The devil wears Prada 《时尚女魔头》（精讲之四）

影片对白

Andy: Hi.

Nigel: Hi. All right. Turn around, darling.

Andy: Oh, I get it. I get it. I get it. I get it. The piece is called "urban jungle", right?

Nigel: Yes, the modern woman unleashes the animal within to take on the big city. Good. Go. Sometimes I can't believe I talk about this crap all day. Bobby, come here.

Andy: Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Nigel: Let me see. Make sure Miranda gets these as soon as possible.

Andy: Mm-hmm.

Nigel: And tell her I switched in the Dior for the Rocha.

Andy: Oh, great. Can't wait.

Nigel: Excuse me. Can we adjust the attitude?

Andy: I'm sorry.

Nigel: Don't make me feed you to one of the models.

Andy: Sorry. It's a busy day. My personal life is hanging by a thread, that's all.

Nigel: Oh, join the club. That's what happens when you start doing well at work, darling. Let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke. That means it's time for a promotion.

妙语佳句，活学活用

1. Take on

Take on 常用的意思有下面几种：

1) Undertake or begin to deal with，例如：I took on new responsibilities.

2) Hire, engage，例如：We take on extra workers during the busy season.

3) Oppose in competition，例如：This young wrestler was willing to take on all comers.

4) Acquire as, or as if, one's own, 例如：He took on the look of a prosperous banker.

5) Display strong emotion, 例如：Don't take on so.

在本段中，take on使用的是第三种意思，意思是"这套时装设计是表示现代女性们用野性来对抗城市的禁锢"。

2. Hang by a thread

这个片语也写作hang by a hair，意思是"depend on a small thing or be at risk"，例如：
His life now hangs by a thread. 他命悬一线。

这个表达来自一个关于Damocles的传说。Damocles是Syracuse国王Dionysius的一个大臣。国王厌烦了Damocles的阿谀奉承，邀请他前来赴宴，并让他坐在仅用一根头发悬吊的利剑下面，来警示他所处地位的危险。Damocles' sword 也成为一个表达，表示"即将到来的危险"，例如：The likelihood of lay-offs has been a sword of Damocles over the department for months. 部门可能要裁员的消息让这几个月来每个人都提心吊胆。

3. go up in smoke

想象一下，如果一个东西go up in smoke 会怎么样呢？这个东西就被完全毁坏了。Go up in smoke 的意思就是"To be utterly destroyed (by fire)"，它既指某物被火完全毁坏，例如：The whole house went up in smoke. 也可以引申为"某事被彻底破坏"，例如：All his plans have gone up in smoke.

这个表达也写做go up in flames。

文化面面观

时装设计师 Christian Dior 和 John Rocha

1. Christian Dior

Christian Dior (1905-1957) was a fashion designer who changed the look of women's clothing and gave the post-World War II French fashion industry a new feminine look.

Christian Dior, son of a wealthy Norman manufacturer of chemicals and fertilizer, wanted to be an architect, but his family insisted he enter the diplomatic service. He prepared for a diplomatic career at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques but abandoned diplomacy in 1928 and became an art dealer. Illness forced him to give up that business in 1934, and when he returned to Paris a year later, it was as a fashion illustrator - first of hats, later of dresses.

"The New Look"

In 1946, when World War II cloth rationing was lifted, Dior opened his own salon. In the spring of 1947 the success of his first collection, called the "New Look," propelled him to the top of the French fashion industry. His idealized, ultrafeminine silhouette featured tiny waists; long, full skirts; padded busts; and rounded shoulders. Everything was made exquisitely of the best materials available. The New Look changed the shape of women's clothing and lifted the French fashion industry out of the doldrums. For this feat a grateful French government awarded him the Legion of Honor.

Subsequent Designs

His successive collections (including the "H-Line" in 1954 and the "A-Line" in 1955) continued to be popular, and throughout the 1950s the fashion world looked to Paris and Dior for inspiration and style. He expanded his company into eight firms and sixteen associate firms in twenty-four countries, reportedly grossing some $20 million a year. His Dior label went on jewelry, scarves, men's ties, furs, stockings, gloves, and ready-to-wear clothing.

After his death the House of Dior continued under other designers, including his protege Yves St. Laurent until 1960, then Marc Bohan.

2. John Rocha

John Rocha (born 23 August 1953, Hong Kong) is an Irish fashion designer of Chinese and Portuguese descent. He moved to Ireland after he graduated from the Croydon School of Art, London.

Know for his hand-crafting, beading and apliquee to garments, Rocha first established a name for with his Chinatown label in Dublin in the 1980s. In 1993 he was named British Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.

He currently runs his own "John Rocha", "John Rocha Jeans", "Rocha John Rocha" and "John Rocha Jewellery" labels alongside a diffusion clothing, homewear and accessories label for Debenhams. Rocha also designed the interior of the Morrison Hotel in Dublin.

我观之我见

工作上变得顺利的Andy在感情和亲情上却开始遭遇危机。为了给Miranda找到飞机，Andy 不能陪爸爸享受一顿晚餐；为了Miranda 的party，Andy 要研究到会的客人而不能为自己的男友庆祝生日……为了做好工作，Andy 牺牲了太多，她的生活开始遭遇危机。有可能事业和生活两全其美吗？对很多事业女性来说，这是一个不可能实现的目标，她们只能舍弃一个。就像Nigel所说的那样：That's what happens when you start doing well at work, darling. Let me know when your whole lifegoes up in smoke. That means it's time for a promotion.

考考你

用今日所学将下面的句子译成英语。

1．他的语调有点悲伤。
2. 我要和你较量一下网球。
3．他的升职很危险。
4．如果设计者放弃，这个项目就会完全失败。
 
The devil wears Prada 《时尚女魔头》（精讲之三）考考你 参考答案

1． 我把你设成呼叫保持以便接另一个电话。
    I'm putting you on hold to answer another call.

2． --你到底感不感兴趣啊？
    Are you at all interested?
    --不，一点兴趣也没有。
    No, not at all.

3． 比尔决定先到那里，先采取行动。
    Bill determined to get there first and beat everyone else to the punch.