The meaning of Tattoo – Talk about your tattoos 紋身給你的意義 – 談談你身上的紋身

(photo from Pixabay)

近日，打算在身上增添一個新的紋身，突然想起紋身是一個很好的題材，故在此與大家分享我身上的紋身。我身上的紋身不多，只有三個，但每個紋身背後都有小故事。
Recently I am planning to have a new tattoo. I find that tattoo may be a good topic for my articles, so I decide to share the story of my tattoos.

我第一個紋身，已在退色 My first tattoo, but fading

這是我的第一個紋身，大約是在六年前紋的。當時的心態其實比較多是想擁有一個紋身。這個紋身是英文字”Free”，紋在左手的無名指上，意思相信顯而易見了。小弟向來對男女感情都比較淡薄，亦已多年沒有拍拖，身邊的朋友一直都問我為何不拍拖，每當我回答沒有合適對象時，他們總會回答：「你不會是要求太高吧！其實感情很多時都是拍拖時慢慢培養的，先找一個有好感的對象吧！」
This is my first tattoo. It was about 6 years ago. The tattoo is the word “Free”. It was on the ring finger of my left hand so you should understand what it means haha. I am not emotion rich. My last relationship should be around 7-8 years ago. My friends always asked why I didn’t find a girl. When I answered I had no target, they said, “Don’t be so picky! Just find someone you have good feeling and try first! You two will bond!”

其實這心態一直是我最不能接受的事，可能我個人比較傳統吧。到底拍拖的意義是什麼？寂寞？消磨時間？享受被愛的感覺？還是享受性愛生活？我從來都覺得喜歡一個人的意義是在於那一個人，你遇到的那一個人，你願意為她付出、犠牲、你的心中她比你重要，從而圓滿彼此的生命，我不想因為以上的原因而去找一個女孩去「慢慢培養」，滿足自己，那對我來說太自私。
It’s something I can’t really accept. Maybe I am too traditional. What’s the meaning of a relationship? Feeling lonely? Kill time? Enjoying the feeling of being loved? Or enjoying sex? I always think the only meaning of a relationship is your couple, the one you “meet”. You are willing to give, to sacrifice. She is more important than you, and you two fill the life of each other. I don’t want to pick a girl to “try first”, to satisfy myself. It’s selfish.

所以我一直會等到那一個她出現，而不會因遇到一個彼此有好感的人，就隨便拍拖。不過，還未遇到。這個感情觀存在我心中多年，感覺亦很強烈，因為我覺得身邊的人總是太容易拍拖，真的那麼容易喜歡一個人嗎？分手後可能只隔數個月，又有新的對象，這是我不太能理解的事。亦因這強烈的感覺，促成我這個紋身，作為我的第一個紋身，代表我感情上仍然自由，而心底卻是另一個意思：「我願意為了我愛的那一位，用一隻戒指去捆綁我的自由」如果太嘔…對不起…哈哈…
So I will wait until I find that one. I always don’t understand why my friends always get a new relationship so easily. Is it really easy to love a person? Even they broke up, they will have a new one after few months. This is something I don’t understand. The strong feeling make me have this first tattoo, meaning I am “love free”. But my words in heart is “I am willing to use a ring to tie up my freedom, for the one I love”. I know it’s disgusting. I apologize haha…

如今，紋身有點退色了，就好像我的自由在日漸退色，哈哈…
But now, the tattoo’s colour is fading, meaning my freedom is fading also…haha…

這是我的第二個紋身，是一朵藍色的玫瑰花。藍玫瑰是我很喜愛的一種花，它是人工養殖而成的，並沒有天然品種。藍玫瑰代表珍貴、稀有、及不可能得到。這紋身約在4年前紋身，當時我人生經歷了一個挫折，進入人生的低谷 (詳情可看我的自我介紹文章)，我覺得自己一無是處，沒有未來，行屍走肉地過著每一天。我偶然就會拿著手機在發呆，有一天我見到我手機的桌面圖案 (就是藍玫瑰)，就想起了藍玫瑰的意思，是的！不論是我，還是每一個人，都像藍玫瑰一樣，是那麼珍貴，那那麼稀有，每個人自身擁有的獨突性，都是其他人都不可能得到的！故此，我將這朵藍玫瑰紋在身上，用以提醒自己。
This is my second tattoo, a blue rose. Blue rose is my favorite flower. There is no nature blue rose. All are artificial. The language of blue rose is: precious, rare, and can never get. 4 years ago, I got some trouble in my life (For details you may read my introduction post) going to the trough of life. I felt myself useless without future. I felt like a walking dead spending every day. I was often watching my phone and zoning out. Until one day, I saw the wallpaper of my phone, a blue rose. Yes! Whoever me or anyone, every of us are so precious, so rare. The uniqueness of everybody is something others can never get. So, I put a blue rose tattoo on my body to remind myself.

