US vice
presidential hopeful Sarah Palin's fashion sense is winning
applause in an unexpected
quarter -- in Japan, where the maker of her rimless glasses is enjoying
a sudden boost in
business.
The Alaska governor's
designer specs
have become a hot topic on the US campaign trail, with some speculating
that the 44-year-old former beauty queen is trying to show her
seriousness.
But whatever her reason, Masunaga Optical Manufacturing Co. Ltd. is
pleased with the media interest. The company makes Palin's MP-704
glasses, designed out of titanium by Kazuo
Kawasaki.
"Few politicians, especially women, go out with glasses. We're
happy to see her wear the glasses," a company spokeswoman
said.
"We have already seen a positive effect," she added, saying orders
and inquiries from retailers and customers were
increasing.
Masunaga Optical sells 6,000 to 7,000 frames of the MP-704 model
globally a year, she said, while declining to say how many orders
it received since Palin was picked by Republican White House candidate John
McCain.
The frames sell for 33,600 yen (310 dollars) in Japan. Lens prices vary greatly, depending on the user's needs and
preferences.
"The brand's concept is 'smart and high technology,' removing any
unnecessary decoration
with the sides of the glasses directly jointed into the lens," the spokeswoman
said.
Masunaga Optical was established in 1905 in the central
prefecture of Fukui, some
300 kilometres west of Tokyo.
Palin's glasses may fuel a
rivalry in the US presidential race in Fukui, home to the
city of Obama, where residents have started a campaign to
support accidental namesake Barack
Obama.
New
words:
rimless
n. 无边的
Alaska
[əˈlæskə] n.阿拉斯加州(美国州名)
designer
n. 设计师； adj. 时髦的，显示派头的
specs
n.glasses
speculate [ˈspekjuleit] vt. & vi.思索; 猜测, 推测
titanium [tai'teiniəm] n.钛
spokesman
n. 发言人
retailer
n. 零售商
lens
n. 透镜，镜头
decoration
n. 装饰,装饰品
prefecture [ˈpri:fektʃuə] n.地方官的任期,辖区
rivalry
n. 敌对, 竞争, 对抗
resident
n. 居民 a. 居留的, 定居的
namesake
n. 同名的人,同名物
