Key Insights 4: How does Putin view the crisis in Ukraine?

[StChris]

The topic of the Key Insights before this one was a little strange, dealing as it did with discussing the fashion choices of leaders (seriously!). While I decided it wasn't worth studying in detail, it's still might be worth a quick viewing if you've got nothing better to watch: http://www.iqiyi.com/v_19rro37wzo.html?vfm=2008_aldbd

 

(The reward for the most sycophantic expert in that program goes to the guy who said what a good physique President Xi has)

 

For the latest Key Insights we're back to more serious stuff, discussing the Ukrainian crisis. Unlike Key Insights 1 (which looked at the economic side of things), this time the focus is more on the military and diplomatic aspect. There is a lot of vocab crossover with that first episode though, so this should be a good opportunity to revise what was learnt that time around. 

 

乌克兰战与和 普京怎么看   http://www.iqiyi.com/v_19rro1sffg.html?vfm=2008_aldbd

 

[StChris]

Before I get into the vocab, I want to highlight a phrase I've seen popping up a few times: “去美国化” (this episode also has “去苏联化”. I'm finding it a bit difficult to explain in English, maybe de-Americanization would be the best translation. It kind of reminds me of the phrase 去你的, which makes it sound like the process of telling America to go and do one (f*** off). It seems to be the process of wanting to challenge the post Cold War pax Americana, by setting up rival international institutions, undermining the US dollar as the international reserve currency etc.I found this BBC article about it here:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/press_review/2013/10/131014_press_xinhua_usa_deamericanize

[StChris]

20 essential vocab for this lesson:

 

转折            zhuan3zhe2 a turn in the course of events

军援            jun1yuan2 military aid

针锋相对     zhen1feng1xiang1dui4 tit for tat

煽动            shan1dong4 to incite, stir up

阅兵            yue4bing1 review the troops

致命性        zhi4ming4xing4 lethal (weapons in this case 致命性武器)

缓冲区        huan3chong1qu1        a buffer zone

一意孤行      yi1yi4gu1xing2            insist on having one's own way

敲山振虎     qiao1shan1zhen4hu3    to scare the other party (making them reveal their hand) This is written as 敲山震虎 in the dictionary

日益            ri4yi4 increasingly,         day by day

弱不禁风     ruo4bu4jin1feng1          too weak to withstand a gust of wind

举措            ju3cuo4 move,              action

兵戎相见      bing1rong2xiang1jian4 open hostilities

口惠而实不至    kou3hui4er2shi2bu4zhi4 make a promise and not keep it

对峙              dui4zhi4                      to confront

尽人皆知      jin4ren2jie1zhi1            be known to all

澄清            cheng2qing1                  to clarify, make clear

较量             jiao4liang4                     have a test of strength

核威慑          he2wei1she4                 nuclear deterrence

唇枪舌剑      chun2qiang1she2jian4  engage in a war of words

 

[StChris]

Part 1: opening video (start - 01:10)

 

平民 ping2min2 the common people

惨重 can3zhong4 heavy, grevious

转折 zhuan3zhe2 a turn in the course of events

关头 guan1tou2 juncture, key moment

军援 jun1yuan2 military aid

针锋相对 zhen1feng1xiang1dui4 tit for tat

煽动 shan1dong4 to incite, stir up

智库 zhi4ku4 think tank

敲山振虎 qiao1shan1zhen4hu3 to scare the other party (making them reveal their hand) This is written as 敲山震虎 in the dictionary

阅兵 yue4bing1 review the troops

解码 jie3ma3 decipher

红场 hong2chang3 Red Square (Moscow)

[StChris]

Part 2: Host's intro (01:14 - 02:03)

 

征兵 zheng1bing1 draft, conscription

致命性 zhi4ming4xing4 lethal (weapons in this case 致命性武器)

当口 dang1kou3 moment

[StChris]

Part 3: Expert analysis (02:04 - 03:09)

 

满目疮痍 man3mu4chuang1yi2 a scene of devestation

生灵涂炭 sheng1ling2tu2tan4 in an abyss of misery (a group of people)

严峻 yan2jun4 grim

途径 tu2jing4 channel, way

换言之 huan4yan2zhi1 in other words...

