谁是这个世界上最漂亮的女人?

If only we could answer that question as quickly as the magic mirror in Snow White, since there is never a fixed definition (定义) of beauty.

如果我们能像《白雪公主》里的魔镜那样快地给出答案就好了，因为对于美的定义，从来没有一个固定的答案。

But People, a US weekly magazine, has been trying to answer that tough question since 1990 with its annual Most Beautiful Woman list. And this year’s top choice was 49-year-old US actress Julia Roberts. This was her fifth time to win the title.

但美国的《人物》周刊自1990年起每年都会发布“年度最美女性”名单，试图回答这一难题。而今年登顶榜首的是49岁的美国女演员朱莉娅·罗伯茨。这也是她第五次获得这一头衔。

While Roberts is perhaps not the perfect choice in everyone’s mind, People has its own reasons, and it’s not just about her looks. The beauty of Roberts “also lies in her self-assurance (自信) and smarts and good humor”, says Jess Cagle, People’s editorial director, according to The Huffington Post.

罗伯茨或许并不是所有人心目中的完美选择，但《人物》杂志却有着自己的理由，这一头衔并不仅仅和她的容貌有关。据《赫芬顿邮报》报道，《人物》杂志的编辑部主任杰丝·卡格尔表示，罗伯茨的美“还在于她的自信、聪慧和幽默”。

Going over the magazine’s top choices of the past 27 years, you’ll see that it was usually qualities other than their appearances that got them the position.

回顾该杂志过去27年间的榜首人物，你会发现，这些女性多因其品质而非外在容貌而登顶榜首。

The choice for 2014, for example, was Mexican-Kenyan actress LupitaNyong’o. In a world where a beautiful woman is often portrayed (描绘) with pale skin, Nyong’o used to feel very “unbeautiful”. She even prayed to God that she could wake up one day with lighter skin - something that, as an African girl, she would never have. But that was until 2014 when Nyong’o impressed the world with her Oscar-winning performance in the movie 12 Years a Slave.

比如说，2014年的榜首人物是拥有墨西哥、肯尼亚双重国籍的女演员露皮塔·尼永奥。在以白为美的世界，尼永奥过去认为自己“并不美”。她甚至向上帝祈祷，有一天醒来时自己的皮肤能变白点 —— 这是作为一个非洲女孩，她永远无法拥有的一点。但到了2014年，尼永奥凭借在电影《为奴十二年》中的表现获得了奥斯卡奖，惊艳了整个世界。

“The way she carries herself with such grace (优雅) put her over the top,” Cagle told The Washington Post in 2014. “There was really no contest this year. She seemed like the only choice.”

“她身上自带的那种优雅令她登上榜首，”卡格尔在2014年接受《华盛顿邮报》采访时表示。“今年确实不存在竞争。她似乎就是不二人选。”

And according to 2007’s choice, pale-skinned US actress Drew Barrymore, your appearance isn’t what makes you beautiful.

而2007年的榜首，美国白人女演员德鲁·巴里摩尔认为，美丽并非来自外表。

“I think happiness is what makes you pretty.” Barrymore told People. “If somebody walks into the room and they’re gorgeous (美艳的) and sexy, it’s really fun to look at. But if someone [makes] you laugh and feel good, that’s a whole other level of beauty.”

“我认为快乐才是令人变得漂亮的原因。”巴里摩尔在接受《人物》杂志采访时表示。“如果有一群美艳又性感的美人走进房间，看着她们的确让人赏心悦目。但如果有人能让你开怀大笑，感到舒服，那便是另一种境界的美了。”

Perhaps this is what Australian writer Markus Zusak meant when he wrote in one of his books: “Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.”

或许这就是澳大利亚作家马克斯·苏萨克在他的一部书中想要表达的观点：“人们有时很美。不在于外表。不在于他们说了些什么。仅仅在于他们是什么样的人。”