英语美文赏析TheUglyTruthaboutBeauty.docx

英语美文赏析TheUglyTruthaboutBeauty.docx

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英语美文赏析TheUglyTruthaboutBeauty

TheUglyTruthaboutBeauty

ByDaveBarry

Ifyou'reaman,atsomepointawomanwillaskyouhowshelooks.

"HowdoIlook?

"she'llask.

Youmustbecarefulhowyouanswerthisquestion.Thebesttechniqueistoformanhonestyetsensitiveopinion,thencollapseonthefloorwithsomekindoffatalseizure.*Trustme,thisistheeasiestwayout.Becauseyouwillnevercomeupwiththerightanswer.

collapse [kəˈlæps]vi.／n.倒坍，塌下；崩溃，突然失败

fatal [ˈfeitl]a.致命的，灾难性的；重大的，决定性的

seizure [ˈsi:

ʒə]n.没收；占有；抵押

Theproblemisthatwomengenerallydonotthinkoftheirlooksinthesamewaythatmendo.Mostmenformanopinionofhowtheylookinseventhgrade,andtheysticktoitfortherestoftheirlives.Somemenformtheopinionthatareirresistiblyhandsomeandtheydonotchangethisopinionevenwhentheirnosesbloattothesizeofeggplantsandtheireyebrowsgrowtogethertoformwhatappearstobeagiantforehead-dwellingtropicalcaterpillar.*

stickto 粘贴在…上；紧跟；坚持，忠于，信守

irresistibly  adv.不可抵抗地（压制不住地,无可反驳地）

bloatvt.使肿胀adj.肿胀的n.膨胀，自傲,（家畜）肠道炎

eggplantn.茄子

eyebrown.眉毛

dwellingn.住处

caterpillar n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫

Mostmen,Ibelieve,thinkofthemselvesasaverage-looking.Menwillthinkthiseveniftheirfacescauseheartfailureincattleatarangeof300yards.*Beingaveragedoesnotbotherthem;averageisfine,formen.Thisiswhymenneveraskanybodyhowtheylook.Theirprimaryformofbeautycareistoshavethemselves,whichisessentiallythesameformofbeautycarethattheygivetotheirlawns.If,attheendofhisfour-

minutedailybeautyregimen,amanhasmanagedtowipemostoftheshavingcreamoutofhishairandisnotbleedingtoobadly,hefeelsthathehasdoneallhecan,sohestopsthinkingabouthisappearanceanddevoteshismindtomorecriticalissues,suchastheSuperBowl.*

regimenn.养生法，生活规则

Womendonotlookatthemselvesthisway.IfIhadtoexpress,inthreewords,whatIbelievemostwomenthinkabouttheirappearance,thosewordswouldbe:

"notgoodenough."Nomatterhowattractiveawomanmayappeartobetoothers,whenshelooksatherselfinthemirror,shethinks:

woof.Shethinksthatatanymomentamunicipalanimal-controlofficerisgoingtothrowanetoverherandhaulherofftotheshelter.*

woof [wu:

f]n.纬线，织物n.（狗的）低吠声vi.狗吠

municipal [mju:

'nisipl]adj.市的,市政的n.政府证券

haul vt./n.（用力）拖，拉；（用车等）拖运，运送

Whydowomenhavesuchlowself-esteem?

Therearemanycomplexpsychologicalandsocietalreasons,bywhichImeanBarbie.Girlsgrowupplayingwithadollproportionedsuchthat,ifitwereahuman,itwouldbesevenfeettallandweigh81pounds,ofwhich53poundswouldbebosoms.Thisisadifficultappearancestandardtoliveupto,*especiallywhenyoucontrastitwiththestandardsetforlittleboysbytheirdolls…excuseme,bytheiractionfigures.Mostoftheactionfiguresthatmysonplayedwithwhenhewaslittlewerehideous-looking.Forexample,hewasveryfondofanactionfigure（partoftheHe-Manseries）called"Buzz-Off,"whowasparthuman,partflyinginsect.Buzz-Offwasnotalooker.Buthewasextremelyself-confident.YoucouldnotimagineBuzz-Offsayingtotheotheractionfigures:

Doyouthinkthesewingsmakemyhipslookbig?

