美国国家公共电台 NPR--Ukraine played a game of misdirection and caught Russian forces off guard

Ukraine played a game of misdirection and caught Russian forces off guard

Transcript¹

Behind Ukraine's dramatic battlefield push and Russia's rapid retreat is a surprise tactic². With public attention focused on movements in Ukraine's south, Ukrainian forces struck in the east.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

We have a clearer idea today of just how Ukraine seized back so much of its own territory.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It seems Ukraine used a head fake. Last week, much public attention focused on a Ukrainian drive to the south. U.S. General Mark Milley discussed it on NPR's MORNING EDITION.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

MARK MILLEY: Part of the skill of generalship in battle is to concentrate enough forces at the time and place of your choosing to achieve the desired effects. And that is what the Ukrainians are trying to do.

INSKEEP: Except it turns out the Ukrainians were concentrating their forces somewhere else and struck by surprise in the east.

MART?NEZ: NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre is with us. Greg, this is exactly how it works in football. A quarterback will pump fake to the right, get the defense³ to bite and then throw left. How did it work on the battlefield?

GREG MYRE, BYLINE⁴: Well, that's a pretty good analogy, A. Ukraine talked for weeks about this offensive in the south, and it did seem strange to be giving away the game plan. But it did convince the Russians, and they moved some of their best troops from the east to the south to reinforce positions there. But, of course, this left the Russians thinned out in the east, and that's exactly where Ukraine struck. Dara Massicot is with the RAND Corporation, and she says Russia left itself very vulnerable.

DARA MASSICOT: I wasn't surprised at the cascading⁵ effects of poor morale⁶ on the Russian side. The rumors⁷ that the Ukrainians are attacking then spreads down the line, and people give up their positions, they give up their ammunition⁸, they leave behind their equipment. It turns very rapidly into this panicked retreat, which is really what we saw this weekend.

MART?NEZ: So, Greg, how much territory have they now taken?

MYRE: You know, it's pretty hard to keep up because it's moving so fast. Ukraine isn't providing many details, and reporters have been restricted from the front lines. But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his Monday night address that Ukraine has now taken over 2,000 square miles this month. So now Ukraine faces a tough decision. If it keeps pressing ahead, it could risk overextending its own forces. But if it doesn't keep pressing, this may allow the Russians a chance to regroup.

MART?NEZ: Now, the U.S. has sent more than $13 1/2 billion in security aid to Ukraine. How much can we connect the dots here?

MYRE: Well, this huge amount of aid and weapons and intelligence sharing has certainly allowed the Ukrainians to do things they just weren't in position to do at the start of the war, like this offensive. But a senior U.S. military official cited the American role as just one of several factors contributing to Ukraine's success. He says since the beginning of the war, Russia has overestimated⁹ its own military. It has underestimated Ukraine, and it never expected Ukraine would get this level of support from the U.S. and the West. The official says Russia has struggled with morale, logistics, the ability to sustain operations. And over time, this can culminate¹⁰ in the kind of breakdown¹¹ that we've just seen.

MART?NEZ: This Ukrainian offensive has really reshaped the battlefield to some degree. Is it also maybe reshaping the broader conversation about the war in the West?

MYRE: Yeah. You know, a big part of the Western debate, and particularly in Europe, has centered on whether Ukraine could actually take back land that Russia had captured. If Ukraine couldn't reverse the Russian gains or if there was a stalemate, shouldn't there then be talks on ending the war, even if this means painful compromises? But Ukraine has now shown decisively that it can recapture territory from Russia. So I think we're likely to hear more about what sort of weapons Ukraine needs to keep its offensive going and whether Russia's military is capable of regrouping after a major setback¹².

MART?NEZ: That's NPR's Greg Myre. Greg, thanks a lot.

MYRE: My pleasure.

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 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

3 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。

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 cascading   

流注( cascade的现在分词 )； 大量落下； 大量垂悬； 梯流

参考例句：

• First of all, cascading menus are to be avoided at all costs. 首先，无论如何都要避免使用级联菜单。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Her sounds began cascading gently. 他的声音开始缓缓地低落下来。

6 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

7 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 overestimated   

对（数量）估计过高，对…作过高的评价( overestimate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They overestimated his ability when they promoted him. 他们提拔他的时候高估了他的能力。
• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。

10 culminate   

v.到绝顶，达于极点，达到高潮

参考例句：

• The celebration of the centenary will culminate with a dinner.百年庆典活动将以宴会作为高潮。
• Everyone feared that the boundary dispute between these two countries would culminate in a war.人人都担心,这两国间的边境争端将以一场战争到达顶点。

11 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

12 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。