大坑最潮的婆婆
Septuagenarian Cheng Shen Lai Fan stands out on Tai Hang's Wun Sha Street like a gilded rose in a compost heap. This old lady looks great every day.
70多岁的沈丽芬婆婆宛如浣纱街一朵奇葩。她每天看起来都神采奕奕。
Cheng is loyal to the traditional Chinese costume of the samfu, which she gets specially tailored, favoring bright and bold prints.
沈婆婆是中国传统服装（衫裤）的拥护者，她的衣服都是订做的，而且喜欢鲜艳大胆的印花。
Born in 1933, Cheng has lived in Tai Hang all her life, and is known by everybody in the neighborhood. They all call her "ah lui" which means "daughter." It is a fitting nickname for someone who admits to a vanity more suited to a young girl.
她生于1933年，一直都居住在大坑，邻居们都对她非常熟悉。他们称她为“阿囡”，即“女儿”的意思。她坦承这个绰号很适合她，因为这身年轻的打扮比较适合年轻女孩。
"I just like to look pretty," says Cheng. And she lets loose a gregarious laugh at her own immodesty.
“我喜欢把自己打扮得漂漂亮亮的。”婆婆说，接着就自豪地开怀大笑。
At our encouragement, Cheng models her collection of samfu, the traditional shirt and trousers that was historically worn by southern Chinese women. The outfit was a sartorial representation of the merging of the Han Chinese and the Manchu rulers during the Qing dynasty.
在我们的鼓励下，婆婆示范了几套珍藏的衫裤，这种衣服过去主要是中国南方女性穿的。这些衣服设计是清朝时期混合汉人及满族统治者风格的代表。
Cheng says her mother was an advocate of this style of clothing.
沈婆婆说她母亲是这种服装的支持者。"It is ironic that I once was so embarassed by my old-fashioned mother, yet later on I started to wear [the samfu] myself. It is the only kind of clothing I wear now, unless the weather is too cold.
“很讽刺的，我以前对母亲的过时打扮感到尴尬，但后来我自己也开始穿这种服装（衫裤）。除非天气太冷，否则我不会选择其他衣服。”
Now my own kids try to persuade me to give up the samfu. They even buy me modern clothes. But I never consider wearing them."
现在我的孩子都想说服我不要再穿衫裤。他们甚至给我买了流行服装。可是我从未想过要改变。
When Cheng turned 30, she started to gain weight and resorted to wearing the forgiving designs of the samfu to cover up her growing middle. She used to be a regular customer of a Shanghainese tailor in Tai Hang.
沈婆婆30岁时开始体重增加，因此便改穿这种宽松的服装来遮掩她的体型。她曾经是大坑一个上海裁缝的老主顾。
"He was very good. The Shanghainese are great tailors," says Cheng, who is also Shanghainese by descent. "When the tailer moved away, I started to look for cheaper options. I began to get my samfu made in Shenzhen. The tailors there are terrible. They can no longer make the clothing with the traditional details. But they get the job done."
“他的手艺精湛。上海专出好裁缝。”同为上海人的陈婆婆说。“自从这个裁缝师傅搬走后，我便开始寻找其他便宜的。改穿深圳制作的衫裤。那里的裁缝技术极差。他们没办法做出这些传统的精致细节，只是按照本子做好衣服。”
Each of Cheng's samfu costs HK$200-300, depending on the material. They have lasted her as long as three decades.
称婆婆每件衫裤约港币200-300元，视用料而定。这些衫裤陪伴她30年了。
"I keep in shape by swimming every morning, so I do not have to get my clothes altered. But I am still so fat. I don't look good even in samfu anymore," says Cheng. A girl will always be a girl, even at 77.
“我每天都会晨泳来保持体型，所以不用修改衣服。不够我还是觉得自己太胖了。即使穿了衫裤，还是不够漂亮。”称婆婆说。她虽然已经77岁了，但内心永远像个少女。
