VOA标准英语2014--俄罗斯在乌克兰的新举动挑战北约

 

New Russian Moves in Ukraine Challenge NATO

LONDON—

NATO, the United States and Ukraine say Russian forces are taking a more significant role in fighting in eastern Ukraine, bolstering¹ separatist groups that have lost considerable ground to the government forces in recent weeks.  

The cultural center of rebel-held Donetsk became a casualty of the fighting when it was hit by artillery² shells.  Ukrainian troops are pressing their offensive in the east, even amid reports of Russian forces joining separatists to rout³ other Ukrainian forces farther south.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Russian troops have entered his country and the security situation has deteriorated⁴.  He wants a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

NATO and U.S. officials agree that unmarked military vehicles, seen just inside Russian territory, are crossing the border to provide equipment, ammunition⁵ and perhaps 1,000 fighters to help the separatists.

The prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic acknowledged the presence of as many as 4,000 Russians over the last several months, but said they are not regular military units.  He claimed some of them are soldiers on vacation, but Ukrainian and Western officials say it is an organized invasion, designed not to look like one, similar to what Russia did in Crimea in February.

Ukrainian troops have been making significant gains against the separatists in recent weeks, apparently⁶ prompting the stronger Russian response.  The separatists want independence.

But experts say Russian President Vladimir Putin, who met with Ukraine’s president on Tuesday, may be satisfied with some sort of long-term influence in Ukraine.  Even that is too much for Poroshenko, but he may have a hard time convincing the West to help him prevent it, according to experts like former British and European Union official Nick Witney, now at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

“The way out is, in the short term a truce⁷, a cease-fire, and ultimately some sort of political deal or understanding, which unfortunately will have to recognize that Russia does have more of an interest in Ukraine than we in the West do," he said.

At London’s Chatham House, senior analyst⁸ Xenia Wickett says the West is not likely to provide much help.

“NATO has actually kind of tripped over itself.  By putting out very clear ‘Red Lines,’ it has actually got itself in a bind⁹ because Russia knows it can walk right up to those red lines but not cross them, without a NATO response," said Wickett.

Experts say the NATO summit in Britain next week could provide some clues about the alliance’s intentions regarding Ukraine, but no one expects dramatic action.

1 bolstering   

v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• Why should Donahue's people concern themselves with bolstering your image? 唐纳休的人为什么要费心维护你的形象？ 来自辞典例句
• He needed bolstering and support. 他需要别人助他一臂之力。 来自辞典例句

2 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

3 rout   

n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮

参考例句：

• The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。
• The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。

4 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

5 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

8 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

9 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。