Unit-10-The-Jeaning-of-America课文翻译综合教程二

Unit10TheJeaningofAmericaThisisthestoryofasturdyAmericansymbolwhichhasnowspreadthroughoutmostoftheworld.Thesymbolisnotthedollar.ItisnotevenCoca-Cola.Itisasimplepairofpantscalledbluejeans,andwhatthepantssymbolizeiswhatAlexisdeTocquevillecalledamanlyandlegitimatepassionforequality---Bluejeansarefavoredequallybybureaucratsandcowboys;bankersanddeadbeats;fashiondesignersandbeerdrinkers.Theydrawnodistinctionsandrecognizenoclasses;theyaremerelyAmerican.Yettheyaresoughtafteralmosteverywhereintheworld--includingRussia,whereauthoritiesrecentlybrokeupateen-agedgangthatwassellingthemontheblackmarketfortwohundreddollarsapair.Theyhavebeenaroundforalongtime,anditseemslikelythattheywilloutliveeventhenecktie.ThisubiquitousAmericansymbolwastheinventionofaBavarian-bornJew.HisnamewasLeviStrauss.HewasborninBadOcheim,Germany,in1829,andduringtheEuropeanpoliticalturmoilof1848decidedtotakehischancesinNewYork,towhichhistwobrothersalreadyhademigrated.Uponarrival,Levisoonfoundthathistwobrothershadexaggeratedtheirtalesofaneasylifeinthelandofthemainchance.Theywerelandowners,theyhadtoldhim;instead,hefoundthempushingneedles,thread,pots,pans,ribbons,yam,scissorsandbuttonstohousewives.Fortwoyearshewasalowlypeddler,haulingsome180poundsofsundriesdoor-to-doortoekeoutamarginalliving.WhenamarriedsisterinSanFranciscoofferedtopayhiswayWestin1850,hejumpedattheopportunity,takingwithhimboltsofcanvashehopedtosellfortenting.Itwasthewrongkindofcanvasforthatpurpose,butwhiletalkingwithaminerdownfromthemotherlode,helearnedthatpants--sturdypantsthatwouldstanduptotherigorsofthedigging--werealmostimpossibletofind.Opportunitybeckoned.Onthespot,Straussmeasuredtheman'sgirthandinseamwithapieceofstringand,forsixdollarsingolddust,had[thecanvas]tailoredintoapairofstiffbutruggedpants.Theminerwasdelightedwiththeresult,wordgotaroundaboutthosepantsofLevi's,andStrausswasinbusiness.Thecompanyhasbeeninbusinesseversince.WhenStraussranoutofcanvas,hewrotehistwobrotherstosendmore.Hereceivedinsteadatough,browncottonclothmadeinNimes,France--calledsergedeNimesandswiftlyshortenedtodenim(thewordjeansderivesfromGenes,theFrenchwordforGenoa,whereasimilarclothwasproduced).Almostfromthefirst,Strausshadhisclothdyedthedistinctiveindigothatgavebluejeanstheirname,butitwasnotuntilthe1870sthatheaddedthecopperrivetswhichhavelongsincebecomeacompanytrademark.TherivetsweretheideaofaVirginiaCity,Nevada,tailor,JacobW.Davis,whoaddedthemtopacifyamean-temperedminercalledAlkaliIke.Alkali,thestorygoes,complainedthatthepocketsofhisjeansalwaystorewhenhestuffedthemwithoresamplesanddemandedthatDavisdosomethingaboutit.Asakindofjoke,Davistookthepantstoablacksmithandhadthepocketsriveted;onceagain,theideaworkedsowellthatwordgotaround;in1873Straussappropriatedandpatentedthegimmick--andhiredDavisasaregionalmanager.Bythistime,Strausshadtakenbothhisbrothersandtwobrothers-in-lawintothecompanyandwasreadyforhisthirdSanFranciscostore.Overtheensuingyearsthecompanyprosperedlocally,andbythetimeofhisdeathin1902,StrausshadbecomeamanofprominenceinCalifornia.Forthreedecadesthereafterthebusinessremainedprofitablethoughsmall,withsaleslargelyconfinedtotheworkingpeopleoftheWestcowboys,lumberjacks,railroadworkers,andthelike.Levi’sjeanswerefirstintroducedtotheEast,apparently,duringthedude-ranchcrazeofthe1930s,whenvacationingEasternersreturnedandspreadthewordaboutthewonderfulpantswithrivets.AnotherboostcameinWorldWarII,whenbluejeansweredeclaredanessentialcommodityandweresoldonlytopeopleengagedindefensework.Fromacompanywithfifteensalespeople,twoplants,andalmostnobusinesseastoftheMississippiin1946,theorganizationgrewinthirtyyearstoincludeasalesforceofmorethantwenty-twothousand,withfiftyplantsandofficesinthirtyfivecountries.Eachyear,morethan250,000,000itemsofLevi'sclothingaresold--includingmorethan83,000,000pairsofrivetedbluejeans.Theyhavebecome,throughmarketing,wordofmouth,anddemonstrablereliability,thecommonpantsofAmerica.Theycanbepurchasedpre-wash-ed,pre-faded,andpre-shrunkforthesuitablyproletarianlook.Theyadaptthemselvestoanysortofidiosyncraticuse;womenslitthemattheinseamsandconvertthemintolongskirts,menchopthemoffabovethekneesandturnthemintosomethingtobewornwhilechallengingthesurf.Decorationsandornamentationsabound.Thepantshavebecomeatradition,andalongthewayhaveacquiredahistoryoftheirown--somuchsothatthecompanyhasopenedamuseuminSanFrancisco.Therewas,forexample,theturn-of-the-centurytrainmanwhoreplacedafaultycouplingwithapairofjeans;theWyomingmanwhousedhisjeansasatowropetohaulhiscaroutofaditch;theCalifornianwhofoundseveralpairsinanabandonedmine,worethem,thendiscoveredtheyweresixty-threeyearsoldandstillasgoodasnewandturnedthemovertotheSmithsonianasatributetotheirtoughness.Andthenthereistheparticularlyterrifyingstoryofthecarelessconstructionworkerwhodangledfifty-twostoriesabovethestreetuntilrescued,hissolesupporttheLevi'sbeltloopthroughwhichhisropewashooked.美国的牛仔裤之路本文讲述了美国一个坚实的象征物，如今已经遍及世界大部分地区。这个象征并不是美元。也不是可口可乐。而是一条被称作蓝色牛仔裤的普通裤子。这种裤子所象征的，正如亚克力西德托儿所谓的对“平等的果断的正当的追求”。无论是官员还是牛仔，银行家还是赖账徒，时尚设计师还是酗酒者都同样青睐蓝色牛仔裤。这种裤子不分高低贵贱，只要是美国人都可以穿。可是牛仔裤几乎