The devil wears Prada 《时尚女魔头》（视频精讲之四）

影片对白

Andy: Hi.

Nigel: Hi. All right. Turn around, darling.

Andy: Oh, I get it. I get it. I get it. I get it. The piece is called "urban jungle", right?

Nigel: Yes, the modern woman unleashes¹ the animal within to take on the big city. Good. Go. Sometimes I can't believe I talk about this crap all day. Bobby, come here.

Andy: Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Nigel: Let me see. Make sure Miranda gets these as soon as possible.

Andy: Mm-hmm.

Nigel: And tell her I switched in the Dior for the Rocha.

Andy: Oh, great. Can't wait.

Nigel: Excuse me. Can we adjust the attitude?

Andy: I'm sorry.

Nigel: Don't make me feed you to one of the models.

Andy: Sorry. It's a busy day. My personal life is hanging by a thread, that's all.

Nigel: Oh, join the club. That's what happens when you start doing well at work, darling. Let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke. That means it's time for a promotion².

妙语佳句，活学活用

1. Take on

Take on 常用的意思有下面几种：

1) Undertake or begin to deal with，例如：I took on new responsibilities.

2) Hire, engage，例如：We take on extra workers during the busy season.

3) Oppose in competition，例如：This young wrestler³ was willing to take on all comers.

4) Acquire as, or as if, one's own, 例如：He took on the look of a prosperous banker.

5) Display strong emotion, 例如：Don't take on so.

在本段中，take on使用的是第三种意思，意思是"这套时装设计是表示现代女性们用野性来对抗城市的禁锢"。

2. Hang by a thread

这个片语也写作hang by a hair，意思是"depend on a small thing or be at risk"，例如：
His life now hangs by a thread. 他命悬一线。

这个表达来自一个关于Damocles的传说。Damocles是Syracuse国王Dionysius的一个大臣。国王厌烦了Damocles的阿谀奉承，邀请他前来赴宴，并让他坐在仅用一根头发悬吊的利剑下面，来警示他所处地位的危险。Damocles' sword 也成为一个表达，表示"即将到来的危险"，例如：The likelihood of lay-offs has been a sword of Damocles over the department for months. 部门可能要裁员的消息让这几个月来每个人都提心吊胆。

3. go up in smoke

想象一下，如果一个东西go up in smoke 会怎么样呢？这个东西就被完全毁坏了。Go up in smoke 的意思就是"To be utterly⁴ destroyed (by fire)"，它既指某物被火完全毁坏，例如：The whole house went up in smoke. 也可以引申为"某事被彻底破坏"，例如：All his plans have gone up in smoke.

这个表达也写做go up in flames。

文化面面观

时装设计师 Christian⁵ Dior 和 John Rocha

1. Christian Dior

Christian Dior (1905-1957) was a fashion designer who changed the look of women's clothing and gave the post-World War II French fashion industry a new feminine look.

Christian Dior, son of a wealthy Norman manufacturer of chemicals and fertilizer, wanted to be an architect, but his family insisted he enter the diplomatic service. He prepared for a diplomatic career at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques but abandoned diplomacy⁶ in 1928 and became an art dealer⁷. Illness forced him to give up that business in 1934, and when he returned to Paris a year later, it was as a fashion illustrator - first of hats, later of dresses.

"The New Look"

In 1946, when World War II cloth rationing⁸ was lifted, Dior opened his own salon⁹. In the spring of 1947 the success of his first collection, called the "New Look," propelled him to the top of the French fashion industry. His idealized, ultrafeminine silhouette¹⁰ featured tiny waists; long, full skirts; padded busts¹²; and rounded shoulders. Everything was made exquisitely¹³ of the best materials available. The New Look changed the shape of women's clothing and lifted the French fashion industry out of the doldrums. For this feat¹¹ a grateful French government awarded him the Legion of Honor.

Subsequent Designs

His successive collections (including the "H-Line" in 1954 and the "A-Line" in 1955) continued to be popular, and throughout the 1950s the fashion world looked to Paris and Dior for inspiration and style. He expanded his company into eight firms and sixteen associate firms in twenty-four countries, reportedly grossing some $20 million a year. His Dior label went on jewelry¹⁴, scarves, men's ties, furs, stockings, gloves, and ready-to-wear clothing.

