71岁的Vera Wang是谁？
今天，以设计结婚礼服而著称的华裔设计师王薇薇（Vera Wang）近照曝光。1949年出生的她，今年71岁。网友评论：这身材、这状态说17岁我都信！
下面我们来看看去年《哈佛商业评论》（Harvard Business Review, HBR）对Vera Wang采访的节选。
无注释原文：
Life’s Work: An Interview with Vera Wang
Harvard Business Review
After working as an editor at Vogue and an accessories designer at Ralph Lauren, Wang opened a New York bridal shop and debuted her own line of gowns at age 40. Three decades later her eponymous brand is now a global business spanning fashion, beauty, jewelry, and homewares.
⊙ HBR: Why, at age 40, did you decide to strike out on your own as a fashion designer?
Wang: Is that old? Perhaps I would have preferred to start off at 20 or 30, but I don’t think I would have been anywhere near equipped to know what it takes to be in business. Even at 40, I wasn’t entirely sure I should be doing it. It wasn’t an era for start-ups. I’d always felt I should learn and earn, and I’d already had two incredible careers working for others—at Condé Nast and then Ralph Lauren—the best in the industry. Still, I didn’t feel very qualified or secure. I never thought I deserved to found a company. I’d been on the artistic side—pictures and styling and Vogue and responsible for the design of 18 lines of accessories at Ralph. To think I could start, and run, and sustain a business? I knew how hard it was. My father was the reason I did it. When I got engaged, at 39, I was a little beyond the age of most brides and on a quest for a dress. I looked everywhere, from department stores to Chanel couture. My father identified that as an opportunity. He didn’t work in the garment industry, but he was a businessman, and he saw that bridal came with lower risks: It had low inventory, few fabrics at that time, and, since people will always want to get married, a steady stream of customers, though they don’t usually repeat. I didn’t know anything about dress design. I didn’t feel ready. And when I left Ralph, a lot of doors that had been open to me slammed shut, whether it was a fabric manufacturer or a party I wanted to go to, because I was now so small. Harsh. But my DNA was to find something I felt passionate about, to make a difference, and to work, so that’s what I did.
⊙ What advice do you give young designers?
It’s wonderful to be passionate and have a dream. But start by working for somebody you respect—or anybody, really—and get paid to learn. There is a learning curve—not only in what you know, but in how you behave. And if you don’t educate yourself first, you really can’t break rules. You have to learn what came before so that you know (a) you’re not really that inventive, and (b) which rules you want to break. Then keep your head down, don’t get involved in politics, be respectful, be grateful that you have the job, do your job, and most of all, be available. If you don’t have enough to do, that’s the problem. There were no hours for me at Vogue or at Ralph. Sunday night? No problem. You want to talk to me about retail on Saturday afternoon when I’m with my friends and family? I’m good to go, because I’m grateful that you are asking my opinion and that I can learn from smart, successful people. I was that kind of employee. I cared about my job. I felt honored to be there. My goal was to prove to my employers that I was the best I could be.
⊙ Where do you look for creative inspiration?
Sometimes it’s a movie. Sometimes it’s a piece of art. Sometimes it’s nothing: I just start, and I say, “Where is this going?” The movie Kill Bill was an inspiration for one of my collections. That led me to Japanese culture, which I didn’t know a lot about. But I tried to keep thinking of touch points, like the big corded rope belts that sumo wrestlers wear to hold up their pants, or how a kimono is about wrapping and wrapping, layer over layer. I take these codes and make them my own. Recently I’ve been obsessed by Versailles. Louis XIV was the original fashion rock star—a man who loved clothing and forced his courtiers to dress up. He used clothing as power and control. So then I think, How am I going to make Louis XIV look young and hip and fun and for this generation? I do research, but not like the kind I had time to do 30 years ago, because fashion’s moving so fast. I probably never get more than five weeks of real active working time—from inspiration to visualization—to do a major collection.
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含注释全文：
Life’s Work: An Interview with Vera Wang
Harvard Business Review
After working as an editor at Vogue and an accessories designer at Ralph Lauren, Wang opened a New York bridal shop and debuted her own line of gowns at age 40. Three decades later her eponymous brand is now a global business spanning fashion, beauty, jewelry, and homewares.
在担任《Vogue》的编辑和Ralph Lauren的配饰设计师后，Wang在纽约开了一家婚纱店，并在40岁时推出了自己的礼服系列。三十年后的今天，她的同名品牌已成为一个涵盖时尚、美容、珠宝和家居用品的全球性企业。
accessories
an accessories designer 配饰设计师，accessories，accessory的复数形式，表示“配饰”，英文解释为“Accessories are articles such as belts and scarves which you wear or carry but which are not part of your main clothing.”举个🌰：
It also has a good range of accessories, including sunglasses, handbags and belts.
它还有多种配饰，包括墨镜、手包和皮带。
bridal
bridal shop 婚纱店，bridal /ˈbraɪdəl/ 表示“新娘的；婚礼的”，英文解释为“connected with a bride or a wedding”，a bridal gown 新娘的礼服。
其中，gown /ɡaʊn/ 表示“（尤指特别场合穿的）女裙；女长服；女礼服”，英文解释为“a woman's dress, especially a long one for special occasions”，如：an evening/wedding gown 女晚礼服；新娘的结婚礼服。
eponymous
eponymous /ɪˈpɒnɪməs/ 表示“（与标题）同名的；以…的名字命名的”，英文解释为“the eponymous character of a book, play, film/movie, etc. is the one mentioned in the title”。
⊙ HBR: Why, at age 40, did you decide to strike out on your own as a fashion designer?
⊙ HBR：为什么在40岁的时候，您决定自己做一个时装设计师？
strike out
表示“独立开创新事业；自立谋生”，英文解释为“to start doing something new, independently of other people”举个🌰：
After working for her father for ten years, she felt it was time to strike out on her own.
