美国国家公共电台 NPR Socks For Christmas: An Evergreen Gift

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

It's the holiday gift for when you can't think of what else to give somebody - good for old, young, women, men, north, south. NPR even sells them - socks. And they're having their moment in the fashion world. Steven Frumkin is dean¹ at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and joins us. Dean Frumkin, thanks so much for being with us.

STEVEN FRUMKIN: Thanks for having me.

SIMON: So socks are having their moment in the fashion world?

FRUMKIN: They are. Socks have gone through their ups and downs and have had very, very many different moments in the fashion world. And there's certainly a resurgence² today, as you have probably noticed. People want to make a statement. And one of the nice ways of doing it is to have a pair of socks that says something.

SIMON: Yeah. Are students at design schools paying more attention to socks?

FRUMKIN: Well, I think they are. I think for two reasons. One is, I think, because they participate in the display of socks. And I think they also realize, as they've been reading and reading, that socks are a business. And one could go into that business because you've started a sock company. You've been part of a sock company. You design for a sock company. Or you're in the business end of a sock company. So why not take the opportunity to participate in a fun product?

SIMON: Who sets the trend these days when it comes to showing off socks?

FRUMKIN: You know, that's interesting. There are many different people. Probably the most famous politician was our president - 41 - George Bush. He used to wear red socks. You might remember. Whoopi Goldberg over the years has worn all kinds of socks. There are also people who make a statement by not wearing socks. You may have seen Donny Deutsch on TV drawing attention to his feet in a slightly different way.

SIMON: Dean, an important question.

FRUMKIN: Yes, sir.

SIMON: Cotton, wool, bamboo - what makes the best sock?

FRUMKIN: The best sock is the sock that's worn for the occasion³. So if, in fact, it's the middle of the winter, you could probably wear a wool sock. But if it's the summertime, and you're playing tennis, you might want a cotton sock.

SIMON: I can't believe I'm telling you the kind of socks I'm wearing. But I do crave⁴ your opinion.

FRUMKIN: OK.

SIMON: Burgundy with little, tiny, blue pin dots.

FRUMKIN: OK. But what else are you wearing?

SIMON: (Laughter) I am wearing a pinstripe suit - black with white - silver-white pinstripes.

FRUMKIN: OK. So...

SIMON: And a blue shirt with white stripes⁵ and a red kind of holiday tie.

FRUMKIN: OK. So you look like a clown.

(LAUGHTER)

FRUMKIN: I'm sorry. You can cut that out if you want. No.

SIMON: No, no.

FRUMKIN: I think...

SIMON: It's too late. No, no, no.

FRUMKIN: It's too late.

SIMON: Besides, who would dispute⁶ it? Yes.

FRUMKIN: Yeah. So, you know, that's the beauty of socks. You're comfortable with it, makes you feel good. You're talking about it now. And it sounds like you put together an outfit⁷ that is colorful but subdued⁸ and proper.

SIMON: Oh, you've recovered from that nicely.

FRUMKIN: I did. I tried. You have a lot of control. You have the button to push me off the air.

SIMON: No. It's the people in the control room.

FRUMKIN: Oh, I see.

SIMON: And they've never heard a wiser statement in their life in that I look like a clown.

FRUMKIN: (Laughter).

SIMON: Steven Frumkin is a dean at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Thanks so much for being with us, Dean Frumkin.

FRUMKIN: My pleasure. Anytime. Thank you very much.

(SOUNDBITE OF JD MCPHERSON SONG, "SOCKS")

SIMON: I'm going to take my big floppy⁹ feet out of here and...

FRUMKIN: There you go.

SIMON: (Laughter).

FRUMKIN: You can start a whole new career now.

SIMON: Yes. I'll need it, too, after this interview.

FRUMKIN: (Laughter).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOCKS")

JD MCPHERSON: (Singing) This is the worst gift I ever got.

1 Dean   

n.(大学)院长，系主任，教务长

参考例句：

• The students much like the new dean.学生们很喜欢这位新系主任。
• Who is the dean of the Foreign Languages Department?外语系主任是谁？

2 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

3 occasion   

n.场合，时机，机会，诱因，理由；vt.惹起，引起

参考例句：

• Her dress was too showy for such a formal occasion.在如此正式的场合，她的服装过分华丽了。
• Her tears were fought back on such an occasion.在这种场合下她忍住了眼泪。

4 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

5 stripes   

n.（与底色不同的）条纹( stripe的名词复数 )；（军装或警服上表示等级的）臂章；纹理

参考例句：

• The plant's stem is marked with thin green longitudinal stripes. 这种植物的茎上长有绿色细长条纹。
• a zebra's black and white stripes 斑马的黑白条纹

6 dispute   

n.争端，分歧；v.争论，争吵，辩论，辩驳

参考例句：

• They are trying to find a way of settling the dispute.他们正设法寻找解决争端的办法。
• The parties to the dispute should be more polite to each other.争执双方应相互礼貌些。

7 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

8 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

9 floppy   

adj.松软的，衰弱的

参考例句：

• She was wearing a big floppy hat.她戴了顶松软的大帽子。
• Can you copy those files onto this floppy disk?你能把那些文件复制到这张软盘上吗？