如何让蛇变得可爱？

蛇年的到来给设计师们带来了挑战，如何让蛇看起来不那么可怕，而又具有商业价值？

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. What can be inferred about the historical image of the snake in Chinese culture, based on the article?

A. The snake has always been a symbol of pure evil in Chinese mythology.

B. The snake has no significant symbolic meaning in Chinese traditions.

C. The snake has always been celebrated for its unique physical traits.

D. The snake was once associated with wisdom and transformation but later suffered a negative image.

无注释原文：

China's Lunar Mission: Make a Snake That's Not Scary

From: The Wall Street Journal

Li Bingnan got his orders in October: Design a snake-themed sculpture for his hometown——and make the scaly, legless creature cute.

Across China and wherever the Chinese New Year is celebrated, the race is on to figure out how to create a commercially viable version. For designers of everything from children's trinkets to parade floats, it is the toughest assignment in the traditional twelve-creature zodiac.

“On the one hand, you can't make it too realistic. On the other hand, for the style we're going for, it can't be too cartoonlike,” Li said. “It was a real headache.”

For about a month this time each year, zodiac animals appear just about everywhere in China and many parts of Asia. They adorn the cash-filled red envelopes that are exchanged among families and friends, they feature in product packaging, advertising campaigns and promotional tie-ins and they loom over shopping mall entrances and public plazas in the form of sculptures and giant inflatable balloons.

It's the biggest holiday on the calendar, and a time to ring up big sales.

But it's tough to build a marketing campaign around a coldblooded, sometimes poisonous creature with no arms or legs.

“Who isn't afraid of snakes?” asked Zhang Xiaqing, out shopping in the eastern Chinese city of Yiwu. The 57-year-old, born in the Year of the Monkey, offered a tip: “As long as the snake doesn't look like a snake, then I'm not afraid.”

The years of the Dog, Sheep and Rabbit offer huggability. The pig has Peppa Pig to lend it cuteness and star power. Even the rat can bask in the reflected glory of Mickey Mouse. Cows have eyelashes.

For designers, the only options are extreme: Present the snake as a different, cuter animal dressed up in a snake outfit. Or go all the way and give the snakes arms, legs or ears. Lose the forked tongue. And definitely tone down the scaliness.

In the Chinese literary tradition, the snake symbolizes wisdom, charisma and transformation. People born in a Year of the Snake are considered to be sensitive and wise—perceptively cunning. 

The ancients imbued the animal with godly qualities, said Sam Tong, an associate curator at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Museum, calling attention to figures in Chinese mythology depicted with the face of a human and the body of a snake.

But after snakes were grouped alongside scorpions, centipedes, toads and spiders in an axis of evil known as the “five poisons,” Tong said, the snake's public image took a dive.

“It's human instinct—people are just afraid of snakes,” he said.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为华尔街日报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

China's Lunar Mission: Make a Snake That's Not Scary

From: The Wall Street Journal

Li Bingnan got his orders in October: Design a snake-themed sculpture for his hometown——and make the scaly, legless creature cute.

Li Bingnan去年10月份接到任务：为家乡设计以蛇为主题的雕塑，要让这种长满鳞片的无腿爬行动物看起来很可爱。

sculpture /ˈskʌlp.tʃər/ 表示“雕塑，雕刻；塑像，雕塑品，雕刻品”，英文解释为“the art of forming solid objects that represent a thing, person, idea, etc. out of a material such as wood, clay, metal, or stone, or an object made in this way”

scaly /ˈskeɪ.li/ 表示“有鳞屑的；（皮肤）干燥脱屑的”，英文解释为“If skin is scaly, it has small, hard, dry areas that fall off in small pieces.”举个🌰：I get scaly patches on my scalp. 我头皮上有些地方有头皮屑。

Across China and wherever the Chinese New Year is celebrated, the race is on to figure out how to create a commercially viable version. For designers of everything from children's trinkets to parade floats, it is the toughest assignment in the traditional twelve-creature zodiac.

