英语沙塔｜经济学人精读｜没有老佛爷的香奈儿该何去何从

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本文节选自《经济学人》2019.02.23期Business版块中的一篇文章，讲述了香奈儿在老佛爷离世后该何去何从的境况

本文共节选五段，建议大家先自主阅读原文，再学习精读笔记。

文末会总结此次学习写作可以使用的词句，读者也可自己总结。会定期将内容进行总结，做成word分享，希望大家也能坚持学习

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“I am verygrounded, just not on this earth,” was one of numerousbon motsfrom Karl Lagerfeld, who died on February19th. Mr Lagerfeld,born inHamburg 85years ago, may not have felt he belonged on this planet but he knew very well what its wealthierinhabitantswanted to wear. As one of the great artists of FrenchcouturealongsideChristian Dior,Coco ChanelandYves Saint Laurent, Mr LagerfeldmadeChanel, where he wascreative directorfor over 35 years, the multinational brandit is today. His death willensurethatParisian gossips, alreadyabuzz withrumours about the future of the fashion house, will have plenty to chat about.

grounded：对生活持有理性、现实的态度。I am agrounded person, but I also chase my dream if given the chances我是个脚踏实地的人，但机会到来时我也会追逐我的梦想【写作推荐】词义精析运用bon mots：妙语隽言【写作推荐】词组积累born in：出生于哪个地方；如果是burn on后面接的是具体的日期，如burn on February 23rdin 2019inhabitants：居民，住民。注意：这个词不仅可以用来形容人，也包括动物。【写作推荐】词义精析运用couture：时装设计alongside：与…一起；与…同时together with or at the same time as sth/sb如traditional beliefs still flourish alongside a modern urban lifestyle。现代城市生活方式盛行的同时，传统信念仍然大行其道。【写作推荐】词义精析运用Christian Dior：克里斯汀·迪奥（是著名法国时尚消费品牌，一直是炫丽的高级女装的代名词）Coco Chanel：可可·香奈儿（法国奢侈品品牌）Yves Saint Laurent：伊夫圣罗兰（世界知名奢侈服饰品牌，始于1962年）creative director：创意总监made sth it is today：成就了某事今日的面貌，地位等【写作推荐】词组积累ensure：确保，使必然。Parisian gossips：传播于巴黎人间的流言蜚语。-ian代表人。Paris是巴黎abuzz with：充斥。着abuzz是“嘈杂的，热闹的”的意思。Abuzz with sth，形容某事在耳旁聒噪，嘈杂，很形象的描述了流言充斥于耳，议论纷纷的情况【写作推荐】词组积累“我是个理性的人，只是这个我不在地球上。”这是于今年2.19日离世的卡尔·拉格菲尔德（Karl Lagerfeld，国际知名品牌香奈儿艺术总监(老佛爷)）众多妙语隽言之一。85年前出生于德国汉堡的老佛爷可能并不觉得他属于这个星球，但他很清楚地知道地球上较富有的人们喜欢穿什么。作为法国时装设计、克里斯汀·迪奥、可可·香奈儿和伊夫圣罗兰的艺术大师，通过35年香奈儿创意总监身份，老佛爷成就了香奈儿今天的跨国品牌地位。他的离世，无疑会让早已被香奈儿的未来何去何从的流言充斥于耳的巴黎人，有更多的谈资。

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Chanel’s owners, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer,owetheirvast fortune toMr Lagerfeld’stenureat thefashion house. When the brothers hired him totake over, the brand had become “old hat” in Mr Lagerfeld’s words. The boxy suits that had been Coco Chanel’ssignaturedesignappealedmostlytomiddle-aged women. Mr Lagerfeld modernised the Chanel look with longer, thinner lines and snazzy details.A workaholic, hehardly evertook time off, designing around 14 collections a year ranging from couture tohigh-street fashions. “To design is to breathe, so if I can’t breathe, I’m in trouble,” he often said.

