Lighten the skin desperately美白也疯狂

王晶

在中世紀的欧洲，皇室贵族以白为美，因为白皙的皮肤有别于风吹日晒的劳动女性，因此白色也逐渐成为高贵与权力的象征。如今，欧美又开始“美黑”，以小麦色、古铜色皮肤为美，以彰显自己有时间晒太阳。

“美白”也罢，“美黑”也罢，都要以健康为准，如果为了美而伤害身体那就得不偿失了。

听力扫障

1.temporary  adj.暂时的

2.Senegal  n.塞内加尔（西非国家）

3.mercury  n.汞;水银

4.sodium hydroxide  氢氧化钠;苛性钠

5.ingredient  n.成分

扫码听测

听下面一段录音并阅读3个简短的陈述，根据录音内容判断这些陈述是否符合所听内容，本题考查重点是学生对意义的理解能力和信息获取能力。

In this section， you will hear a passage. After you hear the passage， decide whether each of the statement is correct （A）， incorrect （B） or not mentioned （C）.

Ⅱ.听写练习

一边听录音一边阅读以下文字材料，这些文字材料不是录音的全部内容，而是以提纲、摘要、笔记、图表等形式再现的录音的主要内容，需要补全的内容一般是录音中的关键信息。注意一空一词。

Lighten the skin desperately

1.“Beauty is only skin deep” implies that beauty is but a surface  ______________   .

2.In the United States， many people  ______________

their skin with sunlight and non？-natural light. 3.In Senegal，some women take a health  ______________ to lighten the skin.

4.Adama Diagne is shop    ______________    advises her visitors to avoid the stronger products that promise fast results.

5.Women in Senegal lighten their skin to change their    ______________    .

6.This Color That Bothers Me is a    ______________   about the subject of skin lightening.

7.Ms Sall holds that    ______________is the best way to persuade people against using them.

文本解说

林清玄说：“三流的化妆是脸上的化妆，二流的化妆是精神的化妆，一流的化妆是生命的化妆。”

世人说：“丑陋的颜值没机会展示自己高贵的灵魂。”

爱美之心，人皆有之。你如何看待非洲女孩的美白行为呢？

请阅读文章并思考：真正的美是什么，如何找到真正的美。

“Beauty is only skin deep.” This expression means that beauty is only a temporary surface quality. And some beauty products can cause lasting damage that goes far below the surface of the skin. But people， especially women， will risk a lot for beauty.

In the United States， many people use sunlight and non-natural light to darken their skin. Health experts advise against what is called “tanning（晒黑）” because of its links to skin cancer.

In the African country of Senegal， some women take health risks trying to do just the opposite. They use products that lighten the skin. The World Health Organization says that 25 percent of Senegalese women use skin？鄄lightening products on a usual basis. These products can contain chemicals such as mercury hydroquinone（对苯二酚） and sodium hydroxide. These are dangerous ingredients 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 appearance. They say they want to look beautiful， to find a husband， or to stand out in a crowd. 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 film-maker Khardiata Pouye Sall. So， she made This Color That Bothers Me， a film about the subject of skin lightening.

I used the most shocking 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 marketing and sale of skin lighteners. But she adds education is the best way to persuade people against using them.

视野拓展

The origin of “Beauty is only skin deep”

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep is a 1964 song， that became a 1966 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy （Motown） label. Written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland， Jr.， and produced by Whitfield， the song was a number three pop hit and a number one R&B hit in the United States.

The song's theme is inner beauty， and its value over physical appearance. David Ruffin sings lead on this song， relating the story of a man who's become frustrated with dating pretty women with “ugly” attitudes. He now praises his current girl， whom he does not find as physically beautiful， but feels that her personality more than makes up for it. “She may be fine on the outside but so untrue on the inside” is a typical lyric from the song.

参考译文

美白也疯狂

“Beauty is only skin deep.”这句话的意思是美貌只是一时的表面品质。而且一些美容产品可能会造成深入皮肤表面以下的持久性伤害。但人们愿意为美貌冒很大风险，尤其是女性。

在美国，许多人利用阳光和非自然光线让皮肤颜色变深。健康专家不建议所谓的“晒黑”，因为它牵扯到皮肤癌。

在非洲的塞内加尔，一些妇女冒着健康风险进行与此相反的事情。她们使用各种产品美白皮肤。世界卫生组织表示，25%的塞内加尔妇女会日常使用美白产品。这些产品包含汞、对苯二酚和氢氧化钠等化学物质。这些都是危险成分，可以导致癌症以及对皮肤造成其他物理伤害。他们甚至会灼伤眼睛和皮肤。达喀尔市的一家普通美容用品店有许多种皮肤美白霜和香皂。店员阿达玛·迪亚涅（Adama Diagne）建议顾客避免使用承诺有立竿见影效果的产品。她使用的一种用胡萝卜制成的面霜，而不是化学物质对苯二酚。她说，这是自己的选择，没人强迫她。她说一些妇女每天都希望皮肤变得黝黑。但对她而言，她希望自己的皮肤是暗棕色。

塞内加尔女性表示，她们美白皮肤的原因和世界各地女性美容的原因相同。她们希望自己看上去漂亮好找个老公，或在人群中显眼。但一些产品过于强烈，使用前必须同其他产品混合使用。这类产品就包括所谓的“婚礼前一天”香皂。

这种想法困扰着塞内加尔导演萨勒（Khardiata Pouye Sall）。所以她拍摄了《肤色之扰》这部关于美白主題的电影。

她说，我使用了最为震撼的画面，这样妇女们就能看到其中的危险性。

“很难理解为何女性会认为黝黑的皮肤不漂亮。这点深入了她们的脑海。她们想要取悦男人，被人爱，或者她们想要取悦社会取得成功。”

萨勒女士表示，政府必须更好地控制皮肤美白产品的推广和销售。但她补充说，教育是说服人们不要这么做的最好方式。