中国各地和所有庆祝农历新年的地方都在竞相设计具有商业价值的蛇年形象。可无论是儿童饰品还是巡游彩车，传统十二生肖中的蛇元素都是设计师们最棘手的挑战。

trinket /ˈtrɪŋ.kɪt/ 表示“小件饰物；廉价珠宝”，英文解释为“a small decorative object, or a piece of jewellery that is cheap or of low quality”举个🌰：She always returns from vacation with a few souvenirs, mostly just cheap trinkets. 她度假回来时总要带几样小纪念品，大多数时候都是些廉价的小饰物。

作名词，表示“彩车，花车”，英文解释为“a large vehicle with a flat surface that is decorated and used in festivals”如：carnival floats 狂欢节彩车。

1）作动词，表示“漂浮”，英文解释为“to stay on the surface of a liquid and not sink”举个🌰：An empty bottle will float. 空瓶子能浮起来。

2）表示“（使）漂流；（使）浮动；（使）飘动；（使）飘移”，英文解释为“to (cause to) move easily through, or along the surface of a liquid, or to (cause to) move easily through air”举个🌰：We spent a lazy afternoon floating down/along the river. 我们沿河漂流而下，懒洋洋的度过了一个下午。

3）熟词僻义，表示“提出，提请考虑（想法或计划）”，英文解释为“to suggest an idea or a plan for other people to consider”举个🌰：They floated the idea of increased taxes on alcohol. 他们建议提高酒税。

🎬电影《阿罗哈》（Aloha）中的台词提到：And frankly, just floating the idea of you and me as a couple... 坦白讲 只要随便想想如果我们成了一对的话...

📍2020年，侃爷宣布竞选美国总统文中卫报（The Guardian）也用了这个词：Indeed, the rapper has floated the idea of running for president before. 事实上，这位说唱歌手之前就提出过竞选总统的想法。

zodiac /ˈzəʊdɪˌæk/ 表示“黄道带（指太阳、月亮和行星组成的假想带，分成十二个等份区，各有其名称和符号，并和一年中特定的时间相关）”，英文解释为“(in the study of the planets and their influence on life) an area of the sky through which the sun, moon, and most of the planets appear to move, divided into twelve equal parts, each with a name and symbol, and each connected with an exact time of year”

“On the one hand, you can't make it too realistic. On the other hand, for the style we're going for, it can't be too cartoonlike,” Li said. “It was a real headache.”

“一方面，不能做得过于拟真。但为了匹配我们的风格又不能太卡通，”Li说。“这是最具挑战的。”

For about a month this time each year, zodiac animals appear just about everywhere in China and many parts of Asia. They adorn the cash-filled red envelopes that are exchanged among families and friends, they feature in product packaging, advertising campaigns and promotional tie-ins and they loom over shopping mall entrances and public plazas in the form of sculptures and giant inflatable balloons.

每年这个时候，有大约一个月的时间，十二生肖中的动物形象会出现在中国和亚洲许多地方，例如家人朋友互赠的红包上，产品包装上，广告宣传和促销活动中，还有以雕塑和巨型气球的形式出现在购物中心入口和公共广场上。

tie-in 表示“相关产品（与某一电影、电视节目等有关的产品，如玩具或书籍）”，英文解释为“a product such as a toy or book that is related to a film, television programme, etc.”

表示“（令人担忧的或危险的情形或事件）可能发生；逐渐逼近”，英文解释为“If a worrying or threatening situation or event is looming, it seems likely to happen soon.”举个🌰：The threat of renewed civil war looms ahead. 新一轮内战的威胁在逼近。

plaza /ˈplɑːzə/ 1）表示“（城市建筑群中的）购物区，购物中心”，英文解释为“a group of buildings including shops, designed as a single development within a town”

2）表示“（西班牙语国家城镇中的）露天广场”，英文解释为“an open area or square in a town, especially in Spanish-speaking countries”

inflatable /ɪnˈfleɪ.tə.bəl/ 表示“可充气的”，英文解释为“able to be inflated”如：inflatable pillows/mattresses 充气枕头/床垫。

It's the biggest holiday on the calendar, and a time to ring up big sales.

