杰出女性 参考译文.docx

1、杰出女性 参考译文杰出女性 可可香奈儿香奈儿The House of Chanel: 20世纪最著名的时尚品牌the most famous fashion name of the 20th century. 奢华和风格的典范The epitome of luxury and style. 然而 这个标志性品牌背后的女人Yet the woman behind the iconic brand 却并非生于富贵或权贵之家was not born into wealth or influence. 可可香奈儿的故事堪称灰姑娘式的传奇Coco Chanels is a story of absolu

2、te rags to lavish riches. 拥有多个有钱情人使她摆脱了贫穷Plucked from poverty by a string of wealthy lovers, 她在救济院里长大she rose from the poorhouse 她创造了自由风格的服饰to create a style of liberating clothing 彻底改变了女性时尚的风貌that quite simply changed the face of womens fashion. “穿着衣衫褴褛 人们记住的是衣衫”Dress shabbily and they remember the

3、 dress; “穿着一丝不苟 人们记住的是穿衣的人”dress impeccably and they remember the woman 但是 在精心呵护的公众形象背后Yet behind the ruthlessly manicured public image 却隐藏着二战时期与纳粹通敌协作的故事lies a tale of wartime collaboration with the Nazis 隐藏着她绯闻不断的人生故事and a lifetime of disastrous affairs. 她一直是情妇 从未有过妻子的名分 Always a mistress,never a

4、wife, 对爱情的渴望 几乎让她付出了一切Cocos longing for love nearly cost her everything. 不过 在一个男性社会里 Yet her determination saw her triumph 她用自己的方式和决心赢得了胜利in a mans world on her own terms.最终In the end, 香奈儿公司成为她的全部the House of Chanel became all she had, 但她却留下了流传至今的魅力遗产 but she left a legacy of glamour that lasts to t

5、his day. 可可香奈儿Coco Chanel, 这位改变了20世纪时尚的女性the woman who was to transform 20th century fashion, 出生在一个与奢华毫不沾边的家庭was born into a life far from luxury.她于1883年8月19日She was named Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, 出生在法国卢瓦尔河谷索米尔小镇born on the 19th August 1883 in Saumur, 取名加布丽叶波纳香奈儿in Frances Loire Valley. 加布丽叶是个私生女 在

6、救济院里来到世间 Gabrielle was delivered to her scandalously unmarried parents in a poorhouse. 她的父亲是一名商贩Her father was a market trader. 她和四个兄弟姐妹在其父亲赖以养家糊口的She and her 4 brothers and sisters spent much of their childhoods 法国西部的公共集市in the public markets of western France, 度过了童年的大部分时光where her father made a ba

7、 sic living.对于工人阶层的妇女来说 日子很艰难These were tough times for working class women. 她们是二等公民They were second-class citizens 没有选举权 在丈夫面前卑躬屈膝they could not vote and were expected to be subservient to their men, 她们通常没有选择often having no option 只能去当收入微薄的佣人或是苦力but to work as poorly-paid domestic servants or labou

8、rers. 她的未来似乎也只能如此This was the future Gabrielle would have expected for herself. 但是在她12岁那年 一切都变了But when she was just 12 years old, all that changed. 1895年的冬天 她的母亲突然去世In the winter of 1895, Gabrielles mother died suddenly.父亲把全家迁到奥巴辛附近的小镇Her father travelled to the nearby town of Aubazine 并在那里把家人分开and

9、 split the family. 儿子们被送到农场与工人同住He sent his sons to live with farm labourers 女儿们则被送到孤儿院and his daughters to an orphanage. 从那以后 她再没见过父亲Gabrielle never saw her father again.奥巴辛孤儿院是当地最大的一家孤儿院The Aubazine orphanage was the largest in the region; 负责管理的修女们严苛古板run by disciplinarian nuns 那里有成百上千的孤儿and home

10、to hundreds of children 很多是被父母遗弃在此的many abandoned by their parents. 父亲的遗弃 母亲的过世让她悲痛欲绝Gabrielle, left by her father and grieving the loss of her mother, 她在这家管理严格的孤儿院里spent her impressionable teenage years 度过了她的少年时代within this strict institute. 偶尔的假期 她倒是可以喘口气Respite came in the form of occasional holi

