?Do you like to beautify photos?

By Jill Walker/鞏宗強（譯）

◆語篇導讀

隨著手機功能的日益強大，人們將它作為通信工具的同時，也喜歡上了其美顏、濾鏡的功能。美顏、濾鏡似乎已成為許多人自拍的必備“神器”，不過修圖過度會讓人產生一些不真實的想法。當你在真實與虛幻的自我間猶豫時，會如何抉擇呢？

Before we upload a photo of ourselves tosocial media,we'll use an App to smooth our skin,make our eyes look bigger,and give us longereyelashesand fuller lips.With a couple of taps on our mobile phone,we can get a quick fix and show the “best” version of ourselves to the world.

However,the problem is,when we simply rework our shortcomings away,we're also changing the way we look at ourselves.Last month,researchers from the US'Boston University School of Medicine published an article.“These Apps allow one to change his or her look in minutes and follow an unreal standard of beauty,”the article reads.The researchers also warned that such Apps areblurringthe lines between the reality and dream.

In the past,people may have compared their looks to those of celebrities.But for today's young people,beauty standards are most likely to be set by what they see on social media.“Now you've got this dailycomparisonof your real self to thisintentionalor unintentional fake self that you show on social media,”Renee Engeln,a professor at Northwestern University in the US,toldthe HuffPost.Engeln further pointed out that when people spend too much time making such comparisons,they may become “beauty sick” and find it difficult to accept what they actually look like.“Because between you and the world is a mirror,the mirror travels with you everywhere.You can't seem to put it down,”she toldThe Washington Post.

So when we look in a real mirror,we shouldn’t think to ourselves,“Do I look as good as myself in thefilteredphotos?” Instead,we should think, “I feel good,I have my health.”

◆詞語積淀

social media社交媒體

eyelash/?a?l??/n.睫毛

blur/blз?(r)/v.（使）變得模糊不清

comparison/k?m?p?r?sn/n.比較

intentional/?n?ten??nl/adj.有意的

filter/?f?lt?(r)/v.過濾；滲入

◆典句賞析

1.These Apps allow one to change his or her look in minutes and follow an unreal standard of beauty.這些應用程序幾分鐘內就能改變一個人的外表，讓人追求一種不切實際的美。

allow sb.to do sth.是固定搭配，意為“允許某人做某事”。allow(doing)sth.意為“允許（做）某事”。allow sb.sth.意為“給予某人某物（側重指錢或時間）”或“讓某人有（擁有或帶有）某物”。

【即時嘗試】我們的父母不允許我們每天晚上看電視。

2.In the past,people may have compared their looks to those of celebrities.在過去，人們或許會將自己的相貌與名人的進行比較。

介詞短語in the past意為“在過去”，是指過去某個時間的標志性短語；表示“把……與……相比較”用compare...to.../with...都可以，但如果表示“把……比作……”通常用compare...to...。

【即時嘗試】他把這個漂亮的女孩比作一朵鮮花。

3.Engeln further pointed out that when people spend too much time making such comparisons...恩格爾恩進一步指出，當人們花費過多時間進行此類比較時……

point out是固定詞組，意為“說及；指出”；spend+時間/金錢 (in)doing/on sth.是固定搭配，意為“花費時間或金錢做某事”，主語是人。如果用take表示“某人花費時間做某事”，則用固定搭配It takes sb.some time to do sth.。

【即時嘗試】他們花了五年時間來建造這座橋。

（答案見第63頁）

譯文助讀

我們在社交媒體上曬照之前，都會用一種應用程序來磨皮，放大雙眼，加長睫毛，豐滿唇形。我們只需在手機上輕點幾下，便能快速修圖，向全世界展現“最好”的自己。

然而，這么做的問題在于，當我們簡單地用修圖去掉自身瑕疵的同時，也改變了看待自己的方式。上個月，來自美國波士頓大學醫學院的研究人員發表了一篇文章。“這些應用程序幾分鐘內就能改變一個人的外表，讓人追求一種不切實際的美?！痹撐恼聦懙?。研究人員也發出警告稱這類應用程序模糊了現實與虛擬的界限。

在過去，人們或許會將自己的相貌與名人的進行比較。但對如今的年輕人而言，審美標準大多數來自在社交媒體上看到的形象?！叭缃衲忝刻於紩⒄鎸嵉淖晕遥c在社交媒體上有意無意地展示出的虛假形象進行比較。”美國西北大學教授蕾妮·恩格爾恩在接受《赫芬頓郵報》采訪時如此表示。恩格爾恩進一步指出，當人們花費過多時間進行此類比較時，他們或許會患上“美容病”，甚至很難接受自己真實的外貌?！耙驗闄M亙在你與世界之間的是一面鏡子，它如影隨形，無處不在，你根本無法放下?！彼诮邮堋度A盛頓郵報》采訪時如此說道。

所以當我們在照一面真實的鏡子時，我們不能問自己：“我看起來和美顏照片里的一樣好看嗎？”而是要這么想：“我覺得我很好，我有一種健康美?！?/p>