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原味人文風(fēng)情：Are you afraid of black cats? Would you open an umbrella indoors? And how do you feel about the number 13?
你會(huì)害怕黑貓嗎？你會(huì)在室內(nèi)開傘嗎？你對(duì) 13 這個(gè)數(shù)字有什么想法？
Whether or not you believe in them, you're probably familiar with a few of these superstitions.
不管你相不相信，你可能都很熟悉這些迷信。
So, how did it happen that people all over the world knock on wood or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks?
那到底全世界的人是怎么開始敲敲木頭，或是避免踩到人行道的縫隙的？
Well, although they have no basis in science, many of these weirdly specific beliefs and practices do have equally weird and specific origins.
雖然這些迷信都沒有科學(xué)根據(jù)，許多這些特定得很奇怪的信念跟行為的確是有一樣奇怪又特定的起源。
Because they involve supernatural causes, it's no surprise that many superstitions are based in religion.
因?yàn)樗鼈儼顺匀灰蛩?，可想而知許多迷信奠基于宗教。
For example, the number 13 was associated with the biblical Last Supper, where Jesus Christ dined with his 12 disciples just before being arrested and crucified.
舉例來說，13 這個(gè)數(shù)字常與圣經(jīng)里的《最后的晚餐》聯(lián)想在一起，耶穌基督在被捕與釘上十字架之前，就是跟他 12 個(gè)門徒吃這頓飯。
The resulting idea that having 13 people at a table was bad luck eventually expanded into 13 being an unlucky number in general.
一桌有 13 個(gè)人就代表不幸的這個(gè)想法最終演變成 13 通常就是個(gè)不幸運(yùn)的數(shù)字。
Now, this fear of the number 13, called triskaidekaphobia, is so common that many buildings around the world skip the thirteenth floor,
現(xiàn)在，對(duì) 13 這個(gè)數(shù)字的恐懼，這被稱為“13 恐懼癥”，已經(jīng)普遍到世界上許多建筑物會(huì)跳過第十三層樓，
with the numbers going straight from 12 to 14. Of course, many people consider the story of the Last Supper to be true,
數(shù)字直接從 12 跳到 14。當(dāng)然，許多人認(rèn)為最后的晚餐這個(gè)故事是真的，
but other superstitions come from religious traditions that few people believe in or even remember.
但其他迷信來自于少數(shù)人相信或甚至記得的宗教傳統(tǒng)。
Knocking on wood is thought to come from the folklore of the ancient Indo-Europeans or possibly people who predated them,
一般認(rèn)為，敲木頭是來自古印歐人或更早之前的祖先流傳下來的民間傳統(tǒng)，
who believed that trees were home to various spirits. Touching a tree would invoke the protection or blessing of the spirit within.
這些人相信樹木是各類神靈的家園。觸碰樹木能祈求樹里神靈的保護(hù)或庇佑。
And somehow, this tradition survived long after belief in these spirits had faded away.
而不知怎么地，就算對(duì)這些神靈的信仰早已逸散，這個(gè)傳統(tǒng)仍然留存了下來。
Many superstitions common today in countries from Russia to Ireland are thought to be remnants of the pagan religions that Christianity replaced.
許多現(xiàn)今在俄羅斯到愛爾蘭普遍流傳的迷信，都被認(rèn)為是異教徒遺留下的，只是后來這些宗教都被基督教所取代。
But not all superstitions are religious; some are just based on unfortunate coincidences and associations.
但不是所有迷信都與宗教有關(guān)；有些就只是立基于不幸的事件跟聯(lián)想。
For example, many Italians fear the number 17 because the Roman numeral XVII can be rearranged to form the word "VIXI," meaning "My life had ended."
舉個(gè)例子，許多意大利人很害怕 17 這個(gè)數(shù)字，因?yàn)樗牧_馬數(shù)字符號(hào) XVII 可以重新排列成 VIXI，意思是“我的生命結(jié)束了”。
Similarly, the word for the number four sounds almost identical to the word for death in Cantonese
同樣地，數(shù)字 4 在廣東話里聽起來也幾乎跟“死”這個(gè)字同音，
as well as languages like Japanese and Korean that have borrowed Chinese numerals.
