专访首位黑人超模

　　Thirty-five years ago Beverly Johnson became the first black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue. She has since extended her career from modelling to acting and then to business, launching her own line of wigs and hair extensions 10 years ago, and presenting she is currently a co-host of the reality TV show She's Got the Look, a modelling contest for the over-35s.
　　35年前，贝弗莉·约翰逊(Beverly Johnson)成为第一个登上美国时尚杂志《Vogue》封面的黑人模特。此后，她的职业生涯从模特圈延伸到演艺界，然后又投身商海，推出了她的假发系列产品，并在10年前开创接发业务。而如今，她又担任了电视真人秀节目《美女如斯》(She's Got the Look)的联合主持人。这是一档面向35岁以上人群的模特选秀节目。

　　As the fashion week merry-go-round kicks off in New York, Johnson reflects on the way attitudes towards black models have changed over the past 35 years.
　　在纽约时装周开始之际，约翰逊接受了采访，回顾了过去35年来外界对黑人模特态度的变迁。

　　Q: The lack of black faces in fashion magazines was, again, a major subject of debate last year. What has changed since the 1970s?
　　问：时尚杂志上缺乏黑人面孔去年再次成为一个热门讨论话题。自1970年代以来，这方面有了哪些变化？

　　A: It's an ebb and flow situation with black models. The recent debate helped to bring awareness about the lack of women of colour in the industry and made people more conscious. There was then some effort made to include us.
　　答：黑人模特的境遇一直起起伏伏。最近的讨论让人们了解到，这个行业中缺少来自有色人种的女性，使人们更加有意识地注意这个问题。然后各方就做出了一些努力，视图将我们纳入这个圈子。

　　Q: Did you ever encounter any overt racism while working?
　　问：你在工作中有没有遇到过公开的种族主义言行？

　　A: All the time. I'd be on a modelling assignment with a white model and we'd be taking the same amount of pictures, wearing the same number of outfits, but she'd be paid one amount and I'd be paid another, lesser, amount. Once I understood, I began brushing up on my history. I learned that this was a challenge I would have to face daily in my life.
　　答：一直都有的。如果我和一位白人模特共同完成一项表演工作，我们拍摄同样数量的照片，穿同样数量的衣服，但她的工钱和我的工钱就会不一样，我的要少一些。一旦我明白了原因所在，我开始回顾我的历史，然后我就发现，这是一个我将不得不在一生中每天都要面对的挑战。

　　Q: What do you think of recent attempts to launch a models' union?
　　问：你对最近发起成立模特工会的行动有何看法？

　　A: Oh, we tried that so many times! The Models Guild, we called it. I really felt strongly about it. I researched the set-up at the National Football League. I felt there were a lot of ties between being a model and being an athlete, such as the limited span of a career, just 5 to 10 years, and some of the same occupational hazards – for example, having to maintain a certain weight and good health. But it never took off. Hopefully, they'll get there one day.
　　答：噢，我们试过太多次了！我们称之为“模特公会”(The Models Guild)。我强烈支持它的成立。我研究了全美橄榄球联盟 (National Football League)的设立过程。我觉得模特和运动员之间有一定的相似之处，比如职业生涯都很有限，只有5到10年；再比如一些职业危害，比如不得不保持一定的体重和良好的健康状况等。但建立工会的努力从来没有成功过。但愿有一天会成功吧。

　　Q: You've also spoken a lot in the past about the issues with food that you developed as a model. What impact do you think recent initiatives – such as instituting a minimum body mass index in Spain – would have had in your era?
　　问：以前你也曾谈到很多有关你作为一个模特的饮食问题。你认为近年来的一些做法——比如西班牙设立最低体重指数——如果在你那个时代实施，将会有何影响？

　　A: I don't think it would have helped. We didn't have the internet then and instant global communication. Fashion magazines were bought by hundreds of thousands of people – maybe in a few cases a million – but models didn't have the impact they do now. We were just abnormally thin in our own little world. People who bought these magazines would look at the pictures and say, “Nice jacket” – not “She's so thin, I want to be like her.” Or if they did want to be like us, it was because of who we were, not just how thin we were.
　　答：我不认为它们会有帮助。我们那个时候没有互联网,没有全球即时通信工具。时尚杂志拥有数十万读者，也许少数杂志能上100万，但那时的模特并没有今天这样的影响力。只是我们自己小圈子内的人才会瘦到夸张地步。买杂志的人会看着照片说“夹克不错”，而不会说“她怎么这么瘦，我要像她一样。”或者，如果她们真想和我们一样，那也是因为我们模特本身，而不只是因为我们如何瘦。

　　Q: Did it concern you that your daughter wanted to be a model?
　　问：你的女儿曾经想当模特，你担心过吗？

　　A: I never wanted my daughter to go into modelling because it's a tough world. It had a lot of benefits for me but I thought her education was more important. She did it for a year and said she didn't like it. She went back to school and then she came out and said she wanted to be a plus-size model. Now she's working as a financial analyst. She's my hero.
　　答：我从来不想我的女儿进入模特行业，因为这是一条艰难之路。它让我受益良多，但我想她的教育更为重要。她当了一年的模特，然后说她不喜欢。她重回学校去了。毕业后，她说她希望成为一名体型超标的模特。现在，她当上了金融分析师。她是我心中的英雄。

　　Q: How does it feel to be working in reality TV?
　　问：在真人秀节目中工作心情如何？

　　A: I don't think of my show as reality TV. It's real life to me, because I worked in the industry for so long. It's about second chances and following your dreams. Our oldest contestant is 72. That market – older women – has been booming because there are so many of us over 35 now.
　　答：我不认为我的节目是真人秀。对我来说它就是真实的生活，因为我在该行业工作的时间太长了。它提供了人生第二次机会，让你追逐自己的梦想。我们最年长的一位选手72岁。这个市场——老年妇女市场——已经蓬勃发展起来，因为像我们这样35岁以上的妇女太多了。

　　Q: Was there a supermodel clique in your era?
　　问：在你同时代的超级模特中有没有比较要好的一群朋友？

　　A: Yes, it was Rene Russo, Patti Hansen, Lisa Taylor and Rosie Vela. We do try and keep in touch with each other. We talk about how much fun we had but I think we're all happy we're not models now. Just the relief at being able to sit down and have a hamburger!
　　答：有的，他们那就是蕾妮·罗素(Rene Russo)、帕蒂·汉森(Patti Hansen)、莉萨·泰勒(Lisa Taylor)和罗西·薇拉(Rosie Vela)。我们尽量保持联络。我们在一起谈论我们曾拥有的无穷乐趣。但我认为，我们都高兴于现在已经不做模特了。能够坐下来吃上一个汉堡包是多么惬意啊！
　　
　　译者/功文