◎俞智敏
Nothing like a good hairdo to fight deeply entrenched racism in one of the world’s emerging economic giants.
在全球的新興經濟強國之一巴西，沒有什麼比漂亮的髮型更能對抗根深柢固的種族主義。
The tools of battle, such as scissors and conditioners, are being wielded on the outskirts of Rio in a chain of beauty parlors that cater to black and mulata women of limited means.
這場戰爭的工具，例如剪刀和潤髮乳，正在里約熱內盧郊區的一家連鎖美容院中被揮舞著，這家美容院是專門為收入不豐的黑人與黑白混血女性服務。
Rather than straighten out their afro-style hair, as many blacks around the world like to do, this chain called Beleza Natural, or natural beauty, transforms it into soft curls. And business is booming.
與全球許多黑人喜歡把非洲捲髮變直的作法相反，這家名為「自然美」（Beleza Natural）的連鎖美容院卻選擇把非洲捲髮改成大波浪捲髮。生意也因此蒸蒸日上。
Ditched is the popular conception in this South American powerhouse that afro-style hair will get you nowhere.
這家美容院摒棄了這個南美經濟強國認為留著非洲髮型就無法出人頭地的普遍觀念。
"This beauty salon is for the forgotten consumer, the invisible one, to raise the self esteem of low-income customers. Women who are used to serving but deserve to be served and served well," said company chairwoman Leila Velez, a mulata of 38 who at the tender age of 16 was already managing a McDonald’s.
「這家美容院是為了那些被遺忘、看不見的消費者所設立，目的是要提振低收入客戶的自信。這些女性早已習慣替別人服務，但她們自己卻應該接受服務，而且是良好的服務。」公司董事長薇雷茲說，她是現年38歲的混血女性，16歲就已當上一家麥當勞餐廳的經理。
"One hundred percent of the success of this store is linked to the issue of race," said Victor Cunha da Almeida, a professor at the business school of the Universidad Federal in Rio de Janeiro.
「這家美容院成功的秘訣百分之百與種族議題有關。」里約熱內盧聯邦大學商學院教授艾梅達說。
"In Brazil there is cultural baggage among black women who do not like their hair because it is not straight, which is the best known standard of beauty", said Almeida, who co-authored a thesis on Beleza Natural and its support for the bottom of the social pyramid. （AFP）
「巴西的黑人女性都背著一種文化包袱，她們不喜歡自己的頭髮，因為她們嫌頭髮不夠直，而直髮才是美的已知最佳標準。」艾梅達說，他曾與人共同撰寫有關「自然美」美容院及其支持社會金字塔底層婦女的論文。（法新社）
新聞辭典
means：名詞，指財產、財力或收入，如She is a woman of independent means.（她能夠自力更生。）
get someone nowhere：片語，指對某人毫無用處或幫助、無濟於事，如Being angry would get her nowhere.（生氣對她一點幫助也沒有。）
baggage：名詞，指過往經驗或長久以來的態度所造成的負擔或阻礙、精神包袱，如His difficult childhood left him with a lot of emotional baggage.（艱苦的童年使他背負著許多情感負擔。）
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