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Stepping Out in Style With Coco Chanel 香奈儿传奇：绝代风华，永恒经典

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解 

 

繁體中文譯本

 

In the ever-changing and ultra-competitive world of women’s fashion, one name has stood firmly at the forefront for over eighty years. With her cutting-edge designs, featuring the unmistakable double C logo, Coco Chanel lent her chic style to shoes, hats, suits, dresses, and even perfume.

在瞬息万变、竞争异常激烈的女性时尚界，有个名字引领风骚超过80年，至今仍屹立不摇。前卫的设计、举世无双的经典双C标志，可可．香奈儿将自己的时尚风格注入鞋款、帽饰、服饰，甚至是香水中。

 

Before she became Coco Chanel the fashion icon, Gabrielle Chanel, the small-town French girl, endured a fairly tough childhood. Her mother died when she was just six and her father ran away soon afterwards, leaving Gabrielle to be raised in an orphanage. It was here that she first got involved in making clothes, when she was taught the trade of a seamstress. By the age of 17, she was trying her hand as a cabaret singer, which is when she first got the nickname “Coco.” However, it was not Chanel’s voice but her keen eye for style that was to bring her fame and fortune.

香奈儿在成为时尚圈指标人物之前，只是个法国的小镇姑娘，她的本名为嘉柏丽儿，熬过相当艰苦的童年。她年仅六岁时母亲就过世，之后没多久父亲也抛家弃子，留她在孤儿院里被抚养长大。就在这里，她学会了裁缝的手艺，也第一次接触制衣业。到了十七岁时，她到小酒馆驻唱小试身手，因而有了Coco的昵称。然而，让她名利双收的不是她的歌声，而是她对时尚风格的慧眼独具。

 

Chanel’s natural charm and beauty attracted a number of rich suitors, whose ample funds helped give her the initial boost she needed to start up her fashion business. From a single boutique in Paris in 1913, it wasn’t long before Chanel was opening stores throughout France and beyond as her reputation grew rapidly. By the 1920s, she could count herself among Europe’s leading fashion designers and was a celebrity in her own right. Right up until her death in 1971, in her private suite at Paris’ Ritz Hotel, Coco Chanel never lost her sense of glamor, and she lives on today through her huge fashion empire.

香奈儿与生俱来的魅力与美貌吸引了不少富有的追求者，在她事业刚起步时，他们充裕的资金助了她一臂之力，使她得以开创自己的时尚品牌。从1913年一间巴黎的精品店起步，没多久香奈儿就声名大噪，店面扩及法国各地及国外。到了1920年代时，她已跻身欧洲的顶尖时尚设计大师之列，也靠自己的能力晋升为名流。香奈儿在1971年于巴黎丽池酒店的私人套房中辞世，一直到那时，她都未曾丧失对迷人风采的敏锐度，如今透过自己庞大的时尚帝国，香奈儿的精神将持续发光发热。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

in style 时髦地, 豪华地

cutting-edge ['kʌtɪŋ'ɛdʒ] adj. 尖端的

icon [ˋaɪkɑn] n. 崇拜对象; 指标人物

endure [ɪnˋdjʊr] v. 容忍; 忍受

tough [tʌf] adj. 艰苦的; 困难的

afterwards [ˋæftɚwɚdz] adv. 之后，后来(= afterward)

orphanage [ˋɔrfənɪdʒ] n. 孤儿院

fame [fem] n. 声誉，名望

ample [ˋæmp!] adj. 充足的; 充裕的

fund [fʌnd] n. 资金，基金

initial [ɪˋnɪʃəl] adj. 开始的，最初的

reputation [͵rɛpjəˋteʃən] n. 名誉，名声

suite [swit] n. 套房

empire [ˋɛmpaɪr] n. 帝国

 

More Information

单词发音

 

step out 公开露面; 开始快走，尤指大步地 to walk briskly

forefront [ˋfor͵frʌnt] n. 最前方，最前线

unmistakable [͵ʌnməˋstekəb!] adj. 不会弄错的

lend [lɛnd] v. 给予；增添[O1][（+to）] to contribute

chic [ˋʃik] adj. 时髦的; 漂亮的; 雅致的

suit [sut] n.（一套）衣服

seamstress [ˋsimstrɪs] n. 女裁缝师

try one’s hand 尝试 to attempt to do something for the first time

cabaret [kæbəˋre] n.（有歌舞表演的）餐馆，夜总会

keen [kin] adj. 敏锐的

suitor [ˋsutɚ] n.〔女子的〕追求者

boost [bust] n. 推动

boutique [buˋtik] n. 精品店; 流行女装商店

in one’s own right 凭自己的能力或资格, 独自地 by reason of one's own ability or ownership etc

glamor [ˋglæmɚ] n. 魅力，魔力，迷人的力量

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解 

 

Chanel once commented that “simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance,” and her design philosophy emphasized simplicity and comfort above all else. Before she came along, women’s fashion was dominated by over-elaborate garments using much padding and lace. Chanel, on the other hand, took conventional fabrics like cotton and tweed and converted them into classy outfits that enhanced women’s figures. She was greatly influenced by men’s fashion, making use of sports jackets and ties, among other items. By blurring the gender divide in this way, she was helping to give women a greater sense of liberation, not only changing the way women looked, but how they looked at themselves.