11、days, 去拜访她的姨妈艾德丽安和露易丝when she was allowed to visit her aunts Adrienne and Louise. 她和露易丝姨妈Gabrielle and her Aunt Louise 可以整日待在一起缝制衣裳would spend their days making clothes. 她在孤儿院里已经学会针线活She had been taught how to sew at the orphanage, 但是露易丝教她如何缝得更加有新意but Louise taught her how to sew creatively, 比如给简单的帽

12、子加上荷叶边和褶皱装饰adding frills and pleats to embellish a simple bonnet.不过暑期结束后But at the end of the summer, 她不得不回到管理严格的孤儿院Gabrielle had to return to the strict regime at the orphanage. 在孤儿院里一待就是七年After 7 years there, 18岁的时候 她面临一个抉择at the age of 18, she was given a choice. 成为修女 亦或离开Become a nun, or leave.

13、她并不打算一辈子都过着一成不变的生活Gabrielle wasnt about to spend her life in a habit. 于是 她前往穆兰去拜访露易丝姨妈She arranged to visit her Aunt Louise in the town of Moulins. 在那里 她进入了巴黎圣母院女子精修学校From there she enrolled at the Notre Dame finishing school for young ladies. 她交不起学费As Gabrielle had no way of paying the fees, 于是成为了一

14、名”补助生”she was one of the Charity Pupils there 即校方免费招入 given a free place, 但与有钱人家的小姐待遇迥异but treated very differently to the wealthier girls.两年过后 年满20的她After 2 years, aged 20, 已经具备独自在社会上生存的能力she was considered ready to face the world on her own. 1903年In 1903, 她得到了一份工作Gabrielle was offered a job 在一家裁缝店

15、里当缝纫工as a seamstress in a tailors. 店主很喜欢她The owner liked her 因为她的针线活技术非常娴熟because she was especially skillful with a needle and thread.对于像她这样谦卑的身份来说It was a good job for这可是一份不错的工作a young lady of Gabrielles modest standing. 但是 她觉得当一名缝纫工没有前途But she didnt see any future in being a seamstress. 穆兰是一个有官兵驻

16、守的小镇Moulins was a garrison town 士兵们不当值的时候and off-duty soldiers 就会尽情消遣娱乐had to amuse themselves as best they could. 几位年轻军官到店里裁制衣服的时候Gabrielle began to catch the eye of several young officers, 注意到了她who came to the shop to have their clothing tailored. 他们开始邀请她和艾德丽安姨妈They began to invite her, with her a

17、unt Adrienne, 到当地的音乐厅to the local music halls. 至此Here, 她预见到自己将拥有更为美好的未来Gabrielle could see a much more glamorous future. 当时的音乐厅是一个声色场所The music halls were a bawdy scene. 在节目的空档 业余演员也可以登台Amateurs could take to the stage between performances, 很快and very quickly, 她不再只是一名观众 而是开始登台表演Gabrielle was no long

18、er in the audience, but up on stage.但是她可表演的节目非常有限Her repertoire was limited 来来回回就只唱两首歌曲公鸡喔喔叫 just two songs: “Ko Ko Ri Ko” 和谁看见了可可and “Qui qua vu Coco” 观众很快就称她为小可可so the audience soon thought of her as la petite Coco. 在舞台灯光的照耀下Under the stage lights, 这位缝纫女工变成了另外一个人seamstress Gabrielle could be someo

19、ne else. 她变成了可可香奈儿She could become Coco Chanel! 她的艺名 可可And as Coco, her on-stage presence 让她的知名度变得更高was getting her noticed. 艾提安巴勒松是一名年轻的步兵军官Etienne Balsan was a young infantry officer 热衷体育运动 还是一位an enthusiastic sportsman with a taste for the high-life 讲究高品质生活的百万富翁and a millionaire. 他是音乐厅的常客He was a

20、 frequent visitor to the music halls 可可引起了他的注意in Moulins and Coco caught his eye. 那年她21岁She was just 21. 但巴勒松当时已经有了一位同居的情妇But Balsan already had one live-in mistress, 他也无意安定下来and no intention of settling down. 然而可可并不在意Yet Coco didnt care 她也没把巴勒松当成是未来的丈夫she didnt think of him as a potential husband.