After his death the House of Dior continued under other designers, including his protégé Yves St. Laurent until 1960, then Marc Bohan.

2. John Rocha

John Rocha (born 23 August 1953, Hong Kong) is an Irish fashion designer of Chinese and Portuguese¹⁵ descent. He moved to Ireland after he graduated from the Croydon School of Art, London.

Know for his hand-crafting, beading and apliquée to garments, Rocha first established a name for with his Chinatown label in Dublin in the 1980s. In 1993 he was named British Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.

He currently runs his own "John Rocha", "John Rocha Jeans", "Rocha John Rocha" and "John Rocha Jewellery" labels alongside a diffusion¹⁶ clothing, homewear and accessories label for Debenhams. Rocha also designed the interior of the Morrison Hotel in Dublin.

我观之我见

工作上变得顺利的Andy在感情和亲情上却开始遭遇危机。为了给Miranda找到飞机，Andy 不能陪爸爸享受一顿晚餐；为了Miranda 的party，Andy 要研究到会的客人而不能为自己的男友庆祝生日……为了做好工作，Andy 牺牲了太多，她的生活开始遭遇危机。有可能事业和生活两全其美吗？对很多事业女性来说，这是一个不可能实现的目标，她们只能舍弃一个。就像Nigel所说的那样：That's what happens when you start doing well at work, darling. Let me know when your whole lifegoes up in smoke. That means it's time for a promotion.

考考你

用今日所学将下面的句子译成英语。

1．他的语调有点悲伤。
2. 我要和你较量一下网球。
3．他的升职很危险。
4．如果设计者放弃，这个项目就会完全失败。
 
The devil wears Prada 《时尚女魔头》（精讲之三）考考你 参考答案

1． 我把你设成呼叫保持以便接另一个电话。
    I'm putting you on hold to answer another call.

2． --你到底感不感兴趣啊？
    Are you at all interested?
    --不，一点兴趣也没有。
    No, not at all.

3． 比尔决定先到那里，先采取行动。
    Bill determined¹⁷ to get there first and beat everyone else to the punch.

1 unleashes   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• These findings qualify the common view that economic growth unleashes myriad discontents. 这些发现，纠正了一个普遍观点，即经济发展使人们尽情宣泄不满。 来自互联网
• This caster unleashes a storm of electric discharge on the enemy. 法师向敌人释放出一片电火花的风暴。 来自互联网

2 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

3 wrestler   

n.摔角选手，扭

参考例句：

• The wrestler tripped up his opponent.那个摔跤运动员把对手绊倒在地。
• The stronger wrestler won the first throw.较壮的那个摔跤手第一跤就赢了。

4 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

7 dealer   

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。

8 rationing   

n.定量供应

参考例句：

• Wartime austerities included food rationing and shortage of fuel. 战时的艰苦包括食物配给和燃料短缺。
• Food rationing was abolished in that country long ago. 那个国家早就取消了粮食配给制。

9 salon   

n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室

参考例句：

• Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗？
• You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。

10 silhouette   

n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓

参考例句：

• I could see its black silhouette against the evening sky.我能看到夜幕下它黑色的轮廓。
• I could see the silhouette of the woman in the pickup.我可以见到小卡车的女人黑色半身侧面影。

11 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

12 busts   

半身雕塑像( bust的名词复数 )； 妇女的胸部； 胸围； 突击搜捕

参考例句：

• Dey bags swells up and busts. 那奶袋快胀破了。
• Marble busts all looked like a cemetery. 大理石的半身象，简直就象是坟山。

13 exquisitely   

adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地

参考例句：

• He found her exquisitely beautiful. 他觉得她异常美丽。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He wore an exquisitely tailored gray silk and accessories to match. 他穿的是做工非常考究的灰色绸缎衣服，还有各种配得很协调的装饰。 来自教父部分

14 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

15 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

16 diffusion   

n.流布；普及；散漫

参考例句：

• The invention of printing helped the diffusion of learning.印刷术的发明有助于知识的传播。
• The effect of the diffusion capacitance can be troublesome.扩散电容会引起麻烦。

17 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。