香奈儿曾说过：「简单就是真正的优雅。」而她的设计理念也强调简单及舒适胜于一切。在她崛起之前，女性时尚以做工繁复的服装为主流，使用许多衬垫及蕾丝。而香奈儿不同于其他人，反而选用像棉布及花呢等传统布料，将其改造为高雅大方的服饰，凸显女性曲线美。她也深受男性时尚影响，运用了运动夹克、领带和其他品项。她藉此模糊了两性的分界，给予女性更大的自由，不仅改变了女性的样貌，更改变了女性看待自己的态度。

 

Perhaps the most timeless of all Chanel’s creations is the so-called “little black dress.” This versatile yet elegant garment has never gone out of style and is considered an essential item for any woman’s wardrobe. The most famous “LBD” wearer is probably the actress Audrey Hepburn, who pulled off the simple look with such memorable style in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. More than any of her clothes designs, though, Chanel’s name is arguably most closely associated with the perfume Chanel No. 5. Dubbed “liquid gold,” it was, in fact, the first perfume to bear a designer’s name.

香奈儿最历久弥新的经典作品也许是所谓的「黑色小礼服」。该款服饰既百搭多变又不失优雅风采，一直以来从未退流行，而且被认为是每个女人衣柜中的必备单品。身着黑色小礼服最有名的人应为女演员奥黛丽．赫本，她在1961年的电影《第凡内早餐》中，成功地穿出小礼服简单又超凡的风貌。不过一听到香奈儿的名字，大家首先会联想到的是香奈儿5号香水，而非她任何一款服饰设计。这款香水被誉为「黄金水」，是第一瓶挂上设计师名字的香水。

 

This year see two major movie releases based on Coco Chanel’s life. Coco Before Chanel focuses on her humble beginnings, while Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky follows an affair she had with the renowned composer. The fascination with this amazing woman, honored by TIME magazine as one of the 20th century’s 100 most influential people, shows no sign of fading.

今年将有两部描写香奈儿生平的电影上映。《时尚女王香奈儿》着重于她卑微的出身，而《香奈儿的秘密》则描述她与一位知名作曲家的恋情。这位不可多得的女性被《时代》杂志誉为廿世纪百大影响人物之一，而人们对她的着迷至今也毫无衰退的迹象。

 

−by David Vickers

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

elegance [ˋɛləgəns] n. 优雅，雅致，典雅

emphasize [ˋɛmfə͵saɪz] v. 强调

come along 出现 to show up; appear

dominate [ˋdɑmə͵net] v. 支配，统治

elaborate [ɪˋlæbə͵ret] adj. 精心制作的；精巧的

conventional [kənˋvɛnʃən!] adj. 传统的

convert [kənˋvɝt] v. 转变，变换[（+to/into）]

enhance [ɪnˋhæns] v. 提高，增加（价值，质量，吸引力等）

timeless [ˋtaɪmlɪs] adj. 永恒的

versatile [ˋvɝsət!] adj. 多功能的；多方面适用的

focus on  着重于; 集中(于焦点)

humble [ˋhʌmb!] adj. 低下的，卑微的

renowned [rɪˋnaʊnd] adj. 有名的；有声誉的

fade [fed] v. 逐渐消失; 失去光泽

 

More Information

单词发音

 

simplicity [sɪmˋplɪsətɪ] n. 朴素; 简朴; 简单

keynote [ˋki͵not] n. 主旨; 要旨; 基调

garment [ˋgɑrmənt] n. 服装，衣着

padding [ˋpædɪŋ] n. 衬料; 衬垫; 填料

tweed [twid] n. 粗花呢

classy [ˋklæsɪ] adj.【非正式】昂贵时髦的; 高级的; 上等的

outfit [ˋaʊt͵fɪt] n.（尤指在特殊场合穿的）全套服装

make use of 使用, 利用 to use something well

divide [dəˋvaɪd] n. 分歧

liberation [͵lɪbəˋreʃən] n. 解放; 释放

wardrobe [ˋwɔrd͵rob] n. 衣橱，衣柜

pull off  成功；做成某事；赢得  to succeed in doing something difficult or unexpected

memorable [ˋmɛmərəb!] adj. 显著的; 显著的值得怀念的；难忘的

 

 

Reading Questions

 

1.  What do we know about Coco Chanel’s early life from the article?

A. She grew up in a small town in France.

B. After both her parents died, she lived in an orphanage.

C. She learned how to be a cabaret singer in the orphanage.

D. She got her nickname while working in the clothes-making trade.

 

2.  Which is NOT true about Coco Chanel’s rise in the fashion industry?

A. She got started after receiving money from several rich men.

B. She became famous roughly ten years after opening her first store.

C. She opened her first store in Paris’ Ritz Hotel in 1913.

D. She opened stores both in France and abroad.

 

3.  What is true about Coco Chanel’s designs?

A. They emphasized anything but simplicity and comfort.

B. They excluded men’s clothing like sports jackets and ties.

C. They featured elaborate fabrics such as padding and lace.

D. They used simple materials but improved the way women looked.

 

4.  What is the main purpose of the article?

A. To outline the history of revolutionary fashion designs.

B. To introduce several new movies about Coco Chanel.

C. To examine why Coco Chanel is a great designer.

D. To discuss the influences on Coco Chanel’s designs.

 

Coco Chanel

 

 

 

Coco Chanel

 

Breakfast at Tiffany's trailer

 

Moon River - Breakfast at Tiffany’s

 

more videos

"Coco Before Chanel" - Official Trailer

Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky - Trailer HD 2010

 

 

 Answer

1. ( A)

2. ( C)

3. ( D )

4. ( C)