英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

美国国家公共电台 NPR--The Cold War to Brittney Griner: a new twist in U.S.-Russia prisoner swaps

时间:2023-08-11 05:41来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

The Cold War to Brittney Griner: a new twist in U.S.-Russia prisoner swaps2

Transcript3

In a darkened exhibit hall at the International Spy Museum, Executive Director Chris Costa recounts the most dramatic prisoner swap1 between the U.S. and the Soviet4 Union.

In 1960, the U.S. had limited human intelligence on the ground inside the Soviet Union, and desperately5 wanted more information on its military capabilities6.

"So we had spies in aircraft that could take pictures of the Soviet Union," said Costa.

One of those pilots was Francis Gary Powers, who was working for the CIA and was flying a U-2 spy plane 70,000 feet above the Soviet Union when he was shot down.

The Americans didn't think the Soviets7 could take down a plane at that altitude, and they didn't expect a pilot would survive such an emergency.

They were wrong on both counts, and the result was high drama at the height of the Cold War.

A proposal to free two Americans

Today, the U.S. and Russia are trying to work out a prisoner swap that involves American basketball star Brittney Griner and former Marine8 Paul Whelan, apparently9 in exchange for Russian Viktor Bout10, a notorious weapons dealer11 who's serving a 25-year sentence in Illinois.

While Washington and Moscow have done deals for decades, they usually involved trading spies for spies. The new twist is that an increasing number of private citizens are becoming entangled12 in foreign legal systems.

"During the Cold War, it was very much understood by both sides. This was a bit of a gentlemen's game," said Costa. Before running the Spy Museum, he worked at the White House, where he dealt with cases of Americans detained or held hostage abroad.

"What we're seeing play out now is really more hostage diplomacy," said Costa. He describes Griner as a "pawn13 in an international game. She has pled guilty (to a drug charge) and yet she is being held for political reasons."

The old rules

That doesn't mean it was easy to broker14 a deal in the Cold War, but the dynamics15 were different.

"When my father was shot down, there were all sorts of misinformation, fake news being published as to how he was captured," said Francis Gary Powers Jr., the son of the pilot.

He's referring to the U.S. government and media, which genuinely didn't know how Powers' plane was taken down initially16, or how the case should be portrayed17 publicly.

"They thought sabotage18. They thought pilot error or they thought flame out. They thought UFO encounter," Powers said with a chuckle19.

Three years before Powers was captured, the U.S. had convicted a Soviet spy, Rudolph Abel. He had posed as a photographer in Brooklyn, but was secretly passing along coded messages stuffed inside hollow coins.

The U.S. and Soviet governments each feared their own spy would spill secrets while being interrogated20 by the adversary21.

"Our governments wanted to get them back, to be debriefed23, to find out what happened. How did you get caught? Do the Soviets have the missile technology to shoot down the U-2?" said Powers, founder24 of The Cold War Museum outside Washington.

Meanwhile, the Soviets "wanted to debrief22 Rudolf Abel to find out how he got caught so that they could improve their intelligence systems in the future."

Director Steven Spielberg turned the story into a movie in 2015, called "Bridge of Spies."

Tom Hanks plays the American lawyer at the center of the negotiations25. He makes the case that the convicted Soviet spy shouldn't be put to death, because if an American is captured, "we might want to have someone to trade."

That American turned out to be Francis Gary Powers. Still, Powers would be held for nearly two years.

Already difficult negotiations were further complicated by the U.S. insistence26 that a second American detainee be released. He was Frederic Pryor, a graduate student held in communist East Germany on suspicion of spying.

A deal was eventually struck, freeing the two Americans and the Soviet spy.

Powers died in 1977 in a helicopter crash in California. In 2017, Powers Jr. traveled to central Russia to visit the site where his father touched down by parachute. There he met a number of residents who still remembered the day an American pilot fell from the sky more than a half-century earlier.

A series of swaps

In those intervening years, multiple U.S.-Russia prisoner exchanges have been worked out, most involving actual or suspected spies.

The biggest such case was in 2010, when the U.S. exchanged 10 Russian spies caught in the U.S. for the freedom of four Russians who had been arrested in their homeland, accused of spying for the West.

Today the Biden administration describes the two jailed Americans as "wrongfully detained." The U.S. has stated publicly that it wants to make a deal, but the Russian leader Vladimir Putin seems certain to drive a tough bargain.

"He's not easy to deal with," said Oleg Kalugin, a former Russian spy who was Putin's boss in the 1980s, when Putin was a young intelligence officer.

"Putin is sly, smart, and he manipulates people and circumstances if he can," said Kalugin, who's 88. After decades in the Soviet intelligence agency, the KGB, he became a critic of the Soviet Union in its final days and eventually moved to the U.S.

He says he wasn't much impressed by Putin when he was his boss. Now, they really don't care for each other.

