比奥巴马国情咨文更乐观的 是米歇尔的裙子

They said it was going to be nontraditional — and it was (relatively speaking). They said it was going to be optimistic — and it was.

他们说会不合传统——（相对而言）确实如此。他们说会很乐观——确实如此。

They (representatives at the White House press office) were referring, of course, to the substance of President Obama’s final State of the Union address Tuesday night, though that is not, as it happens, what I am referring to; I am referring to the optics that framed it. Specifically, the marigold sheath Michelle Obama wore, which pretty much put her wardrobe where his message was, capping seven years of highly effective sartorial politics.

他们（白宫新闻办公室的代表）指的当然就是奥巴马总统本周二晚上最后一次发表的国情咨文演讲，但我指的却不是；我指的是映衬它的视觉效果。具体来说，是米歇尔·奥巴马(Michelle Obama)穿的那条金盏花色直裙，基本上就是用她的衣服来传达他的信息，为七年来卓有成效的服饰政治画上了点睛一笔。

Yes, there were more important things to think about than a dress on Tuesday. But if you believe this highly social-media-aware administration — the one that previewed the evening’s speech on Facebook — did not calculate the subliminal signals that the two protagonists might send via every means possible on one of the most public, closely watched evenings of the year, well, I’ve got a birther for you to meet. 

是的，本周二有比衣服更重要的事情要思考。但是，如果你认为这届具有高度社交媒体意识的政府——这个在Facebook上预演当晚讲话的政府——没有考虑过在一年之中最为万众瞩目的夜晚，两大主角会通过一切可能的手段发送什么样的潜意识信号，那么你就得长长见识了。

Especially because the dress was impossible to miss, thanks to its bright hue, identified by its designer, Narciso Rodriguez, as marigold, but labeled by Twitter observers, as, variously, mango, mustard and orange Starburst. It was just as impossible to miss the fact that it telegraphed a mood that was unquestionably upbeat and sunny. Indeed, it was the brightest dress the first lady had worn to a State of the Union since 2012, when she appeared in bright blue Barbara Tfank, and a notable contrast to the last State of the Union, where she wore a zipped-up sober gray skirt suit by Michael Kors — and the dimensions were multiple.

特别是因为你不可能无视这条连衣裙，这要归功于它的明亮色调，设计师纳西索·罗德里格斯(Narciso Rodriguez)称其为金盏花色，但Twitter上的观察人士对它的称呼多种多样，芒果、黄芥末和橙子软糖。你也不可能无视这样一个事实：它毫无疑问地展示着乐观和快乐的情绪。事实上，这是自2012年那件亮蓝色的芭芭拉·范可(Barbara Tfank)连衣裙之后，第一夫人在国情咨文之夜穿着的最鲜艳的连衣裙，与去年形成了鲜明对比，去年她穿了一套迈克·高仕(Michael Kors)拉链式素净灰色裙装——并且是有多个解读维度的。

The designer, after all, is Cuban-American; a fitting (no pun intended) nod to the resumption of diplomatic relations between the countries that is part of her husband’s legacy, as well as to the American fashion industry, for which she has been a notable booster. Though the dress was originally priced at $2,095 on NeimanMarcus.com, then reduced to $628, it is now sold out.

毕竟，这条连衣裙的设计师是古巴裔美国人；这是对古巴和美国恢复外交关系的一种妥帖的（无双关含义）致意——那是她丈夫的政治成果之一；同时也是对美国时尚业的认可（奥巴马夫人一直是美国时尚业的重要支持者）。在NeimanMarcus.com上，这条连衣裙最初标价2095美元（约合人民币1.4万元），后来降到628美元，现已售罄。

As it happens, Mr. Rodriguez has been a favorite of Mrs. Obama’s since the first campaign, when she wore a red and black dress he made for election night. She wore his burgundy dress to her husband’s first State of the Union in 2009. Then, as now, the dress was sleeveless. Then, as now, the first lady’s sculpted arms were on display. Then, people freaked out a little (sleeveless! in February!), and she did not go sleeveless again to the annual speech until 2013. Now, no one blinked. Though, judging by the votes of Twitter approval, they did seem to smile.

实际上，从奥巴马第一次竞选活动开始，罗德里格斯的作品就是奥巴马夫人的最爱之一，她在那次大选之夜穿着的红黑相间连衣裙就是罗德里格斯制作的。2009年奥巴马第一次发表国情咨文的时候，她也穿着罗德里格斯的酒红色连衣裙。当时和现在一样，连衣裙是无袖的。当时和现在一样，第一夫人线条分明的胳膊展示了出来。当时人们有点震惊（无袖！2月份！），此后一直到2013年，她再也没有在国情咨文之夜穿着无袖服装。现在，没有人大惊小怪了。不过，从Twitter上的赞成投票来看，他们似乎在微笑。

Progress, of a kind.

这也是一种进步。