Every culture has their own perceptions of beauty. While there are similarities, Asian and Western cultures often have very different beauty standards.

每一种文化都有自己对美的感知。虽然有相似之处，但亚洲和西方文化往往有非常不同的审美标准。

Certain looks are often favoured in Asian cultures. In Western cultures and for many Caucasians, the ‘ideal look’ can be very different.

在亚洲文化中，某些外表通常是受欢迎的。而在西方文化中，对许多白种人来说，理想的外表可能是非常不同的。


Having lived in both Asia and Australia, I’ve noticed different people and cultures measure beauty differently. What is attractive and beautiful to someone may not be to someone of another background.

生活在亚洲和澳大利亚，我注意到不同的人和文化对美有不同的衡量标准。对一个人来说很有吸引力和美丽的东西可能不适合另一种背景的人。

Here are some common perceptions, trends and differences between Asian and Western beauty standards, with a focus on East and South-East Asian and Australian beauty standards among women.

这里有一些关于亚洲和西方审美标准的共同看法、趋势和差异，重点关注东亚、东南亚和澳大利亚女性的审美标准。

1. Eyes

1. 眼睛

Round, big doe eyes with double eyelids tend to be favoured in Asian cultures. Monolids are often seen as unattractive.

在亚洲文化中，圆眼睛、双眼皮的大眼睛往往受到青睐。而单眼皮通常被认为没有吸引力。

Blepharoplasty or double eyelid surgery is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures among Chinese, Japanese and Korean women. Some want to look ‘more white’ with bigger eyes while others argue double eyelids simply gives the illusion of more open eyes regardless of ethnicity. Bigger, doe eyes are commonly seen as more feminine and doll-like which is often desired in the feminine Asian epitome.

眼睑成形术或双眼皮手术是中国、日本和韩国女性中最受欢迎的整容手术之一。一些人希望用更大的眼睛让自己看起来“更白”，而另一些人则认为双眼皮会给人一种眼睛睁得更大的感觉。更大的眼睛通常被视为更女性化的，像洋娃娃一样，这在亚洲女性中通常被认为是理想的。

For many Caucasians, what’s the most common, most fascinating and more attractive eye colour is a popular topic. Research has shown blue eyes seem to be idolised and interestingly enough, the blonde-hair blue-eyed Aussie stereotype is one of the more memorable looks around the world.

对于许多白种人来说，最常见、最迷人、最吸引人的眼睛颜色是什么是一个热门话题。研究表明，蓝眼睛似乎很受人追捧，有趣的是，金发碧眼的澳大利亚人是世界上最令人难忘的面孔之一。

2. Nose

2. 鼻子

Asians generally have flatter, wider noses compared to Westerners. There’s a preference for smaller, slender and straight noses among many Asian women, and this was explored in a study on ideal facial beauty in China. This look for a nose arguably mimics the shape of Western noses to some degree, but on a smaller scale. Interestingly enough, some Westerners see big noses as beautiful.

与西方人相比，亚洲人的鼻子通常更平更宽。许多亚洲女性偏爱更小、更修长、更直的鼻子，这是一项关于中国理想脸型的研究得出的结论。可以说，这种鼻子的形状在某种程度上与西方人的鼻子相似，但体积较小。有趣的是，一些西方人认为大鼻子很漂亮。

3. Face

3.脸

When it comes to facial structure, smaller, V-shaped faces is highly desired among Asian women. This usually entails a rounder forehead with round eyes, and a slim chin and jawline, which are markers of Korean beauty standards. Caucasian women on the other hand seem to prefer higher, protruding cheekbones.

说到面部结构，亚洲女性非常喜欢小一点的v型脸。额头更圆，眼睛更圆，下巴更细，这是韩国人的审美标准。另一方面，白人女性似乎更喜欢高而突出的颧骨。

When it comes to makeup, Asians lean towards natural makeup looks. Many like the glowy, glass-like skin look that projects a youthful, innocent aura. Westerners normally show fiercer makeup looks such as favouring sharp, bold contoured cheekbones – which coincidentally matches the stereotypical outgoing, friendly white Australian persona and gives the illusion of a tan.

