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听力练习
This is what it's like being Russia's neighbor. The two countries sharing an 800-mile border and a long complicated history. For decades, Finland had 1._______ not to join any military alliance, an effort meant to 2._______ Russia's security concerns. As a result, Finland had to ensure it could 3._______ for itself. 
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答案在此，点击可查看
1. opted
2. appease
3. fend
朗读练习
After years of neutrality, Finland announcing in a statement NATO membership would strengthen Finland security. Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay.
精读视频
1949 年 4 月 4 日，美国、英国、法国、挪威、冰岛等 12 国为了对抗战后苏联在欧洲扩张的威胁，在华盛顿签订北大西洋公约，承诺在危机时刻对彼此伸出援手，一个强大的防御性军事联盟——北大西洋公约组织从此诞生，简称北约（NATO）。
然而，有两个北欧国家却决定和北约保持距离，那就是芬兰和瑞典。这两兄弟稳住了中立国身份，拒绝加入北约强大的军事战线，并非是因为不需要保护，恰恰相反，他们的决定是出于另一种自保，保护自己免于另一位邻居——俄罗斯——的怒火。尤其是芬兰，不但和俄罗斯享有着漫长的边境线，而且仅在不久前，芬兰刚从俄罗斯的长期殖民中独立出来。加入北约，就代表着对莫斯科的不必要的挑衅。因此长期以来，芬兰和瑞典一直坚持着中立和不结盟的政策，努力地在地缘政治这条钢丝绳上保持着平衡。
然而，就在这个 5 月 15 号，在俄乌战争打响近三个月之际，芬兰郑重宣布，决定加入北约，瑞典也紧随其后宣布加入。这两个拜年中立国，在此当下做此决定，是出于怎样的考虑？让我们通过今天的读视频来一探究竟。
导读：
1. 表面上岁月静好的芬兰，为何拥有遍布全国的地下避难所？
2. 是什么让身为中立国的芬兰决定最终加入北约？
3. 芬兰加入北约，对俄罗斯会产生怎样的威胁？
Part 1 芬兰放弃中立，加入北约
A major move by Finland tonight. This Scandinavian country which shares hundreds of miles of border with Russia is seeking to join NATO. This comes despite warnings from Russia and its complicated past of neutrality since World War II. Ines de la Cuetara reports for us tonight from Helsinki. Tonight, a major decision by one of Russia's western neighbors seeking to join the world's most powerful strategic alliance NATO. "We are convinced that Finland will bring added value to NATO." "We would like to maximize our security in way or another, while thinking membership in NATO." After years of neutrality, Finland announcing in a statement NATO membership would strengthen Finland security. Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay.
今晚芬兰做出了一个重大决定。这个位于斯堪的纳维亚半岛的国家准备加入北约。芬兰和俄罗斯共享着数百英里边境线，尽管俄罗斯发出了警告，以及芬兰自二战以来保持中立的复杂立场，但芬兰还是采取了这一行动。我们来看 Ines de la Cuetara 从赫尔辛基发回的报道。
今晚，俄罗斯的一个西方邻国做出了一个重大决定，想要加入世界上最强大的战略联盟北约。“我们相信，芬兰将为北约带来新的价值。”“不论怎样，我们希望将我们的国家安全最大化，所以我们在考虑加入北约。”在保持多年中立之后，芬兰发布一份声明，宣布加入北约以加强芬兰的安全。芬兰申请加入北约刻不容缓。
NATO 为北约的简称，全称为 North Atlantic Treaty Organization，北大西洋公约组织。视频中主持人将 NATO 读作 /ˈneɪdəʊ/，是因为在美式发音中，两个元音音素之间的/t/可以浊化，读作 /d/。
Scandinavian /ˌskændəˈneɪviən/ 为形容词，指斯堪的纳维亚的；斯堪的纳维亚人的；斯堪的纳维亚语言的。Scandinavia /ˌskændəˈneɪviə/为名词，指斯堪的纳维亚半岛，也就是丹麦、挪威和瑞典。
neutrality /njuːˈtræləti/ 为不可数名词，指「中立，中立地位」。
Helsinki /helˈsɪŋki/ 为赫尔辛基，芬兰首都。
背景一点点
芬兰简史
自十二世纪开始，芬兰便是瑞典的一部分。1397 年，芬兰并入卡尔玛联盟，1523 年随瑞典一起独立。1809 年，芬兰在俄瑞战争后遭俄罗斯帝国吞并，成为其下属的芬兰大公国。1917 年 12 月，芬兰宣布独立，实行共和制，成为永久中立国。
第二次世界大战期间，芬兰与苏联两度交手。第一次是 1939—1940 年间的冬季战争，1940 年 3 月，双方签署停战协定，芬兰将 10%的国土割让给苏联。第二次是 1941—1944年的继续战争。1944 年，苏联发动反攻，重新占领了被芬兰夺回的领土。
1947 年和 1948 年与苏联签署的多份条约规定了芬兰对苏联的义务与限制，芬兰也在 1940 年和约的基础上作出了更多的领土让步。1991 年苏联解体后芬兰终于可以自己决定命运，并且在 1995 年加入欧盟。
芬兰在战后长期奉行同苏联保持睦邻友好关系、不介入大国冲突、同各国发展友好关系的“积极的和平中立政策”。
Part 2 芬兰的“末日地堡”
Finland may be the world's happiest country on the surface. But deep underground painful reminders of the past. It's a long way down but we are heading beneath the capital city of Helsinki to visit what looks like. It's right out of a cold war spy novel. This is what's known as the underground city.
