烏克蘭東部
Fighting on
堅持戰斗
As the battle continues and the death toll mounts, the West imposes more sanctions
戰爭持續，傷亡增多，西方國家加強制裁
THE two presidents could not have offered a greater contrast. Announcing new sanctions against Russia on July 16th, America's Barack Obama read a prepared statement and took no questions. Minutes later, Russia's Vladimir Putin staged an off-the-cuff press conference in Brazil to assail the sanctions' legitimacy. He let emotion take hold, reaching a crescendo during a riff about the “tears of mothers, widows and orphans” in Ukraine.
兩位總統都無法達成更好的協議。7月16日美國總統巴拉克·奧巴馬宣讀了準備好了的聲明，宣布對俄羅斯的新制裁并不回應任何問題。幾分鐘之后，俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京在巴西舉行了即席記者招待會來質疑制裁的合法性。他在說到烏克蘭“母親、遺孀和孤兒的眼淚”等反復出現的字節時被情緒影響，音量逐漸加強。
The new sanctions come at a crucial juncture in Ukraine's war. The death toll, both civilian and military, is rising as the fighting creeps into Donetsk and Luhansk, eastern Ukraine's two biggest cities. Russia has not stopped its support for rebel forces, and has even ramped up equipment transfers following the fall of rebel-held Sloviansk two weeks ago. Kiev has implicated Moscow in the recent downing of two Ukrainian military aircraft. After an air strike demolished an apartment block in the city of Snizhne on July 15th, Ukrainian officials called it a Russian provocation, saying none of their planes took off that day. That would imply Russia sending a jet more than 20 kilometres (12 miles) across the border to bomb a residential neighbourhood and poison opinion against Kiev, a cynical notion even for Mr Putin. But to blame Ukraine is to accept that the country's armed forces are dangerously incompetent or stunningly cruel. Neither version suggests the conflict will abate soon.
新的制裁正好出現在烏克蘭戰爭的關鍵點上。平民和軍方的死亡總人數因為烏克蘭東部兩個最大的城市頓涅茨克和盧漢斯克戰火蔓延而不斷增加。俄羅斯并沒有停止對烏克蘭叛軍的支持，甚至在兩周前叛軍控制的斯洛伐克淪陷后，將轉讓的裝備提升了。基輔因最近兩家烏克蘭軍用飛機的墜毀與莫斯科糾纏不清。在7月15日一架飛機撞毀了一棟位于斯尼日內的公寓樓后，烏克蘭官方稱之為俄羅斯的挑釁，并稱烏克蘭的飛機在那天均沒有起飛。這就意味著俄羅斯派遣了一架飛機越過邊境線至少20千米（約合12里），向鄰國住宅區投放炮彈，并且刻意抹黑基輔，這即使對普京來講也過于憤世嫉俗。但是怪罪烏克蘭就是承認這個國家的武裝力量過于不稱職或者驚人的殘忍。不論是哪個版本的說法都表明矛盾不會很快結束。
The main targets of the new sanctions are two prominent banks (Vneshekonombank and Gazprombank ) and two energy firms (Novatek and Rosneft). The sanctions do not yet cut the companies off from international business or block their assets. Instead, they restrict access to American debt and equity markets, barring loans of more than 90 days' maturity. Eight defence firms, a few individuals and a Crimean shipping firm face more traditional asset freezes. The European Union has promised to follow suit, with the names of “entities and persons” affected to be released shortly.
新制裁的主要目標是兩個主要的銀行（Vneshekonombank和 Gazprombank）和兩個能源公司（Novatek和Rosneft）。但制裁并沒有切斷這些公司與國際商務的關系，也沒有凍結它們的資產。相反，它們只是限制進入美國債券和股票市場，禁止借貸超過90天的貸款。八家防務公司，少數個體公司和一家克里米亞半島的船運公司面臨著更加傳統的資產凍結問題。歐盟承諾也會跟著美國做，取名為“實體與個人”并且會很快產生影響。
The sanctions' effect will depend on whether Mr Putin finds that another blow to his country's wobbly economy hurts more than one to his pride. So far he has bridled, saying the decision would have a “boomerang effect” and that American-Russian relations were being driven to a “dead end”. In any case the fighting in eastern Ukraine has taken on a momentum beyond his control. Kiev's “anti-terrorist operation” is alienating locals. Since the fighting began three months ago, 478 civilians killed, and 1,392 have been wounded. The anger on the ground may be creating conditions for what Alexander Golts, an independent Moscow-based defence analyst, calls “a long partisan war”.
制裁的效果取決于普京能否對俄羅斯搖搖欲墜的經濟傷害甚于對他本人驕傲的打擊。到目前為止他對此表示不屑一顧，并稱決議將會產生“回旋效果”，并且美俄關系將會進入“死胡同”。無論如何烏克蘭東部的戰爭已經超出它的控制范圍了。基輔的“反恐作戰”正使當地人疏遠。自從3個月前戰爭開始，478名平民死亡，1392名平民受傷。現場的憤怒可能會將情形變為莫斯科國防分析師亞歷山大·高斯所說的“長期黨派戰爭”。
The rebels' attitude is “victory or death”. At one militia's base on the edge of Donetsk, where shelling has ravaged residential areas, three weary soldiers take cover in a bomb shelter. “People don't fully comprehend what is happening,” says one, referring to stunned locals who peek out of their windows when they hear the sounds of battle. He might have been speaking of the outside world. At another base, away from the fighting, few think it will stop soon. “It's not fucked up,” says Maksim, giving a soldier's assessment. “It's completely fucked up.” A brawny ex-paratrooper, he once served in the same Ukrainian army he now fights against. He promises to stand till the end.
叛軍的態度是“不成功便成仁”。在一個民兵組織駐扎的頓涅茨克的邊境，那里的炮擊已經摧毀了居民區，3名疲憊不堪的士兵躲在一個防空洞里。“人們并不能完全明白繁盛了什么。”一名士兵說道，指的是震驚的當地人在聽到戰爭的聲音時還透過窗子偷看。他或許一直都在說外面的世界。在另一個遠離戰爭的基地中，幾乎沒人認為這會很快結束。“這還沒到一團糟的地步。”馬克西姆在給一位士兵做評估時說。“這已經是一團糟了。”一位強壯的前任傘兵說，他曾服役于他現在攻擊的同一支烏克蘭軍隊。他保證不到最后一刻絕不倒下。譯者：邵夏沁 校對：邵靈玲
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