Unit One   Redefine the Image and Value of Beauty

I. Background Information

1. Model

Someone whose job is to show clothes, hair styles etc by wearing them at fashion shows or for photographs. Instinctively, models needed to possess more than just beauty to have worldwide appeal. The natural, healthy, and casually elegant style are seen as the perfect backdrop to complement their beauty. Models are often found and organized by some companies. Take New York Model Management as an example. Opened in 1995 in New York City , New York Model Management is a young, dynamic professional modeling agency committed to promoting top talent and exciting new faces to the fashion industry. It searches throughout the world for undiscovered talent, intent upon its goals to turn unknown models into international stars. It has a group of agents and personal managers who are highly experienced, knowledgeable, and have keen eyes for the cutting edge in the world of fashion. New York Model Management's international staff brings a wealth of fashion savvy and experience to anticipate trends in fashion - and to help define the next look to embody that trend. With New York Model Management's models consistently appearing in the fashion world's most important and avant-garde magazines, leaders in high fashion look to the agency for models who help create the look they want.

 

2. Elle

Elle Magazine addresses high style and runway trends for the American sophisticate, covering beauty and fashion trends, lifestyles and personalities and all with an international flair. ELLE.com is ELLE's service-oriented sibling. The site exists as both complement and counterpart to the magazine, focusing on fashion, beauty, and style - with a brain. While maintaining ELLE's uniquely sophisticated tone, ELLE.com presents a behind-the-scenes, how-to world. The site is the insider's style guide with a global outlook, providing both convenience and high-end inspiration. Satisfying the expectations of the ELLE reader while taking advantage of the Web's immediacy and depth, ELLE.com is the point at which aspiration and acquisition intersect.

 

3. Paris Match

French magazine. All the latest news on the stars, royal families in Europe , the photo of the day and photo journalism.

 

 

II. Text Presentation and Language Points

 

image: the general opinion people have of a person, organization, product, etc.

Examples: How can I improve my image?

Great efforts have been made to improve the public image of the government.

She was aiming for a wholesome, girl-next-door image.

 

dismiss: refuse to consider seriously

Examples: He laughed and dismissed my plan as impractical.

We dismissed the idea of cycling to the east coast.

 

Rough: 1) not calm or gentle

Examples: Boxing is a rough sport.

He's rather a rough fellow.

2) not smooth

Example: His hands were rough from years of hard work.

3) made or done without attention to details; not exact

Examples: While writing an essay, the students are asked to do a rough draft first.

Could you give me a rough idea what time you'll be back?

 

feature: any of the noticeable parts of the face

Example: Standing by John was a girl with fine features.

 

appreciate: understand and enjoy

Example: The sound quality was poor so we couldn't fully appreciate the music.

 

be thankful for

Example: Thanks ever so much for your timely help. I really appreciate it.

 

praise: say that you admire someone or something

Examples: The critics praised her latest novel pretty highly.

The Mayor praised the rescue team for their courage.

 

essence: the most basic and important quality of something

Examples: The essence of language is communication.

Being thoughtful of others is the essence of politeness.

His theory was not new in essence.

 

a touch of (something): a small amount of something

Examples: “What?” asked John, with a touch of irritation.

Our furniture is guaranteed to add a touch of class to your bedroom.

 

bill (something) as (something): advertise or describe in a particular way

Examples: Olivier was billed to appear as King Lear.

She was billed as the main attraction.

They even represent cities and shopping malls.

 

represent: act officially for another person or group of people

Examples: His greatest ambition was to represent his country at the Olympics.

Mr. Smith was chosen to represent the company at the meeting.

 

kick off: start

Examples: The men's football final kicks off at midnight.

I'm going to kick off today's meeting with a few remarks about the budget.

 

amateur: inexpert, imperfect

Example: All the photographs on exhibition in the museum are taken by amateur photographers.

 

abandon: go away from, give up

Examples: When the fire got out of control, the captain told the sailors to abandon the ship.

