Residents give updates from Lviv after multiple missile strikes were reported

Residents give updates from Lviv after multiple missile strikes were reported

Transcript¹

At least six people have been reported killed and more injured in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, where missile strikes were reported.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

People in Ukraine are waiting for Russia's next move. They're expecting a Russian offensive in the eastern part of the country as the invaders² refocus after multiple failures. What's known for the moment is that Russia is striking in multiple parts of Ukraine. Russian forces issued an ultimatum³ to defenders⁴ of Mariupol along the Black Sea coast, and missiles struck Lviv in Ukraine's far west. NPR's Eyder Peralta begins his report with Lviv.

EYDER PERALTA, BYLINE⁵: It's not far from the border with Poland, and throughout this conflict, it has been a safe haven⁶. It had received very few air strikes, and the city felt, in a lot of ways, totally normal. Restaurants were open. People were strolling through the parks and squares. It's home to a lot of Ukrainians who have fled from more dangerous parts of the country. But today, local authorities say several Russian missiles struck the city. They say that civilians⁷ were killed and that one of the missiles hit a tire repair shop, but most were aimed at infrastructure⁸. These are the first fatalities⁹ that have been recorded in the city of Lviv. And we spoke¹⁰ to one resident who said that Lviv had felt safe, but these strikes change everything.

INSKEEP: Then there's this ultimatum against Mariupol, which has not felt safe at all throughout the war. Defenders have held out for weeks, but what is the Russian threat?

PERALTA: Look, it feels like over the past few days, the war is intensifying¹¹. And Mariupol, you know, is - it's a city that's almost entirely¹² destroyed. The Russians say that they have gotten the upper hand. Ukrainians say that their forces there have not given up, despite the Russian ultimatum. And we should note that Mariupol is entirely under siege. It has been from the beginning of this war. So it has been mostly cut off from the outside world. We don't have a clear idea of what's happening there.

Farther to the north, the fighting in Kharkiv has intensified¹³. Witnesses there tell us that the center of the city has been bombarded. When we were there, the front lines were pretty stable. But now the Ukrainian military says its troops are on the offensive. So fighting is intensifying everywhere. I think the big question is whether all of this new fighting is the beginning of the Russian offensive that Ukraine and its Western allies have been warning about for weeks.

INSKEEP: You've been putting your finger on different parts of the Ukrainian map as we're talking here. Let's do one more - the city where you are, center of the country, Dnipro. What are you seeing there?

PERALTA: It's quiet. Actually, the air raid just went off right now, but it's quiet. Yesterday, the Orthodox Church celebrated¹⁴ Palm Sunday, which is the beginning of Holy Week, and the air raid siren went off then. And that still didn't stop people from waiting outside the church to get their palms blessed. I spoke to a couple there, Savidge Alexei (ph) and Zincheko Valentina (ph), outside the church. Let's listen.

Does this mean something different this year, this Easter season?

SAVIDGE ALEXEI: (Through interpreter) Pretty much. You can't feel it at all.

ZINCHEKO VALENTINA: (Through interpreter) I'm a strong believer. And obviously, when I go to church, I put some candles for our military and for our guys to protect them. And I don't know how reasonable it is to do it - maybe it's a bit strange thing - but I also do one candle always for death of Putin.

PERALTA: A candle for the death of Putin. So, yeah, look, you can see spring flowers here, and people are planning gatherings¹⁵ for Orthodox Easter next week. But there's always this sense of unease, of fear that death and destruction of this war could catch up with you at any moment.

INSKEEP: NPR's Eyder Peralta in Dnipro, Ukraine. Thanks so much.

PERALTA: Thank you, Steve.

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 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

3 ultimatum   

n.最后通牒

参考例句：

• This time the proposal was couched as an ultimatum.这一次该提议是以最后通牒的形式提出来的。
• The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum.内阁今天开会商量如何应对这道最后通牒。

4 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

7 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。

8 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。

9 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

12 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

13 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

15 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。