American Apparel has sparked controversy once again with a new ad starring a topless former-Muslim model from Bangladesh.
The bold image, which appears in Vice magazine's U.S. and Canada editions, stars 22-year-old Maks, who was born in Dhaka but has lived in California since the age of four.
The words 'Made in Bangladesh' are printed across her chest - referring to the woman, of course, not her jeans, a means of raising awareness about American Apparel's fair labor practices - all its clothing is made in downtown LA.
廣告中只見一名孟加拉裔女模赤裸上身，美國休閒服飾品牌American Apparel再度推出爭議新作。
如此大膽的影像，出現在Vice雜誌，美版和加版雜誌內頁中。22歲的女主角 Maks 出生於達卡，4歲移居美國加州，原本是虔誠的伊斯蘭教徒。
胸前打上「孟加拉製造」標語，理所當然指的是模特兒本人，而非她身穿的那件牛仔褲。作為因應日漸高漲的成衣廠工人薪資議題的行銷手法。
一直以來American Apparel主打「美國製造」名號，旗下服飾皆由洛杉磯工廠生產，堅持美國原汁原味製造。其支付給工人的薪資合理，與一般定義的「血汗成衣廠」大不同。
- Spark (v.) 發動；點燃
They were scheming to spark a revolt.
他們策劃發起反叛行動。
- Controversy (n.) 爭議
There was a huge controversy over the plans for the new school.
新學校的建設計畫受到極大的爭議。
- Star (v.) 當明星，主演
She has starred in some thirty films.
她主演過大約三十部電影。
- Topless (adj.) 袒胸的
L.A. has many topless bars.
洛杉磯有很多酒吧女侍都袒胸。
- Muslim (n.) 回教；穆斯林 (adj.) 回教的
- Bangladesh (n.) 孟加拉共和國
- Bold (adj.) 大膽的
- Refer to 談到，提及
In his speech, he referred to the Bible several times.
他在演講中好幾次提到聖經。
The powerful image is accompanied by a description of Maks, revealing how she was raised a strict Muslim but 'distanced herself' from her Islamic faith as she grew up, in search of her 'own identity.'
The words explain that the bare-chested beauty 'doesn't feel the need to identify herself as an American or a Bengali and is not content to fit her life into anyone else's conventional narrative.
The striking ad is likely to cause some upset among traditional Muslims for linking a half naked model to a country where Islam is the dominant religion and nudity is frowned upon.
原是穆斯林的 Maks，長大後漸漸希望找尋自己的本體，她不認為有必要將自己定型為美國人或孟加拉人，也無意按照其他人的傳統思想過活。然而，這極度引人注目的廣告，很可能會引起廣大穆斯林的不滿，畢竟伊斯蘭國家是嚴禁女性裸露的。
- Islamic (adj.) 伊斯蘭的
- Bengali (n.) 孟加拉人
- Striking (adj.) 引人注目的
His striking good looks and charm made him very popular.
英俊的相貌和魅力使他廣受歡迎。
- Nudity (n.) 裸露
- Frown (v.) 皺眉；表示不滿（+at/on/upon）
The father frowned on his son's behavior.
父親不滿他兒子的行為。
American Apparel, which was established in Canada in 1989, has a long history of sparking both celebration and outrage for its daring campaigns.
It has been repeatedly blasted for pushing the boundaries, degrading women and even sexualising young girls in its famously provocative campaigns.
American Apparel品牌自1989年成立，爭議性的行銷手法從未間斷，其大膽的品牌形象深植人心。遊走尺度邊緣的風格也經常被批評「太超過」、「貶低物化女性」，甚至被譴責過分吸引年輕女性加入公司旗下，做出不良示範。
- Outrage (n.) 侮辱；冒犯
Such a lie is an outrage to anyone who loves the truth.
這樣的謊言對任何一個熱愛真理的人都是一種冒犯。
- Blast (v.) 嚴厲批評；強烈譴責
The newspapers blasted the political corruption.
報紙媒體強烈譴責政治的腐敗。
- Degrade (v.) 降低…的地位
He was degraded for disobeying orders.
他因不服從命令而受到降級處分。
- Famously (adv.) 著名地
- Provocative (adj.) 挑撥的；刺激的
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority said: 'Although we considered it was reasonable for ads for hosiery to feature women in limited clothing, we considered the images and the model's poses gratuitous.'
It's too early to tell what sort of reactions the latest ad will draw, but chances are this won't be the last we hear of it.
英國廣告標準局對此提到：「我們一致認為在某些服飾類別的廣告中，女性衣著布料較少、展現性感，是合理且可理解的，然而該品牌的過份裸露，我們認為是沒有必要的。」
至於一般消費民眾對於這樣的廣告會做何感想，也許現在就下定論還太早了。唯一能夠確定的是，American Apparel為大家帶來的話題，想必不會就此停止。
- Hosiery (n.) 襪類；針織品
- Limited (adj.) 有限的，不多的
The amount of money we have is limited.
我們的錢數額有限。
- Gratuitous (adj.) 不必要的
- Draw (v.) 吸引；招來
Her shouts drew the attention of the police.
她的喊叫引起了警察的注意。
- Chances are 可能
Chances are she's already heard the news.
她可能已經知道這個消息了。
