First Lady
Jacqueline began working on an image for the Administration2 the moment she and President John F. Kennedy moved into the White House. She thought everything through3 — especially how things looked.
Take, for instance, the many photographs of the family at play, which appeared in magazines like Life, Look and The Saturday Evening Post. Seemingly casual, some of them were in fact professionally lit4, and the people in them styled, made-up and posed. “She was aware of what the camera did for the children, and for the family,” says Jacques Lowe, a photographer who worked with Mrs. Kennedy.
All of her efforts at creating a Kennedy image came together in the 1962 television tour of the White House. One-third of the nation was watching that night — 56 million people. The special, which won Jacqueline an Emmy Award, displayed her meticulous5 restoration of the Executive Mansion. But it was the First Lady, not the glorious Empire style of the refreshed Red Room, that riveted6 the nation. “I remember watching and listening to Mrs. Kennedy more than thinking about the White House,” Barbara Bush later said in an interview.
In the Fashion
“I feel as though I have turned into a piece of public property,” Mrs. Kennedy told an acquaintance7 in early 1961. During the Presidential campaign the previous summer and autumn, the press and the public focused intently on the young Mrs. Kennedy. And small wonder: no candidate's wife in living memory had looked so good. The blunt cut of her hair, the clean, simple lines of her brightly colored clothing —American women craved8 the Jackie Look.
Department stores began using models and drawings in ads that looked like Jacqueline. A movie magazine offered advice on “How to Be Your Town's Jackie Kennedy,” with penny-wise9 advice on copying her look. The scrutiny10 became so intense that Jacqueline realized she needed help from a professional. She wrote to Oleg Cassini, a family friend who had once been one of Hollywood's top costume designers, “I refuse to have Jack's Administration plagued11 by fashion stories of a sensational nature.” Cassini recalled his first meetings with Mrs. Kennedy, when they worked out what she would wear at her husband's swearing-in12: “She asked me to come meet with her in her Georgetown University Hospital room just days after she gave birth to [John], two months before the Inauguration13. All the other women [would be wearing] furs, looking like bears. My concept was to make her look divinely simple—a beige14 coat and hat. She came out, and was instantly distinct.”
“Immediately a style was established. It was not a French look, not an American look, but a Jackie Look. She said to me, 'You dress me perfectly for the role.' For the role! And what was the role? First Lady of the country. ”
Role Model15
On Friday morning, November 22, 1963, Jacqueline put on a Chanel16 suit in the rooms she shared with the President at the Texas Hotel in Fort Worth. The President, Mrs. Kennedy told friends later, had chosen the suit for her.
Within hours, the pink wool jacket and skirt had become a part of history. Mrs. Kennedy wore the suit through L.B.Johnson's swearing-in ceremony, on the long, sad flight back to Washington, and finally for the return to the White House.
Jacqueline decided to hold the President's funeral at St. Matthew's and have him buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Jacqueline stood firm. Familiar as it is, footage17 of her long walk behind the riderless horse, Black Jack, a pair of boots tucked backward into the stirrups18, has lost none of its awful majesty. Recalling Mrs. Kennedy, and the dignity she showed, French President Charles de Gaulle said, “She gave the whole world an example of how to behave.”
Caring Mother
From the time they were toddlers19 until they left home, Mrs. Kennedy's children were her priority. Caroline and John drew nearly as much curiosity as their parents. “I think it's hard enough to bring up children anyway, and everyone knows that limelight20 is the worst thing for them. They either get conceited, or else they get hurt,” Jacqueline said. “They need their mother's affection and guidance, and long periods of time alone with her. That's what gives them security in an often confusing new world.”
She relished21 the role of everyday mom. For Caroline and her classmates, Jackie managed to get hold of a pregnant22 rabbit so that the children could all anticipate the arrival of a litter23 of bunnies24. Recalled Kennedy friend and historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., “On Halloween25 evening in 1962, the doorbell rang. When my fourteen-year-old daughter opened the door to the trick-or-treaters26, she found a collection of small hobgoblins27 leaping up and down. After a moment a masked mother in the background called out that it was time to go to their next house. It was, of course, Jackie.”
