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There are many superstitions in Britain, but one of the most widely held is that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder even if it means stepping off the pavement into a busy street. (20) If you must pass under a ladder you can avoid bad luck by crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed until you have seen a dog. Alternatively, you may lick your finger and make a cross on the toe of your shoe, and not look again at the shoe until the mark has dried.
Another common superstition is that it is unlucky to open an umbrella in the house. It will either bring misfortune to the person who opened it or to the whole household. Anyone opening an umbrella in fine weather is unpopular, as it inevitably brings rain.
The number 13 is said to be unlucky for some, and when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday, anyone wishing to avoid a bad event had better stay indoors. The worst misfortune that can happen to a person is caused by breaking a mirror, as it brings seven years of bad luck. (21) The superstition is supposed to have originated in ancient times, when mirrors were considered to be tools of the gods.
(22) Black cats are generally considered lucky in Britain, even though they are associated with witchcraft. It is especially lucky if a black cat crosses your path although in America the exact opposite belief prevails.
Finally, a commonly held superstition is that of touching wood for luck. This measure is most often taken if you think you have said something that is taking a risk, such as "my car has never broken down, touch wood?"
20. How to avoid bad luck when you must pass under a ladder in Britain?
21. What did the ancient British people think of mirrors?
22. What is believed as good luck in Britain?
在英國有很多迷信的說法，但是信眾最多的一個迷信說法是在梯子底下經過會帶來厄運，即使這有時候意味著你必須離開人行道到車輛川流的大街上去走。如果你必須要從梯子下面走過，可以讓手指保持交叉狀態，直到看到狗時再放開，這樣就可以避免厄運。或者，你舔一下手指，然后在鞋尖上畫一個十字。接下來不能看這只鞋，直到標記干掉為止。
另一個很多人相信的迷信說法是在房間里面打開傘會帶來厄運。這要么會給打開傘的人帶來壞運氣，要么會給全家人帶來壞運氣。人們也不喜歡在晴好的天氣里打傘，因為他們認為這樣必定會招來陰雨天氣。
數字13對于一些人來說是不吉利的，當13日這一天剛好是星期五時，不想遇到壞事情的人們通常會選擇待在家中。一個人遇到最不幸的事情可能就是打碎鏡子，因為這會帶來連續七天的壞運氣。這個迷信之說應該是起源于古代，當時人們認為鏡子是神的工具。
在英國黑貓被認為是幸運的，雖然它通常被與巫術聯系在一起。如果走路時一只黑貓從你面前穿過，一般會認為你將交上好運，但是美國人則正好相反。
最后，一個普遍的迷信說法是摸木頭驅除厄運。這種方法通常是在你說出有風險的話之后使用的。比如：我的車從來沒有壞過。摸木頭。
問題20 在英國如果人們從梯子下面走過怎樣避免壞運氣？
問題21 英國古代的人們對鏡子的想法是什么？
問題22 在英國人們認為什么象征著好運氣？
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