VOA标准英语2010年-EcoChic Fashion Preserves Biodiversity

A United Nations Trade Group is promoting so-called "EcoChic Fashion" as one way of stemming the rapid loss of the world's biodiversity.  The United Nations has designated 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity to focus attention on the threatened extinction¹ of the fauna² and flora³ on which the world depends for survival.  The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development is calling for the sustainable use of natural resources.  It says ecological⁴ fashion firms use organic materials and production methods that do not damage the environment. 

Pencil-thin models strut⁵ down the catwalk sporting the latest in ecochic fashion.  With their stiletto heels and robotic looks, they could be in Milan or Paris, London or New York.  But, their flaxen beehive wigs⁶ and stylish⁷ garments made from natural materials tell a different story.  Nearly 50 ready-to-wear and couture designers from 40 countries have cut their cloth from a range of organic and recyclable materials including organic bamboo and silk, alpaca and pineapple fibers⁸ and even 100 percent paper.

The organizer of the show, Christina Dean, says her Hong Kong-based environmental charity, Green2Greener, promotes sustainable living.  She says ecochic events are the main platform for doing that.

"We always try to ensure that we really are doing the best we can in our environmental performance.  Obviously, with a very strong message about fashion and sustainability, we need to be as sensitive to the environment in everything that we do," she says.

"I embarked⁹ on the road of sustainability or ethics¹⁰ or biodiversity about five years ago, when I founded a company called Noir…I work with 16,000 farmers in Africa.  And, what we do is grow organic and fair-traded cotton," says Danish fashion designer Peter Ingwersen, who says he got into so-called "green fashion" when he realized more and more consumers nowadays want to buy ethically¹¹.  They want to be seen to be doing good.

"Ten years ago, it was enough to buy the latest 'it' bag.  Today, that is not enough any more," he says.  "When you want to buy the latest it bag, you also want to know how it is produced…And that is the biggest change that we have seen in our business since the hem-lengths went below the knee." 

Conservationists present a gloomy picture about the state of the world's biodiversity.  The United Nations reports the loss of habitat has accelerated the loss of biodiversity in recent years.  Some estimates suggest species extinction because of human activity is about 1,000 times faster than the natural rate of loss.

Bio-trade analyst¹² at the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development Lucas Assuncao says local communities will be more inclined to preserve their flora and fauna, if they can see economic benefits from using their natural resources in a sustainable manner.

He says this has worked in Bolivia, which has a huge population of yacare, a species of crocodile.

"It so happens that in some parts of Bolivia, this over-population of yacares is detrimental¹³ to human life…So, there is a real claim there to sustainably manage the yacare population, which means killing¹⁴ them.  It so happens that the skin is very valuable for the shoe industries in Italy, for example.  So, there is a win-win opportunity," he says.

"My name is Sarah, Sarah Ratty.  I run an eco-fashion brand called Ciel.  I've been involved in eco-fashion for 20 years." Ratty says ecologically friendly clothes are not, necessarily, ethnic¹⁵ nor frumpy looking.  She says her collection is very modern, although it uses a diverse range of natural products.

"There are a lot of great new green innovations, which are working within natural fabrics¹⁶, as well as synthetics¹⁷ that are doing this," she says. 

"I am Alphadi.  I'm the president of all-Africa Fashion Designers for 20 years." Alphadi, who comes from Niger, is founder¹⁸ of the Festival of the Deserts.  "I make every two years a big festival in the desert.  We bring maybe 5,000 persons to the desert to make African fashion true and to help African fashion to grow and to give human face for African fashion." 

Alphadi has stores in New York, Paris and several African countries.   His clients include the wives of Africa's presidents.  He has designed clothes for U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the late singer Michael Jackson.

Alphadi says promoting so-called green clothes is both good for the environment and good for the pocketbook.  His ecochic couture fashion costs several thousands of dollars and, ready to wear, several hundred dollars.

"That's me.  Alphadi.  Eco.  Green and we make money.  Make money for me and make money for my country.  And to help Africa to grow and to give it a human face…Europeans make fashion.  Why not Africa?  Fashion can help Africa."

The show is over.  And, from the enthusiastic applause, it is clear that, at least with this crowd, ecochic is in.  The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development says eco-fashion brings in between $150 million and $200 million a year. 

It considers this an increasingly significant chunk¹⁹ of the market and predicts green fashion will continue to grow, as more people recognize  that what is good for the environment can also be good for their looks.

 

1 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

2 fauna   

n.(一个地区或时代的)所有动物，动物区系

参考例句：

• This National Park is an area with unique fauna and flora.该国家公园区域内具有独特的动物种群和植物种群。
• Fauna is a biological notion means all the animal life in a particular region or period. 动物群是一个生物学的概念，指的是一个特定时期或者地区的所有动物。

3 flora   

n.(某一地区的)植物群

参考例句：

• The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
• All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。

4 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

5 strut   

v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆

参考例句：

• The circulation economy development needs the green science and technology innovation as the strut.循环经济的发展需要绿色科技创新生态化作为支撑。
• Now we'll strut arm and arm.这会儿咱们可以手挽着手儿，高视阔步地走了。

6 wigs   

n.假发，法官帽( wig的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They say that wigs will be coming in again this year. 据说今年又要流行戴假发了。 来自辞典例句
• Frank, we needed more wigs than we thought, and we have to do some advertising. 弗兰克，因为我们需要更多的假发，而且我们还要做点广告。 来自电影对白

7 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

8 fibers   

光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质

参考例句：

• Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上，以硫酸钠为凝固剂，对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝，制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
• Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。

9 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

10 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

11 ethically   

adv.在伦理上，道德上

参考例句：

• Ethically , we have nothing to be ashamed about . 从伦理上说，我们没有什么好羞愧的。
• Describe the appropriate action to take in an ethically ambiguous situation. 描述适当行为采取在一个道德地模棱两可的情况。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

16 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。

17 synthetics   

n.化学合成物

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• It is a universally applicable thickener for printing on the synthetics. 特别适合用做纺织印染工业中人造合成纤维的印染增稠剂。

18 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

19 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。