Tattoos: good or bad?

纹身：究竟是好是坏？

Do you have any tattoos? I don't. I've never been brave enough to go under the needle. But if you do have one, you are not alone. According to a report by Experian, the number of tattoo parlours in Britain increased by 173% between 2004 and 2014. Tattoos have always been controversial – personally and culturally. Some people love them and some hate them. So, are they good or bad?

你有纹身吗?我没有。我从来没有足够的勇气去纹身。但如果你有的话，你也并不孤单。益百利的一份报告显示，从2004年到2014年，英国纹身店的数量增加了173%。无论从个人角度还是从文化角度，纹身一直都是有争议的。有些人喜欢它们，有些人讨厌它们。那么，它们究竟是好是坏呢?

These days, one in five people in the UK has some ink – whether it's a commemorative date, a sleeve or a full body suit. What's responsible for this rise in popularity? "You see a lot of celebrities getting tattooed," says Lee Clements of the British Tattoo Artist Association speaking on BBC radio. As a result, people want to copy them or it becomes a fashion thing – certain tattoos become a trend.

如今，五分之一的英国人都有纹身——无论是纹一个纪念日期、一条手臂还是全身纹身。是什么导致了这种受欢迎程度的上升?英国纹身艺术家协会的李·克莱门茨在BBC广播中说:“你可以看到很多名人都有纹身。”因此，人们想要模仿它们，或者它成为了一种时尚——某些纹身成为了一种潮流。

Employers have become more accepting of visible tats too. Last year, London's Metropolitan Police relaxed a ban on recruiting candidates with visible body art. And earlier this year, Air New Zealand said it would end a ban on body art to allow workers to express their individuality and cultural heritage.

雇主们也越来越接受可见的纹身。去年，伦敦警察厅放松了禁止招聘有明显人体艺术的应聘者的禁令。今年早些时候，新西兰航空公司表示将结束一项禁止人体艺术的禁令，允许员工表达自己的个性和文化传承。

That said, not all employers would agree. Grace, 28, told the BBC that she had been offered jobs in sales, which were then withdrawn when employers saw her hand tattoo. "It feels like having a tattoo is not socially acceptable," she says. "Having a tattoo does not amount to a protected characteristic," remarks Susan Harris, legal director at the GMB union, a UK trade union. This means a person can be dismissed for having one if it breaches the employer's dress code – except on religious grounds.

尽管如此，并不是所有的雇主都会同意。28岁的格蕾丝告诉BBC，她曾得到一份销售方面的工作，但当雇主看到她手上的纹身后，这份工作就取消了。她说:“感觉纹身在社会上是不可接受的。”英国工会GMB union 的法律主管苏珊?哈里斯表示:“纹身并不构成受保护的特征。”这意味着，如果一个人违反了雇主的着装规定，他就可能被解雇——除非是出于宗教原因。

And let's not forget the risk of infection. At present anyone in the UK can set up a parlour and offer procedures without proper training, a report from the Royal Society for Public Health says. They note that just under 20% of those tattooed experience negative side effects, including swelling, burning or a skin infection.

我们不要忘记感染的风险。英国皇家公共卫生学会(Royal Society for Public Health)的一份报告称，目前，在英国，任何人都可以在没有经过适当培训的情况下，开设一间会客室，提供纹身服务。他们指出，只有不到20%的纹身有副作用，包括肿胀、灼烧或皮肤感染。

It seems that attitudes to tattoos are changing, but they aren't quite there yet. Should you be persuaded to have one – visit a reputable tattoo artist with a portfolio. Discuss your design with them and don't make a hasty decision! If you later regret it, your tattoo will need laser removal or a cover up. Better get a temporary tattoo or henna tattoo first and see if you're happy with it. Wear it for a few months and then decide.