Is there a universal code or a consensus about what real beauty is, or is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?

有沒有全球通用的準則或共識可以衡量何謂真正的美？或者真的是情人眼裡出西施？

Why do we become weak in the knees when we meet one shape and size of human being,

為什麽我們看到自己喜歡的類型會雙腿發軟，

and just go "meh" when we meet another?

不是自己喜歡的類型就興趣缺缺呢？

The majority of us are just average looking people.

我們大多數人都是相貌平凡的人。

As such, should we simply be doomed to skulk around in the shadows of our more beautiful brothers and sisters?

既然如此，難道我們就注定要偷偷躲在長得比較好看的兄弟姊妹後面嗎？

Or can beauty be bought or modified?

還是美是可以用買的或做的？

And just who are considered beautiful people around the world anyway?

而在這個世界上，誰才被認定是美麗的呢？

Today we'll find out, in this episode of The Infographics Show: Average looking People vs Beautiful People. (Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell button so you can part of our notification squad.)

今天這集 The Infographics Show，我們要來比較長相平凡和長相出眾的人。(別忘了訂閱和開啟小鈴鐺加入我們通知小組。)

During the Renaissance, artists liked to paint portraits of well-fed homely women.

在文藝復興時期，藝術家喜歡描繪的人像多為豐腴的居家女性。

These pictures show us that heavier women were the beauty standard in the 16th century.

這些畫顯示了較豐腴的女性才符合 16 世紀的審美標準。

Today, however, it seems that this has been completely reversed and we now generally prefer women with a body the shape of an artist's paintbrush.

然而今日，審美觀似乎完全顛倒，現在大家普遍喜歡身材跟畫家的畫筆一樣纖細的女性。

The media, magazines, TV channels, and online ads bombard us with images of what they consider beautiful until after staring for hours at these images, a general consensus is formed.

媒體、雜誌、電視和線上廣告不斷地用圖像轟炸來灌輸他們所定義的「美」，而我們觀看這些影像數小時之後，形成一個對美既定的印象。

What is beautiful and what is average is possibly just a result of this continual bombardment of these repetitive images of supposed beauty,

美麗或平凡可能只是一種不斷被重複地圖像洗腦後的結果，

yet around the world the understanding of beauty is not completely clear-cut.

然而世界各地對美的理解仍然沒有明確定義。

Evolutionarily speaking, beauty is an indication of health, fitness, and fertility.

從演化的角度來看，美是健康、健美和生育的象徵。

We are naturally attracted to the type of person who we consider to be a good potential mate.

我們很自然地會受我們理想的潛在伴侶所吸引。

There is a universal bias towards facial symmetry and balanced features.

人們普遍偏好臉部對稱、五官端正。

A straight nose, balanced jawline, and high forehead are all indications that the person has had a normal disease-free childhood and will therefore make an ideal life partner.

直挺的鼻樑、勻稱的下巴和高額頭都顯示某個人沒有得過重大疾病，並擁有快樂的童年，因此是理想的人生伴侶。

Instability in growth and stunted development in childhood are, on the other hand, manifested in unbalanced features, a lopsided face, a sleepy eye, or a crooked nose,

另一方面，年幼時期不穩健的發育及發展則表現在不端正的五官上、不對稱的臉、無神的眼睛或傾斜的鼻子，

and people with these types of features are less likely to be considered the ideal mate with whom to procreate.

而通常具備這些特徵的人不太可能成為大家理想的結婚伴侶。

In 2014, a study was undertaken whereby images of 5,000 teenagers were shown,

2014 年，一項研究展示了 5000 位青少年的照片，

and the subjects were asked about their medical history – those with the most symmetrical features were fitter and healthier

當詢問這些受試者病史時，五官端正的人較健美、健康，

than those with flawed features and therefore considered more ideal mating partners.

凌駕於五官有缺陷的人之上，因此他們被認為是比較理想的約會對象。

We also prefer men that exude manliness and women who radiate femininity.

我們也偏愛散發男人味的男性和充滿女人味的女性。

These feature definitions are obviously fluid, but generally men should have strongly defined features whereas women's features should be more delicate and ladylike.

這些特徵的定義顯然不是一成不變，但普遍來說，男生就該輪廓鮮明，而女性的輪廓就該精緻柔美。

Most people prefer long legs in women and shorter legs in men.

大部分的人喜歡腿長的女生和腿較短的男生。

Women should supposedly have an hourglass figure while men should have V-shaped shoulders,

女生應該擁有凹凸有致的身材，而男生則該擁有倒三角的身形。

and only in the countries where starvation is a real threat are larger people considered more attractive.

只有在面臨飢荒威脅的國家中，大尺碼的人才會比較受歡迎。

The concept of beauty is really a combination of healthy living, vitality, and good genes.

審美觀的確是健康的生活型態、活力以及良好基因的結合。

We are attracted to people who we wish to be like, as most of us strive to be primarily fit, fertile, and healthy.

