英国新闻听力 肯尼亚的纹身与美容

越来越多的肯尼亚人热衷纹身。我是说，虽然还并不普遍，但你发现不少人身上都有纹身，在肯尼亚这挺不寻常的，尤其是在老一辈人眼中。要知道几年前你根本看不到带着纹身的人。如果我母亲知道你有个纹身，哦，老天，你就有麻烦了！

注释：

tattoo¹ n. 纹身

frown v. 皱眉头，表示不同意，表示不喜

embellishment n. 装饰，润色

manicure n. 修指甲

pedicure n. 脚部护理

therapy n. 治疗，疗法

confine v. 限制

Tattoos² and Beauty Products in Kenya

TIM: I gather tattoos are in some ways a big thing now.

MICHAEL: Well there seem to be a growing number of Kenyans getting tattoos. I mean it is still not very common but you find a number of people with tattoos and I have to say this is something that is considered unusual especially by the older generation here in Kenya. I have to let you know that several years ago you would not find people with tattoos. I mean my mother if she heard that you had a tattoo, oh my…you would be of trouble. And I think that a lot of Kenyan mothers as well would frown upon hearing that someone had a tattoo. But it seems that more and more people are getting tattoos and it's not really considered a bad thing now.

TIM: Traditionally in the west, tattoos, they were quite dangerous things. It was the sailor who brought it in but now young people have them, its cross generational, cross class and so on. You said that your mother would have frowned upon it. But who in the past would have had a tattoo in Kenya?

MICHAEL: Ah ha well she would have frowned upon it because she would have considered someone having a tattoo a very, very bad person who needs to be taught a lesson. And I would say that up till today a lot of people think that people who have tattoos do not have a very good character. And I think that is what my mum would probably say.

TIM: Do you have one?

MICHAEL: Tim, would you mind if I keep that a secret?

TIM: You mean, your mum might be listening, fair enough.

MICHAEL: Yes, she loves Culture Shock, I don't know.

TIM: OK, Michael's Mum, if you are listening, he doesn't. But the rest of us know, we're certain we know.

We can move on actually because tattoos are for some people seen as a form of embellishment and they are status symbols but some people think they are very beautiful and they make the human body look more beautiful. And there is thing going on in Kenya, I gather, about men and beauty products. Just tell me more about this.

MICHAEL: Yes, this is an interesting trend here. In that in the recent past there have been articles in the press about men going to beauty salons⁴. And this is for manicures and pedicures. And basically in the African tradition it's quite unheard of for men to take part in beauty therapy. And therefore this development seems unusual to many people. The interesting thing is that it seems that it is increasing. More and more men are going to salons and the question arises as to why this is happening. It's been thought that beauty was basically confined to women in terms of using beauty products and going for services such as pedicures and manicures. However, it seems that now you can go into a salon³, and usually this is on a Saturday, I have to say, you sometimes find men there and the interesting experience, Tim, I have to say, is that the men seem to be accepting this. Previously⁵ similar to what the situation with tattoos is, years ago if you asked a man 'would you like to have a manicure', he'd go 'what are you talking about!? Manicure, that's for women.' But now it seems that some men would appreciate the fact that hey they will go for a manicure or pedicure and feel good about themselves.

肯尼亚的纹身与美容

蒂姆：我听说纹身是个热门话题。

麦克：是的，越来越多的肯尼亚人热衷纹身。我是说，虽然还并不普遍，但你发现不少人身上都有纹身，在肯尼亚这挺不寻常的，尤其是在老一辈人眼中。要知道几年前你根本看不到带着纹身的人。如果我母亲知道你有个纹身，哦，老天，你就有麻烦了！而且我想，很多肯尼亚母亲听说谁纹了身都会皱眉头。但是目前看来，还是有越来越多的人开始纹身，而且大家也不觉得有何不妥。

蒂姆：按传统来讲，在西方纹身是危险的事情。最初只有水手才这么做，可现在年轻人也乐此不疲，它跨越了年龄、阶级还有其他界限。你刚刚说你的母亲会对此皱眉头，那么，从前在肯尼亚，什么样的人会纹身呢？

麦克：唔，她会对此皱眉头是因为她觉得戴纹身的都是坏蛋，需要给点儿教训。而且我得说，直到今天很多人还是认为有纹身的人都不怎么样。我母亲多半就会这样讲。

蒂姆：那你有没有纹身？

麦克：蒂姆，这事儿我能不能保密？

蒂姆：怕你母亲听到是吧，你真够聪明的。

麦克：我不知道，不过她喜欢“文化冲击”。

蒂姆：好吧，麦克的母亲，如果您正在收听我们的节目，麦克他可没有纹身。至于其他的人，咱们心知肚明。

这个话题可以到此为止了，因为对于一些人来说，纹身是一种装饰，是身份的象征，而另一些人只是觉得它很漂亮，还能让身体变得更漂亮。接下来是肯尼亚的另一股潮流，有关男人和美容，来谈谈这方面的详细内容。

麦克：没错，这是个很有意思的趋势。最近有一些这方面的报道，关于男人光顾美容沙龙，修指甲、进行足部护理。而在非洲的传统中，男人做美容基本上是闻所未闻的。所以这种变化在很多人看来极不寻常，有趣的是它还呈上升趋势。有越来越多的男人光临沙龙，大家不禁要问，这是为什么。从前人们一向认为爱美是女人的专利，她们使用美容护肤品，修指甲，进行足部护理。可是现在，你要是走进美容院，这通常是在星期六，有时也会发现男人在接受护理，而且蒂姆，男人们看上去已经接受了这种新变化，非常有意思。这就跟纹身的状况差不多。几年前你要是问一个男人“想修修指甲么”，他会说“你说什么呢！修指甲，那是女人的玩意儿”。可是现在，一些男人很愿意去修指甲、做足部护理，这让他们自我感觉良好。

1 tattoo   

n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于

参考例句：

• I've decided to get my tattoo removed.我已经决定去掉我身上的纹身。
• He had a tattoo on the back of his hand.他手背上刺有花纹。

2 tattoos   

n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 salon   

n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室

参考例句：

• Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗？
• You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。

4 salons   

n.（营业性质的）店( salon的名词复数 )；厅；沙龙（旧时在上流社会女主人家的例行聚会或聚会场所）；（大宅中的）客厅

参考例句：

• He used to attend to his literary salons. 他过去常常去参加他的文学沙龙。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Conspiracy theories about Jewish financiers were the talk of Paris salons. 犹太金融家阴谋论成为巴黎沙龙的话题。 来自互联网

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。