双语阅读毕业舞会

1、双语阅读毕业舞会LisaPickinarrivedinstyleather2008high-schoolprominthismiddle-classtownanhoureastofLondon.ThestretchJeeplimo,lilacballgownandaccessoriescostherparentsaboutGBP550,or$1,080.Herupsweptblondcurlstookheraunttwohourstofashion.Britain,thelandofschooluniforms,rigorousexamsandivy-coveredschoolhalls,is

2、embracinganAmericaninvasion:thehigh-schoolprom.Britishteenagerssaythey'veseentheeventsinmovieslike'AmericanPie'andtelevisionshowssuchas'TheO.C.,'andtheywantthechancetodressupandrentlimousinesthemselves.ThatmeansanewreasonforBritonstoworryaboutthedilutionoftheirculture,anewburdeno

3、nparents'pocketbooks,andnewbusinessessellingpromessentialssuchastuxedosandcorsages.'It'sgettingmoreandmoreelaborate,'saysKeithRider,whomanagesabanquethallherethatmanyschoolshireforthebigdance.'I'm40andweneverhadanythinglikethiswhenweleftschool.'ManyAmericanadultscringewhe

4、ntheyremembertheunfortunatedressesandawkwarddatesfromtheirownproms.Britons,meanwhile,areadoptingthepromatitsmosttraditional,withpromqueensandkingsandprofessionalphotographersfavoringpastelbackdrops.Insomeschools,promsarereplacingmoremodestBritishtraditionslikethe'leaversdisco,'wherekidsturnu

5、pattheschoolgyminjeans.Recently,whenpartyingstudentsvandalizedcarsaftertheirprominatowninWales,residentscomplained,saysMartynPeters,anofficialofNeathPortTalbotcounty.Mr.PeterspassedonthecomplaintstotheheadoftheDwr-y-FelinComprehensiveSchool.'It'sanewthingthat'scomeoverfromAmerica,andalot

6、ofthecommunitydon'tbuyintoitatall,'Mr.Peterssays.Schoolofficialsdidn'trespondtorequestsforcomment.SueClarkeandherhusbandatfirstbalkedwhentheir16-year-oldson,Michael,beggedthemtorenthimabrightyellowLamborghiniplusdriverforpromnight.Buttheygaveinaftertheirsonpromisedtostudyharderinreturn.&

7、#39;Wedidn'thavepromsorthingslikethatwhenwewereyounger,'saysthe39-year-oldMs.Clarke,who,alltold,spent$1,180onMichael'sprom.Shesaysitwaswortheverybitofittoseehersonsohappy.Old-linedepartment-storechainJohnLewisaddedalineofpromdressesthisyear,andtuxedo-rentalstoresreportajumpinbusinessfrom

8、kidsthistimeofyear.RuthEckhardt,ownerofRuth,adressshopinLondon,importspromdressesfromtheU.S.becauseshecan'tfindBritishmakers.Aftercustomsduties,thedressesaremarkeduptoabout$275,fromabout$100intheU.S.Ms.EckhardtsaysshetravelstoU.S.tradeshowsfourtimesayeartopickoutthefrocks.Britain'svibrantcel

9、ebrityculturehelpsampuptheteens'promstyles.WeeklymagazinesfeaturephotosofAmericancelebritiesand'wags,'theBritishshorthandfor'wivesandgirlfriends'oflocalsoccerstars,whomakeheadlinesfortheiroutrageousclothingandshoppingsprees.AttheFurtherwickParkSchoolpromafewweeksago,onegroupofgir

10、lsrentedanoldfiretruckwithanoff-dutyfiremanatthewheel,rollingupas'GirlsJustWanttoHaveFun'blaredfromtheradio.AbbeyBenthampickedoutherhot-pinksequineddressseveralmonthsinadvance.Hersistercurledherhairandputinblondextensionsandasparklytiara.Her'bestboymate'askedhertobehisdate,shesaid.Th

11、egirlsandtheirclassmateswerecelebratingtheendofthe11thgrade,calledYear11inBritain.Acommitteeofabout10studentshelpedplanthedance,makinggoldpaperplacecardsandchoosingwhiteandgoldballoonsforthetables.Promticketswereabout$50.'OurteenagersdecidedtheywanttodowhattheAmericansdo.Theysawitinthefilmsandgo

12、tcaughtupinit,'saysKateSawyer,aFurtherwickParkteacherwhohelpedorganizeandchaperonetheprom.Butwithteensspendingsomuchontheevening,GeraldHaigh,aretiredheadmasterincentralEngland,sayshe's'alwaysbotheredabouttheoneswhoareexcludedbycost.'Mr.Haighwroteanarticlecriticizingpromexcessforanedu

13、cationWebsite,whereotherteachersalsopostedcomplaints.'Ghastlyimport.Conspicuousconsumptionandpointlessexcess,'readoneposting.Someschools,typicallythehistoricprivateones,calledpublicschoolsinBritain,aren'tgoingforproms.Instead,atHarrowSchool,foundedin1572,graduatingboyshaveablack-tie'

14、LeaversFeast'withtheirparentsintheschooldininghall.Theeveningendswithasing-alongofschoolsongslike'Ducker'and'FortyYearsOn'intheboys'boardinghouses.AroundthebeginningofJuneatEtonCollege,boysgatheronthebanksoftheThamestowatchclassmateswearingflower-festoonedstrawhatsrowpast.Pro

15、msintheU.S.beganinthe1930s,theinventionofteacherstryingtohelpyoungpeoplemakethetransitiontoadulthood,saysAmyBest,asociologistandexpertonyouthcultureatGeorgeMasonUniversityinFairfax,Va.Thedanceslargelyfelloutoffashioninthe1960sbutcamebackinthe1980sandremainpopular,shesays.PromsbegancrossingovertotheU

