Geisha facing dire straits as virus scares off Kyoto customers

 

病毒嚇跑京都顧客 藝妓面臨困境

【摘要2021.9.24.五.自由】◎張沛元

Geisha and their "maiko" trainees are being forced out of work here as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, shutting down parties where the traditional artists make their living entertaining guests by playing music and dancing.

隨著武漢肺炎疫情持續肆虐，席間有以奏樂與跳舞娛賓來營生的傳統藝術者陪侍的宴會停辦，此地的藝妓與練習生「舞妓」被迫失業。

Parties have been scrapped in all five major "kagai" traditional entertainment districts here, leading some of the women, collectively known as "geimaiko," to quit the business.

京都的五大「花街」（傳統風月區）的宴會皆已取消，導致某些通稱為「藝舞妓」的女性退出這一行。

"Last year, I made only 10 percent of my usual income. I have to dip into my savings to pay my daily expenses," said a geisha based in the Kamishichiken district.

「我去年只賺了我通常收入的一成。我不得不動用我的存款以支付日常開銷，」上七軒區的一名藝妓如是說。

While maiko trainees are postponing their debuts, some geimaiko have chosen to leave the kagai districts, citing drastically reduced incomes and uncertainty about the future.

儘管舞妓練習生因此延後出道，部分藝舞妓則因收入銳減與未來的不確定性而選擇離開花街。

新聞辭典

dire straits：慣用語， 困境，險境。

earn/make a/one’s living：片語，營生，謀生。例句：He earns his living driving a taxi in Taipei.（他在台北開計程車謀生。）

dip into：片語，隨便翻翻，瀏覽；動用，花費（部分積蓄）。例句：He dipped into his savings to buy a yacht.（他動用積蓄買了一艘遊艇。）