我們總會被我們心目中的理想型所吸引，所以大部分的人追求健美身材、生育能力和健康。

We want the same for our children so we endeavor to find partners who can produce the most healthy, happy kids,

當然，我們也希望我們的孩子也擁有同樣的條件，所以我們努力尋找能生下最健康、最快樂的小孩的伴侶，

in the hope that our children will do likewise and the cycle of beautiful people will be repeated again and again.

並期望孩子們也能努力讓優秀的基因不斷延續下去。

Around the world we have different ideas of beauty.

世界各地的人都有不同的審美標準。

In parts of northern Thailand and Burma (aka Myanmar), a woman with a long neck is considered desirable.

在泰國北方和緬甸 (英文舊名為 Myanmar) 部分地區，擁有細長脖子的女性相當受歡迎。

This practice, considered barbaric in other parts of the world, involves the attachment of a series of brass rings around the neck,

這個習俗在有些地區被視為野蠻的行為，它包括在脖子上配戴一系列的黃銅環配飾，

causing the woman to have a long giraffe style neck that's considered a sign of beauty and wealth in tribal circles.

以讓女性擁有長頸鹿般的脖子，這被當地部落卻視為美麗和富貴的象徵。

Although the neck appears long, this is in fact, an illusion as the rings push the collar bone down, giving the appearance of a long neck.

雖然脖子看起來很長，但實際上只是銅環把鎖骨往下推的錯覺，讓脖子顯得修長。

In Kenya, women who wear heavy ear jewelry that weigh down and expand their earlobes have an edge in the romance stakes.

在肯亞，女性佩戴沈重的珠寶耳飾使耳垂變長，據說這樣比較容易吸引異性的注意。

Masai women adorn their expanded earlobes with brightly colored beads and stones.

馬塞族女性則配戴鮮豔的珠石在拉長的耳垂上。

This fashion trend also became popular in the western world with tribal earrings becoming en vogue in the 21st century.

這種裝飾藝術也開始在西方世界盛行，部落風耳飾在21 世紀逐漸成為一種時尚。

In other parts of Africa, body modification for beautification can involve the removal of the two front teeth and the insertion of a clay or wooden disk.

在非洲其他地區，為了美化而改變自己身體的行為包括拔除兩顆門牙，並嵌入泥土片或木片。

Similar to the Kenyan ear stretching, this practice widens the lower lip and is considered beautiful,

類似肯亞拉長耳垂的習俗，這麼做可以讓下唇看起來比較寬，也被認為是更美麗的。

and the wider and larger the lip becomes, the more beautiful it is to the members of body modification subscribing tribes.

嘴唇越大越寬，對於因美化而改變身體的部落而言就更漂亮。

And what about cosmetic surgery in the West?

那西方的整形手術呢？

To avoid looking average, we can have our tummies tucked, our faces lifted, our breasts enlarged, reduced or removed.

為了避免自己長相平凡，我們可以動手術消除腹部過多的脂肪、拉皮、豐胸、縮胸或將胸部摘除。

We can have our eyebrows lifted or have implants in our buttocks.

我們還可以經過整形拉提眉毛或豐臀。

We can lift our thighs and have our noses reshaped.

我們可以緊實大腿並幫鼻子重新塑形。

In fact, just about anything can be done by a plastic or cosmetic surgeon in this billion-dollar business, but which countries enjoy the most plastic surgery?

實際上，擁有數十億商機的整形手術幾乎可以調整身體所有部位，但哪些國家最熱衷於整形呢？

Followed by Brazil, Japan, Italy, and Mexico, the USA takes the prize for the most surgeries with 4.29 million procedures and over 17% of the world's total operations.

排在巴西、日本、義大利和墨西哥之前，美國成為整形數量之冠。總共進行了 429 萬次整容手術，這佔全世界整形手術數量的17%。

So, while most of us are just simply average looking, it doesn't look like we are comfortable staying that way,

所以就算我們大部分的人長相普通，並不代表我們願意妥協。

and as long as biology and media tell us what the gold beauty standard is,

只要生物科技和大眾媒體持續灌輸我們何謂美麗的黃金準則，

it looks like we will keep chasing the dream.

大家似乎就會繼續追求這些美的標準。

But isn't beauty just being happy in our own skin?

但美麗應該是擁抱自己的原貌不是嗎？

Or are you one of the millions of people that would consider going under the knife just to appear more beautiful?

又或者你也是數百萬整形者的其中一位，選擇動刀整形讓自己變得更漂亮？

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

在下面留言告訴我們你的想法。

Also, be sure to check out our other video called Americans vs Europeans!

另外，記得去看我們另一部關於美國人和歐洲人差異的影片！

Thanks for watching, and, as always, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

感謝你的收看，記得跟平常一樣按讚、分享還有訂閱我們的頻道。

See you next time!

下次見！