她在为父亲工作了10年之后，感觉到是该自己独立开创一番事业的时候了。
Wang: Is that old? Perhaps I would have preferred to start off at 20 or 30, but I don’t think I would have been anywhere near equipped to know what it takes to be in business. Even at 40, I wasn’t entirely sure I should be doing it. It wasn’t an era for start-ups. I’d always felt I should learn and earn, and I’d already had two incredible careers working for others—at Condé Nast and then Ralph Lauren—the best in the industry. Still, I didn’t feel very qualified or secure. I never thought I deserved to found a company. I’d been on the artistic side—pictures and styling and Vogue and responsible for the design of 18 lines of accessories at Ralph.
equip
1）表示“使有所准备；使有能力”，英文解释为“to prepare sb for an activity or task, especially by teaching them what they need to know”举个🌰：
The course is designed to equip students for a career in nursing.
此课程旨在使学生能够胜任护理工作。
2）表示“配备；装备”，英文解释为“to provide yourself/sb/sth with the things that are needed for a particular purpose or activity”，如：to be fully/poorly equipped 装备齐全/简陋。
To think I could start, and run, and sustain a business? I knew how hard it was. My father was the reason I did it. When I got engaged, at 39, I was a little beyond the age of most brides and on a quest for a dress. I looked everywhere, from department stores to Chanel couture. My father identified that as an opportunity. He didn’t work in the garment industry, but he was a businessman, and he saw that bridal came with lower risks: It had low inventory, few fabrics at that time, and, since people will always want to get married, a steady stream of customers, though they don’t usually repeat.
couture
couture /kuːˈtʊə/ 来源法语，表示“时装设计制作；时装”，英文解释为“the design and production of expensive and fashionable clothes; these clothes”，如：a couture evening dress 昂贵时髦的晚礼服。
I didn’t know anything about dress design. I didn’t feel ready. And when I left Ralph, a lot of doors that had been open to me slammed shut, whether it was a fabric manufacturer or a party I wanted to go to, because I was now so small. Harsh. But my DNA was to find something I felt passionate about, to make a difference, and to work, so that’s what I did.
⊙ What advice do you give young designers?
⊙ 您对年轻设计师有什么建议？
It’s wonderful to be passionate and have a dream. But start by working for somebody you respect—or anybody, really—and get paid to learn. There is a learning curve—not only in what you know, but in how you behave. And if you don’t educate yourself first, you really can’t break rules. You have to learn what came before so that you know (a) you’re not really that inventive, and (b) which rules you want to break. Then keep your head down, don’t get involved in politics, be respectful, be grateful that you have the job, do your job, and most of all, be available.
learning curve
表示“学习曲线”，英文解释为“A learning curve is a process where people develop a skill by learning from their mistakes. A steep learning curve involves learning very quickly.”举个🌰：
They are on a steep learning curve.
他们学得很快。
电影《大创业家》（The Founder）中提到低估了学习曲线的难度，"We may have underestimated the learning curve."
If you don’t have enough to do, that’s the problem. There were no hours for me at Vogue or at Ralph. Sunday night? No problem. You want to talk to me about retail on Saturday afternoon when I’m with my friends and family? I’m good to go, because I’m grateful that you are asking my opinion and that I can learn from smart, successful people. I was that kind of employee. I cared about my job. I felt honored to be there. My goal was to prove to my employers that I was the best I could be.
⊙ Where do you look for creative inspiration?
⊙ 您从哪里寻找创作灵感？
Sometimes it’s a movie. Sometimes it’s a piece of art. Sometimes it’s nothing: I just start, and I say, “Where is this going?” The movie Kill Bill was an inspiration for one of my collections. That led me to Japanese culture, which I didn’t know a lot about. But I tried to keep thinking of touch points, like the big corded rope belts that sumo wrestlers wear to hold up their pants, or how a kimono is about wrapping and wrapping, layer over layer. I take these codes and make them my own.
sumo wrestler 相朴运动员
kimono 和服
corded
表示“用绳子捆扎的；绳制的”，英文解释为“bound or fastened with cord”，cord作名词，就表示「绳，索，线」（rope or string made of twisted threads）举个🌰：
Where's the cord that ties back the curtains?
系窗帘的绳子在哪儿？
Recently I’ve been obsessed by Versailles. Louis XIV was the original fashion rock star—a man who loved clothing and forced his courtiers to dress up. He used clothing as power and control. So then I think, How am I going to make Louis XIV look young and hip and fun and for this generation? I do research, but not like the kind I had time to do 30 years ago, because fashion’s moving so fast. I probably never get more than five weeks of real active working time—from inspiration to visualization—to do a major collection.
hip
表示“（衣服、音乐等方面）时髦的，赶时髦的”，英文解释为“following or knowing what is fashionable in clothes, music, etc.”举个🌰：
The bars in the old part of the town are frequented by hip young students.
镇上老城区的酒吧是时髦的年轻学生常光顾的地方。
注：Photograph courtesy of Vera Wang中courtesy什么意思呢？
courtesy作名词，本身表示“礼貌；谦恭；彬彬有礼”，英文解释为：polite behaviour that shows respect for other people，类似于politeness，举个🌰：
I was treated with the utmost courtesy by the staff.
我受到了工作人员极有礼貌的接待。
此处courtesy of sb/sth. 有「蒙…提供；赞助；赠送」的含义，英文解释：given as a prize or provided free by a person or an organization，举个🌰：
Jessie J appears courtesy of Universal Records.
承蒙环球唱片的支持，结石姐应邀出席。
所以此处photograph courtesy of xxx 可以理解为：照片承蒙xxx提供，照片由xxx提供，或者是照片来源：xxx.
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