Owevast fortune to：owe sth to sb欠某人某物。I owe ten thousand yuan to you我欠你1万元。a fortune：巨款，本身就代表了钱有很多，vast更说明钱的数量之大。还可以说a big fortune【写作推荐】词组积累tenure：任期，任职。One’s tenure at a company在某公司的任职期间；one’s tenure as a teacher in university在某大学做教师【写作推荐】词义精析运用fashion house：时装公司；时尚屋。这里指的是香奈儿公司take over：接管；继承。Take over a company接管一家公司；Take over their parents businesses继承他们父母的生意【写作推荐】词组积累old hat：陈腐之事，过时的东西【写作推荐】词组积累signature：除了常用的署名的意思外，还有特征，象征的意思。appealed to someone：吸引某人appeal to someone = to attract or interest someone【写作推荐】同义互换middle-aged women：中年女性。中年人的表达：a middle-aged personA workaholic：工作狂【写作推荐】简单地道表达hardly ever：几乎从来不 。hardly是几乎不的意思，ever表示永远。另外有两组词学生时代经常讲解【写作推荐】词组积累1：……hardly when……：刚……就……，如I asked my husband hardly when he opened the door先生刚把门打开我就问道。2：……no sooner than……：意义同上，如The telephone rang no sooner than he had come into the house他刚一进屋，电话铃就响了。翻译都是把这两组词后面的内容先翻，再翻译前面的high-street fashions：high-street是大街的意思，大街上的流行款式即大众时尚香奈儿所有人阿兰.维德摩尔(Alain Wertheimer)和热拉尔.维德摩尔(Gerard Wertheimer在老佛爷任职期间欠了他很大一笔钱。当他们聘请老佛爷接管这家公司时，这家公司的品牌在其口中变成了“过时的东西”。过去，作为香奈儿象征性设计的四四方方的套装吸引的大多数都是中年妇女。老佛爷用更长、更纤细以及更时髦的设计细节使得香奈儿更现代化。作为一个工作狂，他几乎从不休息。他每年大约产出14套设计，内容范围从高级时装设计到大众流行时尚。他过去经常说：“设计就是呼吸，如果我不能再呼吸了，我就遇到麻烦了。”

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Theextravagant and costlyfashion showsforwhich Chanel becamerenownedalso had a purpose. A 115-foot rocket thatsimulatedablast-offsurrounded by models, or a fake supermarketstocked withChanelwashing powder,ketchup and pasta, created astirwhichhelpednot onlythe sales ofexquisite, expensivefrocksbut alsohugely profitableaccessoriessuch as sunglasses and perfume. Those around him alsohad anunusualinstinct forthe fashion business. Jacques Helleu, the firm’slong-serving head of marketing, understood the importance of protecting a luxury brand. Chanel fought for itsintellectual propertylong before other fashion houses realised the importance of doing so.

extravagant and costly：奢侈昂贵的。两个词都可以表示“昂贵的，价高的”意思renowned：renown名誉，声望。Renowned as/for sth作为……/因……而闻名。可以和known as/for进行同义替换【写作推荐】同义替换simulate：~ sth假装、冒充blast-off：火箭发射stocked with：stock with贮备、贮存washing powder,ketchup and pasta：洗衣粉，番茄酱和意大利面stir：震动，轰动excitement, anger or shock that is felt by a number of people.Create a stir或者cause a stir都是引起轰动的意思。 【写作推荐】词组积累另外在02-21《与情绪有关的表达》中有：the teenagers taking part in Chicago’s Becoming a Man (BAM) initiative admit to a variety of frustrations, some trivial, some tragic, that canstir their anger.触怒某人。这里的stir作为动词，是激起的意思frocks：连衣裙，女装help the sales of sth：帮助……的销售。或者也可以说improve the sales of sth提高……的销量【写作推荐】词组积累hugely profitable：利润丰厚的。Hugely是极大程度上，极其地，同义可替换largely或extremely【写作推荐】同义替换accessories：配饰，配件had an instinct for/to do：对……有本能、天赋。She has an instinct for language她在语言方面有天赋。同义词有have a gift for sth或者be gifted in sth，如She is gifted in language【写作推荐】同义替换long-serving：在职很久的head of marketing：市场部主管。Head of sth……的主管，首脑intellectual property：知识产权，知识财产香奈儿闻名的昂贵时装表演也有其目的。一个被模特围绕的模仿起飞的115英尺火箭，或是一个假的，堆满洗衣粉，番茄酱和意大利面的巨大商场，这些都引起过轰动，并有助于精致而昂贵的女装以及利润丰厚的配饰，如太阳镜和香水的销售。那些在老佛爷身边的人也拥有对时尚业不寻常的直觉。公司长期任职的市场部主管贾克海卢（Jacques Helleu）明白保护一个奢侈品牌的重要性。香奈儿早在其他时装公司之前就知道了要为保护知识产权作斗争。

