When Karl Lagerfeld introduced his ridiculously oversize hula-hoop beach bag at a Chanel runway show recently, he inadvertently struck a pop-cultural chord.
香奈兒設計總監卡爾拉格斐最近在香奈兒時尚秀上推出大到不可思議的「呼拉圈海灘包」，無意間撩動了流行文化的琴弦。

Among the most talked-about accessories to emerge from this season’s shows, the beach bag seemed to have tapped into a newfound affection for the hula hoop, as a fashion statement and an exercise device.
這款海灘包是2013春夏時裝秀上受到最熱烈討論的配件之一，似乎迎合了人們對呼拉圈新近產生的喜愛，在人們眼裡它既是時尚宣言，也是運動器材。

A video of Mr. Lagerfeld explaining the bag (“It’s for the beach. You can put it into the sand and hang things on it.”) has been popping up on fashion sites like Fashionista and Styleite. And Chanel announced that it would be selling smaller versions in stores.
拉格斐錄了一段影片談到如何使用這款包包。（片中他說：「這是去海邊用的。你可以把它插進沙灘，把東西掛在呼拉圈上。」）這段影片已在諸如「時尚人士」（Fashionista）與Styleite等時尚網站流傳。香奈兒已宣布將在各處店面展售較小的款式。

Actual hula hoops have received celebrity endorsements. Christie Brinkley was photographed hula-hooping in Times Square on October 5 for World Smile Day, an event that promotes acts of kindness. Television talk show host Jimmy Fallon challenged Michelle Obama to a hula-hooping contest on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” in February, after she was photographed hooping on the White House lawn at her Healthy Kids Fair.
呼拉圈早已獲得名流背書。今年10月5日「世界微笑日」（推廣友善行為的活動），美國超級名模克莉絲蒂．布琳克莉在紐約時報廣場留下大搖呼拉圈的照片。美國電視脫口秀主持人吉米法隆今年二月在「吉米法隆午夜秀」節目中，主動要求跟第一夫人蜜雪兒．歐巴馬比賽搖呼拉圈。在此之前，蜜雪兒曾被拍到在白宮草坪的「兒童健康宣導大會」搖呼拉圈。

“A lot of people are interested in hooping for its health benefits, which might get them hooked, but it’s also such a fun way to do cardio,” said Bex Burton, a hula hoop instructor who founded Sense of Motion, a Brooklyn-based company that also teaches Pilates and yoga.
在紐約市布魯克林區創辦「動感」公司的呼拉圈教練貝克絲‧波頓說：「很多人對呼拉圈感興趣是為了健身，這個好處也許能吸引他們投入，不過搖呼拉圈也是做有氧運動的有趣方式。」動感公司除了教人搖呼拉圈，也教皮拉提斯和瑜伽。

As with any exercise trend, accessories have proliferated. “We just got in a beautiful prototype of a goatskin-covered hula hoop – it’s dark black leather with a nice grip,” said Gabriella Redding, founder of Hoopnotica, a fitness company near Venice Beach in Los Angeles that sells hoops and certifies 300 instructors a year to teach “hoop dance.”
任何運動一旦蔚為風潮，相關配件也會應運而生廣為流傳。在洛杉磯「威尼斯海灘」附近創辦Hoopnotica健身公司的加布利艾拉‧瑞丁說：「我們剛進了一個包山羊皮的漂亮原型呼拉圈，黑色皮革，握感很好。」Hoopnotica除了販賣呼拉圈，每年還認證300名教「呼拉圈舞」的老師。

Sales passed the $1 million mark last year, Ms. Redding said. Buyers include Stefan Pildes, a founder of Groovehoops, a hoop performance troupe in New York that offers classes.
瑞丁表示，去年營收破了100萬美元大關，買主包括紐約呼拉圈表演兼訓練班Groovehoops的創辦人皮爾茲。

Every Monday, about 30 students, ranging in age from 10 to 50, learn hoop tricks like the Swim and Walking the Dog.
每個星期一約有30名10至50歲的學生到Groovehoops學呼拉圈技巧，如「游泳」、「遛狗」等。

“One of my constant quotes in class is if you’re giggling, you’re doing it correctly,” Mr. Pildes said. “It’s not about how graceful you are, or what trick you can do. It’s about finding the joy in your workout.”
皮爾茲說：「我在課堂上常講，如果你（搖呼拉圈時）咯咯笑，你就做對了。重點不在於你多優雅，也不在於你會什麼技巧，而是在你的練習過程中找到樂趣。」

Hoopers are taking their passion outdoors, to concerts and giant group hoop sessions called “hoop jams” set to music. Devotees can be spotted in the subway with oversize hoop bags.
呼拉圈舞愛好者將他們的熱情展現在戶外表演，音樂會，以及俗稱「呼拉圈聚會」、有人專門譜寫舞曲的大型團體呼拉圈課程上。你可以在地鐵裡瞥見這些愛好者帶著超大呼拉圈袋。

In Los Angeles, workplaces are embracing hooping as a healthy alternative to smoke breaks or trips to the vending machine.
洛杉磯的工作場所歡迎上班族在休息時間搖呼拉圈，用這種健康的活動取代抽菸或去自動販賣機找吃喝。

Dina Strada, the manager of employee events at DreamWorks Animation, encourages the staff to take hoop breaks twice a day for 15 minutes. About 10 to 15 people partake, she said.
「夢工廠動畫」員工活動經理蒂娜‧史特拉達鼓勵員工每天用兩次休息時間搖呼拉圈，每次15分鐘。她說，約有10到15人響應。

“On really busy days, I can hoop and respond to e-mails at the same time,” she said.
史特拉達說：「真的很忙的時候，我可以一邊搖呼拉圈，一邊回電子郵件。」

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/18/fashion/hula-hooping-is-a-trend-thats-getting-around.html

2012-12-04聯合報/G9版/UNITEDDAILYNEWS 李京倫譯 原文參見紐時週報十二版下