According to these news items, economically independent women, like the ones seen on Sex and City1 , are no longer waiting for a man to buy them a rock for the ring finger of their left hand. Married or not, they are buying their own diamonds, and wearing them on the right hand as a symbol of their independence. Sales of rings are indeed up, but not for all ( and maybe none ) of this should be traced to a new wave in feminist thinking.

　　In fact, the trend can be traced to September 2003 , when the giant De Beers2 diamond company launched a massive advertising campaign across the US called“Women of the World, Raise Your Right Hand”. According to the ads, which appear in top-end magazines such as Vogue , wearing a diamond on the right hand means you are independentand free .

　　Obviously, the idea is to get well-paid women to buy their own diamonds, something they traditionally do not do. But in recent months Sarah Jessica Parker3 , from Sex and the City, has been spotted with monster-sized right-hand ring, as has newly separated Halle Berry.

　　The idea of using feminism to sell stuff to women is not new. Before cigarette advertising was banned, Virginia Slims4 tried, through advertising, to link smoking with female independence. It worked: more women took up the habit.

　　The De Deers campaign is also working. In a recent magazine article , writer Hermione Eyre announced the“beginning of a revolution”in the diamond trade, saying:“( The ads) mark the creation of the Me-ring, as brilliant and expensive as an engagement ring, only symbolizing independence, not alliance. It is a token of love from you to yourself. ”

　　The New York Times has also weighed in5 , declaring the right-hand ring finger the “ bling finger”(“bling”being the name given to the oversized , shiny jewellery that rap6 stars wear) .

　　Not everybody is impressed. Erika Katz , who runs a jewellery design business from her website , declares the right-hand ring campaign“ so stupid ”, especially the line that says“Your Left Hand Says‘We’. Your Right Hand Says‘Me’. ”“ I’m married. I never stopped being who I was because I got married , ”Ms Katz said.

　　But not everybody agrees. Women of the world are putting out their right hands, with credit cards attached. Maybe it proves only one thing: men can ’t tell these women what to do, but marketers certainly can.

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　　練習題：

　　Ⅰ. Complete th e se ntences according to th e p assage :

　　1. to the news items, independent women like the ones seen on Sex and the City are waiting for a man to buy them a ring.

　　2. The idea is to get women to buy their own diamonds, something they do not do.

　　3. The ads the creation of the Me-Ring, as brilliant and expensive as an engagement ring, only independence , not .

　　4. The New York Times has also , declaring the right-hand ring finger the “bling finger”.

　　Ⅱ. True o r Fa lse :

　　1. In the United States right now, you can find articles or ads about the right-hand diamond ring.

　　2. According to the ads, wearing a diamond means independent and free.

　　3. It is quite original to use feminism to sell stuff to women.

　　4. It is unanimously agreed that right-hand ring campaign is wise and brilliant.

　　5. Marketers can persuade women to purchase diamond more effectively than man can do.

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　　參考答案

　　Ⅰ. 1. According / economically / no longer

　　2 . well-paid / traditionally

　　3. mark / symbolizing / alliance 4 . weighed in

　　Ⅱ. 1. T 2. F 3 . F 4 . F 5. T

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　　參考譯文：

　　買個鉆戒給自己

　　右 手戴戒指是新的女性獨立宣言。眾所周知, 只要記者們開始報道某些廣告戰, 這些廣告的目的就達到了。時下在美國, 你一翻開雜志就能看到“ 最新首飾時尚”——— 右手戴鉆戒。

　　據 這些新聞報道, 像電視劇《欲望城市》中的女人們一樣, 經濟獨立的女性不再等待男人給她們買鉆戒, 戴在左手的無名指上。無論有沒有結婚, 她們自己買鉆戒戴在右手, 以示獨立。戒指的銷量的確上升了, 但這不完全意味著新一輪的女權主義思潮又將抬頭, 甚至完全沒有這層意思。

　　事實上, 這一時尚始于2003 年9 月, 鉆石巨頭戴比爾斯公司在美國發起的一個名為“ 世界的女人, 舉起你的右手”的廣告大戰。根據這個登在諸如《時尚》等一流雜志上的廣告, 右手戴鉆戒意味著你很獨立和自由。

　　顯然, 他們目的在于讓高收入的婦女為自己購買鉆戒, 而按傳統習慣, 她們不會這樣做。但最近幾個月,《欲望城市》的主角沙拉· 杰西卡· 帕克被發現在右手戴了一個巨大的戒指, 剛剛離婚的哈利· 貝瑞也是。

　　用女權主義的觀念向女人兜售產品并不新鮮。香煙廣告被禁以前, 維珍妮通過廣告將吸煙和女性獨立聯系起來。這一招果然見效, 更多女性開始抽煙。

　　戴比爾斯的廣告也奏效。最近, 在雜志上的一篇文章中, 作家赫爾邁厄尼· 愛爾宣布一場鉆石貿易革命的開始。他說:“ 這一廣告標志‘ 我的戒指’的產生, 這個戒指和結婚戒指一樣華麗和昂貴, 只是它意味獨立, 而非聯姻。它是自己愛自己的信物。”

　　《紐約時報》也推波助瀾, 稱右手戴戒指的那只手指為“ 聚寶指”( blin g 是用來形容說唱明星們佩戴的奢華珠寶) 。

　　并非每個人都為之所動。經營網上珠寶設計生意的伊瑞卡· 卡茲, 認為宣傳右手戒指的特大型廣告宣傳活動“ 很愚蠢”, 尤其是那句“ 你的左手代表‘ 我們’, 右手代表‘ 我’”的廣告詞。她說:“ 我結婚了。但我從來沒有因為結婚, 就變得不是自己了。”

　　并非所有的人都同意。全世界的婦女正伸出她們握著信用卡的右手。這也許只能證 明一件事: 男人們沒法指使這些女人, 但銷售商人可以。