Таємничий противник

           Nowadaysifyouwalkdownthestreetinanybigcity,you’llseepersonswithatattoo,oraringintheirearornose—orevenintheireyebrow.Decoratingyourbodywithexoticdesignsseemstobemoreandmorepopular.

           Atattooisanyindeliblemarkundertheskin,whichismadedeliberately.Themostcommonmethodistopricktheskinwithasharpinstrument,likeaneedle.Butitusedtobedoneandcanstillbedonewithaboneorashell.Originallytattooingwaspartofreligiousceremoniesinsomecultures,butitgoesbackatleasttotheancientEgyptians.TheJapanesehavebeentattooingforcenturies.AndtheAmericanIndiansusedtattooingasawayofidentifyingthemselveswithcertaintribes.ForwarriorsinAfricaitwasawayofshowinghowbraveyouwere.Ifyouwantedtofrightenyourenemy,you’dhavetogetyourselftattooedfirst.Todayinsomesocietiesifyounggirlsarenotdecoratedwithbeautifultattooing,theywon’tbeallowedtogetmarried.MaorisinNewZealandstilltattootheirfaces.

           Thefashionfortattoosandbodypiercingbecamemorepopularinrecentyearswithteens.

           Inthemodernworldbodypiercingbeganinthe1970sinCali­fornia.Itbecamepopularwithpunkrockinthe1980sasteenagerschosetoexpresstheirrejectionofconservativebehaviourbypiercingtheirnoses,earsoreyebrows.Itwasawayofsaying:"1amnotlikeyou:Iammyself."It’sawaytoexpressperson’sindividuality.Butbodypiercingisnotonlyateenagetrend,itgoesdeeper.Evenmiddle-agedpeoplearekeenonbodypiercing.Somemiddle-agedpersonsusedtoberebelswhentheywereyoung.Andbodypiercingremindsthemthattheywereonceyoungandrevolutionary.

           Soatattooiscertainlyfashionable.Alittleredroseonyourshouldercanseemlikeagoodideaatthetime.Butbecareful.Thereisaveryrealdangerofgettingaseriousdiseaseifyougotoanunqualifiedtattooartist.