MELISSA: So, do university students in Taiwan dress like the students you see here?

SOPHIE: Yes, it's similar. But I'm still surprised.

MELISSA: Why?

SOPHIE: It's even more casual here. In Taiwan, clothes styles used to be more formal.

But now people are dressing more like Americans, more sloppy.

MELISSA: I've been in Madison almost ten years now.

Actually, now, in 1999, people dress a little better than before.

SOPHIE: Really?

MELISSA: Yes, in 1991, for example, clothes styles were even sloppier.

SOPHIE: Why do you think that is?

MELISSA: Well, you know about the 60s in America.

There was a kind of social revolution. There were many hippies.

SOPHIE: Yes, I know about the hippies.

It was a movement of people who rejected capitalist society.

MELISSA: The hippies dressed in very casual ways.

And they influenced all the later generations, so clothes are more casual.

If you look at clothing styles in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s,

you will see they are closer to the style of the hippies. But now, styles have changed a little.

SOPHIE: Maybe they are more conservative now.

MELISSA: I don't know if conservative is the right word. They are just different.

SOPHIE: If you came to Taiwan, you would be surprised, I think.

MELISSA: Why?

SOPHIE: You would see most people dress very well. Not university students.

But working people rather. Many working people in Taiwan spend a lot of money on clothes.

MELISSA: They dress better than Americans?

SOPHIE: Yes. Or at least we Taiwanese think so.

But sometimes I think Taiwanese are too concerned with their clothes.

They spend too much money. Especially women.

MELISSA: I'd like to go sometime. I'd like to see how women dress there.

SOPHIE: Well, if you have a break, I'd be happy to have you stay at our place in Taipei.

I think you'd have a good time there.

MELISSA: That's a very hospitable offer. I'm tempted to take you up on it.

茉莉莎：臺灣的大學(xué)生穿得和這里的學(xué)生一樣嗎?

蘇菲：差不多，但是我還是驚訝。

茉莉莎：為什么?

蘇菲：這里穿得比較隨便，臺灣服裝的樣式比較正式。

但是現(xiàn)在都穿得跟美國人一樣，比較隨便。

茉莉莎：我在麥迪遜快十年了。

事實上，1999 年的現(xiàn)在，大家穿得比以前好。

蘇菲：真的嗎?

茉莉莎：是的，例如1991年的服裝樣式就比現(xiàn)在還要隨便。

蘇菲：你認(rèn)為那是為什么?

茉莉莎：大約在美國的六十年代。

有一個社會運動，出現(xiàn)很多嬉皮士。

蘇菲：我知道嬉皮士。

那是人們抗拒資本社會的運動。

茉莉莎：嬉皮士都穿得很隨便。

他們影響到后來的幾代，因此穿著變得比較隨便。

如果你注意七十、八十和九十年代早期，

你會發(fā)現(xiàn)那時的穿著都跟嬉皮士的風(fēng)格很接近。但是現(xiàn)在的樣式稍微改變了一點。

蘇菲：或許現(xiàn)在比較保守。

茉莉莎：我不知道是不是保守，但它們就是不一樣了。

蘇菲：如果你到臺灣來，一定會驚訝。

茉莉莎：為什么?

蘇菲：你會看到大部份的人都穿得很漂亮，不只大學(xué)生，

上班族也是。臺灣很多上班族花很多錢在服裝上。

茉莉莎：他們穿得比美國人好看嗎?

蘇菲：是的，至少我們臺灣人這么認(rèn)為。

但是有時我覺得臺灣人過分關(guān)心穿著了。

花費太大，特別是女人。

茉莉莎：改天我想去看看那邊的女人都怎么穿。

蘇菲：如果有機(jī)會的話，我很樂意接待你們來臺北住我們家。

你會玩得很愉快的。

茉莉莎：那真是好客的提議，我忍不住誘惑要你這么做了。