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多歲的沈麗芬婆婆宛如浣紗街一朵奇葩。她每天看起來都神采奕奕。
Cheng is loyal to the traditional Chinese costume of the samfu, which she gets specially tailored, favoring bright and bold prints.
沈婆婆是中國傳統服裝（衫褲）的擁護者，她的衣服都是訂做的，而且喜歡鮮豔大膽的印花。
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.
她生於1933年，一直都居住在大坑，鄰居們都對她非常熟悉。他們稱她爲“阿囡”，即“女兒”的意思。她坦承這個綽號很適合她，因爲這身年輕的打扮比較適合年輕女孩。
"I just like to look pretty," says Cheng. And she lets loose a gregarious laugh at her own immodesty.
“我喜歡把自己打扮得漂漂亮亮的。”婆婆說，接着就自豪地開懷大笑。
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.
在我們的鼓勵下，婆婆示範了幾套珍藏的衫褲，這種衣服過去主要是中國南方女性穿的。這些衣服設計是清朝時期混合漢人及滿族統治者風格的代表。
Cheng says her mother was an advocate of this style of clothing.
沈婆婆說她母親是這種服裝的支持者。"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.
“很諷刺的，我以前對母親的過時打扮感到尷尬，但後來我自己也開始穿這種服裝（衫褲）。除非天氣太冷，否則我不會選擇其他衣服。”
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."
現在我的孩子都想說服我不要再穿衫褲。他們甚至給我買了流行服裝。可是我從未想過要改變。
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歲時開始體重增加，因此便改穿這種寬鬆的服裝來遮掩她的體型。她曾經是大坑一個上海裁縫的老主顧。
"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."
“他的手藝精湛。上海專出好裁縫。”同爲上海人的陳婆婆說。“自從這個裁縫師傅搬走後，我便開始尋找其他便宜的。改穿深圳製作的衫褲。那裏的裁縫技術極差。他們沒辦法做出這些傳統的精緻細節，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.
稱婆婆每件衫褲約港幣200-300元，視用料而定。這些衫褲陪伴她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.
“我每天都會晨泳來保持體型，所以不用修改衣服。不夠我還是覺得自己太胖了。即使穿了衫褲，還是不夠漂亮。”稱婆婆說。她雖然已經77歲了，但內心永遠像個少女。
