2022年经济学人 克里米亚刻赤大桥被炸（在线收听）

The world this week--Politics

本周国际要闻--政治

A large explosion badly damaged the Kerch road-and-rail bridge, which connects Russia with occupied Crimea and is vital for resupplying Russian forces operating in the south of Ukraine.

一次大爆炸严重损坏了刻赤桥，这座公路兼铁路大桥连接俄罗斯和被占领的克里米亚，对在乌克兰南部作战的俄军提供补给至关重要。

Although Ukraine neither confirmed nor denied that it had carried out the attack, many assumed that it had done so.

尽管乌克兰既没有证实也没有否认俄罗斯实施了这次袭击，但许多人都认为是俄罗斯实施了袭击。

Only very limited traffic is now able to use the bridge.

现在只有非常有限的车辆可以使用这座桥。

It was unclear whether the explosion was caused by a lorry-bomb, an underwater drone or a missile.

目前尚不清楚此次爆炸是由卡车炸弹、水下无人机还是导弹引起的。

Russia retaliated by pounding cities across Ukraine with often-inaccurate cruise missiles and drone strikes.

作为报复，俄罗斯用经常不准确的巡航导弹和无人机袭击了乌克兰各地的城市。

The centre of Kyiv was struck for the first time since the start of the war.

基辅市中心自战争开始以来首次遭到袭击。

Ukraine’s engineers sought to repair damage to infrastructure and its leaders argued that the attacks would feed the will to fight.

乌克兰工程师试图修复受损的基础设施，该国领导人辩称，此次袭击会强化战斗意志。

In response, NATO countries vowed to speed up their deliveries of air-defence systems to Ukraine.

作为回应，北约国家誓言加快向乌克兰交付防空系统。

Alexander Lukashenko, the dictatorial president of Belarus, sent troops to join a Russian task-force that is assembling on the country’s border with Ukraine, possibly to launch another front in the war.

白俄罗斯独裁总统亚历山大·卢卡申科派遣军队加入俄罗斯特遣部队，该特遣部队正在该国与乌克兰的边境集结，可能是为了在战争中开辟另一条战线。

Mr Lukashenko claimed the task-force was preparing for a Ukrainian attack on Belarus, for which there is no evidence.

卢卡申科声称，该特遣部队正在为乌克兰进攻白俄罗斯做准备，但没有证据证明这一点。

Britain’s Supreme Court heard arguments on whether there should be another Scottish independence referendum.

英国最高法院听取了关于是否应该再次举行苏格兰独立公投的辩论。

The Scottish National Party’s leader, Nicola Sturgeon, claims that the issue has gone to court because the British government has no respect for Scottish democracy.

苏格兰民族党领袖尼古拉·斯特金声称，这件事闹上法庭是因为英国政府不尊重苏格兰的民主。

If the court finds against the nationalists, Ms Sturgeon says she will use the vote in Scotland at the next general election as a de facto referendum on independence.

斯特金表示，如果法院作出不利于民族主义者的判决，她将在下一次大选中利用苏格兰的投票作为事实上的独立公投。

The court will deliver its ruling in the coming months.

法院将在未来几个月内作出裁决。

A jury in Connecticut ordered Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist, to pay $965m in damages to eight families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook school massacre in 2012.

康涅狄格州的一个陪审团下令阴谋论者亚历克斯·琼斯向在2012年桑迪胡克学校大屠杀中失去亲人的8个家庭支付9.65亿美元的赔偿金。

For years Mr Jones has peddled falsehoods across his media empire that the shooting was staged by the government.

多年来，琼斯一直在他的媒体帝国散布谣言，称那次枪击事件是政府策划的。

His lies caused great distress to the parents. He remains defiant.

他的谎言给父母带来了极大的痛苦。他仍然目中无人。

After the verdict he claimed to be “proud” of being attacked for his views.

在判决之后，他声称为自己的观点受到攻击而感到“自豪”。

Joe Biden said there would be “consequences” for America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia following OPEC’s decision to cut oil production in order to increase the commodity’s price.

乔·拜登表示，在“石油输出国组织”决定削减石油产量以提高石油价格之后，美国与沙特阿拉伯的关系将会产生“影响”。

Some Democrats said OPEC was supporting Russia’s war (Russia also benefits from higher oil prices).

一些民主党人说“石油输出国组织”在支持俄罗斯的战争(俄罗斯也从高油价中受益)。

Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, promised to freeze arms sales to the Saudis.

参议院外交关系委员会主席鲍勃·梅嫩德斯承诺要冻结对沙特的武器销售。