Russia's war on Ukraine has left more than 100 merchant vessels stranded

Russia's war on Ukraine has left more than 100 merchant vessels¹ stranded²

　　Transcript³

　　Hundreds of seafarers are stranded on ships in the Black Sea or in ports as the war in Ukraine grinds on. Many of the stranded are Ukrainians who want to get home. Some are Russian.

　　STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

　　Russia's war on Ukraine involves operations at sea. Russia has ordered some waterways closed, and they have the guns to back it up. So more than 100 ships are stranded at Ukrainian ports and in the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Crews on board are not able to get off their vessels and are sometimes under fire. Here's NPR's Jackie Northam.

　　JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE⁴: The Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, off the coast of Ukraine, are busy waterways for container ships and oil tankers⁵. When the invasion of Ukraine unfolded, dozens of ships and about 800 seafarers were suddenly caught in a war zone.

　　OLEG GRYGORIUK: There are some aircraft attacks. Most of the area is mined right now. So it's not safe. It's really not safe.

　　NORTHAM: Oleg Grygoriuk is the head of Ukraine's Marine⁶ Transport Workers Trade Union. Speaking from Ukraine, he says several vessels have come under missile fire.

　　GRYGORIUK: We just had one case at the very beginning with the Russian crew who was hit by the Russian missile, and they appeared in the Ukrainian hospital.

　　NORTHAM: Russian warships⁷ traverse the shipping⁸ lanes, threatening attacks on Ukraine from the sea and hampering⁹ shipments of wheat and corn. Stephen Cassel (ph) is general secretary of the International Transport Workers Federation¹⁰.

　　STEPHEN COTTON: At the moment, the advice is just sit tight. So every ship that's there, whether you're Panamanian, Russian, Ukrainian, whatever you are, is basically stuck in port or off the port at anchorage.

　　NORTHAM: Many of the seafarers have already been on board for months. A large number come from the Philippines, but there are also Ukrainians and Russians on the same ships and, so far, mostly getting along, says Grygoriuk.

　　GRYGORIUK: But it feels to me that longer the war continues, there might be more grounds for the fights on board or some conflicts on board.

　　NORTHAM: Some companies have been able to get workers off the ships and back home. It's tougher for the Ukrainian seafarers. There are challenges getting their pay because of the conflict. Also, home is now a war zone. Still, Grygoriuk says some of the stranded Ukrainian seafarers want to go find out what's happening to their families. Others want to defend their country.

　　GRYGORIUK: There are some case by case - inspired people with the experience - let's say special experience, military experience. They are willing to come back and to fight.

　　NORTHAM: Cassel says there's also concern about what to do with the Russian seafarers.

　　COTTON: The ship owners are as worried about Russian seafarers in the logistics of moving them around because of the sanctions. Anecdotally, we've got evidence that Russians are not really welcome at certain ports.

　　NORTHAM: Meanwhile, provisions are running low on the stranded ships around the Black Sea. The International Maritime¹¹ Organization held an emergency meeting last week to discuss creating safe passage, says Jason Zuidema with the North American Maritime Industry Association (ph).

　　JASON ZUIDEMA: There's a concerted effort by the international community to create corridors, much like the refugees have been asking for corridors to get out of their besieged¹² cities - similar sort of maritime corridors for those ships to be able to leave the war zone.

　　NORTHAM: Zuidema says normally, his group and others would have chaplains and volunteers to bring supplies or arrange family visits for the seafarers. But Zuidema says most of those volunteers in Ukraine are no longer at the ports. They're now refugees in the war with Russia. Jackie Northam, NPR News.

1 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

3 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。

4 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。

5 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

6 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

8 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

9 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

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 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

12 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。