美国国家公共电台 NPR With A Wedding Dress Comes A New Beginning For A Syrian Tailor

 

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Here's a very different story about fashion, although it has to be said for many people a wedding dress is much more than a piece of clothing. It's a powerful symbol of culture, of family, new beginnings. And for one Syrian refugee newly resettled, a wedding dress also represents his family's future in America, one that began with a sewing machine. Carmel Delshad of WAMU shares this story.

CARMEL DELSHAD, BYLINE¹: If there's one thing most brides are picky about, it's a wedding dress.

OMAMA ALTALEB: I wanted a kind of classic vintage style dress with all lace.

DELSHAD: That's Omama Altaleb, a 23-year-old journalist and bride-to-be. She searched high and low for a dress that was fashionable and modest and didn't break the bank.

ALTALEB: It was very difficult to find something that would fit my body and at the same time cover it.

DELSHAD: Then she met Nader Briman. Briman is a master dressmaker. He and his family are refugees from Syria. They arrived in January after living in Egypt for five years.

(SOUNDBITE OF SEWING MACHINE WHIRRING)

NADER BRIMAN: (Through interpreter) I had 75 machines like this in my factory in Syria.

DELSHAD: Briman doesn't speak English, but he tells me he ran a lingerie factory in Homs, Syria. After the war broke out, he and his family fled to Egypt, where he began sewing wedding dresses.

BRIMAN: (Through interpreter) It runs in my blood. If I took a blood test you'd find lingerie and wedding dresses.

DELSHAD: A northern Virginia-based nonprofit called Mosaic² helped the Briman family settle in. The group collected donations to buy Briman a 250-pound industrial sewing machine and then uploaded the photos of his work on Facebook. And that's where Altaleb saw them. After that, she says she knew exactly where to go to get her dream wedding dress.

ALTALEB: He has an understanding of what Muslim girls, hijabi girls are going for because he has that expertise³ from Syria, from Egypt.

DELSHAD: Briman convinced Altaleb to go for a more modern off-white gown instead of a traditional stark⁴ white one.

BRIMAN: (Through interpreter) Off-white has its own beauty and uniqueness. White has become a little dated. Like, my grandmother's generation wore it.

DELSHAD: It's taken Briman about a month to make this dress. But for him and his family, it could be more than just a wedding gown. It could be the key to a sustainable future.

BRIMAN: (Through interpreter) This is my first dress in America, of course, and God willing there will be more dresses in the future. I have an idea for a venture and hopefully it'll work out.

DELSHAD: And now, after weeks of back and forth⁵, he finally gets to show the finished gown to Altaleb.

ALTALEB: Oh, wow. Wow. This is so nice.

DELSHAD: Are you having a moment?

ALTALEB: (Laughter).

DELSHAD: Altaleb's gown is illuminated⁷ by sequins and tiny pearls. A scalloped lace neckline leads to more clusters of lace. She can't wipe the smile off her face.

ALTALEB: (Laughter) I just - I love the dress. And when I try it on I get that, like, tingly feeling, like oh, my God, I'm getting married and this is my dress.

DELSHAD: She gently touches the lace on her gown.

ALTALEB: Can I wear it (laughter)?

DELSHAD: Lifting the train and taking it all in, Briman looks on with pride.

BRIMAN: (Through interpreter) I hope I can achieve what I achieved in Syria - that I have my own business, that my children have a good future and they achieve their dreams. And I believe in America they will get their chance.

DELSHAD: And if there's anything that's a good omen⁶ for a new beginning, it's a wedding dress.

ALTALEB: I love it.

DELSHAD: For NPR News, I'm Carmel Delshad in Hyattsville, Md.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

3 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

4 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 omen   

n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示

参考例句：

• The superstitious regard it as a bad omen.迷信的人认为那是一种恶兆。
• Could this at last be a good omen for peace?这是否终于可以视作和平的吉兆了？

7 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市