"He called me a traitor27. I called him a war criminal," said Kalugin.

U.S.-Russia relations continue to spiral downward over the war in Ukraine and a host of other issues.

But there's still a broad consensus28 on the need to keep lines of communication open to deal with issues like prisoner swaps or potential military confrontations29.

"Throughout the Cold War, there was a communication mechanism," said Costa. "There can be unintended consequences of putting U.S. military forces close to Russian military forces. So it's absolutely crucial that those channels of communication remain open."


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 swap crnwE     
n.交换;vt.交换,用...作交易
参考例句:
  • I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
  • This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。
2 swaps 7852508deb41ee8610612c888aea2f12     
交换( swap的名词复数 ); 交换物,被掉换者
参考例句:
  • He swaps his old car for a new motorcycle. 他用旧车换了一辆新摩托车。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
  • Swaps the anchor and end points of the current selection. 交换当前所选内容的定位点和结束点。
3 transcript JgpzUp     
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。
4 Soviet Sw9wR     
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃
参考例句:
  • Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
  • Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。
5 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
参考例句:
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
6 capabilities f7b11037f2050959293aafb493b7653c     
n.能力( capability的名词复数 );可能;容量;[复数]潜在能力
参考例句:
  • He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大,自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
  • Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为,标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
7 soviets 95fd70e5832647dcf39beb061b21c75e     
苏维埃(Soviet的复数形式)
参考例句:
  • A public challenge could provoke the Soviets to dig in. 公开挑战会促使苏联人一意孤行。
  • The Soviets proposed the withdrawal of American ballistic-missile submarines from forward bases. 苏联人建议把美国的弹道导弹潜艇从前沿基地撤走。
8 marine 77Izo     
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。
9 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
10 bout Asbzz     
n.侵袭,发作;一次(阵,回);拳击等比赛
参考例句:
  • I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
  • That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。
11 dealer GyNxT     
n.商人,贩子
参考例句:
  • The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
  • The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。
12 entangled e3d30c3c857155b7a602a9ac53ade890     
adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The bird had become entangled in the wire netting. 那只小鸟被铁丝网缠住了。
  • Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 pawn 8ixyq     
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。
14 broker ESjyi     
n.中间人,经纪人;v.作为中间人来安排
参考例句:
  • He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
  • I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。
15 dynamics NuSzQq     
n.力学,动力学,动力,原动力;动态
参考例句:
  • In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利,你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
  • Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。
16 initially 273xZ     
adv.最初,开始
参考例句:
  • The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
  • Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。
17 portrayed a75f5b1487928c9f7f165b2773c13036     
v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 );描述;描绘;描画
参考例句:
  • Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中,他始终把自己说成是受害者。
  • The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
18 sabotage 3Tmzz     
n.怠工,破坏活动,破坏;v.从事破坏活动,妨害,破坏
参考例句:
  • They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
  • The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。
19 chuckle Tr1zZ     
vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑
参考例句:
  • He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
  • I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个,我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。
20 interrogated dfdeced7e24bd32e0007124bbc34eb71     
v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 );审问;(在计算机或其他机器上)查询
参考例句:
  • He was interrogated by the police for over 12 hours. 他被警察审问了12个多小时。
  • Two suspects are now being interrogated in connection with the killing. 与杀人案有关的两名嫌疑犯正在接受审讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 adversary mxrzt     
adj.敌手,对手
参考例句:
  • He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
  • They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。
22 debrief 5x7xz     
v.向…询问情况,听取汇报
参考例句:
  • The men have been debriefed by British and Saudi officials.英国和沙特阿拉伯的官员听取了他们的情况汇报。
  • He went to Rio after the CIA had debriefed him.他向中央情报局汇报完任务执行情况后就去了里约热内卢。
23 debriefed dd0a9b3105b77e96e1105889abe20aef     
v.向(外交人员等)询问执行任务的情况( debrief的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He was taken to a US airbase to be debriefed on the mission. 他被带到美国空军基地汇报执行使命情况。
  • We debriefed our pilot after he had flown over the enemy's land. 我方飞行员飞越敌境之后,我们向他询问情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 Founder wigxF     
n.创始者,缔造者
参考例句:
  • He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
  • According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说,罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。
25 negotiations af4b5f3e98e178dd3c4bac64b625ecd0     
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过
参考例句:
  • negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
  • Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。
26 insistence A6qxB     
n.坚持;强调;坚决主张
参考例句:
  • They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
  • His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。
27 traitor GqByW     
n.叛徒,卖国贼
参考例句:
  • The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
  • He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。
28 consensus epMzA     
n.(意见等的)一致,一致同意,共识
参考例句:
  • Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗?
  • What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么?
29 confrontations c51194060d6a4df61a641d2290c573ad     
n.对抗,对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时,这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
  • These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定,第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
TAG标签:   美国新闻  英语听力  NPR
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