yeah. The water is receding¹⁶ around the southern city of Kherson, but the damage is extensive, and the recovery will be long. Now, the two countries are blaming each other without proof, but the circumstantial evidence does point towards Russia. And Ukraine says Russia is using this flooded areas to move troops out of the south, eastward¹⁷, where they can reinforce the Russian troops that are defending against the main part of Ukraine's offensive.

INSKEEP: Ah, they feel that the flood - supposedly feel that the flood is itself a defensive¹⁸ wall, which makes it easier to move troops elsewhere. Greg, thanks so much.

MYRE: Sure thing, Steve.

INSKEEP: That's NPR's Greg Myre.

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 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

4 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 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。

7 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

8 leopard   

n.豹

参考例句：

• I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。
• The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。

9 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

10 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

13 trench   

n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕

参考例句：

• The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。
• The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。

14 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。

15 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

16 receding   

v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远，他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句
• Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句

17 eastward   

adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部

参考例句：

• The river here tends eastward.这条河从这里向东流。
• The crowd is heading eastward,believing that they can find gold there.人群正在向东移去，他们认为在那里可以找到黄金。

18 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。