Part 4: Fashion/ Beauty
Situation 1: Her skin looks so baby smooth/ Da của cô ấy trông như trẻ con
When John tells Becky that the girl who sits several seats away is pretty, Becky seems to be a little jealous….
| John: | She’s really pretty, isn’t she? Her skin looks so baby smooth (mềm như da trẻ em) ! |
| Becky: | Well, it’s just that she puts lots of make-up on (trang điểm) her face. Actually, natural beauty comes from within. |
| John: | Ah, I can smell jealousy in the air (đánh hơi có mùi ganh tị)! |
| Becky: | She has nothing that deserves my jealousy. I don’t have to put things on my face and I still look pretty. Don’t you think so? |
| John: | Yeah, right! But what did you put on your face last night, those little greenish things? |
| Becky: | They’re cucumbers. They’re natural skin soothers, natural healers of the skin. Haven’t you heard them say on TV that…erh…they soften (làm mềm) the skin, wipe out the roughness (tẩy da chết), counter irritation (ngăn sưng tấy), and build strength (tăng cường) and resilience (tính đàn hồi)? |
| John: | Yeah, yeah, yeah! They wipe out (xóa) tight, tired feelings and remove lines and age signs (xóa nếp nhăn và dấu hiệu lão hóa). Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! See I can even recite it. |
| Becky: | That’s right! You’ve learned a lot, haven’t you? |
Situation 2: The razor burn is really irritating/ Vết đứt dao cạo này thật là đau rát
Storyline: John finds his razor burn irritating. So, he asks James for some advice..
| Jenny: | Oh, what happened to your face, John? It looks like a heat rash. |
| John: | It’s a razor burn. I cut myself when I shaved this morning. The burns and cuts are really irritating. |
| Jenny: | I know how you feel. Maybe you shouldn’t have grown a long, long beard. |
| John: | Well, I thought it would be fun and would make me look more mature (trưởng thành) and sophisticated (sành điệu). |
| Jenny: | Yeah, my Mature man! |
| John: | Any advice? |
| Jenny: | Maybe you could shave in the shower. The steam really helps soften your beard and moustache. |
| John: | Hm, sounds like a good idea. |
| Jenny: | And you should avoid pressing too hard or tugging (giật mạnh) on your skin while shaving. |
| John: | I guess I’ve been stretching it too often when I shave. |
| Jenny: | Hm. I would also suggest you try this cream I have. Use it on the affected area. It really helps moisturize (tăng độ ẩm) your skin and lessen irritations (giảm đau rát). |
Situation 3: It knocks out bacteria and stop inflammation/ Nó tiêu diệt vi khuẩn và chống viêm
John has athlete’s foot. His girlfriend Jenny recommends he use a cream to knock out the bacteria on his foot.
| John: | My toes feel very itchy (ngứa). It’s really irritating (rát). I don’t know what’s happening. |
| Jenny: | Let me take a look. Ah-huh, I think you have athlete’s foot. |
| John: | What are you talking about? I’m not an athlete! |
| Jenny: | Come on, John, stop joking. You’d better take care of it before it gets worse. Imagine you have pus (mủ) gushing out and rashes all over your legs…. |
| John: | Stop it, “Dr.” Jenny. |
| Jenny: | OK, OK. I guess I’ve got some cream for it. It really fixes skin in trouble (vấn đề về da). It’s really a help for irritations and blemishes (trị mụn). |
| John: | Is it this one? |
| Jenny: | Not really. That one is for heat burns. |
| John: | Have you had athlete’s foot before? |
| Jenny: | Yeah. It was a very bad experience. You know, if you don’t keep your feet dry and clean, the fungus (nấm) will grow and spread out (lan ra) quickly. |
| John: | So my case isn’t that bad, huh? |
| Jenny: | You’re lucky. Yeah, here it is. Now apply it to the affected areas. This cream is very effective in clearing out (tiêu diệt) bacteria and stopping inflammation from developing. |
Situation 4: Age has set in/ Đã đến tuổi
At night, as Mac is making the bed, Liz tells him that Connie is going to have plastic surgery (phẫu thuật thẩm mỹ). Mac is surprised and doesn’t seem to like Liz to do the same. However, Liz, influenced by Connie, has become increasingly self-conscious about (e ngại về) age signs in her face….
