Images out of Bucha are difficult to look at, but it's important not to look away

Images out of Bucha are difficult to look at, but it's important not to look away

Transcript¹

In the Ukrainian town of Bucha, dead bodies have been found along with mass graves after Russian forces withdrew from the area. It is on the outskirts² of the capital city Kyiv.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Russian forces pulled out of some small towns just outside Kyiv. And all that is left is utter devastation³. About 90 minutes outside the capital in the town of Bucha, dozens of bodies were found on the streets. Ukrainian officials are calling it a massacre⁴, saying some of the bodies showed signs of torture and execution. Moscow calls the allegations a provocation⁵ by Ukraine. I talked to NPR's Nathan Rott, who is in the capital, Kyiv.

NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE⁶: Sadly, I think this is just the start, right? These images that we're seeing of bodies that appear to be badly burnt, of bodies that appear to have been tied with their hands behind their back, are going to be the conversation in Ukraine for a while. And so, you know, I think we explained a little of the chronology there. You just did. But I think it's important for people to understand - what is happening is Russian forces invaded these towns north of where I am in Kyiv in the first days of the war. They were stopped by Ukrainian forces. And last week, we started seeing them withdraw from this region altogether. Russia says it's doing this as a gesture of goodwill⁷, as a sign that they're sincere about peace negotiations⁸, though I think it's important to note that they continue to launch missiles at targets here. Now, with Russian troops withdrawn⁹, Ukrainian forces are moving into these suburbs and towns, like Bucha, really, for the first time in weeks. And what they're seeing are these horrifying¹⁰ scenes.

Here's Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, who we talked to over the weekend.

VITALI KLITSCHKO: I just came in right now from north of the city. I'm a little bit depressed¹¹. What I saw there, old people shoot - civilian¹², civilian - old, young people, women, shoot by Russian soldier - the bodies everywhere there.

MARTIN: What is Russia saying about this?

ROTT: So Russia is claiming that these images we're seeing are fake. They say Ukraine is deliberately¹³ spreading false information. This is something they continue to say through the war. I've talked to people who have been in these towns over the last couple of days. We're planning to go there tomorrow. And, you know, from what I've heard, it is very clear that there are dead people in civilian clothes in these places. Human Rights Watch released a report yesterday detailing multiple incidents that appear to be war crimes. And the sense we're getting is that more reports like this are coming as Ukrainian forces move into other towns.

MARTIN: So there are now all these calls for accountability for this from the international community. What are you hearing in Ukraine?

ROTT: The same, you know, and a lot of frustration¹⁴. Ukraine has been calling for more military help from the U.S. and other Western allies since before this war started. They want anti-aircraft systems. They want fighter jets. But there's still a sense - you know, and we're hearing that if these images from Bucha, the accounts of what's still happening right now in Kharkiv in the north, in Mariupol in the south, where fighting is ongoing¹⁵, if they don't move the needle for greater Western involvement, the Ukrainians say it's hard to know what will. I actually just finished talking to a man who is working with the Ukrainian Territorial¹⁶ Defense¹⁷ who believes that there starts to become culpability¹⁸ of Western countries if greater intervention¹⁹ isn't taken.

MARTIN: NPR's Nathan Rott in Kyiv. Thank you.

ROTT: 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 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

3 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

5 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

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 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

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 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

10 horrifying   

a.令人震惊的，使人毛骨悚然的

参考例句：

• He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。

11 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

12 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。

13 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

14 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

15 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。

16 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

17 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。

18 culpability   

n.苛责，有罪

参考例句：

• As if the estrangement between them had come of any culpability of hers. 姐弟俩疏远的责任竟仿佛落到了她的身上！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• The offence, as now defined in English law, covers a wide spectrum of culpability. 英国法律规定，违法包括很多种过失行为。 来自互联网

19 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。