You've got this massive network of tunnels and bunkers that spreads out all across the city. It's a network that's been slowly expanding since the end of World War II. And you now have enough bunkers to house more than the city's total population. More than 5,000 bomb shelters in Helsinki, over 50,000 thousand in the entire country. Here all buildings above a certain size are required to have their own bunkers. So these are the types of beds that would be used in the event of an emergency, these bunk beds right here. You've also got the bathrooms already set up and they've got ventilation up there.
芬兰可能是地表上最幸福的国家。但在芬兰地下深处，却隐藏着一些东西，提醒着人们过去的痛苦回忆。这是很长的一段路程，我们正在深入芬兰首都赫尔辛基的地下，参观一个看起来像冷战时期间谍小说中的东西。那里被称为“地下城”。
这里有巨大的隧道网络和地下堡垒，遍布整个城市。自二战结束以来，这个网络一直在慢慢扩大。现在这里的地堡可容纳的人数比赫尔辛基的总人口还多。芬兰在赫尔辛基有 5,000 多个防空洞，在全国范围内则有超过 50,000 个。在芬兰，所有超过一定规模的建筑都必须配备自己的地堡。这些是在紧急情况下使用的床铺类型，就是这些多层床。这里还有建好的卫生间，上方还有通风系统。
背景一点点
芬兰地下城
赫尔辛基的地下城是世界上最复杂的地下系统之一，有大约 500 个独立的地下设施，配备有停车场、铁路、隧道、污水处理厂、购物中心、游泳池，甚至还有企业数据中心，可以为 75 万人提供避难场所。约 299 公里长的隧道蜿蜒穿过城市。芬兰人设立了一个标准，就是一旦发生危险，需要在 72 小时内把这里变成安全的避难所。
bunker /ˈbʌŋkər/ 为名词，指「掩体，地堡，掩蔽壕」(a strongly built shelter for soldiers, usually underground)。
With so much ground going unutilized, the city converting some of these shelters into spaces for everyday public use. There's an underground playground, a shelter that doubles as a hockey rink. And beyond these two sets of massive blast proof doors, "so the first door is like a pressure door," even an underground swimming pool. We are more than 55 feet below ground right now. This bunker has been repurposed into a swimming pool. You can see it's been carved out of the rock here, and it can house up to 3,800 people. "So we have 72 hours. We empty this big pool." So you would empty out the pool. It takes one to two days to empty out the pool. And then people would sleep where the pool is. "Yeah." And you have fresh water supplies for? "For three weeks." Three weeks.
由于太多的地下空间被闲置，所以芬兰将部分避难所改建成了日常公共区域。这里有一个地下游乐场，还有一个兼作曲棍球场的避难所。在这两道巨大的防爆门之外，“第一道门就像一个压力门，”甚至还有一个地下游泳池。我们现在所处的深度在地下 55 英尺。这个掩体被改建成了一个游泳池。你可以看到，这个空间是从石头中凿出来的，可以容纳 3,800 人。“所以我们有 72 小时，去清空这个池子。”所以你们会清空游泳池，这需要一到两天的时间。然后人们就可以睡在池子里。”“是的。”你有淡水供应吗？“有的，有够用三周的淡水。”三周。
图为改造成球场的某处避难所
double as sb. / sth. 指「兼任，兼作」(to have a second use, job, or purpose as a particular thing)。举个例子：The school doubled as a hospital during the war. 战争期间这所学校兼作医院。
This is what it's like being Russia's neighbor. The two countries sharing an 800-mile border and a long complicated history. For decades, Finland had opted not to join any military alliance, an effort meant to appease Russia's security concerns. As a result, Finland had to ensure it could fend for itself. "And we have to take care of the citizens, and that's the main main reason that we have this kind of system." So it's not just the bunkers, conscription is still mandatory for men, and the country has about 900,000 reservists. "And that's why Russian can't come here because we are so strong here." "There's a historic sense that you should always be prepared. It might not be this generation or the next generation, but Russia is likely to attack Finland in some way."
