美国国家公共电台 NPR A Veteran Finds Relief Through Fashion: 'It Was So Much About Finding My Peace'

A Veteran Finds Relief Through Fashion: 'It Was So Much About Finding My Peace'

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Time now for StoryCorps' Military Voices Initiative, recording² the stories of veterans and their families. Duane Topping has tattoos³ up and down his arms and wears a well-worn leather jacket, says he used to spend a lot of time in dive bars. He's also a vet¹ and served three tours in Iraq as a U.S. Army specialist before medically retiring in 2012. While deployed⁴, he found comfort in an unlikely place.

Duane came to StoryCorps with his wife Jamie to recall his time in the military and his transition to civilian⁵ life.

DUANE TOPPING: I would go where you could pick up care packages. And they'd split them up - male, female. Well, I always went to the girl ones because I liked the scents⁶ better. I liked the soap better.

JAMIE TOPPING: And I would tease you (laughter).

D. TOPPING: I liked the lotion⁷. I still do. Instead of the Sports Illustrated⁸ and the Men's Health, I would go find the Vogues⁹ and the Marie Claires. Once I retired¹⁰, I didn't know what I was going to do with myself.

J. TOPPING: You lost yourself.

D. TOPPING: I mean, I tried being a motorcycle mechanic. That lasted about three weeks (laughter) - and then - I don't know - number of nights and early mornings in dive bars and passed out in parks.

J. TOPPING: I would have to go and find you in the yard at night, when you would have flashbacks.

D. TOPPING: Digging foxholes¹¹, I guess (laughter).

J. TOPPING: I don't know.

D. TOPPING: When I decided¹² I was going to sew and I came home (laughter) with that sewing machine, and I was like, I'm going to do it right now.

J. TOPPING: And I literally¹³ just shook my head.

D. TOPPING: Do you remember the first thing I made?

J. TOPPING: Yes, a purse.

D. TOPPING: It was upside down.

J. TOPPING: And inside out.

(LAUGHTER)

D. TOPPING: At first, it was just a hobby. And then, you know, it blossomed from there.

J. TOPPING: Yep.

D. TOPPING: Those first designs - I didn't know how to do zippers¹⁴. I couldn't do sleeves. And I just - it wasn't ever really about...

J. TOPPING: But it didn't frustrate¹⁵ you.

D. TOPPING: No.

J. TOPPING: You just kept working.

D. TOPPING: And that was just it. It was - because at that time, it was so much about finding my peace. So much of the world is just noise. And for me, it's that noise that brings the anxiety. When I sew, that world of noise and chaos¹⁶ is a world that I have control over. It's only 6 inches. And that's my 6 inches. And no one else can get in there. And I think for me, that's where the peace is.

(SOUNDBITE OF FREDRIK'S "MILO")

SIMON: Duane Topping, remembering how he got his start in the fashion business with his wife, Jamie Topping. Since those early days of sewing, Duane and Jamie now run a successful design house out of Denver. They recently returned home from their first official show at New York Fashion Week. Their full interview will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

1 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

2 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

3 tattoos   

n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 scents   

n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉

参考例句：

• The air was fragrant with scents from the sea and the hills. 空气中荡漾着山和海的芬芳气息。
• The winds came down with scents of the grass and wild flowers. 微风送来阵阵青草和野花的香气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 lotion   

n.洗剂

参考例句：

• The lotion should be applied sparingly to the skin.这种洗液应均匀地涂在皮肤上。
• She lubricates her hands with a lotion.她用一种洗剂来滑润她的手。

8 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

9 vogues   

n.时兴，时尚，流行的样式( vogue的名词复数 )v.时兴，时尚，流行的样式( vogue的第三人称单数 )；流行的，时髦的

参考例句：

• At present, the pursuit of vogues in literary and art circles are rampant. 当前，在文学艺术界，追求时尚已经泛滥成灾，成为浮躁社会心态的一个组成部分。 来自互联网

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 foxholes   

n.散兵坑( foxhole的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Man foxholes were hollowed out by the soldiers before fighting. 战斗打响之前，士兵们挖出许多个人掩体。 来自互联网
• Digging foxholes can be effective providing your enemy does not have garrison clearing units. 在敌人没有清空建筑单位时，挖散兵坑也是有效的方式。 来自互联网

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

14 zippers   

n.拉链( zipper的名词复数 )；用拉链的人，装拉链的包

参考例句：

• Buttons, zippers should be glitch free and sharp edge. 纽扣、拉链应无毛刺和锐利边缘。 来自互联网
• Buttons, Zippers, Trimmings and Accessories for the Garment Industry. 主营钮扣，拉链，装饰品和其他服装辅料。 来自互联网

15 frustrate   

v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦

参考例句：

• But this didn't frustrate Einstein.He was content to go as far as he could.但这并没有使爱因斯坦灰心，他对能够更深入地研究而感到满意。
• They made their preparations to frustrate the conspiracy.他们作好准备挫败这个阴谋。

16 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。