Russia is wrongfully detaining WNBA star Brittney Griner, U.S. officials say

Russia is wrongfully detaining WNBA star Brittney Griner, U.S. officials say

Transcript¹

It's the strongest statement by the Biden administration since Moscow authorities arrested Griner in February with what they said was hashish oil in vape cartridges² in her luggage.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

An update, finally, on the situation involving WNBA star Brittney Griner. Since February, she's been in custody³ in Russia. Authorities there say she illegally brought hash oil into the country. But yesterday, the U.S. government said it now considers Griner to be wrongfully detained. NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman is following this development. Tom, first, what does this move by the U.S. mean?

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE⁴: Basically, that Brittney Griner's case is going to get more attention. Specifically - and I'm quoting a State Department official here - "the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy⁵ for Hostage Affairs will lead the interagency team for securing Brittney Griner's release," end quote. But now with the wrongful detention⁶ designation, the idea is that the U.S. government isn't going to wait for her case to advance through Russia's legal system. And she has a hearing in about two weeks. But instead, it'll be more proactive in negotiating her freedom.

MART?NEZ: All right. Any clue as to why this decision was made now?

GOLDMAN: Well, we don't know. And the State Department won't say why. The department constantly reviews cases of U.S. nationals detained abroad to determine if those detentions⁷ are wrongful. But the official I spoke⁸ to said they can't get into details of internal deliberations. In the absence of those details, of course, there's speculation⁹, speculation that Griner's been detained since February on a fraudulent drug smuggling¹⁰ allegation. Someone inside the WNBA pointed¹¹ out to me, Griner has played in Russia since 2014. She would know the risks in a country with tough drug laws. So if the allegation is fraudulent, why then would she be, as the State Department now says, wrongfully detained? It's not hard to believe a high-profile person like her could be used as a political pawn¹². She was taken into custody right before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But again, the government not divulging¹³.

MART?NEZ: Now, those close to Griner family and fellow players have taken a quiet approach and not raised a big fuss for fear that they might have an impact on any diplomacy¹⁴ going on. Will that change now that the U.S. government is saying that it'll be more aggressive with her case?

GOLDMAN: Yeah, you know, you're not seeing the floodgates open yet. I reached out to Griner's wife and agent. And the only response yesterday was a brief statement from the agent saying, Brittney has been detained for 75 days. And our expectation is that the White House do whatever is necessary to bring her home. More players, we assume, will start to speak freely. You know, it's been tough and strange for many of them. WNBA players have been very outspoken¹⁵ on social issues in recent years. The league did announce yesterday that with a new season starting Friday, all 12 WNBA arenas¹⁶ will feature on their floors Griner's initials and jersey¹⁷ number. So you know, there's a very visual and constant statement, at least, of the league's commitment to Griner.

MART?NEZ: Any hope at all that she could be coming home soon?

GOLDMAN: There's more hope today, for sure. Whether resolution is soon, we don't know. But if you put it in the context of last week's release of former Marine¹⁸ Trevor Reed, who'd been detained in Russia since 2019, it does show diplomacy still is possible, even though relations between the U.S. and Russia obviously have plummeted¹⁹ since the war started.

MART?NEZ: That's NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman. Tom, thanks a lot.

GOLDMAN: You're welcome.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 cartridges   

子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头

参考例句：

• computer consumables such as disks and printer cartridges 如磁盘、打印机墨盒之类的电脑耗材
• My new video game player came with three game cartridges included. 我的新电子游戏机附有三盘游戏带。

3 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

6 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

7 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

10 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

11 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

12 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

13 divulging   

v.吐露，泄露( divulge的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The soldier was shot for divulging the plans to the enemy. 这个士兵因向敌人泄密被击毙。 来自互联网
• Gives itself a small seat. Divulging heartily. 给自己一个小位子。尽情的宣泄。 来自互联网

14 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

15 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

16 arenas   

表演场地( arena的名词复数 )； 竞技场； 活动或斗争的场所或场面； 圆形运动场

参考例句：

• Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
• Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗？

17 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

18 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

19 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》