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Chanel’s cash andcachetare attractivepropositions. Bernard Arnault, the boss ofMot Hennessy Louis Vuitton(lvmh), the world’s biggestluxury-goodsgroup, is said to havecoveted Chanel for years. Philippe Blondiaux, Chanel’schief financial officer, last year denied any plans to sell or seek astock market listing.

Cachet：威信，声望。同义词还有prestige, reputation,以及上文3段中的renown【写作推荐】同义替换Propositions：a thing that you intend to do 欲做的事。To meet your Mr right is not a simple proposition.遇见你的命中注定不是一件简单的事。这里指的是得到香奈儿的资金和声望是令人垂涎欲滴的事情。Mot Hennessy Louis Vuitton：酩悦·轩尼诗·路易威登奢侈品集团luxury-goods：奢侈品。也可以直接luxuriescoveted Chanel for years：对香奈儿觊觎多年。Covet sth觊觎某物【写作推荐】词汇积累chief financial officer：首席财务官stock market listing：上市香奈儿的资金和声望是诱人的。世界上最大的奢侈品集团，酩悦·轩尼诗·路易威登奢侈品集团的老板伯纳德·阿诺特（Bernard Arnault）据说对香奈儿以觊觎多年。香奈儿的首席财务官菲利普·布隆迪奥克斯（Philippe Blondiaux），去年否决了任何销售计划或者寻求上市。

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Aninsidersays the Wertheimer brothers hadvowed tokeep Mr Lagerfeld in his job until he died. Will the plans for Chanel now change?A salestill looks unlikely, according to Dirk Boventer of Atreus,a retail consultant. Alain,the chief executive, announced that Mr Lagerfeld wouldbe succeeded byVirginie Viard, his closest and most trusted associate for some 30 years. Ms Viard will need tomake a mark.Until she does, Chanel without Mr Lagerfeldis less ofa trophy for potential investors.

insider：业内人士vowed to：vow to do发誓要做某事A sale：销售，出售。这里指的是出售股份a retail consultant：零售顾问the chief executive：总裁，首席执行官be succeeded by：由……接替。Succeed接替，继任。与上文2段中的take over可以互换。【写作推荐】同义替换make a mark：字面意思是做个标记，留下印记。另外的意思表示为“做出一番可以让人铭记的事”to change something, or to do something important, so that people notice and remember you【写作推荐】词汇积累is less of sth for someone：对某人来说不再是某物【写作推荐】词汇积累一位业内人士说维特海默兄弟发誓会保留老佛爷的工作直到其离世为止，香奈儿现在的计划会改变吗？根据泰国护肤品公司Atreus的零售顾问Dirk Boventer所说，出售股份看起来仍不太可能。总裁Alain宣布老佛爷的位置会由维吉尼·薇娅德接任，她是老佛爷近30年来最亲密，也最信赖的助手。薇妮德需要做出一番事迹，在此之前，没有老佛爷的香奈儿对潜在的投资者来说将不再是一座值得捧得奖杯。

