"Pretty" has always been a conditional adjective for me. My entire life I've heard, "You're pretty for a dark-skinned girl." "You'd be prettier if . . ." Growing up, I didn't want to play outside too long out of fear of getting darker. I'd wish I had skin tones like my mom and dad, who are both light skinned. I'd hear whispers about whether I was my parents' child because there was no way I, a dark-skinned little girl, could have picked up genes from my dark-skinned grandparents.
人们总用"漂亮"这个词形容我的外在。我活了这么多年,总是听到别人说,"虽然你黑,但你好看啊。""如果……,你会更好看。"长大一点后,我不喜欢在外玩太久,因为我怕晒的更黑。我真希望能和爸爸妈妈一样肤色较浅。我曾听到别人八卦,说我不是父母亲生的,因为总不可能我皮肤黑是因为遗传了祖父祖母吧。
Not only was my perception of pretty shaped by how my peers, family members, and society saw my deep brown skin, but my hair was always a topic of a conversation, too. My hair was my crown and glory, at least that is what I was taught. Every week, I spent hours in the hair salon getting my hair chemically straightened.
我的同伴、家人和社会对待我棕色皮肤的看法塑造了我对美的感知。我的头发也总是人们的谈资。我的头发是我的骄傲,至少我是这么想的。我每周都会去理发店化学拉直我的头发。
I didn't feel pretty unless my hair was perfect.
只有当头发处于完美状态时,我才会觉得自己美炸了。
Throughout my teenage and college years, I spent hours in front of the mirror, straightening my hair until it was bone straight. I was known for my "pretty" hair. I would often have people ask what I was mixed with because normal black girls couldn't have "good hair," especially not those with dark skin. Having to always have my hair laid was exhausting. I didn't feel pretty unless my hair was perfect. My hair was my crown and glory, so that was the only way the world would see me as beautiful, right?
青春期和大学时代,我会在镜子前坐上几个小时--把头发拉直。大家都知道我有一头"漂亮"的长发。总会有人问我头发是怎么弄的,因为一般的黑人姑娘不可能有这么"好看的"头发,尤其是皮肤黑黑的姑娘。总是拉直头发是件累活。但只有当头发处于完美状态时,我才会觉得自己美美的。我的头发是我的皇冠、我的荣耀,所以只有那样,大家才会觉得我漂亮,对吗?
Shortly after I graduated from college, I went natural. Well, sort of. I grew my relaxer out bit by bit, cutting off the ends every six to eight weeks. To most people, my hair was still pretty, but I was again spending hours manipulating it to make sure it fit into the mold of the 3C hair type most find beautiful. One day, I cut it all off. I felt liberated. As a woman whose beauty was defined by the length and texture of her hair, without knowing it, I was redefining my "pretty."
大学毕业后不久,我开始放任自然卷了。当然是在一定程度上。我一点点的减少顺发剂的使用量,每6至8周剪一次发梢。大多数人仍然觉得我的头发好看,但我又开始花几个小时做头发,确保我的头发是3C型的、确保大多数人觉得我的头发好看。有一天,我把头发全剪了,我感受到了自由。以前,人们总是以头发长短和柔顺度定义我美不美,现在,我要重新定义"美丽"的含义。
下一篇: 让怀孕的另一半保持愉快的心情
国际英语资讯:Ex-S.Korean president Lee sentenced to 15 years in jail over corruption
国际英语资讯:Another separate Trump-Putin meeting possible: Bolton
国际英语资讯:Serbia strives for EU-integrated, stable Western Balkans: PM
国际英语资讯:Tunisia, France sign cooperation deals worth 56 mln USD
国际英语资讯:Pentagon finds poisonous mail sent to Mattis, chief of naval operations
Come Back Home Often 关于常回家看看
体坛英语资讯:Shanghai Greenland tie Jiangsu Suning 1-1 in CSL
中国台湾地区对导致18人死亡的列车出轨事故展开调查
国际英语资讯:Pompeo to travel to DPRK, meeting with Kim for talks
国际英语资讯:Pollster predicts Brazils presidential race to be decided in runoff
当你决定做生活的主角,你就赢了
国际英语资讯:At least 17 killed due to heavy rains in Nicaragua
Should we be Mortgage Slave? 房奴,应不应该?
Helicopter Parents vs. Free-range Kids 直升机似的父母还是自由的孩子?
国际英语资讯:UK, EU agree on 95 pct of Brexit deal: May
国际英语资讯:U.S. groups condemn Osaka mayor for cutting sister city ties with San Francisco
国际英语资讯:1 NATO soldier killed, 2 injured after Afghan soldiers shooting
国际英语资讯:British former foreign secretary challenges PMs Brexit plan
国际英语资讯:Russia completes delivery of S-300 missile systems to Syria
Respecting the Elderly Is a Traditional Chinese Virtue 尊老是中华民族传统美德
英国公主成功瘦身20斤,减肥秘诀都在这里
Are you happy? 你快乐吗?
如何证明自己处在正轨
The Mother’s Day 母亲节
美国失业率降至近50年来最低
体坛英语资讯:Argentina earns historic victory over Australia in Rugby Championship
国际英语资讯:Morocco approves deals to strengthen cooperation with Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso
美国参议院或在本周六就大法官人选投票
Justin bieber承认结婚!还称海莉是小天使!
美国与伊朗结束1955年条约