马航事故仍影响乌克兰危机

马航事故仍影响乌克兰危机

LONDON— A year after 298 people died when Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine allegedly shot down a Malaysian passenger jet on July 17, 2014, the tragic¹ incident still hangs over the ongoing² conflict.

The Malaysia Airlines jumbo jet was on a routine flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, when a missile turned it into burned out wreckage³ scattered⁴ across farm fields in a separatist-controlled area.

案发时这架马航大型喷气式客机正在从阿姆斯特丹飞往吉隆坡的途中，然后被一枚导弹击中并化为碎片，散落在分裂分子控制地区的农场里。

The passengers and crew members from 10 countries became victims of a conflict they had nothing to do with. Their deaths did not end the war, but they did change it.

这些来自10个国家的乘客和机组人员们就这样成了与他们毫无关系的冲突的受害者，他们的死没有令战争结束，但却改变了战争局势。

“I believe that it was an important turning point, because it rallied all Europeans behind an escalation⁵ of the sanctions.”

“我认为这是个重要的转折点，因为它使得全体欧洲人在制裁升级后集结起来。”

Experts reached via Skype said European countries had been reluctant to confront Russia over its role in eastern Ukraine, but that changed when the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 went down.

专家们通过Skype接受了采访，他们称欧洲国家一直不愿意就俄罗斯在乌克兰东部的角色对之对峙，但在马航MH17飞机被击落后，情况就改变了。

“The tragedy really did influence everyone’s thinking on how we could sort of go further with Russia.”

“在我们如何进一步对待俄罗斯的问题上，这场惨剧确实影响了每个人的思维。”

The sanctions and diplomacy⁶ that grew out of the tragedy also did not end the conflict, but they may have helped prevent a further escalation.

这场惨剧促成的制裁和外交活动并没有令冲突结束，但可能帮助阻止了冲突进一步升级。

“This, I think, explains why the situation now is not ideal, but it has not yet escalated⁷ further,” Sagramoso says.

“我想这就能解释为何尽管目前的局面并不理想，但仍没有进一步升级的原因。”

Negotiations⁸ in Minsk, spearheaded by the French and German leaders, led to a shaky cease-fire. But Western and Ukrainian officials say Russia continues to supply and train the rebels.

法国和德国领导人斡旋下在明斯克进行的协商促成了脆弱的停火协议，但西方国家和乌克兰官方称俄罗斯仍在向叛军提供物资和培训。

“You are seeing now that Russia itself may not know actually how to get out of this situation,” Lain says.

“你能看到俄罗斯现在可能并不知道如何跳出这种局面。”

Some say the situation in eastern Ukraine is a "frozen conflict," but others warn it could flare⁹ up again easily.

有些人说乌克兰东部的局势是“僵持的冲突”，但也有人警告称冲突可以轻易地再度加剧。

"If there is another accident of any sort involving civilians¹⁰ on either side, of the kind we saw with the Boeing aircraft, then we might see a significant escalation and a significant change."

“如果哪方发生任何一种涉及平民的事件，或者如波音飞机这样的事故，那么我们就可能看到冲突的重大升级和局势的重大改变。”

1 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

4 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

5 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

8 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

9 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

10 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。