What Will We Not Do for Beauty!

What Will We Not Do for Beauty!

Cosmetic Surgery among teens in Taiwan


Around Asia, women—and increasingly, men—are going in for surgery, in the quest for better looks. In the past, Asia was far behind the West when it came to plastic surgery, due to cultural reasons and insufficient medical skills. Today, however, cosmetic surgery is booming throughout Asia like never before. In Taiwan, a million procedures were performed last year, double the number of merely five years ago.

1) cosmetic (a.) 化妝的，整型的
2) surgery (n.) 手術
3) quest (n.) 追尋，追求
4) insufficient (a.) 不足的
5) boom (v.) 興旺，激增
6) procedure (n.) 程序，過程

What has caused this surge? Well, today it is no longer just models, stars, or entertainers who are having cosmetic surgery done, and the clients are no longer just adults. Teenagers are also going under the knife to have their faces or bodies altered, sometimes in ways different from what their parents would have chosen.

7) surge (n.) 大浪，激增
8) entertainer (n.) 表演者，演藝人員
9) client (n.) 客戶，委託人
10) adult (n.) 成人
11) alter (v.) 改變，修改

The image of beauty in Asia has been strongly influenced by that of the West. One obvious result is the many skin-whitening products on the market today. The love for fair skin may have come from imported media such as movies, television and commercials. The notion of what is beautiful among Taiwanese youth has recently changed though, as Korean programs have become very popular here in Taiwan. A recent survey showed that Taiwanese women fancy Korean TV actress Chae Lim's nose and Korean movie star Jun Ji Hyun's lips.

12) fair (a.) （皮膚）白皙的
13) import (v.) 進口，輸入
14) commercial (n.) 電子廣告，廣播電視廣告
15) notion (n.) 想法，觀念
16) survey (n.) 意見調查
17) fancy (v.) 愛慕，迷戀

Many Taiwanese teens today are saving their weekly allowances or wages to buy themselves a new look. Parents in Taiwan have also become more accepting of cosmetic surgery. You will now find some parents offering "pre-college makeovers" for a daughter to increase her odds of making boyfriends, or "graduation gifts" to prepare her for the competitive job market. However, doctors warn that youngsters who are still developing are unsuitable for certain procedures. If a high school girl wants her breasts enlarged, says one doctor, she should wait until she’s in college before making a decision.

18) allowance (n.) 零用錢
19) wage (n.) 薪水，報酬
20) odds (n.) 機會，可能性
21) competitive (a.) 競爭的，有競爭力的
22) youngster (n.) 年輕人
23) unsuitable (a.) 不合適的

Nose jobs and double eyelids are the most popular cosmetic operations among teens as these are not too expensive, with little risk involved. In recent years, various methods to modify face shape are in high demand. Many people want to change their square face to a longer and narrower shape. Now, how would you like your face changed?

24) operation (n.) 手術
25) risk (n.) 危險，風險
26) involve (v.) 涉及，牽涉到
27) various (a.) 不同的，各式各樣的
28) modify (v.) 修改，更改

資料來源：http://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0022/97051/web/