VOA标准英语2014--US Warns Russia Against Instigating Separatist Tensions in Ukraine 美国警告俄罗斯煽动乌克兰分裂

 

US Warns Russia Against Instigating¹ Separatist Tensions in Ukraine 美国警告俄罗斯煽动乌克兰分裂

WASHINGTON — The United States has warned Russia against stirring separatist sentiment in eastern Ukraine, following unrest in several cities in recent days. U.S. officials said there are clear signs that pro-Russian demonstrations³ were orchestrated from outside. Meanwhile, recent events in Ukraine have emboldened⁴ Russian-speaking separatists in Moldova to renew their calls for independence, with a view of joining the Russian Federation⁵.

Pro-Russian demonstrators in eastern Ukraine and in Moldova are calling for a referendum similar to the one that led to Russia's annexation⁶ of Crimea last month. 

In the city of Donetsk, rioters stormed the regional government building on Sunday and replaced the Ukrainian flag on the building with a Russian one, while others watched, cheering and chanting "Russia!"

Pro-Russian demonstrations also took place in Kharkiv. Emily Belkina, a mother of three, said Russians in Ukraine want autonomy.

"This new government came to rule with force, you understand, with guns in their hands and we don't have our representative in the new government," said Belkina.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said there is strong evidence that some demonstrators were Russian agents paid to stir unrest. She said Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"He called on Russia to publicly disavow the activities of separatists, saboteurs and provocateurs, calling for de-escalation and dialogue, and called on all parties to refrain from agitation⁷ in Ukraine,” said Psaki.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Russia continues to increase its pressure on Ukraine. 

"We see it in the troops that have massed on the border. We see it in a variety of developments internally within Ukraine, in the regions of the country where there are more ethnic⁸ Russians," said Carney.

Russia has said it has no intention of moving farther into Ukraine after taking over Crimea, but its actions have raised concern in other former Soviet⁹ republics. 

Moldova is afraid of losing its Trans-Dniester region, whose Russian-speaking majority fought an independence war in 1992 and is now renewing its calls for independence, with the idea of ultimately joining the Russian Federation.

Those opposed to Russian influence in Moldova held a demonstration² Sunday outside the Russian embassy in the capital, Chisinau.

"We are here to express our resentment¹⁰ against Russian aggression¹¹ in Moldovan Republic. We do not want the Crimean scenario¹² here.  We want our children to have [a] future,” said one protester.

 

U.S. and European officials will meet in the next 10 days with Russian and Ukrainian officials to discuss how to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine and discourage Russia from fueling tensions in the region.

1 instigating   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Distant but clear Longyin instigating the eardrums of every person. 遥远却清晰的龙吟鼓动着每一个人的耳膜。 来自互联网
• The leader was charged with instigating the workers to put down tools. 那位领导人被指控煽动工人罢工。 来自互联网

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

7 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

8 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。

9 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

10 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

11 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

12 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。