作为俄罗斯的邻居就是这种感觉。芬兰和俄罗斯共享长达 800 英里的边界线和一段漫长复杂的历史。几十年来，芬兰选择从不加入任何军事联盟，以此来安抚俄罗斯对安全的担忧。因此，芬兰必须确保它能够保护自己。“我们必须保护好我们的国民，这也是我们拥有这种地下网络的主要原因。”除了有大量地堡，直至今天，芬兰所有男性还要强制服役。芬兰拥有约 90 万名预备役军人。“这就是为什么俄罗斯人不能进攻芬兰，因为我们非常强大。”“每一代芬兰人都铭记在心，我们必须时刻准备着。可能不是在这一代或下一代，但俄罗斯可能以某种方式攻打芬兰。”
图为通往芬兰地下城的阶梯
opt /ɒpt/ 为动词，指「选择，挑选」(to choose one thing or do one thing instead of another)。opt to do sth 指「选择做某事」，比如：Many young people are opting to go on to college. 许多年轻人都选择上大学继续深造。
appease /əˈpiːz/ 为动词，指「平息；安抚，抚慰」(to make someone less angry or stop them from attacking you by giving them what they want)，比如：They attempted to appease international opposition by promising to hold talks. 他们答应举行会谈，试图以此平息国际上的反对声音。
conscription /kənˈskrɪpʃən/ 为名词，指「征兵」(when people are made to join the army, navy etc)，比如：All adult males will be liable for conscription. 所有成年男子都有义务应征入伍。
mandatory /ˈmændətəri/ 为形容词，指「依法必须做的，强制性的，义务的」(if something is mandatory, the law says it must be done)，其近义词为compulsory。比如：Athletes must undergo a mandatory drugs test before competing in the championship. 运动员在锦标赛前必须进行强制性药检。
reservist /rɪˈzɜːvɪst/ 为名词，指「预备役军人」(someone in the reserve)。
Part 3 芬兰唇亡齿寒，俄罗斯四面楚歌
But the very scenarios Finland has spent years preparing for now playing out in Ukraine, where some have been living underground for weeks. The invasion marking a turning point for relations between Finland and Russia. What are Finland and Russia's relations now? "Effectively they have never been as bad." Public support in Finland for joining NATO skyrocketing, from roughly 30 percent before the war to a record high of more than 70 percent in its aftermath. "We have so horrible neighbor on the east side of Finland. We don't have any other option than (joining) NATO."
Finland's parliament will now take up the issue and hold a vote in the coming days. Neighboring Sweden is expected to follow suit. As for NATO's response—"Finland and Sweden will be warmly welcomed and expect the process to go quickly." Finland's accession would more than double Russia's land border with NATO. It would also expand NATO's influence in the Arctic and further unify the West. NATO would also grow stronger. "NATO would now have two more old democratic countries, both with really capable militaries. So that effectively all of Northern Europe would now be one region to defend."
But there are those that are skeptical, Veronica Jon Gonzalo is one of the few members of parliament who doesn't think Finland should join. "I’m afraid that the NATO membership will increase actually the tensions in the Baltic sea region and also will increase the tensions in Finland, especially regarding the eastern border." 