Said family friend Fred Papert: “She raised her kids so that all three locked onto each other in a way that families almost never do. They needed one another. They all came through for one another. She really liked them as friends, and so they did her.”
Marriage with Onassis
Many people reacted with astonishment when Jacqueline married Greek shipping tycoon28 Aristotle Onassis in October 1968, just four months after the assassination29 of Robert Kennedy. She was 39. He was in his sixties. What was she thinking?
In fact, Onassis had been a Kennedy family acquaintance for years. Rose Kennedy, JFK's mother, gave Jacqueline her blessing. Jacqueline later said: “When I married Ari, she of all people was the one who encouraged me—who said, 'He's a good man.'” One thing Onassis also offered was security. “He was a source of refuge and protection,” said her brother-in-law Senator Edward Kennedy. “I think she felt safe with him.”
Transformed from the Widow Kennedy to Jacqueline O, she became a sort of irreverent30, naughty figure in the American imagination. She withdrew, but people still wanted to see what she was up to31. Photographers from all over the world obliged32, once even taking pictures of her sunbathing with no suit on.
The marriage grew cooler as the years went on, and Onassis went into a slump33 after the death of his son, Alexander, in 1973. Two years later, he was dead. Jackie and Ari were together for just seven years. For her, it was a healing interval. “Aristotle Onassis rescued me,” she said, “at a moment when my life was engulfed34 with shadows.”
Quiet Late Years
The period that began in September 1975, now 46, was perhaps the happiest time of Jacqueline's life. She was doing exactly what she wanted—and not what parents, husbands, family, friends and the public expected. Says Doubleday colleague and friend Lisa Drew: “Part of the joy of publishing is that you learn from every book. Much was made in the press about how she got her own coffee and did her own Xeroxing35. It wasn't a big deal36, but it was written about as if a miracle had occurred. It amused us how people outside were dazzled by this celebrity. Brighter, funnier, nicer than many, yes—but she was just another person.”