这是日历上最重要的节日，也是商家赚取丰厚利润的好时候。

But it's tough to build a marketing campaign around a coldblooded, sometimes poisonous creature with no arms or legs.

但围绕一种冷血，有时有毒，没有胳膊也没有腿的生物开展营销活动是很困难的。

cold-blooded /ˌkəʊldˈblʌd.ɪd/ 表示“（动物）冷血的”，英文解释为“Cold-blooded animals can only control their body heat by taking in heat from the outside or by being very active.”举个🌰：Snakes and lizards are cold-blooded animals. 蛇和蜥蜴都是冷血动物。

poisonous /ˈpɔɪ.zən.əs/ 1）表示“有毒的，有害的”，英文解释为“very harmful and able to cause illness or death”如：poisonous chemicals 有毒化学物质。

2）表示“令人不快的；恶意的”，英文解释为“very unpleasant and unkind”举个🌰：He said some poisonous things to me. 他对我说了些恶毒的话。

“Who isn't afraid of snakes?” asked Zhang Xiaqing, out shopping in the eastern Chinese city of Yiwu. The 57-year-old, born in the Year of the Monkey, offered a tip: “As long as the snake doesn't look like a snake, then I'm not afraid.”

“谁不怕蛇？”在中国东部城市义乌购物的Zhang Xiaqing说。Zhang的建议是：“只要蛇看起来不像蛇，我就不怕。”Zhang属猴，今年57岁。

The years of the Dog, Sheep and Rabbit offer huggability. The pig has Peppa Pig to lend it cuteness and star power. Even the rat can bask in the reflected glory of Mickey Mouse. Cows have eyelashes.

狗年、羊年和兔年的动物形象都给人一种想抱抱的感觉。猪年有小猪佩奇(Peppa Pig)的可爱和明星效应加持。就连老鼠也能沾米老鼠的光。甚至牛也有长长的睫毛。

表示“沉浸在…中”，英文解释为“to take pleasure from something that makes you feel good”举个🌰：He basked in his moment of glory, holding the trophy up to the crowd. 他向观众高高举起奖杯，沉浸在荣耀之中。

eyelash /ˈaɪ.læʃ/ 表示“睫毛”，英文解释为“any of the short hairs that grow along the edges of the eye”如：long eyelashes 长长的睫毛。

For designers, the only options are extreme: Present the snake as a different, cuter animal dressed up in a snake outfit. Or go all the way and give the snakes arms, legs or ears. Lose the forked tongue. And definitely tone down the scaliness.

对设计师来说，要表现蛇这个生肖只有剑走偏锋：要么把蛇描绘成另一种穿着蛇形服装的可爱动物；要么彻底放开手脚，给蛇加上胳膊、腿或耳朵，去掉蛇的开叉舌头，当然还要淡化蛇的鳞片。

option /ˈɒp.ʃən/ 1）表示“选择，选项；选择权”，英文解释为“one thing that can be chosen from a set of possibilities, or the freedom to make a choice”举个🌰：The best option would be to cancel the trip altogether. 最好的选择是彻底取消这次行程。

2）表示“期权；未来购买权”，英文解释为“the right to buy something in the future”如：a share/stock option 股票期权。

outfit /ˈaʊt.fɪt/ 1）表示“全套服装，装束（尤指为某场合或目的）”（a set of clothes that you wear together, especially for a particular occasion or purpose）如：a wedding outfit 一套结婚礼服。

2）表示“组织；公司；团队；军事单位”，英文解释为“an organization, company, team, military unit, etc.”举个🌰：He has recently set up his own research outfit. 他最近建立了自己的研究队伍。

对比：

📍costume /ˈkɒs.tʃuːm/ 表示“（某国或某一历史时期或适合某种活动的）服装”，英文解释为“the set of clothes typical of a particular country or period of history, or suitable for a particular activity”

Forked tongue直译是“分叉的舌头”，通常用来形容蛇的舌头，因为蛇的舌头是分叉的。这个短语在英语中有时也用来比喻某人说话不诚实或具有欺骗性（类似于中文的“口是心非”或“两面派”）。

