A. In the US, tattoos are very popular. B. They are permanent (永久的) and for life. C. And they were used for many different reasons. D. It's normal to see people with tattoos all around the world. E. So is there a connection between traditional tattoos and fashionable tattoos? F. Often the tattoos were of animals or natural features like a river or a mountain. |
In many countries, tattoos (纹身) are in fashion. On TV you can often see a famous actor or musician with a tattoo on his arm or foot. Many sports players have them, too. Forty percent of Americans aged between 26 and 40 have a tattoo, and 60 percent of customers in tattoo stores are women. These people are often professional people like doctor, teachers and lawyers.
However, tattoos are not modern. In fact, they are very old in human history. In ancient Egypt, people got tattoos because they were "beautiful". But in ancient Rome, tattoos were negative and put on criminals and prisoners. In India, tattoos were religious (教) .
In the 16th and 17th century, European sailors arrived on the islands of Polynesia. They saw tattoos for the first time. The people on the islands had tattoos on their shoulders, chests, backs and legs. The European sailors liked them and made their own tattoos, so the idea traveled to Europe
Chris Rainier is an expert in tattoos and his book Ancient Marks has photos of tattoos from all over the world. He thinks people in modern societies often have tattoos because they are a connection to the traditional world. But tattoos aren't a fashion like clothes or a haircut because you can't put them on and take them off again like a jacket or a hat.