且在受中文數(shù)字影響的日文以及韓文等語言里，也有這種諧音。
And since the number one also sounds like the word for must, the number 14 sounds like the phrase "must die."
而因?yàn)閿?shù)字 1 也聽起來像是“一定”，數(shù)字 14 聽起來就像在說“一定死”。
That's a lot of numbers for elevators and international hotels to avoid.
電梯跟國際旅舍要避免的數(shù)字可真多。
And believe it or not, some superstitions actually make sense. Or, at least they did until we forgot their original purpose.
信不信由你，有些迷信是滿合理的?；蛑辽僭谖覀兺浰鼈?cè)镜钠鹪粗?，它們都是合理的?/div>
For example, theater scenery used to consist of large painted backdrops, raised and lowered by stagehands, who would whistle to signal each other.
舉例來說，劇院布景以前都是由大型繪制背景幕所組成，由舞臺(tái)工作人員調(diào)整升降，他們會(huì)吹個(gè)口哨來跟另一邊的工作人員溝通。
Absent-minded whistles from other people could cause an accident.
其他人無心的口哨聲可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致意外發(fā)生。
But the taboo against whistling backstage still exists today, long after the stagehands started using radio headsets.
但在后臺(tái)吹口哨的禁忌仍然流傳到了今日，那是遠(yuǎn)在舞臺(tái)工作人員開始用無線電耳機(jī)之后。
Along the same lines, lighting three cigarettes from the same match really could cause bad luck if you were a soldier in a foxhole,
同樣地，用同一根火柴點(diǎn)三支煙可能真的會(huì)招來厄運(yùn)，如果你是散兵坑里的一名士兵的話，
where keeping a match lit too long could draw attention from an enemy sniper.
在散兵坑里火柴點(diǎn)太久的話可能會(huì)引起敵軍狙擊手的注意。
Most smokers no longer have to worry about snipers, but the superstition lives on.
大多數(shù)抽煙的人不再需要擔(dān)心狙擊手，但這個(gè)迷信仍繼續(xù)存在。
So, why do people cling to these bits of forgotten religions, coincidences, and outdated advice? Aren't they being totally irrational?
那為什么人們還是深信這些被遺忘的宗教、事件還有過時(shí)的建議呢？這樣難道不是超不理智的嗎？
Well, yes. But for many people, superstitions are based more on cultural habit than conscious belief.
嗯，是沒錯(cuò)。但對(duì)許多人來說，比起一種有意識(shí)的相信，迷信更是種奠基于文化上的習(xí)慣。
After all, no one is born knowing to avoid walking under ladders or whistling indoors.
畢竟，沒有人一生下來就知道要避免走在梯子底下或是避免在室內(nèi)吹口哨。
But if you grow up being told by your family to avoid these things,
但如果你在成長過程中都被家人教導(dǎo)要避開這些事情，
chances are they'll make you uncomfortable even after you logically understand that nothing bad will happen.
很有可能做了這些事情會(huì)讓你不太舒服，即使理智的你知道沒有什么壞事會(huì)因此發(fā)生。
And since doing something like knocking on wood doesn't require much effort, following the superstition is often easier than consciously resisting it.
而且反正像是敲敲木頭的動(dòng)作也不費(fèi)力，遵循這些迷信通常會(huì)比有意識(shí)地去避開它來得容易。
Besides, superstitions often do seem to work. Maybe you remember hitting a home run while wearing your lucky socks.
此外，迷信很多時(shí)候的確好像有用。你可能記得穿著你的幸運(yùn)襪的時(shí)候打出了全壘打。
This is just our psychological bias at work. You're far less likely to remember all the times you struck out while wearing the same socks.
這只是我們被心理上的偏見所影響。你不太可能記得你穿同一雙襪子被三振的次數(shù)。
But believing that they work could actually make you play better by giving you the illusion of having greater control over events.
但相信它們有用其實(shí)會(huì)讓你表現(xiàn)得比較好，因?yàn)樗o了你錯(cuò)覺，讓你認(rèn)為你有更好的掌控能力。
So, in situations where that confidence can make a difference, like sports, those crazy superstitions might not be so crazy after all.
所以在那種自信心會(huì)有所影響的情況里，像是運(yùn)動(dòng)，那些很瘋狂的迷信到頭來又好像沒那么瘋狂了。
