VOA慢速英语2014 美色是肤浅的

 

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep 美色是肤浅的

“Beauty is only skin deep.” This expression means¹ that beauty is only a temporary surface quality.  And some beauty products can cause lasting² damage that goes far below the surface of the skin. 

But people, especially women, will risk a lot for beauty.

In the United³ States, many people use sunlight⁴ and non-natural light to darken their skin. 

Health experts advise against what is called “tanning” because of its links to skin cancer.  

In the African country of Senegal, some women take health risks trying to do the opposite.  They use products that lighten⁵ skin.

The World Health Organization says that 25 percent of Senegalese women use skin-lightening⁶ products on a usual basis.  These products can contain chemicals such as mercury⁷, hydroquinone and sodium⁸ hydroxide.  These are dangerous ingredients⁹ that can cause cancer and possibly other physical damage to the skin.  They can actually burn the eyes and skin. 

An average beauty supply shop in Dakar has many kinds of skin-lightening creams and soaps. 

Shop worker Adama Diagne advises her visitors to avoid the stronger products that promise fast results.  She uses a cream that is made from carrots and not the strong chemical, hydroquinone.   

She says that it is a personal choice and that no one pressures her.  She says that some women want to be black every day.  But for her, she likes to be a shade of brown.

Women in Senegal say they lighten their skin for the same reasons women all over the world make changes to their appearance¹⁰.  They want to look beautiful, to find a husband, to stand out in a crowd or to simply look great for a special event.

But some products are so strong they must be mixed with others before they are used.  One such soap is called “Day Before the Wedding.” 

This thinking troubles Senegalese filmmaker Khardiata Pouye Sall.  So, she made "This Color That Bothers Me," a film about the subject of skin lightening.

"I used the most shocking¹¹ images so that women would see the dangers.  It is hard to understand why a woman would tell herself that dark skin is not beautiful.  It is in their heads.  They want to please a man, to be loved. Or they want to please society, to succeed."

Ms. Sall says the government needs to better control the marketing¹² and sale of skin lighteners.  But she adds education is the best way to persuade people against using them.

1 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

2 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

3 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

4 sunlight   

n.日光，阳光，日照

参考例句：

• The room was flooded with warm and golden sunlight.房间充满着温暖、金色的阳光。
• In the bright sunlight she had to narrow her eyes.在强烈阳光下她必须眯着双眼。

5 lighten   

vt./vi.减轻，变轻；照亮，变亮

参考例句：

• The sky began to lighten after the storm.暴风雨后天空开始放晴。
• They decided to lighten taxes.他们决定减轻税收。

6 lightening   

n.发光v.使（某物）更明亮( lighten的现在分词 )；变得更光明

参考例句：

• The lightening splintered a tree. 闪电把一棵树劈开了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• I saw the lightening split the clouds and heard the thunders following. 我看到闪电撕开云层，听到随之而来的雷声。 来自英语晨读30分（高二）

7 mercury   

n.汞，水银，水银柱

参考例句：

• The liquid we can see in thermometers is mercury.我们看到的温度计里的液体是水银。
• Mercury has a much greater density than water.水银的密度比水大得多。

8 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

9 ingredients   

n.（混合物的）组成部分( ingredient的名词复数 )；（烹调的）原料；（构成）要素；因素

参考例句：

• All ingredients are readily available from your local store. 所有的原料都可以方便地从你当地的商店买到。
• We never use second quality ingredients to build building. 我们决不使用次等材料用于建筑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 appearance   

n.出现，露面；容貌

参考例句：

• In appearance, he was a little like his father.他看起来有点像他的父亲。
• She was a young woman of good appearance.她是一位年轻貌美的女子。

11 shocking   

adj.令人气愤的；令人震惊的

参考例句：

• His attitude was shocking to her.他的态度令她感到震惊。
• Such behaviour is really shocking.这种行为真不像话。

12 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。