"

esteem [is'ti:

m]n.尊敬vt.认为,尊敬

proportionedadj.成比例的（相称的）

bosomn.胸部，乳房；胸怀，内心

hideousa.极其丑陋的，难看的

hip [hip]n.臀部，髋部

ButwomengrowupthinkingtheyneedtolooklikeBarbie,whichformostwomenisimpossible,althoughthereisamultibillion-dollarbeautyindustrydevotedtoconvincingwomenthattheymusttry.Sorry,yourbrowserdoesn'tsupportJava（tm）.IoncesawanOprahshowwhereinsupermodelCindyCrawforddispensedmakeuptipstothestudioaudience.Cindyhadallthesemiddle-agedwomenapplyingbeautyproductstotheirfaces;*shestressedhowimportantitwastoapplytheminacertainway,usingthetipsoftheirfingers.Allthewomendutifullydidthis,eventhoughitwasobvioustoanysaneobserverthat,nomatterhowcarefullytheyappliedtheseproducts,theywouldneverlookremotelylikeCindyCrawford,whoissomekindofgeneticmutation.

browser n.吃嫩叶的动物,浏览书本的人

dispense vt.分配，分发；配（药），发（药）；实施

dutifully ['dju:

tifuli] adv.忠实地,忠贞地

sane [sein]a.神志正常的；清醒的，明智的

mutation n.突变，变异

I'mnotsayingthatmenaresuperior.I'mjustsayingthatyou'renotgoingtogetagroupofmiddle-agedmentositinaroomandapplycosmeticstothemselvesundertheinstructionofBradPitt,inhopesoflookingmorelikehim.Menwouldrealizethatthistaskwaspointlessanddemeaning.Theywouldfindsomewaytobolstertheirself-esteemthatdidnotrequirelookinglikeBradPitt.TheywouldsaytoBrad:

"OhYEAH?

WellwhatdoyouknowaboutLAWNCARE,prettyboy?

"

cosmetica.美容的；装饰性的n.[pl.]化妆品

demeanv.贬抑，降低

bolstervt.支撑

lawnn.草地，草坪

OfcoursemanywomenwillarguethatthereasontheybecomeobsessedwithtryingtolooklikeCindyCrawfordisthatmen,beingasshallowasadropofspit,wantwomentolookthatway.TowhichIhavetworesponses:

obsessvt.着迷

1.Hey,justbecausewe’reidiots,thatdoesnotmeanyouhavetobe;and

idiotn.白痴，傻子，笨蛋

2.Mendon'tevennotice97percentofthebeautyeffortsyoumakeanyway.Takefingernails.*Theaveragewomanspends5,000hoursperyearworryingaboutherfingernails;Ihaveneveronce,inmorethan40yearsoflisteningtomentalkaboutwomen,heardamansay,"Shehasanicesetoffingernails!

"Manymenwouldnotnoticeifawomanhadupwardoffourhands.

upwardof 超过、多于

Anyway,togetbacktomyoriginalpoint:

Ifyou'reaman,andawomanasksyouhowshelooks,you'reinbigtrouble.Obviously,youcan'tsayshelooksbad.Butyoualsocan'tsaythatshelooksgreat,becauseshe'llthinkyou'relying,becauseshehasspentcountlesshours,withthehelpofthemultibillion-dollarbeautyindustry,obsessingaboutthedifferencesbetweenherselfandCindyCrawford.Also,shesuspectsthatyou'renotqualifiedtojudgeanybody'sappearance.Thisisbecauseyouhaveshavingcreaminyourhair.

重点词解析

-1.point:

moment

e.g.Atthatpoint,theprofessorgotupandlefttheoffice.

0.technique:

aspecialskillorwayofdoingsth.

e.g.Theyadoptnewtechniquestoproducespecialeffectsinmovies.

