美国国家公共电台 NPR--Six months into the Russia-Ukraine war, how can we measure the loss of life?

Six months into the Russia-Ukraine war, how can we measure the loss of life?

Transcript¹

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Matilda Bogner, head of the United Nations Human Rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, about whether death tolls³ in Russia's war on Ukraine have been underestimated.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

How can we know the true human cost of the war? It's now six months old, about. Matilda Bogner heads the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. She joins us from Kyiv. Welcome to the program.

MATILDA BOGNER: Thank you.

INSKEEP: I should note that United Nations figures show 5,000 civilian⁴ deaths in the war, about 7,000 wounded. That's a terrible toll², and yet I'm surprised the numbers would be that low. How accurate are they, do you think?

BOGNER: Well, yeah, we have recorded more than 5,500 killed and, as you said, over - it's 7,800 injured. These are the figures that we have individually documented. So we look into each case. We verify it. And clearly, there are more people who are injured and who are killed than the cases that we can verify. So the total is higher than that. But it has been an extreme escalation⁵ since February this year, with thousands killed. And so the numbers are lower than the actual figures, but they show a huge level of suffering in the country.

INSKEEP: I'm also recalling that in the early phase of the war, something like 10 million Ukrainians were on the move out of their homes. Now, many of them have returned, of course. But is it your understanding there are still millions of refugees, both internal and external?

BOGNER: Yes. The latest figures that we're aware of - it's around 6 million have left the country as refugees, and more than 6 million within the country who are IDPs, who have had to leave their homes and find other places to live. Unfortunately, more people are still leaving. There are still new refugee and IDP flows as the hostilities⁶ in the east continue to affect civilians⁷' lives.

INSKEEP: So we're well over a quarter of a large nation on the move out of their homes, and those numbers continue to go up, even if some people have been able to return to places like Kyiv. Now, the numbers tell us one thing, but stories tell us another. What is the daily cost that you see in people's lives, people that you've met or that you see on the street in Kyiv?

BOGNER: You know, we meet people every day, and we meet people who are in fairly vulnerable situations, who would have been even before this escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. We meet elderly people who've been forced to leave their houses and then try to seek accommodation elsewhere. Then they can't afford to pay for that. They have to return to their houses, which are still in dangerous areas. We meet people with disabilities, people who can't afford the medicines that they need in order to live a dignified⁸ life. We also meet families who've had family members killed and who have witnessed really horrific violence. Imagine being an older woman and having to see your son shot in front of you. We meet with people like this on a daily basis. That really describes the type of horrors that people are having to live through.

INSKEEP: How much access, if any, are the Russians giving your monitoring mission in the areas that they control?

BOGNER: We didn't - we have not had access to areas that are under - newly under Russian occupation. We have some access in the east of the country, in Donetsk and Luhansk, which are controlled by Russian-affiliated armed groups. But we have had no access - no confidential⁹ access to detainees in areas that are controlled by the Russian Federation¹⁰. We've also not had access to displaced persons who have moved into the Russian Federation or who are in areas that are occupied by the Russian Federation.

INSKEEP: In a sentence or two, are you having anything that could be described as good faith negotiations¹¹ leading to your access to those people?

BOGNER: We have an ongoing¹² dialogue, and we are in discussions regarding access. But so far, that's not been successful. But we will continue to try.

INSKEEP: Matilda Bogner heads the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Thanks so much.

BOGNER: 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 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 tolls   

（缓慢而有规律的）钟声( toll的名词复数 )； 通行费； 损耗； （战争、灾难等造成的）毁坏

参考例句：

• A man collected tolls at the gateway. 一个人在大门口收通行费。
• The long-distance call tolls amount to quite a sum. 长途电话费数目相当可观。

4 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。

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 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

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 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

9 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

10 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

11 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。

12 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。