比奧巴馬國情諮文更樂觀的 是米歇爾的裙子大綱

They said it was going to be nontraditional — and it was (relatively speaking). They said it was going to be optimistic — and it was.

他們說會不合傳統——（相對而言）確實如此。他們說會很樂觀——確實如此。

They (representatives at the White House press office) were referring, of course, to the substance of President Obama’s final State of the Union address Tuesday night, though that is not, as it happens, what I am referring to; I am referring to the optics that framed it. Specifically, the marigold sheath Michelle Obama wore, which pretty much put her wardrobe where his message was, capping seven years of highly effective sartorial politics.

他們（白宮新聞辦公室的代表）指的當然就是奧巴馬總統本週二晚上最後一次發表的國情諮文演講，但我指的卻不是；我指的是映襯它的視覺效果。具體來說，是米歇爾·奧巴馬(Michelle Obama)穿的那條金盞花色直裙，基本上就是用她的衣服來傳達他的信息，爲七年來卓有成效的服飾政治畫上了點睛一筆。

Yes, there were more important things to think about than a dress on Tuesday. But if you believe this highly social-media-aware administration — the one that previewed the evening’s speech on Facebook — did not calculate the subliminal signals that the two protagonists might send via every means possible on one of the most public, closely watched evenings of the year, well, I’ve got a birther for you to meet.

是的，本週二有比衣服更重要的事情要思考。但是，如果你認爲這屆具有高度社交媒體意識的政府——這個在Facebook上預演當晚講話的政府——沒有考慮過在一年之中最爲萬衆矚目的夜晚，兩大主角會通過一切可能的手段發送什麼樣的潛意識信號，那麼你就得長長見識了。

Especially because the dress was impossible to miss, thanks to its bright hue, identified by its designer, Narciso Rodriguez, as marigold, but labeled by Twitter observers, as, variously, mango, mustard and orange Starburst. It was just as impossible to miss the fact that it telegraphed a mood that was unquestionably upbeat and sunny. Indeed, it was the brightest dress the first lady had worn to a State of the Union since 2012, when she appeared in bright blue Barbara Tfank, and a notable contrast to the last State of the Union, where she wore a zipped-up sober gray skirt suit by Michael Kors — and the dimensions were multiple.

特別是因爲你不可能無視這條連衣裙，這要歸功於它的明亮色調，設計師納西索·羅德里格斯(Narciso Rodriguez)稱其爲金盞花色，但Twitter上的觀察人士對它的稱呼多種多樣，芒果、黃芥末和橙子軟糖。你也不可能無視這樣一個事實：它毫無疑問地展示着樂觀和快樂的情緒。事實上，這是自2012年那件亮藍色的芭芭拉·範可(Barbara Tfank)連衣裙之後，第一夫人在國情諮文之夜穿着的最鮮豔的連衣裙，與去年形成了鮮明對比，去年她穿了一套邁克·高仕(Michael Kors)拉鍊式素淨灰色裙裝——並且是有多個解讀維度的。

The designer, after all, is Cuban-American; a fitting (no pun intended) nod to the resumption of diplomatic relations between the countries that is part of her husband’s legacy, as well as to the American fashion industry, for which she has been a notable booster. Though the dress was originally priced at $2,095 on , then reduced to $628, it is now sold out.

畢竟，這條連衣裙的設計師是古巴裔美國人；這是對古巴和美國恢復外交關係的一種妥帖的（無雙關含義）致意——那是她丈夫的政治成果之一；同時也是對美國時尚業的認可（奧巴馬伕人一直是美國時尚業的重要支持者）。在上，這條連衣裙最初標價2095美元（約合人民幣1.4萬元），後來降到628美元，現已售罄。

As it happens, Mr. Rodriguez has been a favorite of Mrs. Obama’s since the first campaign, when she wore a red and black dress he made for election night. She wore his burgundy dress to her husband’s first State of the Union in 2009. Then, as now, the dress was sleeveless. Then, as now, the first lady’s sculpted arms were on display. Then, people freaked out a little (sleeveless! in February!), and she did not go sleeveless again to the annual speech until 2013. Now, no one blinked. Though, judging by the votes of Twitter approval, they did seem to smile.

實際上，從奧巴馬第一次競選活動開始，羅德里格斯的作品就是奧巴馬伕人的最愛之一，她在那次大選之夜穿着的紅黑相間連衣裙就是羅德里格斯製作的。2009年奧巴馬第一次發表國情諮文的時候，她也穿着羅德里格斯的酒紅色連衣裙。當時和現在一樣，連衣裙是無袖的。當時和現在一樣，第一夫人線條分明的胳膊展示了出來。當時人們有點震驚（無袖！2月份！），此後一直到2013年，她再也沒有在國情諮文之夜穿着無袖服裝。現在，沒有人大驚小怪了。不過，從Twitter上的贊成投票來看，他們似乎在微笑。

Progress, of a kind.

這也是一種進步。