Life Chatting Room: Sex and the City

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Life Chatting Room: Sex and the City

Single Men and Women in Manhattan

There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands of women like this in the city. We all know them, and we all agree they’re great. They travel. They pay taxes. They’ll spend $400 on a pair of 1)Manolo Blahnik 2)strappy 3)sandals. And they’re alone. It’s like the riddle 1 of the 4)Sphinx. Why are there so many great unmarried women, and no great unmarried men?

Charlotte (Art Dealer 2, Unmarried woman): Most men are threatened by successful women. If you want to get these guys, you have to keep your mouth shut and play by the rules.

Skipper (Website Creator): I totally believe that love conquers all. Sometimes you just have to give it a little space and that’s exactly what’s missing in 5)Manhattan--the space for romance.

Peter (Advertising 6)Executive): The problem is expectations. Older women don’t want to settle for what’s available.

Miranda (Corporate Lawyer): By the time you reach your mid-30s, you think, “Why should I settle?”

Charlotte: It’s like the older we get, the more we keep self-selecting down to a smaller and smaller group.

Peter: There’s not one woman in New York who hasn’t turned down 10 wonderful guys because they were too short or too fat or too poor.

Miranda: I have been out with some of those guys--the short, fat, poor ones. It makes absolutely no difference. They are just as self-centered and 7)unappreciative as the good-looking ones!

Single Women’s View on Models

Carrie: You were on a date with a modelizer and you didn’t even know it?

Miranda: If men like Nick are dating models, what chance do ordinary women have? I mean, do you have to be a supermodel to get a date in New York?

Miranda: They are stupid and lazy and they should be shot on sight.

Samantha: I’ve been out with lots of guys and they say I’m just as beautiful as a model, but I work for a living. I mean, I’m like, well, I’m like a model who’s taken the high road.

Miranda: The advantages given to models and to beautiful women in general are so unfair, it makes me want to 8)puke.

Samantha: Sweetheart, you shouldn’t say that; you are so cute.

Miranda: Cute 9)doesn’t cut it in this town. What’s cute compared to supermodel?

Charlotte: They have this distant, sexy look.

Miranda: That’s not sexy; it’s starvation.

Samantha: That’s starvation in the best restaurants.

Miranda: Yeah.

Charlotte: In some culture, heavy women with mustaches are considered beautiful.

Samantha: And you’re looking at me while you’re saying that?

Miranda: We should just admit that we live in a culture that promotes impossible standards of beauty.

Carrie: Yeah, except men think they’re possible.

Miranda: Yeah.

Charlotte: I just know no matter how good I feel about myself if I see 10)Christy Turlington, I just wanna give up.

Miranda: I just wanna tie her down and 11)force-feed her lard, but that’s the difference between you and me.

Carrie: What are you talking about? Look at you two. You’re beautiful.

Charlotte: Oh, I hate my thighs 3.

Miranda: Oh, come on.

Charlotte: I can’t even open a magazine without thinking, “Thighs, thighs, thighs.”

Miranda: Well, I’ll take your thighs and raise you a chin.

Carrie: I’ll take your chin and raise you a--(pointing to her own nose)
(They all stop and look at Samantha.)

Samantha: What?

Carrie: Oh, come on!

Samantha: I happen to love the way I look.

Miranda: You should. You paid enough for it.

Samantha: Hey, I resent that. I do not believe in 12)plastic surgery. Well, not yet.

Carrie: I find it 13)fascinating that four beautiful flesh-and-blood women could be 14)intimidated by some unreal fantasy.

Suddenly I was interested. If models could cause otherwise 15)rational individuals to 16)crumble 5 in their presence, exactly how powerful was beauty?

Single Men’s View on Models

I began to realize that being beautiful is like having a rent-controlled apartment overlooking the Park: completely unfair and usually 17)bestowed upon those who deserve it least.

Big: I’m not interrupting your work, am I?

Carrie: Hey, what a surprise!

Big: I can’t stay. I’m late for a meeting. But I’ve been thinking about that article you’re writing about men who date models.

Carrie: What about them?

Big: First of all, well, there are so many goddamn 18)gorgeous women out there in the city.

Carrie: What an amazing observation!

Big: But the thing is this, after a while, you just wanna be with the one that makes you laugh. Know what I mean?--OK, see you.

I take that back. Beauty is fleeting 7 but a rent-controlled apartment overlooking the Park is forever.

注释：
1) Manolo Blahnik 莫罗·伯拉尼克，世界著名高跟鞋设计大师，他的鞋被誉为高跟鞋中的“贵族”，许多英美大牌女星们也是它的狂热追求者。
2) strappy [5strApi] a. （鞋类或衣服）有襻的，有带子的
3) sandal [5sAndl] n. 凉鞋，便鞋
4) Sphinx 斯芬克司，是希腊神话中带翼的狮身女妖。女神缪斯传授给她各种隐谜，她在底比斯城外叫过路人猜，猜不出的当场被扼死。the riddle of the Sphinx在英语当中用来比喻解答不了的难题。
5) Manhattan [mAn5hAtEn] n. 曼哈顿岛（美国纽约一区）
6) executive [i^5zekjutiv] n. 执行者，经理主管人员
7) unappreciative [QnE5pri:FiEtiv] a. 无赏识力的，不欣赏的
8) puke [pju:k] v. 呕吐
9) not cut it <口> 因不够好而不能成事
10) Christy Turlington 克里斯蒂·特灵顿，世界超级名模，世界著名品牌Calvin Klein的长期合作广告模特、世界时装杂志《ELLE》出镜率最高的封面女郎，近年为美宝莲产品做广告，名声更是家喻户晓。
11) force-feed [5fC:sfi:d] v. 强迫进食，强制喂养
12) plastic surgery 整形手术
13) fascinating [5fAsineitiN] a. 有极大吸引力的，着魔的
14) intimidate 4 [in5timideit] v. 胁迫
15) rational [5rAFEnl] a. 理性的，合理的，推理的
16) crumble [5krQmbl] v. 粉碎，崩溃
17) bestow 6 upon 把……赠与……，把……给予……
18) gorgeous [5^C:dVEs] a. 华丽的，极好的.的                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