说到化妆，亚洲人倾向于自然的妆容。许多人喜欢那种玻璃般光泽的皮肤，散发出年轻、天真的气息。西方人的妆容通常比较夸张，比如喜欢轮廓鲜明的颧骨，而这恰好符合外向、友好的澳大利亚白人的形象，给人一种古铜色皮肤的错觉。

4. Skin colour

4. 肤色
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Many in South-East Asia prefer having fair skin. Some are obsessed with having their skin look as pale as possible, wearing long sleeve clothing and using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun to avoid getting tanned. Skin whitening products are all the rage in many parts of Asia too.

许多东南亚人喜欢白皙的皮肤。有些人痴迷于让自己的皮肤看起来尽可能白，他们穿着长袖衣服，用雨伞遮挡阳光，以免被晒黑。美白产品在亚洲许多地区也很流行。

Fair skin is a marker of privilege and class in Asian cultures. It has been desired throughout history in Chinese culture, symbolising a luxurious life as opposed to a life of laborious work in paddy fields and getting very tanned skin as a result.

在亚洲文化中，白皙的皮肤是特权和阶级的标志。在中国文化的历史长河中，它一直被渴望，象征着奢侈的生活，而不是在稻田里辛苦劳作的生活，导致皮肤被晒得很黑。
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In other words, looking ‘dark’ is seen as ‘ugly and poor’ to some Chinese. Moreover, getting tanned also generally leads to more wrinkles and skin damage, and looking youthful is prided upon among many Asians.

换句话说，在一些中国人看来，看起来“黑”就是“丑陋和贫穷”。此外，晒黑通常也会导致更多的皱纹和皮肤损伤，许多亚洲人以看起来年轻为傲。

On the other hand, many Australians desire to look a few shades darker. Many Anglo-Saxon Australians are fond of tanning during summer and see a tan as attractive.

相反，许多澳大利亚人希望自己的肤色能深一点。许多盎格鲁-撒克逊人喜欢在夏天晒黑，认为把皮肤晒成古铜色很有吸引力。

5. Body type

5. 体型

There’s the common perception that slender and slim bodies are the epitome of beauty across Asian, Western and many other cultures. A bigger chest is also usually regarded as attractive.

在亚洲和许多其他文化中，人们普遍认为苗条的身材是美的象征。大胸部通常也被认为是有吸引力的。

Noticeably many people tend to have larger physiques in Western places, such as larger physical stature and more voluptuous bodies. There is generally more proudness and acceptance of these kinds of bodies here compared to places in Asia.

很明显，在西方国家，很多人倾向于拥有更大的体型，比如身材更大，身体更丰满。与亚洲地区相比，这里的人普遍更自傲，更能接受这样的体型。

6. Feet

6. 脚

Historically small feet is desired in Chinese culture. Along with having a small face and petite body, small feet is seen as beautiful. During the Tang Dynasty in China, foot-binding was common among young women to restrict their normal foot growth.

历史上，小脚在中国文化中是很受欢迎的。小脚和小脸、娇小的身材一样，被认为是美丽的。在唐朝，缠足在年轻女性中很普遍，以限制她们的脚的正常生长。

Not much has been said about the relationship between feet and beauty in Western cultures. However, if you have big feet it’s usually hard to find shoes in the right size anywhere.

在西方文化中，关于脚与美之间的关系，人们谈论得并不多。然而，如果你的脚很大，通常很难在任何地方买到合适的鞋子。
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7. Clothes

7. 衣服
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The trend to look kawaii in Asia is quite popular. Made popular in Japan, dressing up and looking innocent, naïve or childlike is part of the kawaii look (also known as cute Asian fashion), along with wearing colours. Often looking young and docile is seen as attractive; in Asian cultures youthfulness is prided upon and dressing up is also a kind of escapism from working long hours.

在亚洲，看起来可爱的潮流非常流行。在日本很流行打扮成天真烂漫的样子，天真无暇或单纯烂漫是卡哇伊(也被称为可爱的亚洲时尚)的一部分，包括衣着的颜色。看起来年轻温顺被认为是有吸引力的;亚洲人以年轻为傲，穿衣打扮也是一种逃避长时间工作的方式。

Here in Melbourne wearing black is quite the trend. People here wear black a lot as it blends in with different outfits throughout different seasons – and arguably a colour that is flattering on many.

在墨尔本，穿黑色的衣服是一种潮流。这里的人喜欢穿黑色的衣服，因为在不同的季节里，黑色都可以与不同的衣服搭在一起——可以说，黑色是一种讨人喜欢的颜色。

* * *
Everyone defines beauty differently. Sometimes you won’t understand someone’s perception of beauty. Perhaps how someone dresses or how they see another culture’s habits or traits can even amuse you.