总结

grounded：对生活持有理性、现实的态度。I am agrounded person, but I also chase my dream if given the chances我是个脚踏实地的人，但机会到来时我也会追逐我的梦想【写作推荐】词义精析运用inhabitants：居民，住民。注意：这个词不仅可以用来形容人，也包括动物。【写作推荐】词义精析运用alongside：与…一起；与…同时together with or at the same time as sth/sb如traditional beliefs still flourish alongside a modern urban lifestyle。现代城市生活方式盛行的同时，传统信念仍然大行其道。【写作推荐】词义精析运用tenure：任期，任职。One’s tenure at a company在某公司的任职期间；one’s tenure as a teacher in university在某大学做教师【写作推荐】词义精析运用appealed to someone：吸引某人appeal to someone = to attract or interest someone【写作推荐】同义互换renowned：renown名誉，声望。Renowned as/for sth作为……/因……而闻名。可以和known as/for进行同义替换【写作推荐】同义替换hugely profitable：利润丰厚的。Hugely是极大程度上，极其地，同义可替换largely或extremely【写作推荐】同义替换had an instinct for/to do：对……有本能、天赋。She has an instinct for language她在语言方面有天赋。同义词有have a gift for sth或者be gifted in sth，如She is gifted in language【写作推荐】同义替换Cachet：威信，声望。同义词还有prestige, reputation,以及上文3段中的renown【写作推荐】同义替换be succeeded by：由……接替。Succeed接替，继任。文中另有take over：接管；继承。Take over a company接管一家公司；take over their parents businesses 继承他们父母的生意。【写作推荐】同义替换bon mots：妙语隽言【写作推荐】词组积累made sth it is today：成就了某事今日的面貌，地位等【写作推荐】词组积累abuzz with：充斥。着abuzz是“嘈杂的，热闹的”的意思。Abuzz with sth，形容某事在耳旁聒噪，嘈杂，很形象的描述了流言充斥于耳，议论纷纷的情况【写作推荐】词组积累Owevast fortune to：owe sth to sb欠某人某物。I owe ten thousand yuan to you我欠你1万元。a fortune：巨款，本身就代表了钱有很多，vast更说明钱的数量之大。还可以说a big fortune【写作推荐】词组积累old hat：陈腐之事，过时的东西【写作推荐】词组积累hardly ever：几乎从来不hardly是几乎不的意思，ever表示永远。另外有两组词学生时代经常讲解【写作推荐】词组积累1：……hardly when……：刚……就……，如I asked my husband hardly when he opened the door先生刚把门打开我就问道。2：……no sooner than……：意义同上，如The telephone rang no sooner than he had come into the house他刚一进屋，电话铃就响了。翻译都是把这两组词后面的先翻，再翻译前面的stir：震动，轰动excitement, anger or shock that is felt by a number of people.Create a stir或者cause a stir都是引起轰动的意思。【写作推荐】词组积累另外在02-21《与情绪有关的表达》中有：the teenagers taking part in Chicago’s Becoming a Man (BAM) initiative admit to a variety of frustrations, some trivial, some tragic, that canstir their anger.触怒某人。这里的stir作为动词，是激起的意思help the sales of sth：帮助……的销售。或者也可以说improve the sales of sth提高……的销量【写作推荐】词组积累coveted Chanel for years：对香奈儿觊觎多年。Covet sth觊觎某物【写作推荐】词汇积累make a mark：字面意思是做个标记，留下印记。另外的意思表示为“做出一番可以让人铭记的事”to change something, or to do something important, so that people notice and remember you【写作推荐】词汇积累is less of sth for someone：对某人来说不再是某物【写作推荐】词汇积累A workaholic：工作狂【写作推荐】简单地道表达本文商业话题相关词汇

creative director：创意总监a retail consultant：零售顾问the chief executive：总裁，首席执行官the chief financial officer：首席财务官head of marketing：市场部主管。Head of sth……的主管，首脑insider：业内人士couture：时装设计frocks：连衣裙，女装fashion house：时装公司；时尚屋。这里指的是香奈儿公司accessories：配饰，配件luxury-goods：奢侈品。也可以直接luxurieshigh-street fashions：hihg-street是大街的意思，大街上的流行款式即大众时尚extravagant and costly：奢侈昂贵的。两个词都可以表示“昂贵的，价高的”意思help the sales of sth：帮助……的销售。或者也可以说improve the sales of sth提高……的销量【写作推荐】词组积累stock market listing：上市A sale：销售，出售。这里指的是出售股份hugely profitable：利润丰厚的。Hugely是极大程度上，极其地，同义可替换largely或extremely【写作推荐】同义替换