美国国家公共电台 NPR 'I Am A Woman': Track Star Caster Semenya Continues Her Fight To Compete As A Female

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

When a two-time Olympic champion runner, Caster Semenya, was asked if she would agree to take drugs to lower her testosterone, she gave a definite answer - quote, "hell no." This week, she filed an appeal to press that point. She's asking the Swiss Federal Supreme¹ Court to throw out an earlier court ruling that went against her.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

At issue are rules that require track and field athletes who are intersex to suppress their naturally elevated testosterone levels with drugs or surgery if they want to compete in certain events. This has generated a whole lot of controversy². And as NPR's Melissa Block reports, it raises difficult questions about fairness, ethics³ and who gets to be allowed to compete as a woman.

MELISSA BLOCK, BYLINE⁴: In her native South Africa, Caster Semenya is a hero. This video from one of her corporate⁵ sponsors asks, how do you stop a determined⁶ woman?

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UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: You can't. You can knock her down, kick her down.

BLOCK: We see Semenya on the track festooned with medals. But then we see a news clipping that says, man or monster?

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UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: You can even try to drug her to slow her down. When the rights of a woman are threatened, she will never, ever back down.

BLOCK: And indeed, just two days after a court ruled against her this month, Semenya took to the track.

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UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Look at that silky smooth, serene⁷ style from Caster Semenya.

BLOCK: She blistered⁸ past the competition in the 800 meters in Doha, Qatar.

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UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: My word. Is there any end to her talent? And she's just running away. Is this, as some people have suggested, something of an act of defiance⁹, given what's been going on?

BLOCK: Afterword, the 28-year-old called it the easiest race she had ever run.

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CASTER SEMENYA: For me, negativity's nothing. So as long as it doesn't kill me, it makes me stronger, like I said.

BLOCK: But the racing¹⁰ future of Semenya and other intersex athletes is very much in doubt. Let's back up. We're not talking about transgender athletes here. Intersex refers to people who are born with anatomy¹² that doesn't neatly¹³ fit into the binary¹⁴ male or female categories.

ERIC VILAIN: People think that it's simple to define sex. It's not.

BLOCK: Dr. Eric Vilain says the biology of sex classification is anything but straightforward¹⁵. There can be a wide spectrum¹⁶ of variations. Vilain is a geneticist at Children's National Health System in Washington, D.C. He specializes in the study of sexual development and testified as an expert witness on Caster Semenya's behalf.

VILAIN: It's really difficult to support a rule that seems to be based more on preconceived idea of what a woman should be rather than who a woman is.

BLOCK: Semenya was raised as a female and is legally female. She's fighting rules that target athletes with a difference of sex development or DSD, specifically those who have what are typically male XY chromosomes¹⁷ who were born with internal testes and have testosterone levels higher than the typical female range. Supporters of the rules say higher testosterone gives these athletes an unfair performance advantage since it provides a boost in power, endurance and speed. So they say if you want to create a level playing field, the new restrictions¹⁸ make sense.

Joanna Harper researches gender¹¹ and sport and testified in the Semenya case on behalf of the governing body for track and field, the IAAF.

JOANNA HARPER: We separate male athletes and female athletes not on the basis of gender identity or legal sex or how people are identified at birth, but rather on biological characteristics that make men so much better at sport than women.

BLOCK: And Duke Law School professor Doriane Coleman says the rules guarantee a protected space for women to compete. She is a former 800-meter runner who studies sex and sport.

DORIANE COLEMAN: If eligibility¹⁹ for women's sports events can't be based on biological sex traits or at least one biological sex trait, then you won't see females on the podium.

BLOCK: But who gets to decide who is female? As Caster Semenya said in a statement when she filed her appeal, I am a woman, and I am a world-class athlete. The IAAF will not drug me or stop me from being who I am. The new rules apply only to certain distance events from 400 meters to one mile where the Federation²⁰ claims runners get the most benefit from testosterone. If the affected²¹ athletes want to race in those events, the Federation says, well, they can compete in the male classification. Geneticist Eric Vilain says that's absurd.

VILAIN: If the same athlete could be a woman in one and a man in another, it makes absolutely no sense.

BLOCK: As for how the DSD athletes can suppress their testosterone, they have three choices. They could have their testes surgically²² removed. They can get a monthly injection that blocks testosterone, or they can take birth control pills. Dr. Veronica Gomez-Lobo is the founder²³ of the Differences of Sex Development clinic at Children's National. She says all of these options come with risks, even birth control pills.