1.sensitive:

easilyhurt,upset,oroffendedbythingsthatpeoplesay

e.g.Jane’sverysensitiveaboutherfigure.

2.collapse:

v.1.tofalldownsuddenly

e.g.UncleTed’schaircollapsedunderhisweight.

3.tofail

e.g.Thebusinessfinallycollapsedbecauseofheavydebts.

4.tofallhelplessorunconscious

e.g.Themanhascollapsed:

callforthedoctor!

5.fatal:

causingorresultingindeath

e.g.Thispieceofnewsisfataltohispoliticalfuture.

6.seizure:

asuddenattackofanillness

e.g.Theoldmanyoumentionedyesterdaydiedofaheartseizure.

7.comeupwith:

toproduce;tothinkof（aplan,ananswer,areply,etc.）

e.g.WhenIaskedhimwhyhewaslatehecouldn’tcomeupwithananswer.

8.stickto:

torefusetochange

e.g.Johnstickstohisviewthatweshouldincreasethesizeoftheport.

9.irresistibly:

thatcannotberesisted

10.bloat:

tocausetoswell

e.g.Overeatingwillbloatyourstomach.

11.giant:

extremelybig

e.g.Thereisagiantsupermarketjustoutsidetown.

12.dwell:

tolive

e.g.Thetwoyoungmenaredwellingonanisland.

13.tropical:

（living）inthetropics

e.g.Bananasaretropicalfruit.

14.caterpillar:

atypeofsmalllongmany-leggedwormlikecreaturewhichfeedsontheleavesofplants

e.g.Inthetropicalforestsyoucanencounterallkindsofcolorfulcaterpillars.

15.thinkof…as:

consider…as…

e.g.Ithinkofhimasoneofmyfriends.

16.atarangeof:

withaspecifieddistancebetweenonepersonorthingandanother

e.g.Abatcandetectamothatarangeoflessthan8feet.

17.primary:

1.ofchiefimportance;principal

e.g.Thegovernment’sprimaryaimistoseesignificantreductionsinunemployment.

2.earliestintimeororderofdevelopment

e.g.Thecountryisintheprimarystageofsocialism.

18.regimen:

afixedplanoffood,exercise,etc.,inordertoimproveone’shealth

e.g.Theyoungwomanisfollowingastrictregimen.

19.devoteone’smindtosth.:

toconcentrateallone’smindonsth.

e.g.HedevoteshismindtothesportsprogramonTV.

20.issue:

1.animportanttopicorproblemfordiscussion

e.g.Theissueofglobalwarmingisbecomingmoreandmoreserioustoday.

2.eachofaregularseriesofpublications

e.g.HaveyoureadtheJulyissueofthismagazine?

21.woof:

thebarkingsoundofadog

22.municipal:

relatingtoatownoritsgoverningbody

e.g.Themunicipalgovernmentofficesarelocatedinthecenterofthetown.

23.haul:

topullsth.witheffortorforce

e.g.Hehauledhisbikeoutoftheshed.

24.shelter:

1.abuildingorenclosureofferingprotection

e.g.Thereisawoodenshelterinthepublicgarden.

2.ananimalsanctuary

25.self-esteem:

thefeelingthatyouaresomeonewhodeservestobeliked,respected,andadmired

e.g.Teachersneedtohelpbuilduptheirstudents’senseofself-esteem.

26.psychological:

connectedwiththewaythatpeople’smindsworkandthewaythatthisaffectstheirbehavior

e.g.Theremustbesomepsychologicalexplanationforhisbadtemper.

27.societal:

relatingtosocietye.g.societalchange

28.proportion:

toadjuststh.sothatithasaparticularorsuitablerelationshiptosth.else

e.g.Allowancesforexpenditurehavebeenproportionedtoyourincome.

29.liveupto:

tofulfillexpectations

e.g.Youshouldliveuptoyourpromise.

30.actionfigure:

adollrepresentingapersonorfictionalcharacterknownforvigorousaction,suchasasoldierorsuperhero

31.looker:

averyattractiveperson,especial