在上下文中，Lose the forked tongue的意思是“去掉分叉的舌头”。这里指的是设计师在设计蛇的形象时，为了让蛇看起来更可爱、更友好，可能会去掉一些传统上让人感到害怕或不舒服的特征，比如分叉的舌头。蛇的分叉舌头通常被认为是其独特但可能令人不安的特征之一，所以去掉它可以让蛇的形象更受欢迎。

In the Chinese literary tradition, the snake symbolizes wisdom, charisma and transformation. People born in a Year of the Snake are considered to be sensitive and wise—perceptively cunning. 

在中国文学传统中，蛇象征智慧、魅力和蜕变。蛇年出生的人被认为是敏感聪明的，洞察力强，足智多谋。

literacy /ˈlɪt.ər.ə.si/ 1）表示“识字；读写能力”，英文解释为“Literacy is the ability to read and write.”举个🌰：Many adults have problems with literacy and numeracy. 很多成年人有读写和计算的困难。

反义词：

📍illiteracy表示“文盲”（Illiteracy is the state of not knowing how to read or write.）

2）表示“（某领域或某方面的）知识，能力”，英文解释为“knowledge of a particular subject, or a particular type of knowledge”举个🌰：Computer literacy is becoming as essential as the ability to drive a car. 会用计算机与会开车一样将成为一种必备的技能。

英式 symbolise 美式 symbolize /ˈsɪm.bəl.aɪz/ 表示“象征，代表”，英文解释为“to represent something”举个🌰：The lighting of the Olympic torch symbolizes peace and friendship among the nations of the world. 点燃奥林匹克火炬象征着世界各国人民的和平与友谊。

charisma /kəˈrɪz.mə/ 表示“超凡的个人魅力；吸引力；超凡气质”，英文解释为“a special power that some people have naturally that makes them able to influence other people and attract their attention and admiration”举个🌰：On screen she had this great charisma so that you couldn't take your eyes off her. 在银幕上，她魅力非凡，让人无法将眼光从她身上移开。

cunning /ˈkʌn.ɪŋ/ 1）表示“狡猾的，狡诈的”，英文解释为“Cunning people are clever at planning something so that they get what they want, especially by tricking other people, or things that are cleverly made for a particular purpose.”如：a cunning plan/ploy 诡诈的计划/花招；

2）表示“吸引人的，迷人的”，英文解释为“pretty and attractive”如：a cunning little child/puppy/kitten 逗人喜爱的小孩/小狗/小猫。

The ancients imbued the animal with godly qualities, said Sam Tong, an associate curator at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Museum, calling attention to figures in Chinese mythology depicted with the face of a human and the body of a snake.

香港中文大学文物馆(Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Museum)助理馆长童宇说，古人赋予蛇神圣的品质，他提到中国神话中的人面蛇身形象。

imbue /ɪmˈbjuː/表示“使充满，灌输，激发（强烈感情、想法或价值”，英文解释为“to fill sb/sth with strong feelings, opinions or values”举个🌰：Her voice was imbued with an unusual seriousness. 她的声音里充满着一种不寻常的严肃语气。

curator /kjʊəˈreɪ.tər/ 表示“（博物馆、图书馆等的）馆长”，英文解释为“a person in charge of a museum, library, etc.”

mythology /mɪˈθɒlədʒɪ/ 表示“神话”，英文解释为“myths in general”举个🌰：She's fascinated by the stories of classical mythology (= ancient Greek and Roman myths). 她被古典神话故事迷住了。

But after snakes were grouped alongside scorpions, centipedes, toads and spiders in an axis of evil known as the “five poisons,” Tong said, the snake's public image took a dive.

但他表示，自从蛇与蝎子、蜈蚣、蟾蜍和蜘蛛一起被列入“五毒”后，蛇的公众形象就一落千丈了。

“It's human instinct—people are just afraid of snakes,” he said.

“这是人类的本能——人们就是害怕蛇，”他说。

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