The need to smile all day at work is turning young South Koreans towards a surgical procedure that lifts the corners of their mouths.
韩国人希望工作时能够整天面带微笑,这一需求令年轻的韩国人求助于一种可以令嘴角上扬的手术。
Cosmetic surgeons in Seoul say they are seeing a sudden rise in demand for the so-called smile surgery this year among men and women in their 20s and 30s, most of whom are concerned about facing criticism at work because of their expressionless miens.
首尔的整形医生说,今年二三十岁的男女对所谓的“微笑手术”的需求剧增,他们大部分人担心自己会因为工作时面无表情而受到批评。
'Even when you are looking like your normal self, people keep asking you: 'Why are you frowning?'' said Kwon Taek-keun, a plastic surgeon in practice for 20 years and known in professional circles as the first in the country to popularize the procedure. 'That's a lot of stress.'
拥有20年执业经验的整形医生权宅根(Kwon Taek-keun)说,就算你看起来与平时的自己没有两样,人们也会不断地问你:你为什么皱眉头?这会带来很大压力。他在专业整容圈内是众所周知的韩国第一个推广整容的人。
The pictures and video clips that Dr. Kwon's clinic, Aone Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery, posted online have caused a controversy in recent days, attracting derision from some media reports and the blogosphere, and comparisons to the Joker character from the Batman series.
权宅根的诊所Aone Plastic &Aesthetic Surgery在网上发布的照片和视频近几天引发了争论,遭到了一些媒体报道和博客圈的嘲讽,有人甚至将其比作“蝙蝠侠”系列影片中的“小丑”。
But the cosmetic surgeons who carry out the procedure argue people, young and old, come psychologically scarred by hurtful remarks about their naturally downturned lips, especially if they have customer-facing roles. Services-industry workers such as flight attendants and consultants frequent the clinics, according to the surgeons.
但给人做嘴角上扬手术的整形医生称,无论年轻人还是老年人,人们都会因别人对其天生下垂的嘴唇的伤人评论而在心理上留下伤疤,特别是如果他们从事与客户打交道的工作时。据整形医生说,空乘和顾问等服务业从业者常常光顾这类诊所。
Known in the West as 'Valentine anguloplasty' after the heart shape of the removed muscle tissues at the lip's edge, the smile surgery was first developed as a part of an overall anti-aging face lift, Dr. Kwon and other surgeons say. Tightening the drooping face parts didn't restore the lips to the original upturned position, making an extra procedure necessary, they said.
权宅根和其他整形医生说,“微笑手术”在西方被称为“瓦伦丁嘴角成形手术”,得名自手术中从嘴唇边缘去除的心形肌肉组织,这种手术最初是作为整体抗衰老面部拉皮手术的一部分。他们说,将下垂的面部组织变得紧致的手术无法将嘴唇恢复到原来的上扬状态,因此需要做额外的手术。
'It is going against gravity, ' said Dr. David Song of Golden View Plastic Surgery. He added that he observes the patient in different poses, such as in a seated position or while lying down, to get the most natural angle for the lips. 'We're restoring the original lip line.'
Golden View Plastic Surgery整形诊所的医生David Song说,这是在对抗重力的作用。他还说,他会观察病人摆出各种姿势,比如坐着或躺着,以便得到最自然的嘴角上扬角度。他说,我们是在修复本来的唇线。
Though South Koreans are some of the most avid users of plastic surgery in the world - the country has the world's highest number of cosmetic surgery procedures per capita, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons - the area around the mouth was relatively unexplored, the surgeons say.
尽管韩国人可以说是全球最热衷于整容的,国际美容整形外科学会(International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons)的数据显示,韩国人均整容手术数量在全球排第一,但整形医生说,嘴巴周围的区域相对来说尚未开发。
The age demographic of clients asking about the smile surgery became substantially younger, the surgeons say, after some celebrities' smiles began attracting public scrutiny earlier this year. Few have admitted to going under the knife for a perkier expressions.
整形医生说,今年早些时候,一些名人的笑容开始吸引公众的关注,之后咨询“微笑手术”事宜顾客的年龄构成大大降低。几乎没有人公开承认为了获得更有魅力的笑容而不惜挨刀子。
But some clinics now publicize more than 15 different procedures for the lip and the mouth, including enlargement, reduction and gum exposure reduction. The most common procedure? The smile surgery, according to Dr. Cha Seung-youn at ZIEN Plastic Surgery.
但一些诊所目前推出了15种以上的唇部和嘴部手术,包括放大、缩小和减小牙龈外露。最常见的手术是什么?据ZIEN Plastic Surgery整形诊所的医生Cha Seung-youn说,是微笑手术。
'Your eyes and mouth make up the most of your facial expression, ' said Dr. Cha.
Cha Seung-youn说,眼睛和嘴巴占了面部表情的大部分。
With a typical price tag of up to $2, 000, the 'natural' killer smile doesn't come cheap, and Dr. Song warns that consistent care will be needed over a three-to-six months of the recovery period.
要获得“自然”而迷人的微笑,手术费通常得花2,000美元,价格可不便宜。此外,David Song警告说,在三到六个月的恢复期中,需要持续不断的护理。