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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English, I'm Jennifer and with me today is Rob.
Rob: Hello Jennifer!
Jennifer: Now Rob, you’re a man of taste - what would you usually wear to the office?
Rob: Well I think it’s important to look smart, but in my job I can be casual, so perhaps a nice shirt and some jeans or casual trousers?
Jennifer: Very nice, and what about the women, what do they wear?
Rob: Well, there’s quite a range at work - some ladies are quite smartly dressed and might wear a dress or a skirt and blouse, but others are more casual. Of course, they ALL look lovely - including yourself.
Jennifer: Hmm, I’m not sure how sincere you are about that, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. We’re talking about the importance of dress codes on 6 Minute English today, but before we get to our story, I’ve got a question for you and it’s all about fashion, something I’m sure you know lots about. Are you ready for the all-important question, Rob?
Rob: Yes I am.
Jennifer: Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is known for his bold statements about fashion and famously said: “One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a what?”
(a) Pair of jeans
(b) Little black dress
(c) Pair of high heels
Rob: Oh dear, I don’t even understand the quote? What does it mean exactly?
Jennifer: If you are overdressed, you look too formal. If you are underdressed, you are not formal enough - so he thinks there is one fashion item which is perfect for all occasions - is it a pair of jeans, the little black dress, or a pair of high heels?
Rob: Well surprisingly I have no idea about women’s fashion. I’ll go for a) a pair of jeans…
Jennifer: Well we’ll see if you’re right at the end of the programme. Now back to our story which is about a controversial microblog post which has sparked a debate in China.
Rob: That means it has lots of people talking about it - and often arguing about it!
Jennifer: The post was from a metro1 operator in Shanghai who suggested that women should dress in a conservative way in public.
Rob: If you dress conservatively, you wear traditional clothes and avoid anything outlandish or revealing.
Jennifer: The blog post included a photograph of a woman wearing a see-through, or transparent2, dress.
Rob: That’s certainly the opposite of conservative! I don’t think many people would go out in public wearing an outfit3 you could see through!
Jen: Probably not, but this blogger’s comment about the outfit has caused controversy4. Listen to this clip from the BBC’s John Sudworth - what comment was made about the photo?
BBC correspondent John Sudworth:
The Shanghai Metro authority used its official Weibo account, the Chinese version of Twitter, to publish a photograph of a woman in what appears to be a see-through dress, standing5 on a subway platform. “It’s not surprising that women get harassed7 if they dress like this,” the caption8 reads, adding “it’s hard to avoid perverts9. Girls, please cherish yourselves.”
Rob: The Metro authority said that if women wear see-through clothes, then it’s not surprising they get harassed.
Jennifer: Thousands of female passengers have been voicing their anger at this, as they feel it is an attempt to blame them for any sexual harassment10 they receive.
Rob: Those passengers think they should have the right to dress however they like - without being harassed.
Jennifer: But on the other hand, there are people who have said that women should not dress provocatively11, as it might encourage people to make unwanted comments.
Rob: It seems that opinion is divided.
Jennifer: Here’s the BBC’s John Sudworth again with some of the responses to the statement.
BBC correspondent John Sudworth:
“The issue is currently the second most discussed topic on Weibo and has even prompted a small tube-train protest. One woman, angered by the statement, held up a banner reading; “I can be coquettish but you can’t harass6 me.” Other internet uses through have spoken out in defence of what they say is simply common-sense advice. In an online poll, with 45,000 respondents so far, almost 70% said that women should dress more conservatively when taking trains or buses.”
Rob: So it’s even prompted a protest by some women who feel it’s their right to dress how they like without people making comments.
Rob: But other people have said it’s only common sense - or good judgement - to dress conservatively, as then nobody is likely to bother you.
Jennifer: Maybe not - but they argue that everyone should be treated with respect no matter what they choose to wear.
Rob: Sexual harassment is a huge problem in society and the question of how to avoid it is a difficult one. Who is responsible for harassment - the people who dress provocatively, or the people making the unwanted comments?
Jennifer: It’s a difficult question, and I’m sure the debate will carry on for a long while. Speaking of difficult questions, I asked you a tricky14 one about clothing at the start of the programme. Karl Lagerfeld once said “One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a what?”
(a) Pair of jeans
(b) Little black dress
(c) Pair of high heels
Rob: And I said …
Jen: And you were wrong! Jeans are very important, very handy for the wardrobe, but according to Lagerfeld, every woman should have own a little black dress, as they are so versatile15!
Rob: Have you got one?
Jen: I’ve got far too many. Ok, we’ve come to the end of today’s programme. Rob, will you remind us of some of the words that we’ve heard today?
Rob: Of course, they are:
sparked a debate
conservative
coquettishly
common sense
sexual harassment
Jennifer: That's all we have time for today but do join us again for more 6 Minute English and for more help with any aspects of your English language studies go to our website BBCLearningEnglish.com. Bye for now!
Rob: Bye!
Vocabulary and definitions
sparked a debate caused an argument
conservative traditional or plan
coquettishly in a flirty way
common sense good judgement
sexual harassment unwelcome comments about the body
provocatively in a manner which attracts attention
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1
metro
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| n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售) | |
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2
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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3
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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4
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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5
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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6
harass
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| vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰 | |
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7
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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8
caption
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| n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明 | |
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9
perverts
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| n.性变态者( pervert的名词复数 )v.滥用( pervert的第三人称单数 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落 | |
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10
harassment
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| n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱 | |
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11
provocatively
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12
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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13
flirty
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| adj.爱调戏的，轻浮的 | |
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14
tricky
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| adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的 | |
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15
versatile
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| adj.通用的，万用的；多才多艺的，多方面的 | |
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