| Liz:
|
(In the bedroom. Mac is making the bed for sleep.) Mac, you know what? Connie’s going to get a face lift (nâng mặt). |
| Mac: | Oh? |
| Liz: | She even said she’d get the rest done (sẽ làm thẩm mỹ luôn cho các bộ phận còn lại), too! |
| Mac: | The rest? |
| Liz: | Yeah! Mac, if my breasts were saggy (chảy xệ), would you still love me? |
| Mac: | What? |
| Liz: | Answer my question, please! |
| Mac: | What a silly question! Love has nothing to do with breasts being large or small, or being firm (săn chắc) or saggy. |
| Liz: | I’m just asking. You don’t have to be impatient. |
| Mac: | And Connie. She’s crazy! No one can sustain youth (kéo dài tuổi thanh xuân) forever. |
| Liz: | Yeah. That’s what I told her. (Liz goes to the bathroom and locks herself in it. She looks into the mirror and starts murmuring (lẩm nhẩm) to herself.) Oh, I think I’m getting old (già rồi). The forehead (trán) is wrinkled (nhăn), the eyes are puffy (sưng húp), the sacks under the eyes (bọng mắt) are dark, and the skin is no longer as resilient (đàn hồi) as it was. Why! Age has set in! Maybe I also need a lift. Maybe, I need a new life! Oh, I really miss the good old days. At that time, my skin really felt so baby smooth! |
| Mac: | Liz. what’re you murmuring about? It’s getting late. You should’ve been in bed minutes ago…. |
Situation 5: I’m ready for a lift
In her mid-forties, Connie is becoming more and more concerned about wrinkles in her face. She wants to have plastic surgery to wipe out tired feelings. Her friend, Liz, on the other hand, is kind of reserved about (kín kẽ về) it….
| Connie: | Do you know anyone who’s had plastic surgery (phẫu thuật thẩm mỹ)? |
| Liz: | You mean like a breast enlargement (nâng ngực)? I don’t think that’s really necessary. That’s not the way a woman should stay attractive. |
| Connie: | Why not? Why can’t we go back to the way things were? |
| Liz: | Because! I don’t know! But, Connie, you wouldn’t do that, would you? |
| Connie: | Darned right I would! |
| Liz: | Maybe make-up would be enough? |
| Connie: | Come on, Liz. Be open-minded (cởi mở) ! Look at my eyes! They’re puffy. And my eyebags, they’re dark and loose and full of lines and circles. I really hope surgery can wipe out the tired feelings. |
| Liz: | But what would other people think? |
| Connie: | I don’t care what other people think. I’m ready for a lift. |
Situation 6: I suggest you get a facial for deep cleaning (dịch vụ làm đẹp và sạch da)
Julie is very upset about (bực bội về) her oily skin. So she asks Mary for advice….
| Julie: | Hi, Mary, I know you’re an expert in skincare. |
| Mary: | Well, I wouldn’t say that, but I do know something. So how can I help you? |
| Julie: | I think I have an oily skin and there’re always small bumps here and there on my face. How can I get rid of them? They’re really irritating! |
| Mary: | Well, I would suggest that you wash your face often. Every night you should rinse your face with lukewarm water, then pat it dry with a clean towel. Make sure you don’t rub it dry. Then you apply this cream to your face. |
| Julie: | Oh, this cream? |
| Mary: | Yeah. It’s pretty effective in wiping out poreclogging dirt and oil. It rids your face of dead cells and helps stimulate circulation. |
| Julie: | Wow! |
| Mary: | Oh, just use a small amount on the oily areas. Also, don’t rub it hard. Just dab it lightly. |
| Julie: | I’ll keep that in mind! |
| Mary: | Of course. Also, I would suggest you get a facial every four to six weeks for a deep cleaning. |
Situation 7: She is behind the times/ Cô ấy đi sau thời đại
| Julie: | Her dress looks funny. |
| Daniel: | I wouldn’t say that. It looks fine to me |
| Julie: | Are you kidding. She’s behind the times. That style went out last year. |
| Daniel: | Oh, come on, as long as it looks good on her. |
| Julie: | Wow, you’re really as out-dated (lỗi thời) as she is. |
| Daniel: | You’re darn right. I’m out of style (lỗi mốt). So what? What’s the point of keeping yourself in style? |
| Julie: | No wonder you never buy me a new dress. |
Situation 8: This ski parka has gone out this year/ Chiếc áo ấm trượt tuyết này đã qua đợt vào năm ngoái
| Connie: | Look at this catalog, John. The ski parka is on sale (đang giảm giá). |
| John: | What’s on your mind (Em nghĩ sao vậy)? You have one already. |
| Connie: | But I bought it a long time ago. |
| John: | Yeah right! One year is long!? |
| Connie: | You don’t understand! This was last year’s style. |
| John: | I think it still looks perfect even though it has gone out this year. |
| Connie: | That’s because you’re not a woman. |