Dress code debate

 Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English, I'm Jennifer and with me today is Rob. 

Rob: Hello Jennifer! 
Jennifer: Now Rob, you’re a man of taste - what would you usually wear to the office? 
Rob: Well I think it’s important to look smart, but in my job I can be casual, so perhaps a nice shirt and some jeans or casual trousers? 
Jennifer: Very nice, and what about the women, what do they wear? 
Rob: Well, there’s quite a range at work - some ladies are quite smartly dressed and might wear a dress or a skirt and blouse, but others are more casual. Of course, they ALL look lovely - including yourself. 
Jennifer: Hmm, I’m not sure how sincere you are about that, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. We’re talking about the importance of dress codes on 6 Minute English today, but before we get to our story, I’ve got a question for you and it’s all about fashion, something I’m sure you know lots about. Are you ready for the all-important question, Rob? 
Rob: Yes I am. 
Jennifer: Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is known for his bold statements about fashion and famously said: “One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a what?” 
(a) Pair of jeans 
(b) Little black dress 
(c) Pair of high heels 
Rob: Oh dear, I don’t even understand the quote? What does it mean exactly? 
Jennifer: If you are overdressed, you look too formal. If you are underdressed, you are not formal enough - so he thinks there is one fashion item which is perfect for all occasions - is it a pair of jeans, the little black dress, or a pair of high heels?
Rob: Well surprisingly I have no idea about women’s fashion. I’ll go for a) a pair of jeans… 
Jennifer: Well we’ll see if you’re right at the end of the programme. Now back to our story which is about a controversial microblog post which has sparked a debate in China. 
Rob: That means it has lots of people talking about it - and often arguing about it! 
Jennifer: The post was from a metro 1 operator in Shanghai who suggested that women should dress in a conservative way in public. 
Rob: If you dress conservatively, you wear traditional clothes and avoid anything outlandish or revealing. 
Jennifer: The blog post included a photograph of a woman wearing a see-through, or transparent 2, dress. 
Rob: That’s certainly the opposite of conservative! I don’t think many people would go out in public wearing an outfit 3 you could see through! 
Jen: Probably not, but this blogger’s comment about the outfit has caused controversy 4. Listen to this clip from the BBC’s John Sudworth - what comment was made about the photo? 
BBC correspondent John Sudworth: 
The Shanghai Metro authority used its official Weibo account, the Chinese version of Twitter, to publish a photograph of a woman in what appears to be a see-through dress, standing 5 on a subway platform. “It’s not surprising that women get harassed 7 if they dress like this,” the caption 8 reads, adding “it’s hard to avoid perverts 9. Girls, please cherish yourselves.” 
Rob: The Metro authority said that if women wear see-through clothes, then it’s not surprising they get harassed. 
Jennifer: Thousands of female passengers have been voicing their anger at this, as they feel it is an attempt to blame them for any sexual harassment 10 they receive. 
Rob: Those passengers think they should have the right to dress however they like - without being harassed. 
Jennifer: But on the other hand, there are people who have said that women should not dress provocatively 11, as it might encourage people to make unwanted comments. 
Rob: It seems that opinion is divided. 
Jennifer: Here’s the BBC’s John Sudworth again with some of the responses to the statement. 
BBC correspondent John Sudworth: 
“The issue is currently the second most discussed topic on Weibo and has even prompted a small tube-train protest. One woman, angered by the statement, held up a banner reading; “I can be coquettish but you can’t harass 6 me.” Other internet uses through have spoken out in defence of what they say is simply common-sense advice. In an online poll, with 45,000 respondents so far, almost 70% said that women should dress more conservatively when taking trains or buses.” 
Rob: So it’s even prompted a protest by some women who feel it’s their right to dress how they like without people making comments. 
Jennifer: That includes dressing 12 coquettishly - or in a flirty 13 manner. 
Rob: But other people have said it’s only common sense - or good judgement - to dress conservatively, as then nobody is likely to bother you. 
Jennifer: Maybe not - but they argue that everyone should be treated with respect no matter what they choose to wear. 
Rob: Sexual harassment is a huge problem in society and the question of how to avoid it is a difficult one. Who is responsible for harassment - the people who dress provocatively, or the people making the unwanted comments? 
Jennifer: It’s a difficult question, and I’m sure the debate will carry on for a long while. Speaking of difficult questions, I asked you a tricky 14 one about clothing at the start of the programme. Karl Lagerfeld once said “One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a what?” 
(a) Pair of jeans 
(b) Little black dress 
(c) Pair of high heels 
Rob: And I said … 
Jen: And you were wrong! Jeans are very important, very handy for the wardrobe, but according to Lagerfeld, every woman should have own a little black dress, as they are so versatile 15! 
Rob: Have you got one? 
Jen: I’ve got far too many. Ok, we’ve come to the end of today’s programme. Rob, will you remind us of some of the words that we’ve heard today? 
Rob: Of course, they are: 
sparked a debate 
conservative 
coquettishly 
common sense 
sexual harassment
Jennifer: That's all we have time for today but do join us again for more 6 Minute English and for more help with any aspects of your English language studies go to our website BBCLearningEnglish.com. Bye for now! 
Rob: Bye! 
Vocabulary and definitions 
sparked a debate caused an argument 
conservative traditional or plan 
coquettishly in a flirty way 
common sense good judgement 
sexual harassment unwelcome comments about the body 
provocatively in a manner which attracts attention 




点击收听单词发音  






1
metro

  
 


n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)


参考例句：





Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。












2
transparent

  
 


adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的


参考例句：





The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。












3
outfit

  
 


n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装


参考例句：





Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。












4
controversy

  
 


n.争论，辩论，争吵


参考例句：





That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。












5
standing

  
 


n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的


参考例句：





After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。












6
harass

  
 


vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰


参考例句：





Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。












7
harassed

  
 


adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的
动词harass的过去式和过去分词


参考例句：





He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们












8
caption

  
 


n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明


参考例句：





I didn't understand the drawing until I read the caption.直到我看到这幅画的说明才弄懂其意思。
There is a caption under the picture.图片下边附有说明。












9
perverts

  
 


n.性变态者( pervert的名词复数 )v.滥用( pervert的第三人称单数 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落


参考例句：





A clever criminal perverts his talents. 一个聪明的犯罪者误用了他的才智。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
Not all fondlers are sexual perverts. 并非所有的骚扰者都是性变态。 来自互联网












10
harassment

  
 


n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱


参考例句：





She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。












11
provocatively

  
 





参考例句：





Democracy or dictatorship, the golden ships still hung in the sky and shone provocatively. 民主也好，独裁也罢，那些金晃晃的飞船依然高悬天际，闪熠发光，向我们挑衅。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻













12
dressing

  
 


n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料


参考例句：





Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。












13
flirty

  
 


adj.爱调戏的，轻浮的


参考例句：





Add a flirty blouse and cardigan for a super chic weekend look. 再穿一件风情万种的衬衫，搭配开襟羊毛衫，就是超级有型的周末装了。 来自互联网













14
tricky

  
 


adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的


参考例句：





I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。












15
versatile

  
 


adj.通用的，万用的；多才多艺的，多方面的


参考例句：





A versatile person is often good at a number of different things.多才多艺的人通常擅长许多种不同的事情。
He had been one of the game's most versatile athletes.他是这项运动中技术最全面的运动员之一。