每个人对美的定义都不一样。有时候你不会理解别人对美的看法。也许一个人的穿着方式，或者他们如何看待另一种文化的习惯或特点，甚至会让你发笑。

For instance, once I was on the tram and this Caucasian lady got up and offered her seat to two short, petite elderly Asian women. The two elderly Asian ladies looked greatful and sat down. The moment they sat down, one of them said in Mandarin, ‘This seat is so hot! Just like other white people, that white lady has a really big butt!’

例如，有一次我在有轨电车上，一位白人女士站起来，把她的座位让给了两个矮小的亚洲老年妇女。两位年长的亚洲女士看上去很感激，然后坐了下来。他们一坐下，其中一人就用普通话说:“这个座位都被捂热乎了!就像其他白人一样，那个白人女士的屁股真的很大!”
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There has been much discussion around the Westernisation of Asian beauty, and that Western colonisation has left its mark on Asian perceptions of beauty to some degree. The paper Occidentalism of Beauty Standards suggests during British imperialism, East-Asian female deities were illustrated in artworks to emphasise their sexuality and golden skin in contrast with ordinary East-Asians features.

关于亚洲美的西方化有很多讨论，西方的殖民在一定程度上影响了亚洲人对美的看法。《西方审美标准论》这篇论文指出，在英帝国主义时期，东亚的女性神灵在艺术作品中通常强调她们的性感和金色的皮肤，这与普通的东亚女性特征形成了鲜明的对比。

It’s no surprise then that racism is often embedded within beauty standards. You could be treated differently based on the way you look: some see women from Asian backgrounds as attractively ‘exotic’. Some see an Asian woman who looks masculine or androgynous as a turn off or simply not a good enough, feminine Asian woman.

因此，种族主义常常被嵌入到审美标准中也就不足为奇了。根据你的长相，你可能会受到不同的对待:一些人认为来自亚洲背景的女性拥有迷人的“异国情调”，而有些人认为亚洲女性如果看起来很男性化就会让人反感，或者根本就不是一个合格的、女性化的亚洲女性。

My friends in Singapore are fairly tanned with their skin a few shades darker than mine. That’s usually because Singapore is tropical and sunny all year round whereas where I am in Melbourne it’s much less sunny all year. When I catch up with my friends in Singapore, many of them exclaim along the lines of, ‘Look! Your skin is so pale! Very pretty!’

我在新加坡的朋友晒得相当黑，他们的皮肤比我的深一些。这通常是因为新加坡是热带地区，全年阳光明媚，而我所在的墨尔本全年阳光不那么充足。当我和新加坡的朋友见面时，他们中的许多人会大声说:“哇!你的皮肤好白好漂亮!”

You go through different phases and ages in life, and value beauty differently. The growing older process also affects how you look and how you feel, just like the stresses and joys of life as well. At different points in your life, you dress a certain way depending on what fashion you’re into, what feels comfortable or what you can afford.

每个人的人生阶段和年龄不同，对美的重视也不同。变老的过程也会影响你的外表和感觉，就像生活中的压力和快乐一样。在人生的不同阶段，你的穿衣方式取决于你喜欢什么时尚，什么会让你感觉舒服，或者你能负担得起什么。

In a world that prides on looks as markers success and the epitome of beauty, it’s easy to forget about beauty within. The phrase ‘look good, feel good’ isn’t always true. You could look put together by society standards but on the inside you’re going through personal issues or working on improving parts of yourself (or yet to realise these sides of yourself).

在一个以外表作为成功的标志和以美丽而自豪的世界里，人们很容易忘记内在的美。“看起来不错，感觉不错”这句话并不总是正确的。按照社会标准，你可能看起来很迷人，但在内心深处，你正在经历个人问题或努力改善自己的某些方面(或甚至尚未意识到自己的这些方面存在问题)。

You could look attractive to someone but they’ll probably remember you more for the way you treat them and make them feel.

你可能看起来很有吸引力，但他们同样可能会因为你对待他们的方式和给他们的感觉更好而记住你。

How you define and value beauty affects your self-esteem and relationships around you. Perhaps when you ’feel good, look good’, you’re more likely to feel the most comfortable and confident around others – and especially with yourself.

你对美的定义和价值会影响你的自尊和与周围人的关系。也许当你“感觉良好，看起来不错”时，你在别人身边，尤其是在自己面前，可能会感到更舒适和更自信。