As the dust settled after World War I, Ukraine was defeated and divided and the Soviets controlled much of the country.

第一次世界大戰結束後，烏克蘭被擊敗、分裂並遭蘇維埃政權控制多數領土

In 1922 Ukraine, along with Russia, became the founding members of the Soviet Union.

1922年，烏克蘭與俄羅斯成為蘇聯的創始國

Fast-forward to 1932 when the great famine began, up to 10 million Ukrainians starved to death.

快轉到1932年的大飢荒，接近1千萬烏克蘭人因飢荒喪生

Part of the reason why it got so bad was because of the policies of the new head of the communist party, Joseph Stalin.

會如此嚴重，部份原因可歸咎於新的共產黨領導人 - 喬瑟夫‧史達林

Then came the Great Terror: Two waves of Stalinist political repression and persecution

緊接著就是恐怖時期: 史達林兩波的政治壓迫及迫害

resulted in the killing of some 681,000 people; including 80 percent of the Ukrainian cultural elite

殘殺了約68萬1千人，其中包括80%的烏克蘭文化菁英

and three-quarters of all the Ukrainian Red Army's higher-ranking officers.

和 3/4 的烏克蘭紅軍高階官員

Then came the outbreak of WWII.

接著二戰爆發

German armies invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941,

德軍在1941年6月入侵蘇聯

beginning four straight years of non-stop total war. In the battle of Kiev,

並展開連續四年的全面性戰爭，在基輔的戰役中

Axis troops encircled and laid siege to the capital city. More than 600,000 Soviet soldiers

軸心國的部隊對其首都進行圍城，有超過60萬的蘇聯士兵

were killed or taken captive there. The total losses inflicted upon the Ukrainian

遭到殺害或俘虜；烏克蘭人口的損失

population during the war are estimated between five and eight million, including over half

在這次戰爭中估計在500~800萬之間，其中包括

a million Jews killed by Nazi death squads, sometimes with the help of local collaborators.

被納粹行刑部隊殺害的50萬猶太人，有時候當地合作勢力也參與其中

The republic was heavily damaged by the war. More than 700 cities and towns and 28,000

該共和國因戰爭被嚴重破壞。超過700個城鎮和28,000個

villages were destroyed. Material losses comprised an estimated 40 percent of Ukraine's national

村落被摧毀，估計損失的物資達烏國40%的

wealth. But Ukraine bounces back with its economy boomed.

財富；但烏克蘭的經濟迅速反彈

Industrial output doubled from 1940 to 1955. Before long Ukraine was a

1940至1955年間工業輸出成長2倍，不久後烏克蘭便成為

European leader in industrial production, and an important center of the Soviet arms

歐洲工業生產領導國、以及蘇聯武器重鎮

and high-tech research industries. Ukraine produced many prominent Soviet sports

和高科技工業研發中心；烏克蘭還培育出許多傑出蘇聯運動選手

players, scientists, and artists over this period as well as much of the Soviet leadership,

科學家、及藝術家，甚至是同時期的許多蘇聯領導者

including Leonid Brezhnev, who ousted Khrushchev and became the Soviet leader from 1964 to

包括1964至1982年繼任赫魯雪夫成為蘇聯領導者的列昂尼德·布里茲涅夫

1982. Then, on 26 April 1986, a reactor in the Chernobyl

1986年4月26日，車諾比的一個

Nuclear Power Plant exploded, resulting in the worst nuclear reactor accident in history.

核子反應爐爆炸，造成史上最嚴重的核災

The Soviet Union began to break apart under the weight of the “War of Laws,” which

蘇聯由於"變法之爭"開始瓦解

was the constant conflict between the Soviet Federal Government and its various republics,

此爭端源於眾多共和政權向蘇聯聯邦政府

who were each seeking greater autonomy. On 24 August 1991, the Ukrainian parliament officially

爭取更多的自治權。1991年8月24日，烏克蘭議會

declared independence. But then the economy immediately sank into

正式宣佈獨立，但其經濟很快就陷入

depression and lost 60 percent of its GDP from 1991 to 1999.

