紋身在中國不再是禁忌

Tattoos have a long history in China. But for most of that history they were stigmatized, associated with prisoners, vagrants and the criminal ks in part to the influence of celebrities and sports stars, tattoos have become much more socially accepted in the past decade. It's a trend driven by a younger generation that isn't afraid of standing out but also by the sophisticated skills of China's tattoo artists.

紋身在中國有着悠久的歷史。但是大部分時間，紋身都受到歧視，被看作與罪犯、盲流以及黑社會有關。由於名人以及體育明星的影響，過去十年間，紋身越來越能被社會認可。年輕一代標新立異，紋身師技術爐火純青，共同驅動了這個趨勢。

Getting inked is one way for young people to forge their own identity and mark life experiences.

對年輕人來說，紋身是塑造自己身份、銘記生活經歷的一種方式。

"I think a tattoo is a sign of myself, like your name. It's the most special part of your body, it makes you different. Shows your mind, your world," says Wang Zi, 28, a fashion designer. She has a tattoo of a hot air balloon on her shoulder blade, a design she drew herself to cherish a childhood dream of flying in one.

“我覺得紋身是自己的一種標誌，就像你的名字。它是身體最特殊的部分，讓你感覺與衆不同，展現自己的內心和世界。”28歲的服裝設計師王梓說道。她的肩胛上有一個熱氣球紋身。該圖出自王梓之手，代表珍惜兒時乘坐熱氣球的夢想。

Just as Chinese characters are a popular choice in the West, in China some people like tattoos of English words and phrases. Popular words include "love,"and "forever." Others choose song lyrics or quotes from the Bible.

就像西方人喜歡將漢字作爲紋身一樣，中國很多人喜歡英文字母或短語。最受歡迎的單詞是“love”和“forever”。還有人選擇歌詞或者從《聖經》引用句子。

Asia has long had its own tattoo culture. China is starting to develop its own unique styles, drawing on both ancient and modern inspiration.

紋身文化在亞洲有很長的歷史。中國根據傳統或者西方的靈感，逐步發展其自身的風格。

Qiao Zhengfei is a 20-year-old tattoo artist who opened up her own studio in her native Xiamen before moving her business to Beijing. She specializes in "blackwork," an intricate form based on a style of embroidery. The former art theory student likes the fact that tattoos are a living embodiment of her work.

20歲的喬徵飛（音譯）在家鄉廈門開設了自己的工作室，之後遷往北京。她尤爲擅長“黑白紋身”，即基於刺繡的一種複雜紋身。這位藝術學學生表示很高興紋身成爲自己作品的活化身。

In China, some parlors are cubicle affairs, a small square room with a curtain and heavily tattooed proprietors. Others boast large studios with art adorning the walls. The Chinese tattoo artists I spoke to shied away from calling their work an art form, viewing it as a trade.

在中國，一些紋身店只是一間小房子，掛着窗簾，業主身上紋滿了紋身。其他一些較大的紋身店中，作品掛滿了牆壁。我採訪的中國紋身藝術家並不將自己的工作看做是一種藝術形式，而將其視爲是一種交易。

Eight years ago, Zhao Liang graduated from teaching college after majoring in art and planned to find a teaching or civil service job. "But they both were not well paid jobs. Since I have to support my family I thought I should find a job that can earn a living." One day, he saw a poster advertizing tattoos for 50 yuan each and thought about giving it a go. "Then I started doing (it). I just thought life is going to be better and better."

八年前，主修藝術的趙亮（音譯）從師範學院畢業，打算找個教學或者公務員的工作。“但那些工作工資很低。而我需要養家，因此想找個能養家餬口的工作。”一天，他看到一張宣傳紋身的工作，每個紋身50元，就決定嘗試一下。“隨後我就走上了這條路。我只覺得生活越來越好了。”