VOA慢速英语2014 Surgery Safaris: Looking for the Perfect Body

 

Surgery Safaris²: Looking for the Perfect Body

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.

How far would you go for a perfect body?

Many people these days are going as far as South Africa to get their version of perfection. People from across Africa and the world come for so-called “surgery safaris.” There are no animals to see on these safaris. The visitors instead look for smaller stomachs, firmer bottoms or perhaps new eye, nose or chin shapes.

Businesses that provide medical safaris say they have seen a large increase in African customers. VOA’s Gillian Parker spoke³ with several cosmetic⁴ surgeons in Johannesburg for her report.

South Africa is becoming the leading country in Africa for people seeking cosmetic surgery. 

For years, South Africa has appealed to medical tourists from Europe and the United States. But local cosmetic surgeons say now more clients from Africa’s growing economies are interested in such operations.

Lorraine Melvill is a doctor with Surgeon and Safari¹. She has been performing cosmetic surgeries for nearly 16 years in Johannesburg. She says that more than 80 percent of her clients now come from sub-Saharan Africa. She says this is because Africa did not experience the economic problems that hit other parts of the world.

“When the West started having its economic downturn, it was almost a symbiotic⁵ change and the scales just tilted⁶. And we know Africa wasn't as affected⁷ by the economic downturn. There is also a huge emerging African middle class that has come to the fore⁸. But for us, the growing market is the sub-Saharan African market. Africa is where we are looking to the future.”

Her clients are treated like movie stars. Assistants take them from the airport to a luxurious⁹ guesthouse. They explain in detail the medical operation to be done. Doctors operate the next day. And then clients have a week or two to enjoy a shopping safari for new clothes and handbags while their bodies heal.

Clients can spend anywhere from $5,000 to $7,000 on a cosmetic treatment. They might spend an additional $2,000 on the cost of the hotel while they heal.

For many African women, less is more. Ms. Melvill says the most popular forms of cosmetic surgeries for African women are breast reductions and liposuction. Liposuction removes fat from the body. So-called tummy tucks are also common. This treatment removes fat from a person’s middle.  

“A lot of Africans have a huge need for breast reduction. And also in terms of the African market, I would certainly say breast reductions, liposuctions and tummy tucks would be their main.”

?South Korea is also a popular spot for cosmetic surgery.  But the leading treatments there are operations to create larger eyes, thinner noses and pointy chins.  

A 2009 report from the research company Trend Monitor said one in five South Korean women has had plastic surgery.

But South Africa is catching¹⁰ up.

“We are seeing a massive influx¹¹ of patients from sub-Saharan Africa.”

Dr. Chris Snijman is the national secretary for the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of South Africa (APRSSA). He says that there are several reasons for the increase in cosmetic treatments in South Africa. These include a favorable exchange rate and better and safer surgical¹² methods.

Mr. Snijman says there is also less of a stigma¹³ attached to plastic surgery in South Africa.

“Obviously they are becoming more socially aware, the social boundaries and stigma attached to cosmetic surgery are now far less than they were before.”

And, he says a growing number of people in sub-Saharan Africa have more disposable income than in the past.

"... not to mention our own emerging upper middle class group of patients in this country… and in addition, they now have a disposable income.”

Dr. Julie Sinclair performs many non-surgical treatments every week. She says most of her customers are women. But she says this is slowly changing.

“Over the last few years a lot more male patients are coming. So in terms of gender¹⁴, that has changed quite a lot. In terms of race perhaps, a lot of Asian, Indian, Thai, Chinese as well as black patients are realizing that they can do something about something that is bothering them. And, I suppose, to some extent, they are more able to do it as the economical climate changes as well.”

A lack of rules on the cosmetic surgery industry has led to a growing number of rogue¹⁵ surgeons. South Africa’s medical professionals say as the industry continues to grow there must be stronger laws to govern it.

Words in This Story

cosmetic surgery (also “plastic surgery”) – n. surgery that improves or repairs the form or appearance of body parts

safari - n. a journey to see or hunt animals especially in Africa

luxurious – adj. very comfortable and expensive; richly appealing

client – n. a person who pays a professional person or organization for services

stigma - n. a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something

disposable income - n. the personal income that is left after the deduction¹⁶ of personal taxes and that is available for consumption and savings¹⁷

rogue - adj. used to describe something or someone that is different from others in usually a dangerous or harmful way

1 safari   

n.远征旅行(探险、考察)；探险队，狩猎队

参考例句：

• When we go on safari we like to cook on an open fire.我们远行狩猎时，喜欢露天生火做饭。
• They went on safari searching for the rare black rhinoceros.他们进行探险旅行，搜寻那稀有的黑犀牛。

2 safaris   

n.游猎，陆路旅行（尤指在东非或中非）( safari的名词复数 )；类似游猎的假日旅行

参考例句：

• I've had too many safaris with rich dentists to listen to any more suicidal ideas. 我已经带过太多有钱牙科医生的狩猎队，我不能再听取任何自杀性建议了。 来自电影对白
• Camel diving safaris are a popular attraction in South Sinai. 骆驼的潜水之旅是南西奈一个受欢迎的景观。 来自互联网

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 cosmetic   

n.化妆品；adj.化妆用的；装门面的；装饰性的

参考例句：

• These changes are purely cosmetic.这些改变纯粹是装饰门面。
• Laughter is the best cosmetic,so grin and wear it!微笑是最好的化妆品，所以请尽情微笑吧！

5 symbiotic   

adj.共栖的，共生的

参考例句：

• Racing has always had a symbiotic relationship with betting.赛马总是与赌博相挂钩。
• Engineering completely new symbiotic relationship is obviously not an imminent possibility.筹划完全新的共生关系显然是可能性不大。

6 tilted   

v. 倾斜的

参考例句：

• Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 fore   

adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

9 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

10 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

11 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

12 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

13 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

14 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

15 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

16 deduction   

n.减除，扣除，减除额；推论，推理，演绎

参考例句：

• No deduction in pay is made for absence due to illness.因病请假不扣工资。
• His deduction led him to the correct conclusion.他的推断使他得出正确的结论。

17 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。