大蕭條並在1991至1999年間損失60%的國民生產毛額

A new currency, the hryvnia, was introduced in 1996. The economy was stabilized by the

新的貨幣 - 格里夫納 - 在1996年問世，經濟上得以在

end of the 1990’s. Corruption under Ukraine’s second president

1990年後期穩定下來。烏克蘭第二任總統的腐敗

set the stage for the 2004 ascendence of then Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych to the Presidency

為2004年時任總理的維克多·亞努科維奇的勝選奠定基石

in elections that the Ukrainian Supreme Court ruled were rigged.

但這場選戰被烏克蘭最高法庭裁定遭非法操弄

Yanukovych was then thrown out of power in the peaceful Orange Revolution in favor of

亞努科維奇接著就在和平的橘色革命中被除權

opposition leaders Viktor Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko, who became President and Prime

對手維克多·尤申科和尤莉亞·泰莫申科因而得利，成為總統及總理

Minister. Yanukovych then regained the Prime Ministership in 2006, but lost a snap election

亞努科維奇接著在2006取得總理職權，但又輸掉一場提前結束的選舉

just a year later that saw Tymoshenko become Prime Minister again. This map of those 2007

一年後看著泰莫申科再度成為總理。2007年那些

election results shows just how divided Ukraine is politically.

選舉的結果恰好反映出烏克蘭政治分化的程度

Then came the January 2009 natural gas crisis in which Russia stopped supplying gas to Ukraine

接著在2009年1月的天然氣危機中，俄國停止烏國天然氣的供應

in the middle of winter. Since Ukraine is itself the main supply route to much of Europe,

－ 於嚴冬之中。由於烏國本身就是歐洲多國主要輸氣路徑

this was a pretty big problem. Tymoshenko eventually signed an agreement to reopen the

這造成了嚴重的問題。泰莫申科最終簽署了重啟管線的協議

pipes, but not before Ukraine incurred major economic losses.

但已經造成烏克蘭嚴重的經濟損失

As a result of the political fallout, Yanukovych - who just does not go away - was elected

歷經政治挫敗，亞努科維奇仍不肯放棄

President again in 2010. And in October, 2011, Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in

2010年再度當選總統。2011年10月泰莫申科遭判刑七年

prison for abuse of office because she signed the natural gas deal with Russian President

因為她濫用職權和俄國總統普丁簽署天然氣協議

Vladimir Putin. In 2012 the European Union and Ukraine began

2012年歐盟與烏克蘭

negotiations for it to join the 28-nation group. President Viktor Yanukovych urged the

對其加入28國的集團展開談判，總統亞努科維奇

parliament to adopt laws so that Ukraine would meet the EU's criteria.

敦促議會修法以達歐盟標準

But Russia does not want this to happen, and responded by starting a trade war that resulted

但俄國並不樂見其成，並對此展開一場貿易戰爭

in a 10% decline in Ukrainian export revenue from the previous year, or $1.5 billion in

造成烏國出口歲入比前一年減少10%、等同15億美元的損失

losses. Bringing us to the 3-month old Euromaidan

其後歷時三個月

protests which began at the end of 2013 when Yanukovych - who was feeling the economic

2013底的親歐盟示威行動，亞努科維奇受到經濟壓力

pressure - abruptly suspended efforts to join the EU. He then turned around and signed an

倏然中止加入歐盟的一切努力，旋即與普丁簽署協定

agreement with Putin, who offered $15 billion in financial aid and a 33% discount on Russian

普丁則提供150億美金金援和俄國天然氣33%的折扣

natural gas. As a result, the protests have escalated and

此舉造成更大規模抗議行動

become more violent, with many now calling for the ouster of Yanukovych and a rejection

暴力示威程度加劇，抗議者要求亞努科維奇下台

of the Russian deal in favor of a complete embrace of Europe.

並拒絕與俄國的協議，以重返歐盟的懷抱