欧美人文风情第294篇:经典不败 牛仔裤的历史

 It's the height of the Gold Rush, 1850s, California. 当时是淘金热最高峰，1850 年代的加州。

A young tailor named Jacob Davis notices that his gold-mining customers are wearing through pants faster than they can patch them. 有一位名叫 Jacob Davis 的年轻裁缝，他注意到他那些开采金矿的顾客们把裤子穿破的速度比他们补裤子还快。

In a moment of vision, Davis adds reinforcing metal rivets² to his pant design, 灵机一动，Davis 在裤子设计中加入加强的金属铆钉，

strategically placing them at points of strain, like the corners of pockets and the base of the fly. 策略地将铆钉放在受拉扯的点上，象是口袋角落和拉鍊底部。

The enhanced trousers are soon in high demand. 强化版的裤子很快就大受欢迎。

In order to take out a patent on the highly successful riveted³ pant, Davis needs a business partner. 为了取得这件极为成功的铆钉裤的专利，Davis 需要一位合伙人。

He approaches the supplier of his cloth, a dry goods merchant by the name of Levi Strauss. 他找上他的布料供应商，一位叫作 Levi Strauss 的布商。

Strauss and Davis begin manufacturing pants out of denim⁴ and continue to modify the design to accommodate their customers. Strauss 和 Davis 开始用丹宁布制造裤子，并持续改良设计来符合客户需求。

It is rumored⁵ that the removal of the crotch rivet¹ was due to a complaint from the miners 有传闻说拿掉裤裆处的铆钉是因为矿工们的抱怨，

that squatting⁶ too near a campfire in their typical "underwear-free fashion" could be painful. 他们说以他们平常「不穿内裤的风格」，这样蹲离营火太近时会痛痛的。

Jeans continued to be modified and diversified⁷ over the years, 牛仔裤多年来不断改良并有更多样貌，

eventually becoming an everyday fashion item for both work and play by the 1960s. 最后在 1960 年代成为工作和玩乐都能穿的日常时尚单品。

Today, 96 percent of American consumers own at least one, if not many, pairs of jeans. 现在，有百分之九十六的美国消费者就算没有很多件，也至少拥有一件牛仔裤。

 

1 rivet   

n.铆钉；vt.铆接，铆牢；集中(目光或注意力)

参考例句：

• They were taught how to bore rivet holes in the sides of ships.有人教他们如何在船的舷侧钻铆孔。
• The rivet heads are in good condition and without abrasion.铆钉钉头状况良好，并无过度磨损。

2 rivets   

铆钉( rivet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Straighten the rivets, please. 请把那铆钉铆直。
• Instead of rivets there came an invasion, an infliction, and a visitation. 但是铆钉并没有运来，来的却是骚扰、混乱和视察。

3 riveted   

铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意

参考例句：

• I was absolutely riveted by her story. 我完全被她的故事吸引住了。
• My attention was riveted by a slight movement in the bushes. 我的注意力被灌木丛中的轻微晃动吸引住了。

4 denim   

n.斜纹棉布；斜纹棉布裤，牛仔裤

参考例句：

• She wore pale blue denim shorts and a white denim work shirt.她穿着一条淡蓝色的斜纹粗棉布短裤，一件白粗布工作服上衣。
• Dennis was dressed in denim jeans.丹尼斯穿了一条牛仔裤。

5 rumored   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• It is rumored that he cheats on his wife. 据传他对他老婆不忠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rumored that the white officer had been a Swede. 传说那个白人军官是个瑞典人。 来自辞典例句

6 squatting   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• They ended up squatting in the empty houses on Oxford Road. 他们落得在牛津路偷住空房的境地。
• They've been squatting in an apartment for the past two years. 他们过去两年来一直擅自占用一套公寓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 diversified   

adj.多样化的，多种经营的v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• The college biology department has diversified by adding new courses in biotechnology. 该学院生物系通过增加生物技术方面的新课程而变得多样化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Take grain as the key link, develop a diversified economy and ensure an all-round development. 以粮为纲，多种经营，全面发展。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》