英语沙龙：牛仔裤的胜利

A twenty year old immigrant, Levi Strauss, came to the United States in 1850 to seek his fortune in the gold fields.

But strangely enough, this man made his fortune on heavy canvas that he found suitable for working clothes.

Strauss ' jeans were particularly good for prospectors¹ and cowboys.

In the early days of jeans, this man could not have guessed that his pants, made only for rough work,

would become so popular at all levels of society.

Yes, this is a fact: jeans have become fashionable in our society.

Furthermore, these pants have come to symbolize² changes in social attitude.

In the last decade or two we have seen movements toward equality as well as defiance³ of authority.

Jeans, now worn by everybody, can be said to symbolize these changes for the better.

In the past, only men wore jeans, and these men were at the bottom socially and economically.

Jeans were worn by truck drivers, farm and factory workers.

Today, jeans no longer are looked down upon.

They are worn by both men and women, by both skilled and unskilled workers, by both employees and employers.

This common way of dressing⁴ symbolizes⁵ respect for individuality, no matter what your occupation or sex.

In the fight against authority, young people have been the leaders.

So it is natural that the teenagers would defy parents and school administrators⁶ over the right to wear jeans to class and win.

Jeans are the typical dress of civil rights marchers, fans at rock concerts," hippies" returning to nature,

and serious college students.

Because everyone can be comfortable in them, the blue jeans invented for the use of workers are now accepted almost anywhere,

anytime.

This is true not only in the United States, but in many other countries in the world.

I strongly agree with the following statement:" Old or new, glorified⁷ or plain, jeans are likely to be around for a long time to come.

Already they have succeeded where statesmanship has failed. Although unable to speak the same language, the inhabitants of this embattled planet have at least agreed to wear the same pants."

1 prospectors   

n.勘探者，探矿者( prospector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The prospectors have discovered such minerals as calcite,quartz and asbestos here. 探矿人员在这里发现了方解石、石英、石棉等矿藏。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The prospectors have discovered many minerals here. 探矿人员在这里发现了许多矿藏。 来自辞典例句

2 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

3 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

4 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

5 symbolizes   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The use of light and dark symbolizes good and evil. 用光明与黑暗来象征善与恶。
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace. 她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

7 glorified   

美其名的，变荣耀的

参考例句：

• The restaurant was no more than a glorified fast-food cafe. 这地方美其名曰餐馆，其实只不过是个快餐店而已。
• The author glorified the life of the peasants. 那个作者赞美了农民的生活。