We had to abandoned our research on the causes of cancer for lack of fund.

 

work wonders: bring unexpectedly good results

Examples: He looked tired before, but his holiday has worked wonders for him.

Acupuncture treatment worked wonders for my headache.

And the women made headlines —but didn't dare call themselves models.

 

headline: the title of a newspaper report

Example: The headline on the front page attracted his attention.

 

make headlines: be reported in many newspapers and on radio and television

Example: The financial scandal made headlines for weeks.

 

insist on: declare firmly

Examples: The accused young man kept insisting on his innocence.

He insisted on the importance of being punctual.

 

quit: leave a job, school etc, especially without finishing it completely

Examples: He quitted his job after an argument with his boss.

He was forced to quit working after the accident.

 

establish oneself (as): cause to be firmly settled or accepted in a particular state or position

Examples: Now that he has established himself in the team, he is playing with much more confidence.

The exhibition helped him establish himself as a photographer.

 

candidate: a person who is being considered for a job or is competing in an election

Examples: As far as I know, Cathy is a likely candidate for promotion.

The interviewers rejected most of the candidates as unsuitable.

 

(be) dying to: have a great wish to

Examples: We're all dying to know the result of the election.

After a day's work, I'm dying to have a good sleep.

 

qualification: an ability, quality, or record of experience that makes a person suitable for a particular job or position

Examples: Only two of the applicants have the necessary qualifications.

To know the way is one qualification for a guide.

 

despite: in spite of

Examples: Demand for these cars is high, despite their high price.

They headed east toward the open sea despite the storm.

 

exception: something or someone that is not included in a general statement or does not follow a rule or pattern

Examples: We don't usually accept checks, but for you we'll make an exception.

 I usually get up early in the morning, but today is an exception.

 

controversial: causing a lot of disagreement

Example: For years he has been a controversial figure in the art world.

 

humble: having a low social class or position

Example: He rose from humble origins to become a lawyer.

 

negative: harmful, unpleasant, or not wanted

Examples: It can be argued that television has a negative influence on children.

What worries me is that he has such a negative view of everything.

 

view: opinion or idea about something

Examples: In my view, it's a waste of time.

        We are glad to have this opportunity to exchange views freely.

 

develop: come to have gradually

Example: He has developed a good habit of taking notes.

 

personality: the whole nature or character of a particular person

Examples: Despite their different personalities, they became the best of friends.

All candidates have to undergo a personality test.

 

competition: an organized event in which people or teams compete against each other

Examples: The competition is open to all university students.

 More than ten basketball teams entered the competition held last week.

 

short: not enough

Example: Being short of money, I applied for the job advertised at a local newspaper.

 

celebrity: a famous person

Example: They have invited a number of celebrities to the opening ceremony.

 

splash: give a lot of space to (a news story etc.)

Examples: The China Daily splashed the story all over the front page.

The outbreak of war was splashed across the television screens.

They didn't know anything about the cool factor and personality...

 

factor: one of several things that influence or cause a situation

Examples: The outcome will depend on a number of factors.

The weather could be a crucial factor in tomorrow's game.

 

agency: a business that provides a particular service for people or organization

Examples: The company has agencies all over the world.

The travel agency has a lot of programs for the customers.

 

definitely: without any doubt

Example: The hotel fitness center is definitely worth a visit.

 

 

III Translation of the Text

重新界定审美观

她的反对者批评她是个土包子，粗糙的相貌只有西方人才欣赏。她的支持者则称赞她具有东方古典美，还揉和着一些现代气息。

见见吕燕，一个小镇里走出来的丑小鸭变成了 5 英尺 10 英寸 高的先锋模特，而且有可能成为代表中国的新面孔。

“有些人说我正在改变着中国人的审美观。我也不知道是否如此。” 吕燕，现在是巴黎的一名时装模特，在北京的某次时装巡演上如是说。“当然有相当多的人就是不喜欢我这个模样。”

