Barbie's fate

　　‵Barbie, beware. The ‵iconic plastic doll｜is ‵often mutilated｜at the ‵hands of young girls, according to research published｜by British academics.

　　"The ‵girls we survey｜see Barbie torture｜as a ‵legitimate play activity, and see the ‵torture as a｜ ‵'cool' activity," said Agnes Nairn, one of the University｜of Bath researchers. The ‵types of mutilation are ‵varied｜and ‵creative, and ‵range from removing the hair｜to decapitation, burning, breaking｜and ‵even microwaving.

　　Researchers from the university's ‵marketing｜and ‵psychology departments｜questioned ‵100 children｜about their attitudes｜to a ‵range of products｜as part of a study｜on ‵branding. They found｜ ‵Barbie provoked the ‵strongest reaction, with youngsters reporting｜"‵rejection, ‵hatred and ‵violence", Nairn said. "The ‵meaning of 'Barbie'｜went ‵beyond an expressed antipathy; ‵actual physical violence｜and torture towards the doll｜was ‵repeatedly reported." she said.

　　While boys ‵often expressed nostalgia｜and affection toward GI Joe, ‵renouncing Barbie｜appeared to be a ‵rite of passage｜for ‵many girls,① Nairn said.

　　"The ‵most readily expressed reason｜for ‵rejecting Barbie｜was that she was ‵babyish, and girls saw her｜as representing their younger childhood｜ ‵out of which they felt｜they had now grown," she said.

　　Nairn said｜many girls saw Barbie｜as an ‵inanimate object｜ ‵rather than a treasured toy.

　　"Whilst for an ‵adult｜the delight the child felt in ‵breaking, ‵mutilating｜and ‵torturing their dolls｜is ‵deeply disturbing, from the child's point of view｜they were ‵simply being imaginative｜in disposing of an ‵excessive commodity｜in the ‵same way｜as one might crush cans｜for recycling," she said.

　　Manufacturer Mattel, which sells 94 ‵million Barbies｜a year worldwide, said the doll remained｜the "‵No. 1 fashion doll brand".

　　Mattel U.K. said｜that despite the findings｜of "this ‵very small group of children, we know｜that there are ‵millions of girls in the U.K.｜and ‵across the world｜that love and enjoy playing with ‵Barbie｜and will ‵continue to do so｜in the future." [330 words]

　　芭比娃娃的命运

　　芭比娃娃，小心点。根据英国研究人员公布的调查结果，这只塑料娃娃经常受到年轻女孩的虐待。

　　英国巴斯大学研究人员艾格尼丝·奈恩说："我们调查的那些女孩都认为虐待芭比娃娃没有什么不对，而且还觉得自己这样做挺酷的。"虐待芭比的方式多种多样，而且很有创意，有的把芭比娃娃的头发给剃了，有的把她的头给卸了，有的烧它、把它的身体折断，甚至有人把它放进微波炉里。

　　巴斯大学营销系和心理学系的研究人员对100个儿童进行了调查，调查主要是针对他们对一系列产品的态度，这也是品牌研究的一个部分。调查结果表明，孩子们对芭比娃娃的反应最为强烈，据奈恩介绍，"排斥、厌恶和暴力"是被用的最多的评价字眼。她说，"芭比所遭受的已经不仅仅是孩子们的反感了，暴力和'酷刑'对于这个娃娃来说已是家常便饭。"

　　"当男孩们对于'美国大兵'念念不忘时，和芭比娃娃说再见则是很多女孩告别童年时代的标志。"

　　奈恩说，"女孩们不喜欢芭比最直接的一个原因就是，觉得芭比太孩子气，就像自己童年时的样子，而她们觉得自己已经不再是小女孩了，芭比娃娃已经不适合自己。"

　　奈恩说很多女孩都觉得芭比娃娃死气沉沉的，没有一点生气，根本不把她当成宝贝。

　　她说，"在大人们看来，孩子以虐待、蹂躏玩具娃娃为乐实在是太不正常了，但是站在孩子们的角度想想，他们觉得自己只是在处理一个多余的东西，这就和把铁罐压扁以便回收的道理是一样的。"

　　芭比娃娃的生产商麦特尔公司介绍，芭比娃娃仍然是时尚娃娃的第一品牌。她每年的全球销售量达到9400万。

　　麦特尔公司说，尽管这个调查发现有一小部分孩子不喜欢芭比娃娃，但是我们知道在英国乃至全世界，有几百万的女孩都很喜欢芭比，她们把她当作自己的朋友，而且会一直对芭比娃娃'宠爱有加'。