不可逆转 bu4ke3ni4zhuan3 irreversible

公约数 gong1yu4shu4 common ground

[StChris]

Part 4: video (03:09 - 10:59)

诺曼底 nuo4man4di3 Normandy

会晤 hui4wu4 meeting

基于 ji1yu2 in view of, because of

围绕 wei2rao4 centre on (an issue)

缓冲区 huan3chong1qu1 a buffer zone

致电 zhi4dian4 to telephone

呼吁 hu1yu4 appeal to, call on

一意孤行 yi1yi4gu1xing2 insist on having one's own way

功不可没 gong1bu4ke3mo4 contribution which cannot be unmentioned

从容镇定 cong2rong2zhen4ding4 calm and composed

略 lve4 a little, somewhat

神态 shen2tai4 bearing, manner

自若 zi4ruo4 calm and at ease

中叶 zhong1ye4 middle period

一触即发 yi1chu4ji2fa1 on the verge of breaking out

莫过于 mo4guo4yu2 nothing is more...than (in this instance: there's no better example than)

剑拔弩张 jian4ba2nu3zhang1 with swords drawn and bows bent

火药味 huo3yao4wei4 the smell of gunpowder (used to describe aggressive speech/communication

措词 cuo4ci2 wording, way of expressing something

核按钮 he2an4niu3 the nuclear button

齐刷刷 qi2shua1shua1 uniform (in this case all or everyone)

巧合 qiao3he2 coincidence

慕安会 mu4an4hui4 Munich Security Conference

情节 qing2ji2 circumstances

续集 xu4ji2 sequel

荣誉 rong2yu4 honour, glory

均 jun1 without exception

火箭炮 huo3jian4pao4 rocket artillery

机械化 ji1xie4hua4 mechanise

丘陵 qiu1ling2 hills

装甲 zhuang1jia3 armoured

绞杀 jiao3sha1 strangle

陈列 chen2lie4 exhibit

缴获 jiao3huo4 capyure, seize

倒戈 dao3ge1 change sides in a war

顿内茨克 dun4nei4ci2ke4 Donetsk, Ukraine

战役 zhan4yi4 battle

跻身 ji1shen1 ascend

奇缺 qi2que1 in great shortage

壕沟 hao2gou1 trench

侦察 zhen1cha2 to scout

巡逻 xun2luo2 patrol

牵引车 qian1yin3che1 tractor truck

嘟囔 du1nang0 mumble

激进 ji1jin4 radical

插手 cha1shou3 lend a hand

继承 ji4cheng2 inherit

战略轰炸机 zhan4lve4hong1zha4ji1 strategic bomber

洲际弹道导弹 zhou1ji4dan4dao4dao3dan4 ICBM

铀 you2 uranium

矿 kuang4 ore

浓缩 nong2suo1 enrich

研发 yan2fa1 R&D

一贯 yi1guan4 consistent

迈出 mai4chu1 take the first step

[StChris]

Part 5: studio discussion (11:00 - 15:23)

 

杀机 sha1ji1 murderous intentions

联袂 lian2mei4 come/go together

分水岭 fen1shui3ling3 watershed

调停 tiao2ting2 mediate

迫切 po4qie4 urgent

日益 ri4yi4 increasingly, day by day

核查 he2cha2 examine and verify

问号 wen4hao4 question mark

着眼于x zhuo2yan3yu2 with x in mind

前沿 qian2yan2 front line

部署 bu4shu3 deploy

地缘政治 di4yuan2zheng4zhi4 geoplitical

举措 ju3cuo4 move, action

一体化 yi1ti3hua4 unification　

弱不禁风 ruo4bu4jin1feng1 too weak to withstand a gust of wind

[StChris]

Part 6: break and post-break intro (15:24 - 16:29)

 

失议 shi1yi2 breach of etiquette

巴尔干 ba1er3gan1 the Balkans

毫无疑问 hao2wu2yi2wen4 without question

基辅 ji1fu3 Kiev

口惠而实不至 kou3hui4er2shi2bu4zhi4 make a promise and not keep it

[StChris]

Part 7: guest analysis (16:29 - 17:20)

 

敲定 qiao1ding4 come to a decision

兵戎相见 bing1rong2xiang1jian4 open hostilities

评估 ping2gu1 assess

[StChris]

Part 8: video (17:20 - 22:31)

 