在中国你到处可以见到模特儿，他们被认为是这个世界上发展最迅猛的消费社会的基石之一。各行各业都雇用了他们来推销产品，从汽车到房地产到手机到矿泉水无所不能，甚至还成了城市与大卖场的形象代言人。

1983 年上海迈出了时装业万里长征的第一步：某个纺织厂的女工们穿上她们喜爱的服装，在一个废弃了的仓库里举办了一场业余时装演示会。

这引起了当地一家服装厂的注意。他们把这群女工带到北京的一个展销会上演示他们的产品。奇迹发生了。该厂家带去的所有产品一销而空。女工们上了报刊头条，尽管她们还不敢把自己称之为模特，口口声声说是厂里的工人，并且永远不会辞去正常工作。第一代中国模特就这样在模仿中产生了。

到了 90 年代末，模特业开始在中国成型。正像世界对中国出了个 7 英尺 多的 NBA 巨星姚明感到惊奇一样，很少有人意识到中国已经成了超级模特的摇篮。随着生活水准的提高和饮食的改善，人民共和国土地上的年轻人正长得越来越高。

“我每年至少看到 200 名来自全国各地的应试者，他们渴望成为模特，但他们唯一的资本仅仅是身高而已。”北京时装学院的一位教师如此说道。

尽管对学走猫步趋之如骛，中国模特极少能在世界 T 台上露脸。吕燕是个例外。虽然她的成功在国内意见纷纭，但表示出会形成一种新的不同以往的审美标准。

在中国中部江西省的一个小煤镇里长大的吕燕，是家里三个孩子中的老大。就像世界上所有未成名的模特一样，吕燕即使在那个普通的小地方也被认为是只丑小鸭。

她生来一双小眼睛，鼻子扁平，高高的颧骨上布满雀斑。这在中国的传统来说，尽是缺点。人们欣赏的是大眼睛，小鼻子以及娇小玲珑的身架。她却出奇的高大。

所以她成了个假小子，胆子贼大，为了掩藏她的身高养成了不雅的姿势，而恰恰是这些造就了她的成才之路。

“我 17 岁那年，参加了一个形体班以纠正我的姿势。”吕燕回忆道。“ 那个老师正要组队去北京参加一项模特大赛。队里还缺一个人。我根本不知模特是怎么回事，他们也不喜欢我的模样。但是我们那地方高个子女孩很少，他们之所以选中我是为了凑数。”

他们并没有赢得比赛，但是北京一份时尚杂志的编辑觉得吕燕长得不同凡响并把她介绍给另外两个人，正是他们改变了她的生活轨迹。

“我看了她一眼，就知道她能成为一名世界级的模特。”李东田，中国最早的著名发型师之一，这样说道。“我兴奋极了。当时是 1999 年，世纪交替之际。媒体问我谁将成为下一世纪新型美女，我毫不犹豫地指向了吕燕。”

吕燕呆住了。“他是第一个告诉我我长得漂亮的中国人。”她说。

据吕燕和时尚摄影师冯海所说，后者率先让吕燕的形象登上了全国的各种杂志，卢的形象与性格是一种完美的组合，代表了 21 世纪的中国妇女。“以前中国人只关注大眼睛及女性的妩媚。他们对酷派性格一无所知。” 李东田说。“许多中国女孩都很漂亮，但是过眼就忘。而吕燕却如此与众不同，你只要看上一眼，就永远忘不了。”

三年以前发生的正是这一幕。巴黎来的两位模特专家在北京一家宾馆的大堂里见到了吕燕。

“我到中国寻找女孩子。没看到中意的。” 纳迪亚 ? 柏拉舍米说道，他是来自‘大都会模特代理行'法国代理，该行现在成了吕燕的代理人。“我们要寻找与众不同的人，很有性格的人。我们要的是能成为明星的人。吕燕正符合我们的要求。”

几星期后，这个中国矿工的女儿就走在了巴黎的大街上，上了 Elle 和 Paris Match 等 时装 杂志的封面，并成为 Christian Dior, Gucci 和 Christian Lacroix 等著名品牌的 服装模特儿 。

“对照中国标准，她肯定说不上漂亮。”高晓菲说，她今年 20 岁，是北京时装学院的学生。“看看我们班，几乎都是大眼睛的姑娘。但是我很喜欢她。我越看她，越觉得她长得美。”

 

 

IV Key to Exercises

 

Work Out:

I. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false(F) according to the text.