21、她知道 作为私生的孤儿 她不可能嫁入豪门She knew that as an illegitimate orphan she stood no chance whatsoever. 但她意识到 他能帮助自己摆脱贫穷But she realised he could be her meal ticket out of poverty.这也不是她最后一次利用自身魅力 It wouldnt be the last time shed use her sexual allure 换取自己想要的东西to get what she wanted. 在可可和巴勒松交往仅一年后Just 12 months

22、after Coco and Balsans meeting, 他的老情人就被扫地出门his old mistress had packed her bags. 可可搬进了巴勒松豪华的霍亚里越庄园Coco moved in at Balsans grand Royallieu estate. 她成为了他的同居情妇 一名“二奶”She was now his live-in mistress, a kept woman. 当时情妇在法国的角色The role of the mistress in France 有点像在某个机构里上班was something of an institution,

23、 她也没必要留在裁缝店工作and thered be no more need for work in the tailor shop. 霍亚里越庄园是她通往另外一个世界的一扇窗Royallieu was a window into another world. 受邀来到庄园的人Those invited to this grand estate came, 都不带家属 他们只是过来行乐unaccompanied by their spouses, to have fun. 她花时间驯马并学会了骑马She passed her time learning to train and ride B

24、alsans horses. 很快 她就成为了一名技艺高超的女骑手And she very quickly became an accomplished horsewoman. 离开学校的一年时间里Within just a year of leaving school, 可可香奈儿 这个小孤儿 小裁缝Coco Chanel, the little orphaned seamstress, 已经和法国最富有的一群人进行交际活动was socialising with some of the wealthiest people in France. 她因此拥有自信 行事与众不同 受人瞩目She

25、was gaining confidence too doing things differently and getting noticed. 20世纪初In the 1900s, 服饰作为一种时尚 与性别政治紧密相联fashion was much about sexual politics as it was about clothes. 顶级设计师都是男性 The top designers were all men, 女性的裙子只有观赏性不具实用性and womens dresses were ornamental, and not practical.他们的设计迫使女人沦为花瓶 依

26、附他人Their creations forced women to be decorative, helpless creatures.及地大摆裙和令人呼吸困难的紧身胸衣Floor-length billowing skirts and breathtakingly tight corsets 让即使是最简单的日常活动都成了考验made even the simplest practical tasks a trial. 可可认为这非常荒谬 But Coco thought this ridiculous 她的自信和实用主义精神her confidence and sense of prac

27、ticality 不允许她成为时代的奴隶would not allow her to be a slave to her era. “时尚已沦为笑柄” Fashion has become a joke. “设计师已然忘记女装是穿在女人身上的”The designers have forgotten that there are women inside these dresses 1909年 时年26岁的可可与巴勒松In the summer of 1909, aged 26,参加了一次赛马会 并引起了不小的轰动she attended a racing event with Balsan,

28、 and caused quite a stir. 因为她根本没有穿女装Because she wasnt wearing womens clothing at all. 那天 可可戴了一条巴勒松的领带That day, Coco wore one of Balsans ties 并身着他朋友的一件外套and a coat belonging to one of his friends. 那造型实用兼运动 It was a practical and sporty look,很明显是男性的着装风格and definitely considered male attire. 除此之外 她还戴上了

29、一顶自制的硬草帽She topped it off with a boater shed made herself. 她的胆大妄为让贵妇们难以置信Society women couldnt believe her audacity. 但她们仍然心怀钦佩 But they had to admire it. 她开始意识到自己的做法可行She began to think she was on to something.巴勒松让她自由地诠释自己的时尚品味Balsan indulged Cocos forays into fashion. 他在公寓内腾出一块地方He gave her space i

30、n his apartment 让可可为她的朋友们设计制作帽子to design and make hats for her friends, 就像她儿时和露易丝姨妈一起做缝纫一样just as she had as a child with her Aunt Louise. 但可可并不单单把制作时装当成业余爱好But Coco didnt just want a hobby. 她想要把它变成一门职业 一项事业She wanted a profession a business. 但财力不足的她无法独立创业But as a woman without money, she would never be able to launch a business by herself. 此时有人闯进了她的生活 Then someone entered her life一个理解她想要取得成功的渴望 - someone who understood her desire to make something of herself,并想要帮助她实现这一目标的人and who wanted to help her achieve it. 阿瑟卡伯 朋友们都管他叫 “金童”Arthur Capel wa