VOA慢速英语2015 Ukraine Conflict Divides Families, Friends

AS IT IS 2015-06-09 Ukraine Conflict Divides Families, Friends

The year-long conflict in Ukraine has energized² those who support a united, independent country. But it has also created divisions between them and neighbors, friends and family members who feel a connection to Russia. The political tensions have harmed personal relationships and have even led some married people to separate.

Lyudmila and Denis Sakhno married 17 years ago. At the time, like most people who marry, they expected to spend the rest of their lives together.

But conflict began between the two when Russian-supported rebels used a lack of leadership in Ukraine’s central government to seize control of their town.

Lyudmila is an ethnic³ Ukrainian. She says the seizure⁴ of the town hurt her emotionally. But her husband, who is half Russian, did not feel the same way.

She says he thought the seizure would turn Ukraine into “a new country with new possibilities.” But she believed it was an illegal occupation and harmful to her rights.

To try to ease tensions, Lyudmila and her husband agreed they would not talk about politics at home.

She read news about Ukraine on the Internet. Denis Sakhno received his information from Russian state television.

Denis Sakhno said he and his wife began to have arguments about the war in Ukraine every day. So they separated. They then asked officials for permission to end their marriage.

Yulia Parshina is head of the Kramatorsk Marriage Registration⁵ Office. She notes that, during the last year of fighting in Ukraine, many people became frightened and canceled plans to marry. Others split up because of political differences when some of the men joined the rebellion against Ukraine’s central government.

Ms. Parshina says many families were broken because some members supported a united Ukraine and others supported the rebel-controlled Donetsk Peoples’ Republic.

Lyudmila Sakhno says her husband’s beliefs about the rebels changed after he saw armed men supporting anti-Ukrainian beliefs and clashing with Ukrainian forces. She says he understood what was happening. In her words, “he saw the rebels were not building something new, but just destroying.”

She admits her own opinion of Ukraine’s central government has changed. She is no longer as excited as she once was.

Denis says he “understood in the wrong way.” He says “I have regrets, not only about our relations, but my main regret is that I was fooled.”

Lyudmila and Denis Sakhno have agreed to finalize⁶ their divorce in the middle of June. But, still, they are friendly with one another, and Denis hopes they can remain married.

They both see a better future, even as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues. This is a war of politics, they agree, not a war of Ukrainians against Russians.

Words in This Story

energize¹ – v. to give energy or excitement to something

divorce – n. the official end of a marriage; a complete separation between two things

1 energize   

vt.给予(某人或某物)精力、能量

参考例句：

• It is used to energize the city.它的作用是为城市供给能量。
• This is a great way to energize yourself and give yourself more power!这种方法非常棒，可以激活你的能量，让你有更多的活力！

2 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

5 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

6 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。