Tattoos: good or bad? 文身：究竟是好是壞？

文身變得越來越流行瞭！在英國，文身的人比以前多瞭，但這究竟是好是壞？文身一直備受爭議，很多人對文身都持有 “愛它或恨它” 的觀點。最近幾年，人們對文身的看法有改變嗎？和從前相比，現在雇主更能接受有文身的應聘者和員工嗎？文身有什麼危險？本期 “隨身英語” 討論文身的好與壞。

Vocabulary: tattoos 詞匯：文身

Do you have any tattoos? I don’t. I’ve never been brave enough to go under the needle. But if you do have one, you are not alone. According to a report by Experian, the number of tattoo parlours in Britain increased by 173% between 2004 and 2014. Tattoos have always been controversial – personally and culturally. Some people love them and some hate them. So, are they good or bad?

These days, one in five people in the UK has some ink – whether it’s a commemorative date, a sleeve or a full body suit. What’s responsible for this rise in popularity? “You see a lot of celebrities getting tattooed,” says Lee Clements of the British Tattoo Artist Association speaking on AYYBLOG radio. As a result, people want to copy them or it becomes a fashion thing – certain tattoos become a trend.

Employers have become more accepting of visible tats too. Last year, London’s Metropolitan Police relaxed a ban on recruiting candidates with visible body art. And earlier this year, Air New Zealand said it would end a ban on body art to allow workers to express their individuality and cultural heritage.

That said, not all employers would agree. Grace, 28, told the AYYBLOG that she had been offered jobs in sales, which were then withdrawn when employers saw her hand tattoo. “It feels like having a tattoo is not socially acceptable,” she says. “Having a tattoo does not amount to a protected characteristic,” remarks Susan Harris, legal director at the GMB union, a UK trade union. This means a person can be dismissed for having one if it breaches the employer’s dress code – except on religious grounds.

And let’s not forget the risk of infection. At present anyone in the UK can set up a parlour and offer procedures without proper training, a report from the Royal Society for Public Health says. They note that just under 20% of those tattooed experience negative side effects, including swelling, burning or a skin infection.

It seems that attitudes to tattoos are changing, but they aren’t quite there yet. Should you be persuaded to have one – visit a reputable tattoo artist with a portfolio. Discuss your design with them and don’t make a hasty decision! If you later regret it, your tattoo will need laser removal or a cover up. Better get a temporary tattoo or henna tattoo first and see if you’re happy with it. Wear it for a few months and then decide.

詞匯表

under the needle 文身
tattoo parlour 文身館
ink 墨汁
commemorative 紀念的
sleeve （文身像一支）袖子
body suit （文身像一個）連身服
tat （非正式說法）文身
body art 身體藝術
individuality 個性
cultural heritage 文化遺產
socially acceptable 社會上接受的
dress code 著裝要求
infection 感染
procedure （文身）服務
swelling 腫脹
burning 發熱，炙熱（感）
laser removal 激光去除文身
cover up 遮蓋起來
temporary tattoo “臨時文身”
henna tattoo 海娜文身

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. True or False: Britain had more tattoo parlours in 2014 than it did 10 years prior.

2. Why does Lee Clements feel more people have tattoos these days?

3. Why did Air New Zealand end an employee ban on body art?

4. True or False: The law will protect you if you lose your job for having a tattoo.

5. What can you do if you don’t want your tattoo anymore?

2.請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. I am honoured to unveil this _______ statue dedicated to the firefighters of London.

individuality heritage cover up commemorative

2. His injury will be fine. There is some _______ around the shoulder, but it will go down.

infection temporary tattoo swelling cultural heritage

3. When I was 14, my mum let me get a _______. It lasted a week before fading!

ink tattoo sleeve henna tattoo

4. This second-hand cloth was a bargain! The tear just needs a quick _______ so I’ll patch it!

parlour individuality procedure cover up

5. I’m scared of syringes, so I’m fairly sure I’ll never _______ the needle and get a tattoo!

go over go under go around go along

答案

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. True or False: Britain had more tattoo parlours in 2014 than it did 10 years prior.
True. According to a report by Experian, the number of tattoo parlours in Britain increased by 173% between 2004 and 2014.

2. Why does Lee Clements feel more people have tattoos these days?
He says that people want to copy the tattoos that celebrities have.

3. Why did Air New Zealand end an employee ban on body art?
It ended the ban to allow workers to express their individuality and cultural heritage.

4. True or False: The law will protect you if you lose your job for having a tattoo.
False. Having a tattoo does not amount to a protected characteristic, and a person can be dismissed for having one if it breaches the employer’s dress code.

5. What can you do if you don’t want your tattoo anymore?
You can cover it up or have laser removal.

2. 請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思恰當的單詞填入句子中的空格處。

1. I am honoured to unveil this commemorative statue dedicated to the firefighters of London.

2. His injury will be fine. There is some swelling around the shoulder, but it will go down.

3. When I was 14, my mum let me get a henna tattoo. It lasted a week before fading!

4. This second-hand cloth was a bargain! The tear just needs a quick cover up so I’ll patch it!

5. I’m scared of syringes, so I’m fairly sure I’ll never go under the needle and get a tattoo!