托福阅读材料 无所不能的多功能发卡

 　　提高托福阅读水平最好方法莫过于大量增加阅读量。本期为大家分享的托福阅读材料是无所不能的多功能发卡，这是一款立志成为为妹子们服务的发卡界“瑞士军刀”，好奇了吗?

　　The Clippa Lady reinvents the metal snap-style hair clip favoured by females the world over into something rather more useful.

　　这款发卡名为Clippa Lady，改良了广受全世界女性喜爱的手掰式金属发卡，将其变得更为实用。

　　Strengthened with steel, the $9.99 hair clip boasts an array of handy tools and can open beer bottles, file chipped nails and even lever out a pin stuck in a shoe.

　　这款用钢材加固的发卡售价9.99美元，包含一系列简便工具，能开啤酒瓶、能锉光指甲、还能撬出扎到鞋里的钉子。

　　Alongside a screwdriver¹ function, there are also neat markings on one side of the clip should you need a ruler and even a scraper to keep nails looking clean while you're on the run.

　　除了可以用作螺丝刀，发卡的一边还有着清晰的刻度，可以作为尺子使用，甚至可以作为指甲锉，在你忙碌时也能保持指甲边缘整齐。

　　The company behind the hair clip, which comes in a bright pink colour, has issued the latest design in the Clippa range to woo a more feminine audience.

　　这款亮粉色发卡是Clippa系列的最新款，研发这款发卡的公司希望该产品能争取到更多的女性消费者。

　　It has previously² gone for more masculine-looking silver and black coloured clips, not necessarily worn in the hair, which have targeted male users.

　　该公司之前曾面向男性消费者发布过更有男人味的银色和黑色发卡，并不一定要戴在头发上。

　　Where previous features on the original design have included a serrated edge for cutting, the Clipper Lady replaces the knife function with a nail file...something which will almost certainly raise a few eyebrows³ amongst feminists⁴.

　　最初设计出来的发卡有着锯齿状边缘，可用来切割物品，Clipper Lady发卡将该位置的刀具功能替换为指甲锉，这几乎必然会引起一些女权主义者的不满。

　　While it may not be able to deal with more heavy duty tasks easily handled by weightier multi-tools, the Clipper Lady's natty⁵ design means wearers can easily deal with tidying up broken nails or removing bottle tops.

　　重型多功能工具可以轻松搞定的更为繁重的工作，这个小小的发卡可能无法胜任，但Clippa Lady发卡精妙的设计意味着佩戴者可以轻松地打理劈裂的指甲或打开瓶盖。

　　All of the above is more impressive when you consider its diminutive⁶ size; although it's larger than your average hair clip, the Clippa Lady still measures in at just 4.92 x 2.87 x 0.82 inches.

　　考虑到它小巧的尺寸，能实现上面的功能更加令人叹为观止。尽管比普通发卡要大，Clippa Lady发卡的长宽高仍然分别只有4.92、2.87、0.82英寸。

　　User reviews of the clip suggest that the product is a practical gift not just for women but also for girls.

　　发卡的使用者评论说这个产品是很实用的礼物，不仅适合送给成熟女士，送给小女生同样合适。

　　On Amazon, one reviewer, Sarah Hubbard, wrote that she bought the gift for her friend's 11-year-old daughter who 'had been complaining that multi-tools were made for boys' and revealed that she 'loved it'.

　　在亚马逊(Amazon)网站上，名叫萨拉?哈伯德(Sarah Hubbard)的用户评论说这是她送给朋友11岁女儿的礼物，小女孩对这个礼物“爱不释手”。这个小女生曾经抱怨“那些多功能工具都是为男孩子设计的”。

　　However, not everyone has raved⁷ about the product with another Amazon user, Jill, describing it as 'too flimsy to be useful as a screwdriver or a knife'.

　　但也并不是每个人都对这个产品赞不绝口，另一名亚马逊用户吉尔(Jill)的评价是这样的：“这个发卡太脆弱了，没办法当螺丝刀或刀使用”。

　　Vocabulary

　　clip：发卡

　　screwdriver：螺丝刀

　　nail file：指甲锉

　　serrated：锯齿状的

　　flimsy：脆弱

1 screwdriver   

n.螺丝起子；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒

参考例句：

• He took a screwdriver and teased out the remaining screws.他拿出螺丝刀把其余的螺丝卸了下来。
• The electric drill can also be used as a screwdriver.这把电钻也可用作螺丝刀。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

4 feminists   

n.男女平等主义者，女权扩张论者( feminist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Only 16 percent of young women in a 1990 survey considered themselves feminists. 在1990年的一项调查中，只有16%的年轻女性认为自己是女权主义者。 来自辞典例句
• The organization had many enemies, most notably among feminists. 这个组织有许多敌人，特别是在男女平等主义者中。 来自辞典例句

5 natty   

adj.整洁的，漂亮的

参考例句：

• Cliff was a natty dresser.克利夫是讲究衣着整洁美观的人。
• Please keep this office natty and use the binaries provided.请保持办公室整洁，使用所提供的垃圾箱。

6 diminutive   

adj.小巧可爱的，小的

参考例句：

• Despite its diminutive size,the car is quite comfortable.尽管这辆车很小，但相当舒服。
• She has diminutive hands for an adult.作为一个成年人，她的手显得非常小。

7 raved   

v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说

参考例句：

• Andrew raved all night in his fever. 安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They raved about her beauty. 他们过分称赞她的美。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》