外國人眼中的"名牌"是什麼?

I never pay attention to fashion and brands. I wear what I feel is comfortable and convenient. Decades ago, my 10-year-old Italian nephew asked me for jeans from Canada when I visited.

我從不關心時尚與名牌。我只穿感覺舒適的衣服。幾十年前，我10歲大的意大利侄子要我去看他時送他一條加拿大當地產的牛仔褲。

Upon seeing them, he exclaimed they were not Levis. "What does Levis mean?" I asked naively.

當見到他們一家時，我的侄子大聲說這不是李維斯。我直言不諱地問道：“李維斯是什麼意思？”

Later, I was preparing to come to China when my Sichuan friend ordered jeans for her daughter. "You mean Levis, I guess?"

後來，當我準備來中國的時候，一位四川的朋友託我爲她的女兒買牛仔褲。“我猜，你是想要李維斯的？”

"No, Benetton," she said.

她回答說：“不，是貝納通的。”

Living in China I realize the impact brands have on people here. Once I bought a pair of sandals because I needed sandals. More non-Chinese than Chinese told me, "Wow! You wear them? You have money!" I didn't know why they thought 150-yuan ($22) sandals - obviously fake - were for wealthy people. I had never heard that brand name (which I can't remember) before.

生活在中國，我意識到名牌對人們的影響無處不在。一次我由於需要買了雙涼鞋。許多人都對我說：“哇！你穿這個牌子的鞋？真有錢！”這其中外國人的比例要超過中國人。我不明白爲什麼他們會認爲標價150元（合22美元）的涼鞋（很明顯是仿冒品）只能是富人的專屬。另外我之前從沒聽過那個牌子（我已經記不清叫什麼名字了）。

While visiting my family in Canada, we were talking about false-fraud-fake products in China. I assured them I would never buy imitations. As a writer, I don't accept that readers pirate my books and I would consider myself a thief if I ever buy counterfeits.

當我回加拿大看望家人時，大家一起談論着中國的假貨。我向他們保證自己不會去買仿冒品。作爲一名作家，我無法接受讀者剽竊我的著作，如果要我去買仿造品，我會覺得自己是在做賊。

A young relative once asked, "What about your purse?"

一個年輕的親戚問道：“那麼你的錢包又作何解釋呢？”

"What's the problem with my purse?" I countered.

我反問道：“我的錢包有什麼問題嗎？”

"It's a Yves Saint-Laurent; do you mean you paid the full price?"

“這錢包是伊夫•聖羅蘭的。你的意思是說你全價買的？”

"How can you think I bought a YSL? I bought it because of size, color and price."

“你怎麼會認爲我買的是聖羅蘭的錢包？我買它只是因爲大小，顏色和價格都合適罷了。”

She picked up the purse and pointed to the steel YSL on the flap. Believe it or not, I had not noticed it till then.

她拿起錢包指了指外皮上的“YSL”金屬標誌。不管你相信與否，直到那時我才注意到那個標誌。

When Hong Qiao Market (Pearl Market) used to sell fake watches, I happened to need a watch and went there for the large choice they offered. What I wanted was a watch to see the time, I insisted.

過去紅橋市場（珍珠市場）常常出售冒牌手錶。一次我恰巧需要塊手錶，由於那邊的選擇空間很大，我決定去那兒買。我堅持認爲自己需要的只是一塊能夠看時間的手錶。

They had no Chinese brands, only Cartier, Citizen, Seiko, Rolex. Desperately, I finally bought a Gucci for which I paid 20 yuan, bargained down from 168 yuan. It still works after 14 years.

他們那並沒有中國的品牌，只有卡地亞，西鐵城，精工以及勞力士。失望的我最終只好選擇了一款古琦手錶，價錢則由最初的168元砍到20元。14年之後，這塊手錶仍舊好用。

Two years ago, a family member needed an inexpensive watch with a blue plastic wristband for a special occasion, "something that looks nice on a little girl," she said, adding "a local, not-famous brand".

兩年前，我的一位家人爲了參加一個特定場合，需要佩戴一塊藍色塑料腕帶的平價手錶。她說：“要那種適合小女孩的款式。”她還補充到：“要當地的沒有名氣的牌子。”

Hong Qiao was the market for children's watches. Having refused several ming pai copies, I was leaving without buying when I saw a blue plastic one.

虹橋市場有許多兒童手錶出售。拒絕了幾款仿名牌之後，我正打算空手而歸，這時我看到了一款藍色塑料手錶。

"diesel, what a strange name for a watch," I thought. Wasn't diesel something that went into a gas tank? The transaction went quickly; I offered 35 yuan and left with the watch.

我心想：“‘柴油機’，這手錶的名字還真是奇怪啊！”難道那不是該呆在油箱裏的東西嗎？交易過程很快，我付了35元錢後就拿着表離開了。