美国国家公共电台 NPR 'High Heel' Muses On Beauty, Power — And Stilettos

 'High Heel' Muses¹ On Beauty, Power — And Stilettos

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

There was a time in Summer Brennan's life when she wore high heels almost every day. Brennan was working at the United Nations at the time - a place, as she describes it, of suits and ties, skirts and silk blouses, freshly shined wingtips and, yes, high heels.

SUMMER BRENNAN: (Laughter).

KELLY: The heels were critical, as Brennan saw it, to being the kind of woman - professional, feminine, poised² - the kind of woman who marched those halls of power with confidence. Brennan is now a writer, and she explores all this in her new book, "High Heel." It's a meditation³ on beauty and power and stilettos. Summer Brennan, welcome.

BRENNAN: Thank you so much.

KELLY: As I nodded to in the intro, you used to wear high heels every day, and you tell a story about falling, toppling over...

BRENNAN: Yeah (laughter).

KELLY: ...While wearing your four-inch heels. And a killer⁴ detail was that, of course, you were on your way to a U.N. event about gender⁵ equality.

BRENNAN: Yes, I was. It wasn't the first time I've fallen down in high heels. I mean, I was living in New York. I commuted⁶ in them. I was running up and down subway stairs. So it's the kind of thing that is bound to happen eventually. But that one felt particularly poignant⁷, I think, because - like you say, because of the circumstances. And I thought, gosh, you know, many of our modern articulations of feminism say we can choose, you know, whatever type of womanhood or femininity we want, but sometimes it's also interesting to take a closer look at some of these choices we're making and think, well, this is a bit strange. Why am I wearing this thing that's dangerous in this way?

KELLY: Yeah. I mean, this is the undeniable truth, is that high heels cripple you. They make it hard to run, and yet you also - I feel stronger. I feel empowered when I'm wearing them.

BRENNAN: Oh, me too. And I should say, as I also say in the book, you know, of course not every woman in these types of work settings wear high heels. And even at the U.N., Samantha Power, who was the U.N. ambassador for the United States at the time, ran around the building wearing sneakers a lot of the time, and she was certainly authoritative⁸. But that idea that you're supposed to present this kind of image was still very much present.

KELLY: You know, for all the people listening who are really happy wearing their sensible non-high-heeled shoes, why write a book about something that is, you know - one could make the argument - frivolous⁹, not necessary?

BRENNAN: I think it's not frivolous, (laughter) obviously, because I wrote a book about it. But I think the fact that even if it's not something that everybody wears or is obligated to wear, some people are obligated to wear them or at least expected to, and those people are usually women, and it's worth looking at why that is. And it ended up being a very interesting focus point for me about all these issues that are coming up right now with feminism and women's rights, in terms of where desires meet politics and a desire for femininity meets a desire for freedom and the points in which maybe these don't always sit very comfortably together.

KELLY: Yeah, you're making me think of a point in the book where you write about Hillary Clinton. In 2016, she was running for president. She, like, at the presidential debates wore kitten heels, which, first of all, just explain what that is.

BRENNAN: So for those who aren't familiar, a kitten heel is a very thin heel that's not very tall.

KELLY: And you write that this was the only thing she could have worn, the only acceptable choice. Why?

BRENNAN: Because I think we still have a very narrow definition of what we find acceptable for women to seem both feminine and authoritative. But a high stiletto heel is sort of too youthful and sexy for an older woman. And...

KELLY: For a potential commander in chief.

BRENNAN: Well, exactly, right. And sometimes we're more tolerant of some of these styles on women when they're powerful but not the most powerful person in the room.

KELLY: And do you think those standards are changing even now, in terms of what the huge crop of women running for president in 2020 might be able to get away with on the campaign trail?

BRENNAN: I do actually think it is already changing, and I think there being a more crowded field of female candidates does contribute to that. And there's a shorthand of dress that politicians have. You know, like the male politicians; they roll up their sleeves, and then they're more of an everyman. And...

KELLY: Man of the people.

BRENNAN: You know, that kind of - exactly. And, you know, Elizabeth Warren often wears these three-quarter sleeve jackets, and a fashion writer said that it invoked¹⁰ these rolled-up sleeves, and things like that. And just when there's more women around, there's, I think, less scrutiny¹¹ on an individual woman.

KELLY: Are high heels feminist¹²?

BRENNAN: I don't know (laughter). I mean, I guess it depends on their application. And I don't have a clear answer, I think, because one doesn't really exist. And there's many applications in which people of all genders¹³ choosing to wear high heels can be empowering to them, but I think you also can't deny the history of what shoes that inhibit¹⁴ movement can mean for women and especially women in public.

KELLY: Do you still wear high heels?

BRENNAN: Not as much (laughter), but I spend most of the year not in Manhattan anymore. It's an occasion-specific footwear, and lately I haven't had an occasion to wear them as much.

KELLY: I guess it speaks to the writer's life. If you're tucked up in front of your keyboard, you don't - you're not strolling the corridors of power.

BRENNAN: Yes, writing is more conducive¹⁵ to jeans and pajamas¹⁶ than a pair of stilettos.

KELLY: Summer Brennan, her new book is titled "High Heel." Summer Brennan, thank you.

BRENNAN: Thank you so much.

1 muses   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的第三人称单数 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• We have listened too long to the courtly muses of Europe. 欧洲那种御用的诗才，我们已经听够了。 来自辞典例句
• Shiki muses that this is, at least, probably the right atmosphere. 志贵觉得这至少是正确的气氛。 来自互联网

2 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

3 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

4 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

5 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。

6 commuted   

通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment. 他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• The death sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment. 死刑可能減为无期徒刑。

7 poignant   

adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

8 authoritative   

adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的

参考例句：

• David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
• Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。

9 frivolous   

adj.轻薄的；轻率的

参考例句：

• This is a frivolous way of attacking the problem.这是一种轻率敷衍的处理问题的方式。
• He spent a lot of his money on frivolous things.他在一些无聊的事上花了好多钱。

10 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

12 feminist   

adj.主张男女平等的，女权主义的

参考例句：

• She followed the feminist movement.她支持女权运动。
• From then on,feminist studies on literature boomed.从那时起，男女平等受教育的现象开始迅速兴起。

13 genders   

n.性某些语言的（阳性、阴性和中性，不同的性有不同的词尾等）( gender的名词复数 )；性别；某些语言的（名词、代词和形容词）性的区分

参考例句：

• There are three genders in German: masculine, feminine and neuter. 德语中有叁性：阳性、阴性和中性。 来自辞典例句
• Japan was fourth among the genders of foreign students. 日本在二十个留美学生输送地中列第四位。 来自互联网

14 inhibit   

vt.阻止，妨碍，抑制

参考例句：

• Don't let ego and greed inhibit clear thinking and hard work.不要让自我和贪婪妨碍清晰的思维和刻苦的工作。
• They passed a law to inhibit people from parking in the street.他们通过一项法令以阻止人们在街上停车。

15 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

16 pajamas   

n.睡衣裤

参考例句：

• At bedtime,I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas.睡觉时，我脱去衣服，换上睡衣。
• He was wearing striped pajamas.他穿着带条纹的睡衣裤。