In February 1994, when she was 64, it was announced that the former First Lady had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma37, often a treatable form of cancer. Unfortunately, she passed away on May 19.
第一夫人
自杰奎琳和约翰·肯尼迪总统搬入白宫的那一刻起，她就着手为总统班子塑造一个全新的执政形象。她对每一件事都考虑得十分周详——尤其关注形象工程。
比如那些出现在《生活》、《瞧》和《周六晚邮报》等杂志上的许多有关总统一家娱乐的照片。它们看上去很随意，但有些照片是专业人士指点的结晶，里面的人物都经过时尚打扮、化妆以及造型设计。“她很清楚镜头对孩子们、对家庭意味着什么，”曾为肯尼迪一家拍过照的摄影师雅克·罗伊说。
她为创造肯氏新形象而付出的所有努力集中体现在1962年对白宫的电视采访中。那天晚上全国有三分之一的人——5600万——观看了该节目。这个为杰奎琳赢得一项艾美奖的特别节目展示了在她精细入微的主持下所恢复的总统府原貌。然而国人所关注的焦点却是第一夫人，而不是焕然一新的“红屋子”那富丽堂皇的帝国风范。“我记得自己更多地在观察肯尼迪夫人和她的讲话，而较少留意白宫，”芭岜拉·布什事后在一次采访中说。
引领时尚
“我感到自己似乎变成了一件公共物品，”肯尼迪夫人在1961年初对一个熟人说。在上一年度夏秋进行的总统大选中，新闻媒体和公众都把目光聚焦于年轻的肯尼迪夫人。这也难怪：在当时人们的记忆中，还没有哪位总统候选人的夫人如此光彩照人。钝圆的发式，色彩鲜艳、线条简洁清爽的服装——美国妇女对这种“杰基式的仪表”梦寐以求。
百货商店开始在广告上使用形似杰奎琳的模特和画像。一本电影杂志提供了“如何成为你那个城镇的杰基·肯尼迪”的建议，告诉人们怎样既节约开支又能模仿她的仪表。公众对她的注目程度如此之高，使杰奎琳意识到她需要专业人士的帮助。她在给家庭朋友、曾经是好莱坞顶尖服装设计师的奥莱格·卡西尼的信中说，“我不愿看到杰克的执政因这类轰动一时的时装报道而徒添烦扰。”卡西尼回忆了他初见肯尼迪夫人的情形，当时他们想办法解决了她在丈夫就职典礼上的着装问题：“她请我到乔治敦大学医院的产房同她见面，当时她才生下[约翰]几天，离就职仪式还有两个月。其他所有的女士都[将穿着]毛皮外套，看上去像熊一样。我的想法是让她看起来超凡脱俗地简朴——一件米黄色外衣和一顶帽子。她一露面就显得与众不同。”
“顷刻间一种时尚诞生了。它既不是法国式的，也不是美国式的，它是杰基式的着装风格。她对我说，‘你为我设计的式样非常适合我的角色。’适合角色！什么角色？国家第一夫人。”
公众模范
1963年11月22日星期五的早上，在福特—沃斯市的得克萨斯饭店她与总统共住的房间里，杰奎琳穿上了一套香奈尔女服。肯尼迪夫人后来告诉朋友们，这套服装是总统为她挑选的。
在几小时内，那套粉红的羊毛短上衣和裙子就成为历史的一部分。肯尼迪夫人穿着这套服装参加了林顿·约翰逊的就职仪式，度过了飞回华盛顿那漫长而忧伤的旅程，最后又穿着它回到白宫。
杰奎琳决定在圣马太教堂举行总统的葬礼，然后把他安葬在阿灵顿国家公墓。杰奎琳坚强地挺了过来。她跟在无人骑坐的黑驹“杰克”后面缓缓行走、一双靴子倒插在马镫里——这段镜头永不失其尊贵与威严，人们至今记忆犹新。当忆起肯尼迪夫人和她所表现出的尊严时，法国总统查尔斯·戴高乐说，“她向全世界树立了一个仪态举止的榜样。”
慈母
从蹒跚学步到离家自立，孩子们一直是肯尼迪夫人生活中最重要的部分。卡罗琳和约翰吸引了几乎和父母亲一样多的好奇目光。“我想把孩子们养大成人是很不容易的事，大家都知道对他们来说成为众人瞩目的中心是最糟糕的事情。他们要么变得高傲自负，要么会受到伤害，”杰奎琳说，“他们需要母亲的爱和指导，需要和她长期独自呆在一起。在一个使人往往感到迷惑的新世界，这种做法能给他们带来安全感。”
