彭蒙惠英语：Coco Chanel: Number One

Coco Chanel: Number One

 

By Dorothy Rompalske / This article

was published originally in Biography

Magazine. © 1998. A&E Television

Networks. All rights reserved.

 

How Coco Chanel invented herself and reinvented fashion.

 

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The shoulder bag, the cardigan, costume jewelry¹, the little black dress; all are such basic elements in the modern woman’s wardrobe that it’s hard to believe they were the innovations of a single fashion designer, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Though she’s remembered today primarily for the quilted bags, boxy knit suits, and exquisite³ perfumes that bear her distinctive⁴ interlocking “C” logo, Chanel’s influence reached far beyond her role as purveyor⁵ of luxury goods for the rich. By transforming the fabrics⁶, cuts and practical designs of menswear into sporty ensembles⁷ for the free-spirited flapper of the teens and twenties, Coco Chanel revolutionized fashion. Her clothes liberated⁸ women from the constricting⁹ corsets and tight skirts of the Edwardian Era.

 

Chanel’s beginnings

Jeanne Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883. When her mother died in 1895, and her father left, Gabrielle ended up living as a charity ward² in Catholic convents where the nuns¹⁰ did her a tremendous service—they taught her how to sew.

 

By age 20, the young woman had found work as a seamstress, sewing military uniforms for soldiers. But it was after working hours, while accompanying officers to local nightclubs, that Chanel found a more exciting calling. The petite charmer decided¹¹ to become a chanteuse. Her big number, “Who’s Seen Coco in the Trocadero?” was performed with enough style to make up for her lack of talent, winning Chanel both her nickname—Coco—and her first rich admirer, Etienne Balsan.

 

With Balsan’s help, Chanel moved to Paris and in 1909 opened her first business, a millinery shop specializing in sleek¹², streamlined hats that were the complete opposite of the oversized, elaborate headdresses then in vogue¹³. Her instinct was dead-on. Parisian ladies were ready for a change and Chanel’s hats were an instant success.

 

Vocabulary Focus

purveyor (n) [pE5veiE(r)] a business or person that provides goods or services

ward (n) [wC:d] a person, especially a child, who is legally put under the protection of a court of law or a guardian¹⁴

vogue (n) [vEu^] a fashion or general liking¹⁵, especially a temporary one

dead-on (adj) [5ded5Cn] exactly right

 

Specialized¹⁶ Terms

cardigan (n) 针织毛衣外套 a knitted sweater or jacket that fastens at the front with buttons or a zipper¹⁷, and is usually worn over other clothes

flapper (n) 20世纪20年代时髦独立的年轻女郎 a fashionable young woman in the 1920s, especially one showing independent behavior

corset (n) 紧身束腰内衣(马甲) a tight piece of underwear worn on the middle part of a woman’s body to make her waist appear smaller, especially popular in the past

chanteuse (n) 女歌手 a female singer, especially one who sings on the stage in a theater or bar

millinery (n) 女帽，女帽店 hats and other goods sold at a women’s hat shop

 

香奈儿独领风骚

 

可可·香奈儿如何创造自己与再造时尚

 

许美鸾 译

 

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肩背式包包、毛衣外套、时尚珠宝配饰、黑色小洋装，这些都是现代女性衣柜里的基本元素，很难相信它们都是单独一位时装设计师加布里埃勒·“可可”·香奈儿的创新作品。虽然今日大家对香奈儿主要的记忆是拼布包包、格子针织套装以及附有她独特互扣双“C”标志的高级香水，她的影响力已远超过富人奢华品供货商的角色。通过把男装布料、剪裁和实用设计转型成为10几20余岁年轻女子的休闲组合装，可可·香奈儿革新了时尚。她的服装把妇女从爱德华时代压抑的紧身衣裙中解放出来。

 

早期的香奈儿

珍妮·加布里埃勒·香奈儿生于1883年8月19日。她的母亲于1895年去世，父亲随后离家。加布里埃勒被天主教修道院所收容，那儿的修女们给了她一个最大的帮助——她们教她缝纫。

20岁时，这个年轻女子已经找到了一个裁缝师的工作，为军人缝制制服。但是下班后，陪着军官到当地的夜总会时，香奈儿发现了更令人兴奋的呼唤。这个娇小迷人的女子决定当个歌手。她的招牌曲“谁在查卡德侯看到可可?”表演时架势十足，弥补了她天分的不足，为香奈儿赢得昵称——可可——以及她的第一位富有的仰慕者艾提恩·巴桑。

经由巴桑的帮助，香奈儿搬到巴黎，并在1909年开了她的第一家店—— 一家女帽店，专门销售与当时所流行的尺寸超大、样式复杂的帽饰完全相反的简洁、线条利落的帽子。她的直觉完全正确。巴黎女士们正期待改变，因而香奈儿的帽子一炮走红。

 

 

1 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。

2 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

3 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

4 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

5 purveyor   

n.承办商，伙食承办商

参考例句：

• Silence, purveyor of gossip, do not spread that report. 快别那样说，新闻记者阁下，别散布那个消息。 来自互联网
• Teaching purpose: To comprehensively understand the role function and consciousness composition of a news purveyor. 教学目的：全面深入的理解新闻传播者的角色功能和意识构成。 来自互联网

6 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

7 ensembles   

整体( ensemble的名词复数 )； 合奏； 乐团； 全套服装（尤指女装）

参考例句：

• I love to play in all types of ensembles. 我喜欢参与吹奏各种各样的合奏曲。
• The 5th Brigade is now taking 895 Land Warrior ensembles to Afghanistan. 第五旅现在携带895套陆地勇士装备去阿富汗。

8 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

9 constricting   

压缩，压紧，使收缩( constrict的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective To discuss the clinical characteristics and treatment of congenital constricting band syndrome(CCBS) and amputations. 目的探讨先天性束带症与先天性截肢的临床特点及治疗方法。

10 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

13 Vogue   

n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的

参考例句：

• Flowery carpets became the vogue.花卉地毯变成了时髦货。
• Short hair came back into vogue about ten years ago.大约十年前短发又开始流行起来了。

14 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

15 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

16 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

17 zipper   

n.拉链；v.拉上拉链

参考例句：

• The zipper is red.这条拉链是红色的。
• The zipper is a wonderful invention.拉链是个了不起的发明。