成人保健

Sex shop，直译是性商店，或者为避免歧义，可以译为性用品商店。然而无论大小城市，很多躲在暧昧角落里的，此类商店，都有着难看的招牌，上面傻傻写着“成人保健”。

小时候就难免对这些躲闪在街头巷尾的秘密商店感到好奇，却隐约觉得它们是可耻、奇怪的，所以和小伙伴们路过时，都习惯性表演“视而不见”。
虽然后来也见到些光明正大的店面，可是这些大部分还以“成人保健”作招牌的商店，多多少少都表现着中国人对于“性”的扭捏态度。

要讨论这个态度，得花去过多篇幅，于是暂且不谈，直接把基友Liam对一个“成人保健”店面老板的采访原文及翻译贴出来了。如果你也偷偷好奇过：这些店里面坐着一个怎样的人，卖着什么样的商品，你可以往下看看。
—————————————成人保健—————————————————

注意：本文包含性意味图片，可能会让部分读者产生不适。建议酌情阅读。


                
                
北京这座城市在想些什么？除了众多其他事情，还有，性。

北京第一家情趣用品商店出现于1992年，而今，这里已经约有2000家“成人保健”商店。

为了解这个行业，和与其相关的人们的生活，我们在备受外国人喜欢的三里屯，采访了一家门面很小的性用品商店的经营者。她个人拒绝拍照，却对我们拍摄她店中的商品表示十分开心。我们对她的采访如下：

—你是怎么接触到这个行业的?
是我安徽农村老家的朋友把我带进这行的。我感兴趣是因为这个工作不怎么辛苦，需要的本钱也很少。所以三年多以前我搬到北京，开了这家店，没有雇其他人。我朋友也还在这个行业，给我供货。

—做这个生意赚得到钱吗？
比我在老家能赚到的多很多了。我文化教育水平不高，所以不做这行，我也就只能去刷盘子，或是当保姆。

—你的店每个月能赚多少钱呢？
具体多少我还是不说了，不过是我在老家当保姆赚到的两三倍。


                
                
—北京这些成人保健的小店一般都是农村外来人口看管的吗？
对。这个工作太耗时间了，所以北京本地人不会愿意做的。

—你能形容一下你日常的工作日是什么样吗？
我上午10点开门，打扫一下店里，然后就等顾客上门。我的店一般会开到午夜。每天都营业。

—你会偶尔给自己放个假吗？
很少。有时候即使我不舒服，也会工作。

—你住在哪？
店后面。


                
                
—你结婚了吗？
没有。

—你会考虑跟你通过开店认识的人交往吗？
不会，因为我的顾客们肯定都不是单身了。

—你多大了？
30．

—你看起来不像是30岁啊。
我几乎所有时间都呆在店里，晒不着太阳，所以我的皮肤老化比较慢。

—你这里卖的最好的是什么？
最畅销的是“性药”，尤其是仿制伟哥，和有类似效力的传统中国草药。情趣内衣卖的也很好。


                
                
—有卖不动的东西吗？
没有。我是很好的销售人员，所以只要有东西卖，我就能卖出去。


                
                
—你能形容下你主要的客户群体吗？
我这70%的顾客都是中国人，剩下的是外国人。大部分都是男的。
买壮阳药的人年龄区间很大，从18岁到80岁的人都有。其实，我这还有80多岁的顾客，中国人外国人都有，他们有的得拄着拐杖走路，来买仿制伟哥，或者其他壮阳药。


                
                
—中国和外国的顾客买的东西有什么不同吗？
中国人一般都买避孕套、仿制伟哥或是其他传统中国壮阳药。


                
                


                
                
外国人则是买壮阳药、假阳*具、S&M和捆绑用具。


                
                
中国人从来也不买S&M用具


                
                
—来这的顾客会有什么特点吗？你有注意到什么吗？
有些20多岁的中国男生进来的时候看起来很紧张。那么冷的冬天，还流着汗。我会给他们解释这些东西都很正常，而且他们来这里也不代表他们是变态，让他们尽量放松和平静下来。


                
                
—那你的观念一定还挺开放的。
其实没有。我是从很传统的农村家庭出来的，所以我个人对我卖的这些产品没什么兴趣。这对我来说只是工作。

—你愿意和我们分享一些印象深刻的故事吗？
好啊。有一次一个顾客进来之后给我看了他的下体，问我他的尺寸怎么样。我的回答是用热水泼了过去。他立刻逃走了，再也没回来。

—这故事可真棒。我的意思是，这个经历很糟糕，但故事很棒。
昨天，一个20左右的顾客走进来，问我怎么收费。我告诉他我不卖，我妈是这么教我的。他最后还是买了些伟哥。他常常来，每次都买一样的东西。

—如果不开这个店，你有什么别的想做的吗？
我想攒些钱，然后就可以离开这行，开个自己的饭店。

可以告诉感兴趣的读者，这家店地址就在工体北路的北侧，工人体育馆北门的对面。

原文：The Little Shop of Sex

Note: this article contains images of a sexual nature that may cause discomfort to some. Reader discretion is advised.

