Parents of a Tokyo elementary school are up in arms1 at being asked to pay $730 for their childrens school uniforms.
A public elementary school in Tokyos upmarket2 Ginza district has decided to adopt new school uniforms designed by the luxury Italian designer Armani. The bespoke3 uniforms, which include a hat and bag, are priced at over $730 each.
Parents are angry at the schools decision and are protesting4 at the exorbitant5 price for a uniform of an eight-year-old child. The school said it wanted a designer uniform that represented the rich area of Ginza. School officials visited top department stores and decided to ask the fashion brand Armani to design the uniform.
The expensive uniform has created such a fuss6 that it has been discussed in Japans parliament7. One lawmaker said that since the school is public and not private, “a certain price range needs to be considered”. Finance Minister Taro Aso said, “Clearly its expensive. It would be tough if a student could not afford to pay for it.” Japans education minister said steps would be taken to ensure the financial burden placed on parents for uniforms“would not be excessive8”. Twitter users said young children are not interested in designer clothes. The school principal said, “With humility, I take the criticism. I will go on explaining carefully to those concerned.”
東京一所小學(xué)的家長正因被要求為孩子購買730美元的阿瑪尼校服而大動肝火。
東京高檔區(qū)域銀座的一所小學(xué)決定采用新校服,這種新校服是由奢華的意大利品牌“阿瑪尼”設(shè)計的。定制的校服還包括一頂帽子和一個書包,每套校服價格超過了730美元。
家長們對學(xué)校的決定很憤怒,他們正在抗議8歲兒童的校服的過高價格。校方稱,學(xué)校想要一套由設(shè)計師專門設(shè)計的,代表銀座這個富裕地區(qū)的校服。學(xué)校官員參觀了高端百貨商店,決定讓時尚品牌阿瑪尼設(shè)計校服。
天價校服引發(fā)了不安,日本國會就此進行了討論。一名立法者稱:“既然學(xué)校是公立而非私立的,應(yīng)該考慮價格區(qū)間?!比毡矩攧?wù)大臣麻生太郎稱:“很明顯,校服價格過高。如果學(xué)生買不起就麻煩了?!比毡疚牟靠茖W(xué)省大臣稱,他們將采取措施,確保家長買校服的經(jīng)濟負擔“不至于過大”。推特用戶稱青少年對專門設(shè)計的服裝不感興趣。校長表示:“我將謙虛地接受批評,并繼續(xù)向關(guān)注此事者詳細解釋?!?/p>
Notes:
1. be up in arms 竭力反對
2. upmarket adj. 高檔的;高級的
3. bespoke adj. 定做的
4. protest vi. 抗議;斷言
5. exorbitant adj. (要價等)過高的
6. fuss n. 大驚小怪;小題大作;忙亂
7. parliament n. 議會,國會
8. excessive adj. 極度的;過分的