BBC英语｜Who needs a manbag?
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Welcome to 6 Minute English, the programme where we explore an interesting topic and bring you some useful items of vocabulary. I’m Rob.
欢迎来到六分钟英语，在节目中我们将探讨一个有趣的话题，并为你带来一些实用的词汇。我是罗伯。
And I’m Neil. And today we are discussing manbags.
我是尼尔。今天我们将要讨论的是男包。
Yes, manbags, they are the height of fashion at the moment, a stylish accessory that modern men are carrying. An accessory is an additional item added to something to make it more useful or attractive.
是的，男包，它们现在处在时尚之巅，是现代男士的时尚配饰。配饰是额外加在某些事物上使其更实用或者更具吸引力的东西。
I’m not so sure, Rob. I mean, I wouldn’t be seen dead carrying a manbag!
我不那么确定，罗伯。我的意思是，我宁死也不背男包！
Really? So what do you carry your lose change, your credit cards, tickets and mobile phone in?
真的吗？那你用什么放零钱，信用卡，各种票以及手机呢？
I just stuff everything in my pockets, Rob. It’s better than being a laughing stock, carrying a handbag around!
我只是把所有东西塞进口袋里，罗伯。那总比拿着手提包到处走，成为笑料要好。
By laughing stock you mean everyone thinking of you as silly.But you wouldn’t be. Because it’s a manbag, Neil, not a woman’s handbag. Maybe I can convince you to change your mind by the end of the programme. But now let’s not forget to ask you today’s question.
笑料是指大家认为你很傻。但是大家不会这么认为的。因为那是男包，尼尔，不是女士手提包。或许在节目最后我能说服你改变主意。但是现在我们别忘了向你提今天的问题。
Is it about manbags by any chance?
它不会碰巧是关于男包的吧？
It is. So it might be tricky for you to answer! According to market research company Mintel, how many men bought a manbag in the UK last year? Was it…a) 5% b) 15% or c) 25% ?
是的，让你回答可能会有些棘手！根据英敏特公司的市场调研，去年英国有多少男性购买了男包？是a) 5% b) 15% 还是 c) 25% ？
Well, obviously not many, so I’m going to say 5%. And I’m not one of them!
好吧，显然没有太多，所以我说是5%。并且我不是他们中的一员！
Alright, OK, you’ve made that very clear! We’ll find out the answer at the end of the programme anyway. Now let’s talk more about manbags. For hundreds of years women have carried their possessions around in handbags, so why can’t a man do the same with a manbag?
好吧，你已经表达得非常清楚了！总之在节目最后我们会找出答案。现在让我们进一步讨论男包。女性用手提包盛放自己的东西数百年了，所以为什么男性不能用男包来做同样的事情呢？
Maybe it’s the name. Why can’t it just be a bag? Why does a bag have to have a gender?
或许是因为名称。为什么不能只叫做包？为什么一个包还要有性别？
It’s a trend, Neil, a stylish fashion item designed to look good on men. Many big names have flocked to adopt the trend. Pharrell Williams, David Beckham and Kanye West, are just some of those who’ve been spotted rocking a manbag. Rocking’ is an informal way of saying ’wearing’.
那是一种潮流，一件为了让男性外形良好而设计的潮流时尚品。许多名人纷纷紧追这种潮流。法瑞尔•威廉姆斯，大卫•贝克汉姆和坎耶•维斯特都被拍到背男包。"Rocking"是“穿戴”的一种非正式说法。
But what’s wrong with a sturdy briefcase?Sturdy means strong and not easily damaged. Are you saying manbags are just fashionable?
但是结实的公文包有什么错？结实指的是牢固且不容易破损。你是说男包只是单纯时尚吗？
No, they’re practical too. We’ve always needed bags to carry stuff around. But what we carry these days has changed, you know laptops, mobiles, even our lunch. So why not have a trendy looking bag to carry these things around in?
不，它们也同样实用。我们经常需要包包来装一些东西。但是你要知道现在装什么已经变了，笔记本电脑，手机，甚至是我们的午餐。所以为什么不用一个看起来很潮的包来装这些东西呢？
I think part of the problem is carrying one is not seem as very a British by some people. We’re not always as stylish as our some of our European neighbours, are we?
我认为部分症结是有些人觉得背那样的包似乎很不符合他们英国人的身份。我们并不总是像欧洲邻国那么时尚，不是吗？
Well, speak for yourself, Neil! But Nick Carvell, GQ Contributing Fashion Editor has a reason for this. Here he is speaking on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme…
好吧，随你怎么说，尼尔！但是绅士季刊的时尚编辑尼克•卡维尔有人们背男包的一个理由。这是他在BBC广播4频道You and Yours节目的论述。
In Britain we are still very tied up with that idea of masculinity that is almost so fragile that it can be dented by carrying a bag. We think a lot about that in this country in a way that I don’t think a lot of European men do.
在英国，阳刚之气脆弱，背着包会削弱男子气概的观点根深蒂固。某种程度上来说我们在这个国家对那想得太多，我不认为许多欧洲男性也这样想得这么多。
So Nick feels some British men are still tied up with the idea of masculinity. These are the characteristics traditionally thought to be typical of men. And for us British men, these characteristics are fragile, they can be easily broken.
