All parents think their children are the most beautiful children in the world, but some want the whole world to agree. They dress their kids up in minia

ture ball gowns and send them up on stage to parade in front of complete strangers who rate them for poise, talent and looks. The winners take home cash and prizes, while the losers take home heartbreak.

　　所有的父母都认为他们的小孩是全世界最漂亮的孩子，但有些父母希望全世界都赞同这点。他们让自己的孩子穿上迷你礼服，送他们上舞台，在完全陌生的人面前展示他们自己。这些陌生人根据他们的姿态、才艺和外表来替她们打分。赢的人可以把现金和奖品带回家，输的人则心碎神伤。

　　While adult beauty pageants like Miss Universe may get more publicity, the world of pageants for children is growing, and is now a $5 billion industry in the United States alone, and the trend is quickly moving overseas.

　　虽然像环球小姐这样的成人选美也许比较吸引公众的注意，但儿童选美也日渐流行。单单在美国，它现在已经是价值50亿美元的产业了，而这样的风潮正快速蔓延到海外。

　　But criticism of the entire phenomenon is growing as well. Critics claim that exposing children barely old enough to walk to the pressures of beauty pageants is bad for the children and indicates something is wrong with society.

　　但针对这个现象的批评声浪也在增加。评论家宣称，让刚学会走路的小孩子暴露在选美的压力下很不好，这显示出我们的社会有问题。

　　“The contests give children the perception that being pretty is the only option for success,”says Marcia Summers, a psychology professor.“Some babies grow up to be pretty adults, but some don’t. We can’t all be beautiful.”Summers claims that this pressure to be beautiful is one of the leading causes of eating disorders and depression in children.

　　“这些比赛给孩子们一种认知，让他们觉得外表漂亮是迈向成功的惟一选择。”心理学教授玛希雅·萨莫斯说。“有些小孩会长成漂亮的成人，但有些不会。我们不可能全都长得很漂亮。”萨莫斯宣称，必须长得漂亮的压力是孩童饮食失调和忧郁症的主要原因之一。

　　Others say that there’s a fine line between the pageants and sexual exploitation. It certainly didn’t help that a pageant held in Bangkok last year awarded children points for having a“sexy body”.

　　其他人说，选美和性剥削之间只有非常细微的界线。去年在曼谷举行的一场选美把“性感身体”的奖项颁给了小孩，这显然不是什么好事。

　　Parents claim that the pageants make their children happy, and teach them self-confidence. But participation comes with a price tag. Entry fees range from $100 to $1,000; outfits can cost between $100 and $12,000 each; and then there’s the cost of makeup, and even false teeth to cover up lost baby teeth.

　　父母们宣称，选美让他们的孩子快乐，并教给他们自信。但是参与选美是要付出代价的。报名费从100美元到1,000美元不等；每套衣物得花费100美元到12,000美元不等；还有化妆品开销，甚至掩饰脱落乳齿的假牙等的开销。

　　Says one pageant mother:“I know people who have spent so much on pageants that they lost their shirts–and their homes.”

　　一位选美参赛者的妈妈说：“我认识一些在选美上花了很多钱的人，他们最后不但落到身无分文的下场，甚至还失去了他们的房子。”