奢侈品牌Gucci撕香港殡葬业:别用我们的牌子做祭品!

Italian luxury goods maker Gucci has sent warning letters to Hong Kong shops selling paper versions of its products as offerings to the dead.

日前，意大利奢侈品牌古驰表示，该公司已写信给香港的商店，要求它们停止销售使用其品牌的祭品。

Paper replicas of items like mansions, cars, iPads and luxury bags are burnt in the belief that deceased relatives can use them in the afterlife. Demand for these products is highest during the Qingming "tomb-sweeping" festival.

中国人将高楼大厦、小车、平板以及奢侈包包等纸质仿真祭品焚烧给已故的亲人，因为人们相信，他们在阴间能使用这些东西。在一年一度的清明节期间，这类商品的需求会达到顶峰。

"We fully respect the funeral context and we trust that the store owners did not have the intention to infringe Gucci's trademark," Gucci Hong Kong said in a statement. "Thus a letter was sent on an informational basis to let these stores know about the products they were carrying, and by asking them to stop selling those items."

古驰香港在一份声明中写道：“我们完全尊重相关的殡葬习俗，并相信相关商铺的持有人并非蓄意侵害古驰商标。因此，我们向这些商铺发出资料性信函，让商铺了解到他们正在涉及的品牌商品，并请求他们停止售卖该等产品。”

The ancient tradition of venerating one's ancestors, even after death, is alive and well in the Chinese speaking world. If you want to avoid bad luck, the belief goes, then you'd better keep your ancestors happy.

在讲中文的国度和地区，尊重长辈的古老传统一直很盛行，即使是在他们死后。这种信仰认为，如果你想避免霉运，那最好让祖先们在阴间过得舒适开心。

How? Traditionally, it was by regularly tending their graves, bringing them fresh fruit and gourmet food and drink and burning joss paper. Also known as "hell money" or "ghost money", they are pieces of paper money in outrageous denominations, which are meant for use in the afterlife.

那怎么做呢？传统习俗是这样的：定期修整坟墓，给他们带去新鲜水果、美食、饮料，还要给他们烧纸钱。纸钱也被称作冥币，是一些面额大得离谱的钞票，方便他们在阴间消费。

And these days, devotees can burnish their reputation with their deceased ancestors by offering items that many were never able to enjoy while still alive: luxury cars with European drivers, brand-name clothing. One of the best sellers at these shops are enormous villas complete with swimming pools, multiple car garages and Western domestic helpers.

如今，后人们为了显示自己的孝顺，都给祖先们烧一些他们在世时未曾享受过的东西：欧洲进口的豪车、名牌服装等。而最畅销的商品之一就是带有游泳池、多个车库和西式帮佣的豪华别墅。

In Hong Kong, some of the shops that had reportedly received the letters had removed their Gucci wares. But other brands, including Louis Vuitton, Yves St Laurent, Burberry and New Balance were still on sale.

据报道，一些收到信件的香港商店已经将古驰手包撤下架。然而，其他一些品牌，比如LV、YSL、Burberry和New Balance仍在出售。

Hong Kong residents shared a mixture of comedy and scorn on social media.

香港市民在社交平台上表达了对此事的观点，有些人觉得好笑，有些人觉得不屑。

"Does Gucci want to open branches in the underworld?" Vincent Charles asked.

Vincent Charles说，“古驰是要把连锁店开到阴间去吗？”

Sammi Ng said on Facebook: "Maybe Gucci should launch their own paper offering products."

Sammi Ng在脸书说上，“或许，古驰自己应该开一家仿真祭品店。”

Sai Ken made reference to Gucci pricing: "Living people cannot afford (Gucci products), and they still do not let you own Gucci products after death!"

Sai Ken则提及了古驰的奢侈，“人们活着时买不起古驰，到死了，还是没有享用古驰的机会。”