付之东流 fu4zhi1dong1liu2 to lose something irrevocably

甚嚣尘上 shen4xiao1chen2shang4 cause a great clamour

倘若 tang3ruo4 if supposing

庇护 bi4hu4 to shelter

出席 chu1xi2 to attend

对峙 dui4zhi4 to confront

敦促 dun1cu4 to urge

防御性 fang2yu4xing4 defensive

常规武器 chang2gui1wu3qi4 conventional weapons

瓦解 wa3jie3 to crumble, destroy

据点 ju4dian3 fortification

尽人皆知 jin4ren2jie1zhi1 be known to all

电磁 dian4ci2 electromagnetism

现役军人 xian4yi4jun1ren2 active member of the armed forces

招募 zhao1mu4 enlist, recruit

服役 fu2yi4 enlist in the army

俄罗斯族人 e2luo2si1zu2ren2 ethnic Russians

征召 zhengqzhao4 enlist, draft

义务兵 yi4wu4bing1 conscripted serviceman

[StChris]

Part 9: studio discussion (22:31 - 27:26)

 

加码 jia1ma3 raise the stakes

塑造 su4zao4 to mould

遗产 yi2chan3 legacy

归结 gui1jie2 to sum up

犹如 you2ru2 like, just as

耶路撒冷 ye1lu4sa1leng3 Jerusalem

打折扣 da3zhe2kou4 fall short of a promise

飞跃 fei1yue4 leap

实际性 shi2ji4xing4 practical

南斯拉夫 nan2si1la1fu1 Yugoslavia

扭转乾坤 niu3zhuan3qian2kun1 radically change the course of events

澄清 cheng2qing1 to clarify, make clear

较量 jiao4liang4 have a test of strength

本领 ben3ling3 ability

[StChris]

Part 10: video (27:26 - 30:38)

 

铁腕 tie3wan4 iron hand (strong rule)

著称 zhu4cheng1 celebrated

鲜为人知 xian3wei2ren2zhi1 known only to a few

动荡 dong4dang4 unrest, upheaval

示威 shi4wei1 to demonstrate

席卷 xi2juan3 to sweep, engulf

郑重 zheng4zhong4 serious, solemn

目击者 mu4ji1zhe3 eyewitness

平行宇宙 ping2xing2yu3zhou4 parallel universe

子虚乌有 zi3xu1wu1you3 imaginary, nonexistent

胰腺 yi2xian4 pancreas

脊椎 ji3zhui1 spine

纵使 zong4shi3 even though

缠身 chan2shen1 harass, disturb

司法 si1fa3 judicature

同僚 tong2liao2 colleague, fellow official

贪污 tan1wu1 graft, embezzle

[StChris]

Part 11: studio discussion (30:39 - 35:43)

 

格鲁吉亚 ge2lu3ji2ya4 Georgia

绝密 jue2mi4 top-secret

携手 xie2shou3 join hands

内贾德 nei4jia3de2 Ahmadinejad

捉襟见肘 zhuo1jin1jian4zhou3 have too many difficulties (esp financial) to cope with 

步骤 bu4zhou4 step, move, measure

垂直 chui2zhi2 vertical

倾向 qing1xiang4 tendency

[StChris]

Part 12: expert analysis and video (35:43 - 42:08) 

 

空降兵 kong1jiang4bing1 paratroopers

行囊 xing2nang2 travelling bag

浴血 yu4xue4 bloody

邋遢 la1ta1 sloppy, slovenly

唇枪舌剑 chun2qiang1she2jian4 engage in a war of words

[StChris]

Part 13: studio discussion (42:08 - end)

 

奥斯威辛集中营 ao4si1wei2xin1ji2zhong1ying2 Auschwitz

秩序 zhi4xu4 order

巡航导弹 xun2hang2dao3dan4 cruise missle

核威慑 he2wei1she4 nuclear deterrence

无所作为 wu2suo3zuo4wei2 be in a state of inertia

搭建 da1jian4 set up (an organization)

苏维埃俄国 su1wei2ai1e2guo2 Soviet Russia

协约国 xie2yue1guo2 the Allies (WW2)

防疫 fang2yi4 epidemic prevention

地带 di4dai4 zone

[StChris]

Finally, does anyone have any tips on formatting the vocab lists? The hanzi, pinyin and English are all nicely space out when I write them in Wordpad, but become all squished together once I past them here.