這是我的第三個紋身，是英文字”May I?”。還記得2年前的那一天，我出席了一個朋友的婚宴，到婚宴接近尾聲時，我在旁邊那一桌見到我的前度女友 (其實我早已見到她，但請容許我假裝這時才見到她)！我和她已多年沒有見了，當初我就是因為第一個紋身的原因，而和她分手。我走上前和她閒談了一會，突然她說：「你看看我的肚子！」噢！九個月了！我摸一摸她的肚子，突然有很大的感覺，這時她電話響起，她接過電話後，跟我說：「我老公來接我了，我先走了。」
This is my third tattoo, “May I?” I still remember the day 2 years ago, I attended the wedding banquet of my friends. When it came nearly the end, I found my ex-girlfriend was sitting next to my table! (OK I saw her long age but please let me pretend I just saw her). It’s already years I hadn’t seen her. I went to her and had a chat. Suddenly she said, “take a look at my belly. “OH no! It’s 9 months already. I touch her belly, and got a strong feeling. Her phone rang. She picked up the phone. Afterward, she said’ “My husband’s here, I have to go. See you!”.

我走回自己的座位，當然被同桌的朋友嘲笑一番。然後我看看同桌的朋友，大多已經結婚，事業有成，而我卻仍然沒有什麼成就，還在還債，在想想我的前度早已結婚，甚至有了孩子，大家的人生都在往前走，我卻像是原地踏步，我忍不住問自己：「May I do better for my life?」第二天，我就做了這個紋身。
I came back to my seat, and of course laughing from my friends. Then I looked at my friends one by one. Most of them were married already, with good career. And I seemed to have no achievement and were still in debt! I thought of my EX, she already had a baby. Everybody was moving forward. But me? I asked myself, “May I do better for my life?”. The next day, I had my third tattoo.

紋身對你的意義

The meaning of Tattoo to you

(photo from Pixabay)

各人對紋身有不同看法，有人仍然將紋身看成70年代的事情，只有壞人才會紋身。亦有人認為紋身就如自拍一樣，是無謂的事情，更是會讓人後悔的事情。
People have different view of tattoo. Some people still think like the 1970s and think that tattoo is bad. Some may find it’s foolish and can make you regret.

在我看來，紋身是人類其中一種最古老的行徑，是一種人心裡精神具現化的圖騰，當你將心中的一些意念，一些圖案具現成身上的視覺印象，就像把你的身體和內心的想法烙在一起。一個紋身，是一個行動的勇氣，代表你願意將心中的想法赤裸裸的展示於世，這就像是古代的圖騰崇拜，是人類最原始的本能之一，將自己心中的精神理念轉化為有形的圖案。
For me, tattoo is one of the oldest act of human being. It is a totem that review the spirit in heart of a person. When you transfer something in my mind to a vision pattern, you are linking your body with your soul. A tattoo means courage of action. It means you are brave enough to show the world what’s in your mind. It’s like ancient totem worship, an instinct of the mankind, to change their spiritual philosophy to visible pattern.

有人會覺得紋身是愚笨的，尤其是那些將男女朋友的名字紋在身上的人。但我卻覺得每一個紋身都是自己人生的一部份。把自己男女朋友的名字紋在身上，然後分手了，愚蠢嗎？沒有那麼愚蠢，至少代表她愛得深，愛得勇敢。可能你分手十年後，重新再看自己前度名字的紋身，不禁搖頭苦笑，原來自己都有過那麼笨，那麼轟烈的時候，以後可要冷靜一點了。這就是人生經歷，每個人獨特的人生經歷。可笑嗎？不可笑，我反倒覺得可愛。
Some may think tattoo is foolish, especially those with the name of boy/girlfriends. I think every tattoo is part of the person. You make a tattoo of your boy/girlfriend, and then you break up. Is it foolish? I don’t think so. At least his/her love is deep, is brave. Maybe ten years past, when you look at your tattoo, you may have a wry smile and find yourself had such a foolish but brave moment. It’s the experience of life, the unique experience of every one. Ridiculous? No, it’s cute.

寫到這裡，我想起一個很動人的紋身故事，不妨在此分享作為文章的結束。
I remember a great story of tattoo. I want to share it as the end of my article.

台灣有一位女孩的爸爸在17年前過身，過身前，爸爸已經虛弱得不能說話了，他把自己的最後一句寫在紙條上：「一切都有我保護好，千記！！！」這張紙條成為了爸爸留給女孩唯一的東西。十幾年來，女孩一直把紙條帶在身上，就像爸爸永遠都在她身邊一樣，但這張紙條已開始變得泛黃，脆弱，但曾差點不見，於是在4年前，女孩決定將紙條紋在身上，永遠保存她的爸爸在她的身上。
In Taiwan, a girl lost her father 17 years ago. Before the death, father couldn’t speak already and he wrote his last word on a paper to her daughter (translation): “your everything will be protected by me! Remember!” The little paper was the only thing father left her. She kept the paper everyday just like her father being with her every day. Until one day 4 years ago, she found the paper becoming yellow and fragile, and she was afraid she will lose the paper one day. She tattooed the paper on her body, to keep her father with her forever.

紋身，可能是記憶的一種
Tattoo may be a memory of your life

我相信每一個紋身都有它的故事，你有沒有你的紋身故事分享？
I believe every tattoo has its story. Do you have any story of tattoo to share?

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