原标题：I'm a feminist and I've had cosmetic surgery. Why is that a problem?
原作者:Angela Neustatter
卫报原文地址： https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/03/feminist-cosmetic-surgery-low-body-confidence
演员Julie Christie为保住饭碗而做了面部提升术，虽说好莱坞就是崇尚年轻貌美之地，她还是因为此事饱受媒体指责，批评者认为她“背叛了我们所有人”。自2012年起，接受整形手术的人每年都以17%的比例增长，这件事也再次引起了我的关注。
我在四十岁时做过眼部整形。当时我的眼皮已经越来越像爬行动物的表皮那样褶皱密布了。这让我很痛苦，因为日常人与人之间的沟通是如此依赖眼睛，而作为记者的我，这种需求更甚。我之后部分透露了我进行了眼部整形这件事，因为如此众多的女权主义者都绝口不提她们进行过的手术（相信我，她们做过。），而我认为我得诚实得面对和处理人类老化这件事。我没有预期过任何的针对我个人的批判和谴责－－但我实际上也被谴责不应该去厌恶自己自然变化的身体。女权主义者被认为不应该透露她们面对衰老时如此女性化的脆弱。
我却希望我们现在能采取一个更细致具体的方式看待整容。 因为攻击模式和清高模式显然都没能阻止人们继续尝试整形手术。相反，越来越多的年轻女性为了丰胸和吸脂赴汤蹈火。根据本周的一项统计，进行去脂手术的女性数量已经比2012年增长了40%。
这些现实当然是那些强有力的充斥在当今社会的消极价值观的悲剧表达。这些观念如此强大以致我们很难对这些充斥在我们周围的不现实的形象和画面（译者注：应该意指那些广告上的美女形象）一笑置之。年轻人尤其无法对她们的外貌感到毫不在乎无忧无虑，这也是为什么当今社会进食紊乱，身体意识障碍、自残现象等都在增加。
但是那些选择做手术的人这么做是要在这样一种文化里更好的参与竞争的。这种文化里年轻化的美被认为是最值得被渴望的。尽管这个消息对我们中的很多人来说传递了无尽的绝望和挫败，研究却表明高颜值的吸引力确实会给工作和浪漫爱情带去更多的机会。这也难怪女性们，还有很多男性，如此忧虑他们会失去高颜值会带来的高回报。他们前赴后继得扑向玻尿酸、吸脂、提升、瘦脸针以及更多的手术项目。尽管乳房填充术的丑闻充斥，还是有多达11，000个女性在2013年进行了乳房手术，这个数字比2012年增加了13%。
我绝对认同我们的社会需要下大力气解决人的物化以及自信问题这两大尤其影响年轻女性的社会难题。但是我认为解决的方式是应该通过与年轻女性（和男性）对话和讨论，这是一批前所未有的浸入在“颜值至上“文化中的的年轻人。我们需要花时间和他们互相了解，帮助他们看到我们中的很多人在没有美呆了和酷毙了的情况下仍然被生活本身奖励着。确实，我的新书的主题就是关于随着我们的成熟，我们也能更清楚的与真正的自我相处，和周围人的本来面目相处。
英国女性及平等部长Jo Swinson 在她促成并由政府接管的那场“身体自信”的运动中的呼吁无疑是正确的，她谈到了开启并更开放的讨论由于对体形外貌自卑而造成的在职场以及家庭领域内的困扰这一社会现象。
总之，即使这些人选择整容的决定可能是毫无意义，毫无品味，甚至政治不正确的，可是针对他们的谴责和批判也意义不大甚至有害。考虑到他们只是为了让自己在这个非他所能控制的文化环境里更具竞争力而已。于我而言，女权主义的最大价值其实在于它是女性对她们的选择互相支持，并帮助她们肯定生命的价值。女权是关乎多一点理解，少一些谴责。
原文：
The memory of actor Julie Christie being accused, in print, of "betraying us all" when she admitted to having had a face lift to try to stay working in the mercilessly youth-adoring Hollywood culture, came sharply into focus as I read that cosmetic surgery procedures haverisen by 17% on average since 2012.
I had an eye job in my 40s when my eyes seemed to be disappearing into a reptilian layer of skin folds. This made me miserable because we communicate so much with our eyes, and journalists, more than most. I wrote about my eyelid surgery partly because so many feminists were tight-lipped about the procedures they had (and believe me, they did) and I felt it important to be honest about the way I, as a feminist, deal with the human condition. I hadn't anticipated the personal criticism and condemnation – I was accused of body loathing – that came my way. Feminists were not supposed to reveal such feminine frailty in the face of ageing it seemed.
I hope we can take a more nuanced approach now. If only because attack mode and high-mindedness have manifestly failed to put people off seeking surgery. Ever more and younger women are signing up for procedures, from breast enlargement to liposuction, which involves removing fat from areas of the body. According to statistics released this week, the number of liposuction procedures increased by more than 40% last year compared with 2012.
It is, of course, a tragic reflection of the values that have flooded our society so powerfully that we cannot just scoff at the glossy unreality of so much of the imagery that bombards us. Young people in particular cannot feel carefree about their appearance, which is why eating disorders, body dysmorphia and self-harm are all on the increase.
But those who choose the scalpel route are doing so to compete in a culture where youthful beauty is beamed at us as the most desirable thing there is. Despite the despair and sense of failure this message brings to many of us, research confirms that attractiveness brings more opportunities in both the work and romance departments. No wonder women, and increasingly men, frightened witless at the prospect of losing the clout which having visibly appealing looks brings, are heading for nips, tucks, lifts, botox and more. Despite the breast implants scandal, 11,000 women had breast enhancement operations in 2013,an increase of 13%on the previous year.
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I am absolutely of the view that, as a society, we have much to do to tackle the objectification and self-esteem issues that afflict young women in particular. But I think we have to do it through dialogue and discussion with young women (and young men) who are ever-more prone to the looks culture. We have to make time to involve ourselves with them and help them to see the ways many of us have built rewarding lives without being drop-dead gorgeous. Indeed, the subject of mynew bookis the ways in which, as we mature, it can become easier to live with who and what we are.
The minister for women and equalities, Jo Swinson, has the right idea with theCampaign for Body Confidenceshe instigated and which has been taken up by the government. She talks of the need to open up the debate and talk more openly about how low body confidence at all ages affects performance in the workplace and family relationships.
Condemning individuals for decisions they take to compete in a culture they themselves didn't create is counterproductive and harmful, even if those decisions are ones we regard as medically unnecessary and politically distasteful. To me, the huge value of feminism has been the life-affirming value of women supporting each other in their choices. It is about understanding more, condemning less.
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