寻常聊天室: 都市剧场版

曼哈顿单身男女

这个城市里有数以千计，可能是上万名这样的女性。我们都了解这类人，而且也承认她们了不起。她们旅行、纳税，她们会花400美元买一双莫罗·伯拉尼克的凉鞋，而且她们单身。这就像是斯芬克司的谜语了。为什么有那么多了不起的未婚女性，而没有了不起的未婚男人？

夏洛特（画廊经纪人，未婚女性）：绝大多数的男人都感到成功女性有威胁感。要是你想俘获这些男人，你就要闭上嘴巴、按老规矩行事。
斯凯珀（网页创作员）: 我完全相信爱情能征服一切。有时候，你只是要给它一点空间，而那正是曼哈顿所失却的——留给爱情的空间。
彼得（广告经理）:期望值是问题所在。老女人不想为手中拥有的东西而安定下来。
米兰达（公司律师）:当你到了35岁时，你就会想:“我干嘛要安定下来？”
夏洛特:好像我们年纪越大，我们就越会缩窄自己选择对象的范围。
彼得: 纽约城里的女人都拒绝过大量的好男人，原因只是他们太矮、太胖或是太穷了。
米兰达：我跟许多矮的、胖的、穷的男人都约会过。他们根本就没有不同——他们自私并且没眼光，就跟那些好看的男人一样。

单身女人模特观

卡丽：你与模特狂交往而你竟还不知道？
米兰达：如果像尼克这样的男人都在与模特约会，普通女人还有什么机会？我的意思是，难道在纽约只有超级模特才会有人约吗？
米兰达: 她们又笨又懒，一出现就应该被枪毙。
萨曼莎: 我和很多男人约会过。他们说我漂亮得就像个模特，但其实我是靠工作来谋生。我是说，我就像，就像个走艰难正路的模特。
米兰达: 总的来说，模特和美女得到的好处就是多，这真不公平，真让我恶心。
萨曼莎: 宝贝，你不该这么说，你迷人得很呢。
米兰达：迷人在这座城市成不了事。跟超级模特相比，迷人算什么？
夏洛特：她们有冷漠而性感的外表。
米兰达：那不是性感，那是挨饿。
萨曼莎：还是在最好的餐馆里挨饿。
米兰达：对。
夏洛特：在某些文化里，有髭须的胖女人被认为漂亮的。
萨曼莎：你说的时候干嘛看着我？
米兰达：我们必须得承认我们生活在这样一种文化之中，它将不现实的美丽标准推广开来。
卡丽: 对，只是男人们觉得那样是可能的。
米兰达：对。
夏洛特：我只是知道无论自己自我感觉多么好，要是见到克里丝蒂·特灵顿，我就会打消这个念头。
米兰达：我只想把她捆起来，强行喂她猪油，那就是我跟你的区别。
卡丽：你们在说什么？看看你们俩，你们都很漂亮啊。
夏洛特：噢，我讨厌我的大腿。
米兰达：噢，不会吧。
夏洛特：我甚至一打开杂志就会想：“大腿，大腿，大腿。”
米兰达: 我要你的大腿，然后给你我的下巴。
卡丽：我要拿掉你的下巴然后给你我的——（指着自己的鼻子）
（她们全都停下来看着萨曼莎。）
萨曼莎：怎么了？
卡丽：噢，别装蒜了！
萨曼莎：我恰好喜欢自己的长相。
米兰达：你应该喜欢。你在上面花了不少钱了。
萨曼莎： 嘿，我讨厌你这么说。我不相信整形手术。哦，现在还没到时候。
卡丽：我觉得真有趣，四个实实在在的美女竟然会被一些虚假的怪想吓倒！
突然间，我很感兴趣：要是模特能让那些就算是很理智的人也会在她们面前自惭形秽，那美丽的力量究竟有多大呢？

单身男人模特观

我开始意识到长得漂亮就像拥有一所廉价的朝向中央公园的公寓——完全不公平，而且往往由最不配的人居住。
比格：我没有打扰你吧？
卡丽：嘿，真让人感到惊喜！
比格: 我不能久呆。我有个会，要迟到了。但我一直在想着你的那篇关于男人约会模特的文章。
卡丽：他们怎么了？
比格：首先，这个城市里确实有那么多该死的美艳女人。
卡丽：真是观察敏锐。
比格：但是问题是，过了一会儿，你只想与使你欢笑的人一起。明白我的意思吗？——好了，再见。
我收回刚才的话。美丽稍纵即逝，但是廉价的朝向中央公园的公寓却是永恒的。