1. All the people like how Lu Yan looks. ( F )

2. Models are everywhere in Chinese society for sales promotion. ( T )

3. The first generation of models was born in the 1990s. ( F )

4. Modeling becomes many youngsters' career because youngsters want to follow Westerners. ( F )

5. Lu's success in international modeling represents a turning point in setting the standards for a different kind of beauty in China . ( T )

6.  Lu was picked to join in a modeling competition because of her good posture and feminine sweetness. ( F )

7. Lu was firstly found as unusual by a French agent. ( F )

8.Lu now is a world-class supermodel. ( T )

 

II Fill in the blanks with words or phrases from the Vocabulary Snapshot. Change the forms if necessary.

1. We shall act our play on the school stage .

2. Yet old Amtanas would not quit . He remembered what it had cost him to get a job.

3. All this had an extremely negative effect on the criminal justice system.

4. His parents were humble people; they had no money and lived poorly.

5. At the end of the lecture, the professor dismissed the student

6. I was dying to know where he had been.

7. Being thoughtful of others is the essence of politeness.

8. It was printed on rough yellow-looking paper.

9. The bill this week is too big for the Blacks to pay.

10. He abandoned the estates when he inherited them.

 

III Complete the sentences with the proper forms of the words given in brackets.

1. Let's fix a (definitely) definite date for the next meeting.

2. The new regulation gave rise to much (controversial) controversy .

3. She accidentally (splash) splashed paint on the floor.

4. He was (breeding) bred up as a sailor.

5. Courage is an (attribute) attribute of a good soldier.

6. A boy was (hawk) hawking newspapers on the street.

7. The teacher is (editor) editing famous speeches for use in school-books.

8. I was told by my sister that he was a radio (amateur) amateur .

9. That was really a (stunned) stunning defeat.

10. There have been an (exception) exceptional number of rainy days this year.

 

IV Make sentences according to the examples given.

Model 1

1. He went on the journey, along with his two friends.

2. She placed the bank notes, along with the change and receipts, back in the drawer.

 

Model 2:

1. The medicine worked wonders; it cured my backache.

2. His holidays worked wonders; he doesn't look so tired as before.

 

Model 3:

1. The candidate kicked off his campaign with a speech on television.

2. The concert kicked off with a folk song.

 

 

V Translate the following sentences from the text into Chinese

1. 她的反对者批评她是个土包子， 粗糙的相貌只有西方人才欣赏。她的支持者则称赞她具有东方古典美，还揉和着一些现代气息。

2.在中国模特随处可见，他们被认为是这个世界上发展最迅猛的消费社会的基石之一。

3.1983年上海迈出了时装业万里长征的第一步：某个纺织厂的女工们穿上她们喜爱的服装，在一个废弃的仓库里举办了一场业余时装演示会。

4. 她生来一双小眼睛，鼻子扁平，高高的颧骨上布满雀斑。这在中国传统来说，尽是缺点。人们欣赏的是大眼睛，小鼻子以及娇小玲珑的身材。

5. 据李和时尚摄影师冯海所说，后者率先让吕燕的形象登上了全国的各种杂志，吕的形象与性格是一种完美的组合，代表了21世纪的中国妇女。

 

VI Translate the Chinese into English

1. I am dying to know what places he has been to.

2. All the eggs in stock are sold out.

3. He had appeared in about 20 films before landing the big break.

4. Going to college serves as a turning point in my life

5. The abandoned ship floated aimlessly on the sea.

6. Jane went along with David to the shopping mall.

7. All of us passed the math exam, with the exception of Tom.

8. Speak out definitely what you are thinking about.