她从平凡母亲的角色中享受乐趣。她为卡罗琳和她的同学们设法弄到一只怀孕的兔子，让孩子们都期待一窝兔子宝宝的降生。肯尼迪家族的朋友兼历史学家小阿瑟·西莱辛格回忆道：“1962年的万圣节前夕，门铃响了。当我14岁的女儿打开门迎接恶作剧的小鬼们时，她看到一群蹦蹦跳跳的小妖怪。过了一会儿，背后一个戴着面具的母亲喊叫着，说该到下一家去了。当然喽，那就是杰基。”
另一位家庭朋友弗雷德·帕勃特说：“她对孩子们精心养育，使娘仨紧紧地拴在一起，很少有家庭能做得到。他们彼此需要，为了彼此而历经艰难地活下去。她真正像对待朋友那样喜欢他们，他们对她同样如此。”
远嫁船王
1968年10月，罗伯特·肯尼迪[约翰·肯尼迪之兄]遇刺后仅四个月，杰奎琳嫁给希腊船王亚里斯多德·奥纳西斯，这让很多人感到震惊。她时年39岁，而他已是六十开外。她是怎么想的呢？
事实上，奥纳西斯是肯尼迪家族多年的熟人。萝丝·肯尼迪，约翰·肯尼迪的母亲，对杰奎琳表示祝福。杰奎琳后来说：“当我和阿里结婚的时候，在所有人当中她是惟一鼓励我的人——她说，‘他是个好人。’”奥纳西斯带给她的另一样东西就是安全感。“他提供了一个避难所和保护伞，”她的妹夫爱德华·肯尼迪参议员说，“我想她和他在一起感到安全。”
从肯尼迪遗孀摇身一变而为杰奎琳·奥纳西斯，她在美国人的心目中变成了一种不敬、顽皮的人物。她隐退了，但人们仍然想知道她在干什么。世界各地的摄影师们帮了大忙，有一次甚至拍到她裸体日光浴的情形。
随着岁月流逝，这段婚姻逐渐冷却。1973年在儿子亚历山大死后，奥纳西斯陷入了消沉。两年后，他本人去世。杰奎琳和阿里只共同生活了七年。对她来说，这是一段医治创伤的间歇期。“当我的生活被阴影吞噬的时候，”她说，“亚里斯多德·奥纳西斯拯救了我。”
静度晚年
从1975年9月开始，46岁的杰奎琳度过了一生中最快乐的时光。她干着自己恰好想干的事情——而不是父母、丈夫、家庭、朋友和公众“要求”她做的事情。道布尔迪出版社的同事和朋友莉莎·德鲁说：“出版的乐趣之一就是你能从每一本书中学到东西。媒体已有很多关于她如何自己动手煮咖啡、做复印的报道。这不是什么了不得的事，却被渲染得好像奇迹出现了一般。外界的人们为这位名人而目眩，我们感到好笑。她比许多人更聪明、更有趣、更和蔼——但她跟媒体宣传的人是两码事。”
1994年2月，在她64岁时，这位前第一夫人被宣布患有非霍奇金氏淋巴瘤，一种通常可以治愈的癌。但不幸的是，她于5月19日永辞人间。
1. obsession n． 着魔，迷念
2． administration n． 行政，施政
3． think through 把……想透
4． lit [lit] (light的过去分词) 指导
5． meticulous adj． 细致的，注意细节的
6． rivet v． 吸引（注意）
7． acquaintance n． 熟人
8． crave [kreiv] v． 渴望，恳求
9． penny－wise adj． 省小钱的，小处精明的
10．scrutiny n． 详细审查
11．plague [pleig] v． 折磨, 使苦恼
12．swearing－in n．宣誓就职
13．inauguration n．就职典礼
14．beige adj． 米黄色的
15．role model 行为榜样
16．Chanel n． 香奈尔女服(一种无领无腰身的女上衣)
17．footage n． (电影)连续镜头
18．stirrup n． 马镫
19．toddler n． 初学走路的孩子
20．limelight n． 聚光灯，众人注目的中心
21．relish v． 享受，从中获得乐趣
22．pregnant adj． 怀孕的
23．litter n． (一)窝
24．bunny n． 小兔子(儿童对兔子的昵称)
25．Halloween n． 万圣节，10月31日，在美国、加拿大以及英伦诸岛的孩子们穿着化装服走家串户、接受款待，并且做些恶作剧以庆祝这个节日
26．trick－or－treater n． (万圣节前夕儿童挨家索要糖果时的用语)不招待就捣蛋的人
27．hobgoblin n． 妖怪，怪物
28．tycoon n． 商界大亨
29．assassination n． 暗杀
30．irreverent adj． 不尊敬的，不虔诚的
31．be up to 做，从事
32．oblige v． 施恩，帮助
33．slump n． 消沉
34．engulf v． 吞没，吞噬
35．xerox v． 复印
36．a big deal 重大的事，重要的人
37．lymphoma n． 淋巴瘤