16、nitedKingdomseveralyearsagoandkeepgrowinginpopularity.RickyTurrell,aphotographerinsoutheastEngland,has54promsbookedthisyear.PromsarepracticallyadailyoccurrencesomewhereorotherinEnglandfromMay1tillwellintoJuly.TomKendall,16,saysAmericanTVshowssuchas'TheO.C.'andMTV's'MySuperSweet16'

17、;providea'fairytale'viewofdancesandpartiesthatBritishteenslike.'TheO.C.,'aFoxshownowinrerunsonBritain'sE4channel,chroniclesthelifeofaffluentteensinOrangeCounty,Calif.'MySuperSweet16'airsnearlyeverydayinBritain,showingteenspreparingforlavishbirthdayparties.Mr.Kendalland15f

18、riendsarrivedattheirprominahotelinSurreyinastretchHummer,rentedforabout$1,470.Alsopullingup:avintageRolls-Royce,fiveotherstretchHummers,sixstretchlimos,afiretruckemittingsoapbubblesandfakesmoke,andavintageTriumphwithaglovedchauffeurinamilitaryuniform.在伦敦以东一小时车程的一个中产阶级城镇，丽莎？皮金(LisaPickin)一身光鲜地现身2008年

19、高中毕业舞会。加长豪华吉普(Jeep)、淡紫色舞会礼服、各种饰物，这些花了她父母大约550英镑，相当于1,080美元。而朝上翘的金色卷发则是她姑姑两个小时的工作成果。清一色的校服、严格的考试、爬满常春藤的教学楼这是英国学校向来给人的印象。而如今，英国正在迎接一股美国潮流的入侵：高中毕业舞会。英国青少年称，在美国派(AmericanPie)和橘郡男孩(TheO.C.)等影视剧中看到高中毕业舞会的场景，他们也渴望有机会装扮一新，租一辆豪华名车去参加舞会。这意味着英国人又增加了一条担心本土文化被冲淡的理由，而家长们的钱包又多了一层负担，售卖男士晚礼服、女士花束等舞会必备品的新商店也纷纷冒出来了。“毕

20、业舞会越来越精细讲究了，”管理着一家宴会厅的基斯？赖(KeithRider)说。很多学校租用他的宴会厅举办毕业舞会。“我今年40岁了，我们当年毕业时可从来没有这个很多美国的成年人想起当年自己参加毕业舞会时那些不合适宜的服装以及跟异性尴尬的约会时，他们往往有些后怕。而英国人正在以最传统的方式引入这种舞会，舞会上会有舞王和舞后，专业摄影师布置出色调柔和的背景。在一些学校，毕业舞会正在取代相对实的传统毕业庆典，比如离校生迪斯科舞会(leaversdisco),这种舞会通常在学校体育馆里举行，孩子们穿着牛仔裤来参加。据下塔尔波特港(NeathPortTalbot)郡的官员马丁？彼得斯(MartynPe

21、ters)说，最近在威尔士一个镇上，一群开完晚会的学生损毁汽车，居民颇有怨言。彼得斯把居民的抱怨转达给了Dwr-y-FelinComprehensiveSchool学校的校长。“这是从美国过来的新玩意儿，但社区里很多人都不接受，”彼得斯说。学校负责人未对置评要求做出回复当休?克拉克(SueClarke)16岁的儿子迈克尔(Michael)央求着要租一辆配司机的亮黄色兰博基尼(Lamborghin)车去参加毕业舞会时，她和丈夫刚开始拒绝了，但后来儿子承诺会更努力学习以作为回报，夫妻俩就让步了。“我们年轻时可没有毕业舞会这样的东西，”39岁的克拉克太太说。她总共为迈克尔的舞会花了1,180美元。她

22、说，看到儿子这么高兴，什么都值了。老字号连锁百货公司JohnLewis今年增加了一系列毕业舞会服装。而男士晚礼服出租店也反映，今年这段时间小孩生意有所增加。伦敦服装店Ruth的店主露丝?埃克哈特(RuthEckhardt)从美国进口了一批毕业舞会服装，因为在英国找不到生产厂家。这些衣服加上关税后标价高达275美元左右，而在美国大概只卖100美元。埃克哈特说自己每年去美国四次参加交易展览会，在那里挑选服装。英国蓬勃的名人文化可以说为这股青少年舞会风潮起到了推波助澜的作用。周刊上刊登美国名人和英国球星的太太和女友的照片，这些人常常因夸张的衣着和疯狂购物而成为媒体头条。最近FurtherwickPa

23、rkSchool学校的毕业舞会上，一群女生租了一辆老救火车，由一名不当班的救火员驾驶，一路呼啸而来，收音机里传出女孩只想玩乐(JustWanttoHaveFun)的旋律。阿比？本瑟姆(AbbeyBentham)提前好几个月就选了一件带亮片的亮粉色礼服。姐姐帮她卷发，套上长长的金色假发，然后再戴上一个亮闪闪的头冠。她说，她“最好的男性搭档”邀请她做他的舞伴。女孩们和她们的同学正在庆祝11年级的结束，在英国称为“第11年”。十来个学生组成委员会，负责舞会的策划，他们用金色的卡片制作桌签，用白色和金色的气球来装点桌面。舞会门票每张大概要50美元。“我们这些青少年要仿效美国人的做法，他们是在电影里看到的，非常着迷，”帮忙组织监督舞会的FurtherwickPark学校的老师凯特？索耶(KateSawyer)说。英国中部一所学校的退休校长吉罗德？黑格(GeraldHaigh)说，这些十多岁的孩子为一个晚上花费如此高昂，他真"为那些因承担不起费用而被排斥在外的孩子担心”。黑格为一个教育网站撰写了一篇文章，批