周二晚上，米歇尔?奥巴马(Michelle Obama)以第一夫人的身份参加她的最后一个国事晚宴时，巩固了她的政治遗产——她是历届政府中最熟练、最成功的政治着装艺术实践者。

　　Her choice of an Atelier Versace gown for the Italy state dinner was not only a nice bit of sartorial diplomacy — Versace being an Italian success story, a company often touted as a candidate for a public offering — but, coming less than a week after her magnetic speech in New Hampshire on women and respect, it went far beyond being simply an ambassadorial nod to a guest country’s talent and made a powerful subliminal statement.

　　她身着范思哲高定(Atelier Versace)参加意大利国宴，这不仅是很出色的时装外交——范思哲是意大利的成功品牌，一直传说要上市——不到一周前，她刚在新罕布什尔州就女性和尊重议题发表了一个非常精彩的演讲，她选择这件礼服远远不止是对来访国家的人才所做的外交致意，同时也是在下意识地表达一个强有力的声明。

　　The dress, after all, was made of rose gold … chain mail.

　　要知道这件衣服还是玫瑰金色的……护身铠甲。

　　As much as it was gracefully cut and draped, it also spoke of armor and female strength, of the need to gird yourself to fight for what you believe in.

　　它不仅拥有优雅的裁剪和褶裥，同时也是对防御和女性力量的表达，暗示需要做好准备，为信仰而战。

　　And it was designed by Donatella Versace, a woman who was famously thrust into one of the most difficult situations of all: having to take over and preserve the company founded by her brother after his murder in Miami.

　　而且大家都知道，它的设计师多娜泰拉?范思哲(Donatella Versace)是一个挺身而出、直面困境的女性：当哥哥在迈阿密遇害后，她不得不接手并扛起他所创办的这家公司。

　　And who, despite a fair number of doubts, has ultimately triumphed — in part by transforming the aesthetic of her company from one built on the power of sex to one built on the power of self.

　　尽管面临着相当多的质疑，她最终还是取得了成功——部分是因为她将这个品牌的美学标准从基于性的力量转移了自我的力量上。

　　After all, Ms Versace did describe her most recent women’s wear collection, shown in Milan last month, as, all about a woman’s freedom: freedom of movement, freedom of activity, freedom to fight for their ideas, freedom to be whomever you want to be.

　　要知道，对于上个月在米兰亮相的范思哲最新女装系列，范思哲女士进行过这样的描述，它们完全关乎女人的自由：行动自由、活动自由、为自己的理念而战的自由，你想要成为什么人的自由。

　　And she set it to a soundtrack by the trance duo Violet + Photonz that featured the statement that it was time for women to take the lead.

　　她为这个系列选择的背景音乐是迷幻音乐二人组Violet+ Photonz的作品，里面表达的是让女性带头的时候到了。

　　Given the current political conversation in the United States, think that’s a coincidence? Think that escaped the East Wing?

　　鉴于美国目前的政治对话，你认为这是巧合吗？你认为这没有被白宫东翼注意到吗？

　　Especially given that Mrs Obama has worn other Italian labels, including Gucci (on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last month), Missoni (during her 2013 trip to Italy and Britain with her daughters) and a black-and-white print Giambattista Valli earlier in the day when she and the president greeted Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife, Agnese Landini.

　　特别是考虑到奥巴马夫人曾穿过其他意大利品牌，包括Gucci（上个月的《艾伦秀》上），Missoni（2013年她和两个女儿去意大利和英国旅行的时候），以及她和总统迎接意大利总理马泰奥?伦齐(Matteo Renzi)及夫人阿涅塞?兰迪尼(Agnese Landini)的当天，她穿的是一件黑白印花的Giambattista Valli。

　　But, until Tuesday evening, she had not appeared in Versace.

　　但在本周二晚上之前，她从没有公开穿过范思哲。

　　Especially because Ms Versace designed the gown specifically for Mrs Obama, according to a company spokeswoman.

　　尤其是因为范思哲女士专门为奥巴马夫人设计了这身礼服——该公司发言人说道。

　　Especially because Ms Versace then said, I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to dress the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.

　　尤其是因为范思哲女士说：有机会为美国第一夫人米歇尔?奥巴马设计衣服，本人深感谦卑与荣幸。

　　Thank you Michelle for all the things you did for America and for the rest of the world, for the women in the U.S. and the rest of the world.

　　谢谢米歇尔，谢谢你为美国和世界其他地方，为美国和世界其他地方的女性所做的一切。

　　The first lady’s wardrobe adviser, Meredith Koop, is on record as telling Harper’s Bazaar that when engaging in cross-border events, Mrs Obama always takes into account a country’s cultural norms and attempts to pay tribute.

　　第一夫人的着装顾问梅雷迪思?科普(Meredith Koop)有一次告诉《哈泼斯芭莎》杂志(Harper’s Bazaar)，在参与国事活动时，米歇尔总是会考虑到对方国家的文化范式，并试图向其致以敬意。

　　During her eight years in the White House and 14 state dinners, Mrs Obama has not always hewed to this policy (at the Nordic state dinner in May she wore the Indian-American designer Naeem Khan), but for the majority of the time it has proved the rule.

　　她在白宫8年，参加过14次国宴，虽然并非总是遵行这种做法（在今年5月的北欧国家晚宴上，她穿着印裔美国设计师纳伊姆?汗[Naeem Khan]的服装），但大多数时候都是如此。

　　As a result, it has changed expectations about the role of dress in apparently ceremonial situations.

　　这就改变了人们对女装在仪式类场合中发挥的作用的期望。

　　Every look the first lady wears to a state dinner practically breaks the internet and is described with adjectives such as stuns and wows and slays.

　　第一夫人在国宴上的每个造型都引爆了互联网，人们用惊艳、超赞和必杀这样的词汇来描述它们。

　　But the fact is, what makes them really notable is that they go beyond the simply pretty (though they are also pretty).

　　但其实真正值得注意的是，这些造型不仅仅是漂亮（虽然也很漂亮）。

　　They demonstrate, in the same conscious way that characterizes so many of Mrs Obama’s choices, that even the most seemingly superficial detail, when considered, can have a meaningful resonance.

　　这些造型，就像奥巴马夫人其他很多有意识的选择一样，即使看似最表面的细节，如果琢磨一下，也能产生有意义的共鸣。

　　Whether the next person to occupy her position is a first gentleman or a first lady, he or she should take note.

　　无论接下来接替她位置的是第一丈夫还是第一夫人，都应该注意到这一点。