美国国家公共电台 NPR--With a trip to Kyiv, NATO foreign ministers underscore their commitment to Ukraine

With a trip to Kyiv, NATO foreign ministers underscore their commitment to Ukraine

Transcript¹

NATO foreign ministers are now meeting in Romania to discuss how to support Ukrainians as they confront a harsh winter and a constant barrage² of Russian attacks on critical infrastructure³.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

NATO's secretary general is promising⁴ extra support for Ukraine.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JENS STOLTENBERG: We will stand by Ukraine as long as it takes. We'll not back down.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Jens Stoltenberg spoke⁵ at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, including the U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken. They met in Romania, which borders Ukraine, as Ukraine faces Russian attacks on civilian⁶ infrastructure.

MART?NEZ: NPR's Ashley Westerman joins us from Kyiv. Ashley, what are the foreign ministers focusing on in this meeting in Bucharest?

ASHLEY WESTERMAN, BYLINE⁷: So this meeting is specifically about how NATO can support Ukraine through the winter, which is supposed to be particularly harsh this year, amid a constant barrage of attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure by Russian forces. The U.S. announced a new tranche of aid yesterday - $53 million - to help acquire equipment to fix Ukraine's utility grid⁸ - things like transformers, circuit breakers, surge arresters, vehicles and other equipment. In a tweet announcing that new money, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia's attacks on Ukraine's civilian energy system were, quote, "brutal⁹ and have imperiled millions." Also yesterday, NATO pledged to provide more weapons - air defense¹⁰ systems and munitions¹¹ - to Ukraine but also non-military aid, like fuel and generators¹³.

MART?NEZ: Yeah, it's been a week since Russia just unleashed¹⁴ that attack that Blinken called brutal on infrastructure in Ukraine. What's the situation there right now?

WESTERMAN: Well, A, I can say it's gotten better, but it's still difficult. For example, here at NPR's bureau, we experience hours-long electricity blackouts. We're actually on generator¹² power right now. And these usually knock out our Wi-Fi and sometimes our cell service. But it's not just us, of course. Countrywide, there are still millions without power, too, because of the strikes last week. Earlier this week, officials say about half the homes in Kyiv have had their power restored, and it is getting restored in other parts of the country. But they still have about 30% less power than they actually need. And that's according to the state energy operator Ukrenergo. And, you know, the repairs are going slower than before, as well. Temperatures have been hovering¹⁵ around freezing most of this week, and we've had lots of snow, making it super difficult to fix what's been broken.

MART?NEZ: So how are people coping with this?

WESTERMAN: You know, the Ukrainians are toughing it out, really. While, countrywide, energy curbs¹⁶ have been in place, people are also voluntarily rationing¹⁷ electricity. And you can see that just walking through Kyiv - darkened buildings and neighborhoods that clearly do have electricity. And there's also a sense here that rationing energy is not only imperative¹⁸ to their survival, but also patriotic¹⁹. And in one act of defiance²⁰ this week, officials here in Kyiv say Christmas trees will go up throughout the city. However, many of those trees won't have lights. Here's Mayor Vitali Klitschko on the decision to go ahead and celebrate the holidays amid the war.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

VITALI KLITSCHKO: (Speaking Ukrainian).

WESTERMAN: He says, "Putin wants to steal everything from us and wants to take the holidays away from children. We can't let that happen."

MART?NEZ: I know defiance is one thing, but, I mean, these big attacks on infrastructure, they've become a regular thing - almost weekly. Does that mean people are going to be bracing²¹ for the next one?

WESTERMAN: Absolutely. People are super worried. Russia is failing to beat the Ukrainians on the battlefield, so they're hoping to freeze them out by taking down their utility infrastructure. And, A, it's become a bit of a game of whack-a-mole, honestly. You know, the Russians strike, the Ukrainians do what they can as fast as they can to repair the damage, but then the Russians strike again. And another big strike is what I think people are really most worried about right now.

MART?NEZ: That's NPR's Ashley Westerman in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ashley, thanks.

WESTERMAN: Thank you.

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 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

3 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。

4 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 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。

8 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

9 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

10 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。

11 munitions   

n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品

参考例句：

• The army used precision-guided munitions to blow up enemy targets.军队用精确瞄准的枪炮炸掉敌方目标。
• He rose [made a career for himself] by dealing in munitions.他是靠贩卖军火发迹的。

12 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

13 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 unleashed   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
• The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

16 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

17 rationing   

n.定量供应

参考例句：

• Wartime austerities included food rationing and shortage of fuel. 战时的艰苦包括食物配给和燃料短缺。
• Food rationing was abolished in that country long ago. 那个国家早就取消了粮食配给制。

18 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

19 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

20 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

21 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。