所以尼克感觉一些英国男性仍局限于男性阳刚之气的问题。传统上来说，阳刚之气被认为是男性的典型性格特征。并且对英国男性来说，阳刚之气十分脆弱，非常容易破坏。
Yes, we can also call it manliness, things like not crying during a sad film. It’s a slightly old-fashion idea. But it could still be dented or affected if a man was caught carrying a manbag.
是的，我们同样可以将其称为男子气概，就像在观看悲伤电影的过程中不流泪这类事情。这个观点就有点过时了。但是如果男士被看到背着包，仍会觉得破坏或影响男子气概。
Whereas some European men don’t give it a lot of thought, according to Nick Carvell.
然而根据Nick Carvell所说，欧洲的男性对此并没有想太多。
But with people like Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana designing these bags, they’re bound to have a hefty price tag.That’s an informal way of saying a high price.
但是路易•威登，芬迪，古驰和杜梅尼科以及嘉班纳这些人设计的男包，价格昂贵。那是高价的一种非正式说法。
Well, fashion comes at a price, Neil. You need to shake off your inhibitions, that’s a feeling of embarrassment that stops you from doing something. And if you really want to be on trend, you could also splash out on a ’murse’ - that’s a man’s purse, or a ’mote’ - a man’s tote bag. Have I convinced you?
好吧，时尚是要付出代价的，尼尔。你需要摆脱掉自己的顾虑，那是阻止你做某事的窘迫感。并且如果你真的想要紧跟潮流的话，你同样可以将金钱挥霍于男士钱包——男士的钱包，或者是男手提袋——男士的大手提袋。我说服你了吗？
No, not really, Rob. I have a feeling that a manbag by any other name is, well, a bag. And I have one - my trusty backpack.
不，真不想，罗伯。我觉得男包的另外名称就是包。我已经有一个了——我十分信赖的双肩包。
Well, for some people, manbags are the thing. But as I asked earlier, according to market research company Mintel, how many men actually bought a manbag in the UK last year? Was it…a) 5% b) 15% or c) 25% ?
好吧，对一些人来说，男包是一种潮流。但是正如早前我问你的，根据英敏特公司的市场调研，去年英国实际上有多少男性购买了男包？是a) 5% b) 15% 还是 c) 25% ？
And I said a) 5%. Come on, I must have been right!
我说的是a)5%。快说，我肯定答对了！
Well, you were wrong, Neil. The answer was actually 15%. And nearly a quarter of 16-34 year olds have bought one.
好吧，你错了，尼尔。答案实际上是15%。并且16-34岁的人群中近四分之一的人都买了一个包。
Well as I say Rob, a good practical backpack is for me. But now shall we unpack some of the vocabulary we’ve discussed today. Starting with ’accessory’, which is an additional item added to something to make it more useful or attractive. "A tie is a smart accessory to wear with a suit."
好吧，正如我说的，罗伯，一个良好实用的双肩包很适合我。但是现在我们能否分析一下今天所讨论的词汇。从“配饰”开始，那是指额外加在某些事物上使其更实用或者更具吸引力的东西。“领带是西装穿搭的一个精巧配饰。”
Maybe, but you wouldn’t catch me wearing a suit in my media job. It’s all T-shirts and jeans for us! If I came to work in a suit, I would be a ’laughing stock’. I mean, I would be seen as someone, who people think of as silly.
或许，但是你不会看到我在新闻媒体岗位上穿西装。大家都穿T恤和牛仔。如果我穿着西装工作的话，我会成为一个笑料的。我指的我将会被大家看做傻子。
Our next word was ’sturdy’. Something that is sturdy is strong and not easily damaged. "If you’re walking up a mountain, you need to wear some sturdy walking boots."
我们的下一个单词是结实。某物结实就是指牢固且不易破损。“如果你要登山的话，你需要穿某些结实的步行靴。”
Good advice, if I was going up a mountain, which I’m not. Next we mentioned ’masculinity’. These are the characteristics that are traditionally thought to be typical of men. So we sometimes refer to it as being macho! Like: "Neil went swimming in ice cold water to prove his masculinity."
好建议，如果我要爬山的话。当然我并不会。接下来我们提到了“阳刚之气”。传统上来说，阳刚之气被认为是男性的典型性格特征。所以有时候我们称它为有男子气概。就像：“尼尔在冰水里游泳来证明自己的阳刚之气。”
That I would never do. I’d rather carry a manbag despite their hefty price tag. That means ’high price’.
我决不会那么做的。我宁愿背男包，尽管它的价格昂贵。那是指高价。
Finally, we also mentioned the word ’inhibitions’, that’s feelings of embarrassment that stop you from doing something. "Neil’s inhibitions are stopping him from carrying a manbag."
最后我们同样提到了“顾虑”，那是阻止你做某事的窘迫感。“尼尔的顾虑阻止他背男包。”
It’s a bag, Rob, just a bag! But we’ve talked enough about this. So that’s it for this edition of 6 Minute English. But before you rush off to purchase a designer manbag, don’t forget to visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages. Bye for now.
那是一个包，罗伯，仅仅是一个包。但是我们对此谈论的足够多了。以上就是今天的6分钟英语。但是在你跑去买一个名牌男包前，不要忘记访问我们的Facebook，Twitter，Instagram和YouTube主页。再见了。
Bye bye.
再见。