What’s on Beijing’s mind? Sex, among other things.

The first sex toy shop opened here in 1992, and there are now an estimated 2,000 “adult shops” in the capital.

To gain some insight into this industry and the lives of those involved in it, we interviewed the proprietor of a small sex shop located in Sanlitun, the entertainment district of Beijing and a magnet for foreigners. She declined to be photographed for this article, but was more than happy for us to photo her merchandise. The interview with her is as follows.

—How did you get into this line of work?

A friend of mine from my hometown in rural Anhui province introduced me to this business. I was attracted to it by the fact that it doesn’t require hard work and that the start up capital is quite low. I founded the shop over three years ago, after moving to Beijing. I’m the sole employee. My friend is still involved in this industry and supplies me with merchandise.

—Has this business been profitable?

I can earn much more running this business than I could in my hometown. I don’t have a high education level, so my alternatives would have been washing dishes or babysitting.

—How much money does your sex shop make each month?

I’d rather not say, but it is two to three times what I would have made as a babysitter in my hometown.

—Are the small sex shops in Beijing usually managed by migrants from the countryside?

Yes. This job is quite time consuming, so people from Beijing wouldn’t want to do it.

—Can you please describe a typical day at work?
I open for business at 10am, clean the shop and then wait for customers to show up. I usually keep the shop open until midnight. I work every day.

—Do you ever take holidays?

Very rarely. I work even if I am feeling ill.

—Where do you live?

In the back of the shop.

—Are you married?

No.

—Would you ever consider dating someone you met through your business?

No, since any customer here must already have someone they are involved with.

—How old are you?

30

—You don’t look 30

I spend nearly all my time in this shop, so my skin doesn’t age much due to sun exposure.

—What are your bestselling items?

The “sex medicines” are popular, especially imitation Viagra and traditional Chinese herbs, which have the same function as Viagra. The sexy lingerie items also sell well.

—Are there any items that don’t sell well?

No. I’m a very good salesperson, so if there’s something here to be sold, I will sell it.

—Can you please describe your customer base?

About 70% of my customers are Chinese and the rest are foreigners. Most are male.

The sexual performance enhancement products have a wide user age range. Customers for those products range between the ages of 18 to 80. In fact, I have customers in their eighties, Chinese and foreign, who enter the shop while using a cane. They come to buy the imitation Viagra or other performance enhancement products.

—Is there any difference between what foreigners tend to buy and what Chinese customers tend to buy?

Chinese customers tend to buy condoms, imitation Viagra and traditional Chinese performance enhancers.

Foreigners tend to buy performance enhancers, dildos, S&M and bondage gear.

Chinese people never buy S&M gear.

—What about customer habits? Do you notice anything you would care to comment on?

Some male Chinese customers in their 20s enter the shop, visibly nervous. They’re sweating, despite the freezing winter weather. I try to soothe them and calm them down by explaining the normality of these items and the fact that they are not perverted for visiting the shop.

—You must be quite open minded then

Actually, no. I came from a traditional household in a rural environment, so I am not personally interested in my products. This is just a business for me.

—Would you care to share any memorable stories?

Okay. One time a customer entered the shop and showed off his cock. He then asked me if I thought his size was all right. I responded by splashing his cock with hot water, which made him run away. He never returned.

—That’s a good story. I mean, it was a bad experience, but a good story.

Yesterday, a customer in his 20s walked in and asked me how I charge. I told him I’m not for sale, just like my mother taught me. He did end up buying some imitation Viagra, though. He comes in regularly and always asks the same thing.

—Is there something else you’d rather be doing?

I’d like to save up enough money so I could move on from this industry and open my own restaurant.


                
                
For readers who are interested, the shop is located on the north side of Gongti Bei Lu, across the street from the north gate of Workers’ Stadium.

图、文 / Liam 翻译 / 浅色
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