VOA标准英语2015--乌克兰军队准备捍卫马里乌波尔

Ukrainian Forces Prepare to Defend Mariupol 乌克兰军队准备捍卫马里乌波尔

MARIUPOL, UKRAINE—

Despite the ongoing¹ cease-fire in Ukraine, soldiers in the city of Mariupol fear that pro-Russian separatists may be getting ready to attack.

The separatists must take or encircle the city if they wish to gain land access to Crimea, which was annexed² by Russia early last year. But Ukrainian forces, many of them volunteers, say they are determined³ to defend it.

On the hills overlooking the sea of Azov, soldiers of the Ukrainian army are digging in.

These trenches⁴, bunkers and fighting positions are part of a network of defenses around Mariupol, a city that many fear is the next target in eastern Ukraine’s pro-Russian rebellion. Despite a cease-fire that began on February 15th, soldiers here are expecting the worst.

“I do not believe in the cease-fire, because no one is obeying the rules of the Minsk negotiations," said Troyeshina, a volunteer fighter with Donbass Battalion⁵. "The level of shelling has gone down, but the fighting continues.  That is why I think an attack is coming. If it continues like this, it is going to happen.”

Strategic area

Without either capturing or encircling this city, pro-Russian forces will not have a land bridge to recently annexed Crimea, the strategically vital peninsula that gives the Russian Navy access to the Mediterranean⁶.

The rebels have already claimed Mariupol as their own, but Ukrainian forces said they will not leave without a fight.

"The rebels are all saying that Mariupol is an important strategic place, politically important, too," said Sobol, a commander with the 37th Tank Battalion. "But considering our forces and troops, it will be difficult, very difficult for them. Everyone is ready.”

Any possible fight for Mariupol would indeed be terrible. Civilians⁸ have already abandoned the areas east of the the city, and Fyodor, a civilian⁷, said despite the cease-fire a shell had recently landed in his garden.

“A shell from the sea or from Shyrokyne landed here, and there was an explosion. Three or four more exploded over there," said Fyodor. "There were more, but they landed in the sea."

Mariupol’s airport is now a makeshift military base, and serves as a rest area for volunteer fighters coming in off the front line. Many are filthy⁹ and exhausted¹⁰ after days in the freezing trenches.

France has said Russia will face further sanctions if Mariupol is attacked, but few here believe that is a credible¹¹ deterrent¹². With so much still to gain for both sides in this conflict, the cease-fire seems little more that an opportunity to regroup before the weather improves.

1 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。

2 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 trenches   

深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕

参考例句：

• life in the trenches 第一次世界大战期间的战壕生活
• The troops stormed the enemy's trenches and fanned out across the fields. 部队猛攻敌人的战壕，并在田野上呈扇形散开。

5 battalion   

n.营；部队；大队(的人)

参考例句：

• The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。
• At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后，队伍解散了。

6 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

7 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。

8 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。

9 filthy   

adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
• You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。

10 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

11 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

12 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。