VOA新闻杂志--乌克兰年轻人请日本人帮助乌克兰

Ukrainian YouTubers Ask Japanese to Help Ukraine

They began with funny videos and talked over Mario Kart racing¹ games on their YouTube channel. Now, two Ukrainian brothers who live in Japan have added a more serious subject to their videos. They are telling young Japanese about the news from their country and bringing the realities of war closer to Japan.

Just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Sava Tkachov, 26, and his younger brother Yan, 20, celebrated² the second anniversary of opening their YouTube broadcast. Now, over 2 million people follow their Sawayan Channel and the Sawayan Games channel that Sava hosts.

The first word of war came from their father. He is a business person and had returned to Kyiv two months ago. After Russian troops arrived, he stayed to help defend his country. The brothers' YouTube content, which used to be full of tricks, jokes and action videos, has become more serious.

Father in Ukraine

They worried about their 53-year-old father and friends in Ukraine. In early March, the brothers said that they planned to volunteer as defenders³ too. It started a wave of reactions, some supporting and others criticizing them.

The father said they should not come. The Tkachovs have no military training and soon changed their minds. Sava said he received long and serious messages from some of his teenage fans showing they wanted to follow the brothers to Ukraine.

"By sending out messages through our channel, I made kids want to go to war and I cannot say if it was good or bad," Sava said at a news conference Thursday. "But at least it was meaningful that they became interested in the issue."

Sava, who uses the social media name "No War," used his gaming channel to raise money. He collected some 3.6 million yen⁴, or $29,500, in three hours, and donated all of it to the Ukrainian Embassy.

Yan and Sava said they also started receiving messages from parents saying their children started thinking about peace. Others thanked them for raising important social issues.

"I believe the merit of YouTube is I can convey the real information from the ground that my father is sharing with us about the situation that is very up to date." He puts it on the internet almost immediately, Sava said.

Japan was quick to join other industrialized nations in placing restrictions⁵ on trade with Russia and providing support for Ukraine.

Tokyo has also sent some military equipment, but not weapons, and medical supplies to Ukraine. It is an exception to Japan's ban on sending military equipment to countries in conflict.

Japan's government is worried about the effect of Moscow's war on East Asia. Tokyo has faced recent threats from North Korea and China. Due to sanctions, Russia stopped peace treaty talks with Japan over the disputed Kuril Islands. Moscow has held the island chain north of Japan since 1945.

Sava Tkachov arrived with his family in Japan when he was 4 and studied at a top Japanese university. He thanked his adopted country for its support, but said Tokyo should keep its peaceful role in world affairs.

"Japan is the world's top-class peaceful nation ... and what the country is doing right now is very appropriate," he said. "As to the question of whether Japan should send weapons, I do not think it's the kind of role Japan should be playing."

Instead, he said, Japan can better help by continuing to appeal for peace and take a leadership role within Asia.

He also said Japan can provide home to many Ukrainian refugees.

Some may find the language difficult or the food unusual, "but I'm sure they can overcome the difficulties with the empathy of the Japanese people and the spirits of the Ukrainians."

Words in This Story

channel – n. a regular location on the internet for sending or receiving broadcasts

convey – v. to make known; communicate in words, actions, appearance, and the like

adopt – v. to accept or start using something new

sanctions – n. provisions of a law enacting⁶ a penalty for disobedience or a reward for obedience⁷

appropriate – adj. suitable or acceptable for a particular situation.

empathy – n. the ability to imagine what it must be like to be in someone's situation

1 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

2 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。

3 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》

4 yen   

n. 日元；热望

参考例句：

• He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。
• He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

7 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。