但芬兰花了多年时间准备的情景，现在却在乌克兰上演：一些乌克兰人已经在地下生活了数周。俄罗斯入侵乌克兰成为了芬俄关系的转折点。芬兰和俄罗斯现在的关系如何？“实际上，芬俄关系从来没有像现在这样糟糕过。”芬兰公众对加入北约的支持率急剧飙升，俄乌开战前支持率为 30%左右，开战后冲破 70%，创下历史新高。“芬兰东边有一个如此可怕的邻居。我们别无选择，只能加入北约。”
芬兰议会将就该问题进行讨论，并在未来几天进行投票。邻国瑞典预计也会效仿。北约对此的反应是——“芬兰和瑞典将受到热烈欢迎，申请也会快速受理。”芬兰的加入，会让俄罗斯与北约的陆地边界翻一番都不止，还将扩大北约在北极地区的影响，并进一步团结西方。北约也将变得更加强大。“北约现在又多了两个老牌民主成员国，它们都拥有强大的军队。如此一来，整个北欧都将结成一体，共同防御外敌。”
但也有一些人持怀疑态度，维罗尼卡·琼·贡萨洛是不支持芬兰加入北约的少数议员之一。“我担心芬兰加入北约会加剧波罗的海地区的紧张局势，也会加剧芬兰的紧张局势，特别是在东部边境。”
scenario  /səˈnɑːriəʊ/ 为名词，指「可能发生的事，可能出现的情况」(a situation that could possibly happen)，比如：Imagine a scenario where only 20% of people have a job. 设想一下这种情况: 只有20%的人有工作。
aftermath /ˈɑːftəmæθ/ 为名词，指「后果」(the consequences or after-effects of an event, especially when unpleasant)，尤其是不好的后果。举个例子：Food prices soared in the aftermath of the drought. 在旱灾后的一段时期里食物价格飞涨。
follow suit 表示「跟着做，照着做，仿效」(to do the same as someone else has done)。举个例子：Budget companies have been so successful that other airlines have had to follow suit. 廉价航空公司很成功，其他航空公司只得仿效他们降低票价。
accession /əkˈseʃən/ 为名词，指「正式加入，（协会、机构或团体等的）正式接纳」(the action or process of formally joining or being accepted by an association, institution, or group)。比如：the accession of Spain and Portugal to the EU 西班牙和葡萄牙正式加入欧盟。
skeptical /ˈskeptɪkəl/ 为形容词，表示「持怀疑态度的，不相信的」（tending to disagree with what other people tell you）。举个例子：I'm extremely sceptical about what I read in the press. 我对报纸上读到的东西极度怀疑。
Russia responding to Finland's announcement threatening to take retaliatory steps to stop threats to its national security. Earlier this week, Russian president Putin once again justifying the war in Ukraine by saying NATO had created an absolutely unacceptable threat to Russia. "He has for years said Finland and Sweden joining is a red line."
Finns say now is the time to act while Putin is busy with Ukraine. There are concerns though about what could happen after Finland and Sweden apply. But before they formally become a part of the alliance, the two countries now trying to win over security assurances from allies. The UK already formally announcing to stand with them. "In the event of a disaster, or in the event of an attack on either of us, then yes we will come to each other's assistance, including with military assistance."
In the end the war in Ukraine prompting Finland, even with its 50,000 shelters, to decide it can no longer go it alone and likely giving Putin the very thing he dreaded——NATO's expansion. "The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power." "We are a small nation. We need help. We need friends. NATO might be the friend that we need."
俄罗斯对芬兰的声明作出了回应，威胁要采取报复措施，以阻止对其国家安全的威胁。本周早些时候，俄罗斯总统普京再次为乌克兰战争辩护，称北约对俄罗斯造成了让人绝对无法接受的威胁。“多年来，他反复强调芬兰和瑞典不能加入北约，这是一条红线。”

芬兰方面称，趁着普京忙于俄乌冲突，现在是采取行动的好时候。不过，人们对芬兰和瑞典申请加入（北约）后可能发生的情况表示担忧。但是在芬兰和瑞典正式成为北约成员国之前，这两个国家现在正努力争取盟友提供的安全保障。英国已正式宣布要与芬兰和瑞典并肩作战。“如果发生灾难，或者我们中的任何一方受到攻击，那么是的，我们将向对方提供援助，包括军事援助。”
即便芬兰有五万个庇护所，乌克兰的战争还是促使芬兰下定决心，不能再孤军作战，而这可能让普京的一直以来的担心成真，也就是北约扩张。“美国不惜动用一切力量，保卫北约成员国的每一寸领土。”“我们是一个小国。我们需要帮助。我们需要朋友。北约可能正是我们需要的那个朋友。”
（一旦瑞典和芬兰加入北约，波罗的海将成为北约的势力范围。）
retaliatory /rɪˈtæliətəri/ 为形容词，指「报复（性）的」(done against someone because they have harmed you)，举个例子：a retaliatory attack 一次报复性攻击。
Finn /fɪn/ 为可数名词，指芬兰人。
in the event of sth. 指「如果某事发生；万一…，假若……」。举个例子：Sheila will inherit everything in the event of his death. 他一旦故去，所有财产都由希拉继承。
dread /dred/ 为动词，指「畏惧，惧怕；担心」(to feel anxious or worried about something that is going to happen or may happen)，举个例子：I'm dreading going back to work. 我害怕回去工作。
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