英语阅读与欣赏.ppt

辽宁大学博士研究生教材 辽宁大学公共基础学院 Chapter I I The Beauty Industry （美容用品业） Aldous Huxley (1894 – 1963), British novelist, essayist, poet, and playwright, was the grandson of the famous biologist Thomas Henry Huxley and the brother of the scientist Julian Huxley. He wrote brilliant essays, and earned his early reputation as a satirist. Popularity of Beauty Industry The one American industry unaffected by the general depression of trade is the beauty industry. American women continue to spend on their faces and bodies as much as they spent before the coming of the slump （暴跌）— about three million pounds a week. These facts and figures are “official” and can be accepted as being substantially true(大致属实 ). Reading them， I was only surprised by the comparative smallness of the sums expended. Popularity of Beauty Industry Still，one hundred and fifty-six million (一亿五千六百万 ) pounds a year is a tidy sum (不小的数目 ). Rather more than twice the revenue of India，if I remember rightly. Popularity of Beauty Industry I do not know what the European figures are. Much smaller undoubtedly. Europe is poor，and a face can cost as much in upkeep as a Rolls-Royce. The most that the majority of European women can do is just to wash and hope for the best (听天由命 ). Perhaps the soap will produce its loudly advertised effects (大肆宣扬的效果 )； Popularity of Beauty Industry perhaps it will transform them into the likeness of those ravishing（令人陶醉的） creatures who smile so rosily and creamily (红润白嫩 )， so peachily (艳如桃李 ) Pearlily (美若珠玑 )， from every hoarding（广告招贴牌）. Perhaps， on the other hand， it may not. Popularity of Beauty Industry In any case，the more costly experiments in beautification are still as much beyond most European means as are high-powered motor-cars and electric refrigerators. Even in Europe， however， much more is now spent on beauty than was ever spent in the past. Not quite so much more as in Amer