托福听力短文 II-08-1

(WA) The next style of furniture design I'd like to discuss is Shaker furniture design. The Shakers are a religious group that flourished in the nineteenth-century United States. At that time, the Shakers lived in their own communities and believed in living simply. This ideal of simplicity¹ extended to their furniture design, as you will see.

Because the shape of their furniture wasn't supposed to be unnecessarily decorative², the furniture's surface became the only place to create visual pleasure. Shaker furniture used light-colored woods like pine, maple³, or cherry. It was often painted blue, green, or yellow.

As these slides show, some of their most interesting pieces were made for the workplace. Notice that this sewing table has drawers that can be pulled out from either side. This feature enables two people to sew at the same time. Likewise, if you look closely at these slides of counters and workbenches, you'll notice that these pieces were also designed to be used from more than one side. Thus, several people would be able to work at one time.

Nowadays, Shaker furniture design's enjoying a revival⁴. The simple but stylish⁵ furniture made by the Shakers is popular among affluent⁶ collectors, including such celebrities⁷ as Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfrey. As you've seen, the plainness of Shaker furniture makes it strangely modern in appearance. In fact, their austere⁸, minimalist designs have influenced several modern furniture designers, some of whom we'll discuss next.

1 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

2 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

3 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

4 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

5 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

6 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

7 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

8 austere   

adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的

参考例句：

• His way of life is rather austere.他的生活方式相当简朴。
• The room was furnished in austere style.这间屋子的陈设都很简单朴素。