Vladimir Putin will not end his war on Ukraine until he believes the costs of fighting on exceed the costs of stopping.(普京不会结束战争，除非他相信继续打比停战代价更高。) The costs to him, that is—Russia’s president cares nothing for the Ukrainian lives he is ruining, and precious little(极少，几乎不) for all the Russian blood and treasure he is wasting in pursuit of a warped(扭曲的，畸形的) idea of personal glory. So Ukraine and its backers(支持者，后盾) must somehow convince him that he will never win, and that continuing to try will only weaken him.
弗拉基米尔·普京不会结束对乌克兰的战争，除非他相信继续作战的代价超过停战的代价。也就是说，代价是对他本人而言的——这位俄罗斯总统对被他毁掉的乌克兰人的生命毫不在意，对他为了追求一种扭曲的个人荣耀观念而浪费的俄罗斯人的鲜血和财富也漠不关心。因此，乌克兰及其支持者必须以某种方式让他相信，他永远不会赢，继续尝试只会削弱他自己。
On August 7th America’s Senate passed a bill designed to send that message. “The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act”, named after a senator who was a champion of Ukraine until he died in July, directs America’s president to take more forceful action against Russia.(以格雷厄姆命名的法案指示总统对俄采取更强行动。) As its title suggests, it includes new sanctions on Mr Putin and other Russian bigwigs(大人物，要人), as well as(以及，也) on Russian energy projects and financial institutions. The aim is to punish Russia for as long as it fails to make peace with Ukraine and to signal that America will not abandon Mr Putin’s courageous(勇敢的，无畏的) victims.
8月7日，美国参议院通过了一项旨在传达这一信息的法案。《林赛·格雷厄姆制裁俄罗斯和伊朗法案》以一位直到7月去世前一直是乌克兰捍卫者的参议员命名，指示美国总统对俄罗斯采取更有力的行动。正如其标题所示，该法案包括对普京先生和其他俄罗斯大亨的新制裁，以及对俄罗斯能源项目和金融机构的制裁。其目的是在俄罗斯未能与乌克兰达成和平期间持续惩罚俄罗斯，并表明美国不会抛弃普京先生勇敢的受害者。
The bill, which senators approved by a hefty 86 votes to 11, was a rare example of bipartisanship in a rancorously divided nation.(该法案以86比11通过，是两党合作的罕见例子。) Unfortunately, its current form is deeply flawed(有缺陷的，有瑕疵的).
这项法案以86票对11票的压倒性优势获得参议员批准，在这个充满仇恨分裂的国家中是两党合作的罕见范例。不幸的是，其当前形式存在严重缺陷。
Missiles and missives
导弹与信函