MET Gala: Meet Chinese style!

Celebrities clad in ?Chinese?-inspired designs and accessories graced the red carpet at the 2015 Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala in New York on Monday night.
2015纽约大都会艺术博物馆时装馆慈善舞会(Met Gala)周一晚举行，身着中国风服饰的各界明星在红毯环节一展风采。

This year the gala(盛会), which is an annual fund-raising event for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, was held under the theme(主题)“China: Through the Looking Glass”(中国:镜花水月).The event sought to explore(探究) andcelebrate(庆祝) the influence of Chinese culture on fashion, painting, films and art.

Chinese people across the Pacific Ocean also had a good time, not only(不仅) because there suddenly popped up a group of Chinese stars they are familiar with, but also(而且) for American singer Rihanna’s yellow, fur-trimmed cape, which stole the show. In Chinese culture, yellow symbolizes(象征) prestige(声望), good luck(好运) and power(权力).

Netizens(网友) couldn’t help but link this fur-trimmed cape(毛皮斗篷） to “Jian Bing”(煎饼), a traditional breakfast in north China. Those creative enough even made some quite “yummy” Internet memes with the dress, mixing it with photos of jian bing and pizza.

重点词汇 Key Words:

主题 zhǔ tí 
theme/topic

• 大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。
  The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.
• 这部小说的主题之一是爱国主义。
  One of the major themes of the novel is patriotism.
• 你的发言偏离了我们讨论的主题。
  Your talk is aside from the topic of our disussion.

象征 xiàng zhēng 
symbolize/signify/symbol/emblem/emblematize

• v. 
  火炬象征光明。
  A torch symbolizes the brightness (of the future).
• n.
  我经常用向日葵来作为力量的象征。 
  I frequently use sunflowers as symbols of strength.

不仅......而且......bù  jǐn ......ér qiě ......
Not only... but also......

• 他不仅才华横溢，而且深受同事的喜爱。
  He was not only talented but also immensely popular with his colleagues.
• 儿童电视节目不仅有娱乐性而且还有教育意义。
  Children's television not only entertains but also teaches.
• 不仅你,而且我也准备去.
  Not only you but also I am planning to go

煎饼 jiān bǐng
With quite a long history, "jian bing" is a kind of Chinese pancake that is usually sold as a fast breakfast food on the streets. When presented to customers, the thin pancake is rolled over with a deep-fried dough stick and some tailor-made condiments placed inside. It is prepared on the spot at the request of the buyer.