彭蒙惠英语：Coco Chanel: Number One

Coco Chanel: Number One

 

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Successful years

In time, Chanel’s business expanded into clothing shops in Paris and fashionable resort towns. At first unable to afford expensive fabrics¹, she created simple garments out of everyday fabrics. Her slim, boyish figure looked lost inside the hourglass shapes of Edwardian fashions, so she slipped into the oversize sweaters of her male friends and cinched them tight with an unmistakably feminine twist.

 

Her unique style proved especially popular with well-heeled resort patrons. Americans in particular embraced the Chanel look. Even World War I seemed to contribute to her success. As Parisians fled their war-torn city for refuge in the south of France, they turned to Chanel, the only designer who kept her shop open, to replace the clothing they had left behind.

 

But perhaps her greatest and most enduring creation was born in 1923, when she introduced the very first perfume to wear a designer label—Chanel No. 5. Success followed success in Chanel’s professional life.

 

An ugly side

Unfortunately, Coco Chanel’s behavior during World War II revealed the worst aspects of her character. Unlike other major French designers who fled the country or otherwise defied the Nazis², Chanel befriended the enemy. She even tried to take advantage of Germany’s economic policies against Jews to cheat the Jewish partners in her lucrative³ perfume business. After the war, she was branded a traitor⁴, and in 1945 she fled to Switzerland until the scandal died down.

 

Chanel’s return

Chanel returned to France and attempted a comeback in 1954. While her new line flopped⁶ in Europe, it was a smash in America, where women appreciated sportier styles. At the age of 71, Chanel was back. She would remain on top of the fashion world until her death in Paris on January 10, 1971.

 

Vocabulary Focus

brand (v) [brAnd] to label; to mark or show someone or something in a certain way, especially negatively

flop⁵ (v) [flCp] to not be successful; to fail

smash (n) [smAF] something that is extremely popular and successful

 

Specialized⁷ Terms

hourglass (adj) 沙漏状的 relating to something that is narrow in the middle and wider on the top and bottom

 

香奈儿独领风骚

 

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成功的岁月

时机成熟，香奈儿的事业扩展，在巴黎和时髦度假胜地都有服饰店。开始时由于买不起昂贵的布料，她用日常穿着的布料设计出简单的服装。在爱德华年代流行的沙漏型服装内，她苗条、男孩般的身材显不出来，所以她穿上男性朋友超大尺寸的毛衣，再抽紧衣身以表现出无可置疑的女性风情。

她独特的风格特别受富裕的度假顾客的欢迎。美国人特别喜爱香奈儿式打扮。连第一次世界大战似乎都促成了她的成功。当巴黎人从他们被战争摧残的城市到法国南部避难时，他们转向惟一尚未关门的设计师香奈儿，向她买衣服以取代他们留在家乡的衣裳。

她最伟大和最不朽的创作，或许是1923年推出的第一个印有设计师品牌的香水——香奈儿5号。香奈儿职业生涯里，成功接踵而至。

 

丑陋的一面

不幸的是，可可·香奈儿在第二次世界大战时的作为暴露出她人格中最坏的层面。不像其它的法国设计大师或逃离家乡，或违抗纳粹，香奈儿反而亲近敌人。她甚至试着利用德国反犹太人的经济政策，来欺骗她那获利丰厚的香水事业的犹太合伙人。战后她被贴上背叛者的标签，1945年，她逃到瑞士直到丑闻渐渐消失。

 

香奈儿卷土重来

香奈儿在1954年回到巴黎，试图东山再起。她的新系列在欧洲失败，在美国则大为成功，那儿的女性欣赏较为休闲的款式。71岁时，香奈儿再领风骚，直到1971年1月10日在巴黎去世为止，她在时尚界一直雄踞高位。

 

1 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

2 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

4 traitor   

n.叛徒，卖国贼

参考例句：

• The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
• He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。

5 flop   

n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下

参考例句：

• The fish gave a flop and landed back in the water.鱼扑通一声又跳回水里。
• The marketing campaign was a flop.The product didn't sell.市场宣传彻底失败，产品卖不出去。

6 flopped   

v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅

参考例句：

• Exhausted, he flopped down into a chair. 他筋疲力尽，一屁股坐到椅子上。
• It was a surprise to us when his play flopped. 他那出戏一败涂地，出乎我们的预料。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。