CHARLOTTE: Miss Amelia, welcome.
MIA: Hi.
CHARLOTTE: Straight ahead to your left. Her Majesty is ready for you in the library.
CLARISSE: Charlotte, take notes, will you? Amelia, circle slowly so I can evaluate the work to be done. Amelia! Does your bad posture affect your hearing? Turn.
MIA: Oh, sorry.
CLARISSE: No, no, no. Slowly, turn. Slowly. Thank you. Well, carriage, obviously. Hairstyle. Complexion... Stop! Eyes...lovely...but hidden beneath bushman eyebrows. The neck is seemly. Ears... like her father.
MIA: Really? They are?
CLARISSE: Oh, my! Who has nails like these?
MIA: Everybody.
CLARISSE: Tomorrow I would like to see clean fingers. And you will wear stockings. Not tights, not socks. And I never want to see those shoes again. When walking in a crowd, one is under scrutiny all the time. So we don't slump, like this. We drop the shoulders, we think tall, wetuck under and transfer the weight from one foot to-- No. Princesses nevercross their legs in public. Why don't you just tuck one ankle behind the other and place the hands gracefully on the knees.
MIA: Aah!
CLARISSE: Charlotte, I think it's time for tea.
妙语佳句,活学活用
在这个片段中有非常多的口语用法,尤其是表示仪态的,我们来一一解释一下。
1. Straight ahead to your left.
直走,左手边拐进去。
2. Tights
指的是(女人的)紧身袜裤,就是Mia腿上穿的黑色中袜,例如:
I want a pair of tights to go with this sweater.
3. Under scrutiny
Scrutiny 指“观察,监督”。When walking in a crowd, one is under scrutiny all the time. 这句话的意思是“当我们走在人群中时,众人都在看着我们的一举一动”,意即皇室成员总是受到关注,因此更应该注意仪态。
4. Slump
指“耷拉着肩膀”,懒散地坐着,站着,给人一种萎靡、颓废的感觉,例如:I read defeat in the slump of his shoulders.
5. Think tall
Think tall 这里的意思是“be proud, walk with dignity”,要带着皇家的威严。
6. Drop the shoulders
就是“shoulders back”,挺胸,自然就不会耸肩了。
7. Tuck under
Tuck under 这里指的是“收下巴”,若是昂着下巴,就会显得不可一世。例如:He tucked his chin into his chest.
8. Cross one's legs
Cross one's legs 是指双腿交叉,既可以指中文里的“二郎腿”,也可以指中文里的“盘膝而坐”,总是凡是交叉着腿的,英文里都叫 cross one’s legs。例如:Jean sat with her legs crossed.