选车和选衣服不一样。除了看它的标价，你还要考虑它所传达的含义。

Choosing a car is not unlike choosing a dress. You not only read the price tag but also consider the image it conveys.

从Mini Coopers到Beetles再到Smarts，它们的区别不仅仅在于车身的大小，还包括它们背后的故事。接下来我们来分享一些它们的历史：

From Mini Coopers to Beetles to Smarts, the difference is not just in the size but also the story behind them: Here's a brief history of these beauties:

在德国诺贝尔奖获得者君特－格拉斯的小说《我的世纪》中，作者用一个章节的篇幅来描写甲壳虫在德国人生活中的重要性。

In the novel Mein Jahrhundert, German Nobel winner G�nter Grass used a whole chapter to describe how important the Beetle was in German life.

1934年，阿道夫－希特勒想制作一款适用于任何情况的车型，于是便叫著名汽车公司创始人保时捷来制造。

In 1934, Adolf Hitler wanted to product a car that could be used under different conditions, so he asked Ferdinand Porsche, founder of the famous automobile company, to do it.

他的要求很简单：该车能承载两名成人、三个孩子，最高时速要达到100千米，而且价格要便宜。

The requirements were simple: It needed to hold two adults and three kids, have a maximum speed of 100 kmph, and be cheap.

事实上，上个世纪后半页共生产了数百万这样的车，因而这种车十分“普通”。

In fact, it is a real "common" car with millions produced over the last half century.

北京航空航天大学教授何德胜先生表示：“人们通常以车的价格、品牌和车的动力来评价车主的社会地位。然而，甲壳虫却是一种无阶级的象征。”

"People judge the social status of a driver by the price, brand and power of the car, but the Beetle had a classless image," said He Desheng, a professor of automobile culture at Beijing's University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

“我们谈论甲壳虫的时候，就仿佛在谈及一名好友。”这种乐趣甚至超越了年龄和性别的界限。

"When we talk about the Beetle it's like talking about a close friend." The joy transcends age and gender.

27岁的女演员孙俪开的是一辆黑色甲壳虫，26岁的乒乓球运动员王皓则有一辆品绿色的。

We can see actress Sun Li, 27, with a black Bettle, and table tennis player Wang Hao, 26, with a light green one.

1956年苏伊士运河斗争爆发后不久，英国就面临一场石油危机。

When the Suez Canal struggle broke out in 1956, Britain soon faced an oil crisis.

在那个“拜大主义”风行的年代，英国汽车公司雇用伊斯哥尼斯设计一款经济型汽车。

The British Motor Corporation hired Alec Issigonis to design an economic car, at a time when bigness was all the rage.

新的挑战：一款能够承载4名成人和一些行李的小型车。

The new challenge: a small car that could hold four adults and some luggage.

该车的目标用户为普通家庭，价格低于500英磅（约合790美元）。

The car was intended for a normal family and the price was below 500 pounds (about $790).

这款车型吸引的第一批群体是欧洲中产阶级。有人甚至将它当作流行玩具一样在城市里兜风庆祝。

The first group who were attracted by the car were Europe's middle classes. Some celebrities drove it in cities as a stylish toy.

到了20世纪60年代，该车已经成了普通百姓的一大时尚装饰。

By the 1960s, it had become a fashionable decoration for ordinary folks.

何对此评价说：“该车设计上凸显优雅的英国风，给人一种传统绅士般的感觉。”

"The design is an elegant type of British style with a traditional gentlemanly manner," is He's comment.

在原版《偷天换日》中，迈克尔－凯恩和他的搭档驾驶多辆宝马穿梭在意大利都灵的路面上。

In the original The Italian Job, Michael Caine and his crew use several of these cars to weave through terrible traffic in Turin, Italy.

在中国，27岁的跳水运动员郭晶晶有一辆红色宝马，28岁的女演员张柏芝在22岁生日时也得到了一辆粉红色的宝马。

In China, diver Guo Jingjing, 27, got a red one, while actress Cecilia Cheung, 28, got a pink for her 22nd birthday.

1998年设计的奔驰Smart由梅赛德斯-奔驰和瑞士知名手表制造商Swatch合力打造。Smart中的S代表Swatch，而M则代表梅赛德斯。

The Smart, developed in 1998, was a crossover product from Mercedes-Benz and the watch maker Swatch. S meant Swatch while M represented Mercedes.

这是种艺术方式的结合。它的愿意是在解决现代城市中的交通问题。

The combination was an art form. The original aim was to find a solution for traffic problems in modern cities.

它的核心理念即“提升到最大”，意为减少尾气排放的同时减少停车空间。它的口号是“ 开拓你的思想”。

The core idea was "reduce to the max", meaning lower emissions and less parking space. It's slogan was "Open Your Mind".

何表示：“不能用一个固定的特色来修饰这款车。它代表了革新、实用和乐趣，吸引了那些思想活跃又独具个性的人群。”

"It is a changeable car without a certain character. It mainly represented innovation, utility, and fun, to attract people with active minds and personality requirements," notes He.

“在欧洲的大街小巷上，你能看到各种风格、五颜六色的Smarts，有些具有嬉皮士风格，或者是一些优雅的浅色款。”

"So we see colorful Smarts on European streets in different styles, sometimes with hippie touches, or in an elegant light color."

在重拍的电影《粉红豹》中，史蒂夫－马丁和让－雷诺驾驶一辆红色Smart当作警车。

In the remake of the Pink Panther film, Steve Martin and Jean Reno drive a red Smart as a police car.

他们充分展示了该车的敏捷和智能性。

They showcase the swiftness and intelligence of the car.