VERONICA GOMEZ-LOBO: Even though we tend to think of them as being very safe, they can cause blood clots²⁴ that can travel to your lung and can be very dangerous. Although that's very rare, that can happen. So you're forcing somebody to take a medication she doesn't want to take, and she's incurring²⁵ the side effects and risks of that medication only to compete.

FRANK MONTGOMERY: There is no medical need and no medical indication for this therapy, and therefore doctors should not prescribe it.

BLOCK: That's Dr. Frank Montgomery, chair of the World Medical Association, which calls the regulations unethical, a violation²⁶ of human rights. The group has urged doctors around the world to refuse to comply. Requiring athletes to take drugs that will reduce performance, Montgomery calls that inverse²⁷ doping.

MONTGOMERY: And we are against doping of any sort. Ethically²⁸ and medically, this fairness argument doesn't carry. It is definitely not a way to tell someone you're a woman only if you take certain medication.

BLOCK: None of this is simple. And Steve Magness, who coaches professional runners, says it's possible to hold what seem like contradictory²⁹ opinions on this.

STEVE MAGNESS: You can at the same time feel incredible compassion³⁰ towards Semenya and DSD athletes and say that, hey, what's happening isn't right. But at the same time, you can say we protect the women's division of sport for a reason, and we have to decide somewhere where we want to divide that.

BLOCK: For now, these rules apply only to track and field. It's up to other sports federations³¹ to decide whether to follow suit. Melissa Block, NPR News.

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1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

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 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

8 blistered   

adj.水疮状的，泡状的v.（使）起水泡( blister的过去式和过去分词 )；（使表皮等）涨破，爆裂

参考例句：

• He had a blistered heel. 他的脚后跟起了泡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Their hands blistered, but no one complained. 他们手起了泡，可是没有一个人有怨言。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

10 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

11 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

12 anatomy   

n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织

参考例句：

• He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
• The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

13 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

14 binary   

adj.二，双；二进制的；n.双(体)；联星

参考例句：

• Computers operate using binary numbers.计算机运行运用二进位制。
• Let us try converting the number itself to binary.我们试一试，把这个数本身变成二进制数。

15 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

16 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

17 chromosomes   

n.染色体( chromosome的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Chromosomes also determine the sex of animals. 染色体也决定动物的性别。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Each of four chromosomes divide longitudinally. 四种染色体的每一种都沿着纵向分裂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

19 eligibility   

n.合格，资格

参考例句：

• What are the eligibility requirements? 病人被选参加试验的要求是什么？ 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
• Eligibility for HINARI access is based on gross national income (GNI). 进入HINARI获取计划是依据国民总收入来评定的。

20 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

21 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

22 surgically   

adv. 外科手术上, 外科手术一般地

参考例句：

• Unsightly moles can be removed surgically. 不雅观的痣可以手术去除。
• To bypass this impediment an almost mature egg cell is removed surgically. 为了克服这一障碍，通过手术，取出一个差不多成熟的卵细胞。

23 Founder   

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。

24 clots   

n.凝块( clot的名词复数 )；血块；蠢人；傻瓜v.凝固( clot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• When you cut yourself, blood clots and forms a scab. 你割破了，血会凝固、结痂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Milk clots when it turns sour. 奶变酸就凝块。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

25 incurring   

遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。
• He spoke to the Don directly, taking a chance on incurring Michael's ill will. 他直接向老头子谈自己的意见，这显然要冒引起迈克尔反感的风险。 来自教父部分

26 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

27 inverse   

adj.相反的，倒转的，反转的；n.相反之物；v.倒转

参考例句：

• Evil is the inverse of good.恶是善的反面。
• When the direct approach failed he tried the inverse.当直接方法失败时，他尝试相反的做法。

28 ethically   

adv.在伦理上，道德上

参考例句：

• Ethically , we have nothing to be ashamed about . 从伦理上说，我们没有什么好羞愧的。
• Describe the appropriate action to take in an ethically ambiguous situation. 描述适当行为采取在一个道德地模棱两可的情况。

29 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

30 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

31 federations   

n.联邦( federation的名词复数 )；同盟；联盟；联合会

参考例句：

• These problems are women's special problems and special work of women's federations. 这样的问题，就是妇女的特殊问题，就是妇联的特殊工作。 来自互联网
• The Bridge Federate is a feasible solution to achieve multi-federations interconnection. 基于桥接成员实现多联邦互连是目前较为通用和可行的方法。 来自互联网