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【英文原文】
本文摘自《新東方英語·中學生》(2009年3月號)
摘要：每個年代都吹著那個年代的風，每一代人都愛著那個年代的狂熱。即使我們已經長大，時間將歲月改變，即使當時的熱潮已然褪去，但每每憶及那些曾經的最愛，都會牽起許多單純的過往，和那些念念不忘的美好時光。
The 1990's were a big decade for fads. Some of them you might have felt were unimportant, annoying, or really cool. But whatever you thought, you most likely followed one of them at some time. I mean, come on, a decade is a long time to go without going with the flow. So, let’s see a list of some of those old fads in order to refresh your thoughts on them。
Tamagotchi's and Virtual Pets
Tamagotchi's were handheld virtual pets that you would feed, play with, bathe, etc., so it could grow into a larger version of the original creature you started out with. It seemed like you had to spend every other second pressing some buttons just to keep this little virtual creature alive. They came in different colors and designs. Soon other companies started to make their own virtual pets that featured cats, dogs, and other more common creatures than the alien-like tamagotchi。
Pokemon
This fad all began with the TV show featuring a kid who encountered these strange creatures and started collecting them. There turned out to be hundreds of these creatures, which started a big fad. Then, the Pokemon trading cards started appearing and every other kid seemed to be battling with these cards. Soon, Pokemon were everywhere from stuffed animals, to toys, to movies, and more. It was a worldwide craze. However, like all fads, it started to die down as the kids who were introduced to it grew up, and grew out of this Pokemon fanatic phase。
Push Pops
Push Pops are lollipops that come in something which resembles a lipstick tube, but you can put your finger in it to push the lollipop up. They range in all different flavors. They're pretty convenient, still widely available, and still taste fairly good, but the fad itself has died down。
Boy Bands
Whether it was the Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, O-town, 98 Degrees or any others, millions of girls all over the world went crazy over them. Who could ignore the groups of good-looking guys with good voices, though? All the fans led to many boy bands having platinum albums and raking in millions of dollars. After 2000, the boy bands started to split up for a while and members focused on their own solo careers, such as Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys and Justin Timblerlake of N’Sync. Others went into the acting business while others settled down. Some of the bands say that they are going to come back, but who knows if they'll still be as popular as they were in the 1990's。
Grunge
On the opposite side of the pop/boy band music scene came the grunge scene. Grunge even became a way of fashion including worn out, ripped jeans and flannel shirts. Grunge brought a more rebellious state to the world。
Yo-Yos
Although yo-yos are toys that have been around for many years, more advanced versions of the popular toy started coming about in the 1990's. These fancy yo-yos had special abilities to stay down longer than the usual yo-yo which made performing certain tricks with them far easier. Everyone learned different tricks from yo-yo books, videos, and friends. Aside from the people that made yo-yoing a hobby, this fad pretty much faded away。
"Waaasssuuuppp"
Thanks to the memorable Budweiser commercial, the famous "Waaasssuuuppp" phrase was introduced. It seemed like you couldn't make it through one day without hearing someone say this phrase. People would answer their phones with the saying or use it in E-mails and instant messages. They even found ways to sell the phrase, just by printing it on a bumper sticker and various other products. Ever since the 1990's though, the "Waaasssuuuppp" has seemed to turn into a simple, "What's up?"
Teletubbies
Anyone who was a student during the 1990's knows who tinkywinky, Dipsy, Lala and Po are. Otherwise known as The Teletubbies. This TV show was aimed at young children but generated mass appeal around the world. The Teletubbies did not speak English but instead spoke in a gurgling baby language similar to its target audience. Like many of the popular TV shows during the 1990's there was a lot of merchandise released off the back of the show。
Beanie Babies
Who could resist those cute, bean-filled animals? Beanie Babies were lots of fun; they came with their own tags containing their name, birthday, and a poem. The TY company was the most popular for beanie babies which originated in 1993. Then, other companies started to make their own and become part of this Beanie Baby craze. Even McDonalds and TY partnered up in order to provide mini beanie babies as the prize in Happy Meals. They're still around today, but they aren't as popular。
Although there are plenty of other fads from the 1990's, this list was made with the purpose to show some of the more popular ones. It's fun to look back at some of the fads and being able to make new opinions about them in present day. Some we may look at as a great fad. Others we look at as a waste of time, but whatever way you look at them, you know that they were a part of your life. After a decade, you can keep all of your favorite things from those past ten years and look back on them in the next ten years. They bring back plenty of memories that, unlike fads, will never go away。
