VOA慢速英语2016 马拉维服装设计师目标锁定海外市场（在线收听）

Clothing Designer from Malawi Targets Overseas Markets 马拉维服装设计师目标锁定海外市场

Lilly Alfonso is one of the top fashion designers in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi.

莉莉·阿方索是马拉维首都利隆圭的一名顶尖时装设计师。

Alfonso has shown her creations at fashion shows in London, Paris and Amsterdam.Her clothes are now being sold at stores in South Africa and Zimbabwe.She is using individuals in Britain and the United States to sell her products in those countries.

阿方索在伦敦、巴黎和阿姆斯特丹的时装秀上展示了自己的创意成果。目前，南非和津巴布韦的商店都在销售她设计的衣服。她通过英国和美国的个体户，将自己设计的产品远销到这些国家。

Lilly Alfonso hopes her creations will be sold throughout the world within five years.When a VOA reporter went to see the designer, she was on the telephone.

莉莉希望，未来五年内，她设计的成果能够远销全世界。美国之音记者前去拜访了这位设计师，当时她正在接电话。

“They (are) wanting 32, 34, 35, 36, 38, so I will send you the sizes right away after this…”

“他们要32、34、35、36、38码，我马上把这些尺码的衣服给你寄去……”

Alfonso says she has loved the world of fashion since she was six years old.

阿方索表示，从六岁起她就爱上了全世界的时尚元素。

“Every time I, I look(ed) at any cloth that is there for me, quickly I would want to change to what I like.Pretty much, I would cut a hand, or make it short.I would be almost half-naked most of the time.I used to get into trouble...”

“每次看着给我的衣服，我就想着要立刻修剪成自己喜欢的样式。我很可能会稍微裁剪一下，或剪短一些。我可能大多数时间都是半裸着的。这通常会给我带来麻烦……”

She opened her own tailoring business.And in 2010 she was named best designer at a fashion show in Lilongwe.

她开了一家自己的裁缝店。2010年利隆圭的一场时装秀上，她被评为最佳设计师。

“So that motivated me more to say ‘Everything is possible.’The person who invented the car, even the plane, he had to start with a dream.What would stop me?”

“所以这给了我很大的鼓励，‘凡事没有不可能。’发明汽车甚至飞机的那些人一定先得怀揣这样的梦想。还有什么能够阻挡我？”

Her business is growing.Alfonso employs 30 people in her fashion design center.She buys some of the material she uses in her clothing from disabled weavers in Malawi.

她的生意越做越大。阿方索的时尚设计中心雇佣了30个员工。她从马拉维那些残疾的织布者哪里买取制作服装所需的部分布料。

She also offers free training to young designers, like student Mphatso Chilaga.

她还无偿培养那些年轻的设计师，比如孟菲特索·智拉加（音译）就是她的学生。

“Now I’m having this experience, how to draw models -- really like (in a) professional way,how models are supposed to be drawn, how prints are drawn and printed, how you can study material,how you can determine a color on a person by comparing with their complexion if it would suit them or not.”

“现在我有了这些经验：如何专业地画模型、模型应该怎么画、印花布又是怎么画出来并且印好的、研究布料的方法，以及如何通过比较肤色是否适合某个颜色，从而决定一个人该穿什么颜色的衣服。”

But her success has brought problems.She says she must now deal with people who are copying her designs.

不过她的成果也招致了麻烦。她称，目前自己必须得对付那些抄袭自己设计的商家。

Words in This Story

fashion – n. the business of creating and selling clothes in new styles

naked – adj. not wearing any clothes; not covered by clothing

tailor – v. to make (clothing that is measured to fit a particular person)

motivate – v. to give (someone) a reason for doing something

fabric – n. woven or knitted material; cloth

weave – v. to make something (such as cloth) by crossing threads or other long pieces of material over and under each other

complexion – n. the color or appearance of the skin especially on the face

suit – v. to be attractive on (someone)