Where do superstitions come from? - Stuart Vyse

譯者: Yueh-Lun Huang 審譯者: Helen Chang

Are you afraid of black cats?

你害怕黑貓嗎？

Would you open an umbrella indoors?

你會在室內打開雨傘嗎？

And how do you feel about the number thirteen?

你對數字 13 有什麼感覺？

Whether or not you believe in them,

無論你是否相信

you're probably familiar with a few of these superstitions.

你大概對這幾個迷信都很熟悉

So how did it happen that people all over the world

何以在世界各地的人們會

knock on wood,

敲敲木頭

or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks?

或避開人行道的裂縫？

Well, although they have no basis in science,

好吧，雖然沒有科學根據

many of these weirdly specific beliefs and practices

但許多這些奇怪且具體的信仰和做法

do have equally weird and specific origins.

同樣都有奇怪的起源

Because they involve supernatural causes,

因為它們涉及了超自然

it's no surprise that many superstitions are based in religion.

我們不驚訝很多的迷信

都是以宗教為基礎的

For example. the number thirteen was associated with the biblical Last Supper,

舉個例子

數字 13 和聖經「最後的晚餐」有關

where Jesus Christ dined with his twelve disciples

耶穌和他的 12 個門徒一起用餐

just before being arrested and crucified.

就在他被逮捕及釘死前

The resulting idea that having thirteen people at a table was bad luck

這導致認為 13 個人同桌 會帶來壞運的想法

eventually expanded into thirteen being an unlucky number in general.

最終發展成 13 是個不吉利的數字

Now, this fear of the number thirteen, called triskaidekaphobia,

現在，對數字 13 感到恐懼稱為

「十三恐懼症」

is so common that many buildings around the world skip the thirteenth floor,

因為此症太常見

所以世界各地 許多建築物都避開 13 樓

with the numbers going straight from twelve to fourteen.

當數字來到 12 時 會直接跳到 14

Of course, many people consider the story of the Last Supper to be true

當然有許多人認為 「最後的晚餐」是真的

but other superstitions come from religious traditions

但其他的迷信來自宗教傳統

that few people believe in or even remember.

只有少數的人相信甚至記得

Knocking on wood is thought to come from the folklore of the ancient Indo-Europeans

敲木頭被認為來自 古印歐人的民間傳說

or possibly people who predated them

也可能出於更早之前

who believed that trees were home to various spirits.

他們相信樹木是精靈的家園

Touching a tree would invoke the protection

觸摸樹木可以祈求

or blessing of the spirit within.

精靈的保護或是祝福

不知為何，這個傳統在對

And somehow,

精靈的信仰逐漸逝去後仍留存很久

this tradition survived long after belief in these spirits had faded away.

許多迷信至今在各個國家

Many superstitions common today in countries from Russia to Ireland

從俄羅斯到愛爾蘭

are thought to be remnants of the pagan religions that Christianity replaced.

被認為是被基督教取代後的異教殘餘

But not all superstitions are religious.

但並非所有的迷信都是宗教的

Some are just based on unfortunate coincidences and associations.

有些只是基於不幸的巧合和關聯

For example, many Italians fear the number 17

例如，許多義大利人害怕數字 17

because the Roman numeral XVII can be rearranged to form the word vixi,

因為它的羅馬數字 XVII

可以重新排列為 VIXI

meaning my life had ended.

意味我的生命已經結束

Similarly, the word for the number four

同樣的，數字 4

sounds almost identical to the word for death

在粵語中聽起來和 「死」相似

in Cantonese,

日語和韓語也是如此

as well as languages like Japanese

and Korean that have borrowed Chinese numerals.

因兩者都採用中文數字系統

And since the number one also sounds like the word for must,

又因為數字 1 聽起來像是 「應」

the number fourteen sounds like the phrase must die.

數字 14 聽起來就像是 「應死」

That's a lot of numbers for elevators and international hotels to avoid.

這些數字是很多電梯 和國際飯店要避免的

And believe it or not,

不管你是否相信

some superstitions actually make sense,

有一些迷信實際上是有道理的

or at least they did until we forgot their original purpose.

或至少過去是有道理的 但原始目的被忘記了

For example, theater scenery used to consist of large painted backdrops,

例如，過去劇院的布景常常

由大幅的繪畫布景組成

raised and lowered by stagehands who would whistle to signal each other.

上升和下降時

舞台工作人員會吹口哨以示信號

Absentminded whistles from other people could cause an accident.

其他人不經意的口哨可能會導致意外

But the taboo against whistling backstage still exists today,

但至今，在後台吹口哨的禁忌仍存在

long after the stagehands started using radio headsets.

儘管工作人員早已使用無線耳機

Along the same lines, lighting three cigarettes from the same match

同樣的，用同一根火柴點燃三支香菸

really could cause bad luck if you were a soldier in a foxhole

可能真的會導致運氣不好

如果你是一位散兵坑內的軍人

where keeping a match lit too long could draw attention from an enemy sniper.

一支火柴點燃太久的時間

可能會吸引敵人狙擊手的注意

Most smokers no longer have to worry about snipers,

今天，多數的吸菸者不再擔心狙擊手

but the superstition lives on.

但迷信仍然存在

So why do people cling to these bits of forgotten religions,

所以為何人們忠於這些被遺忘的宗教

coincidences,

巧合

and outdated advice?

和過時的忠告？

Aren't they being totally irrational?

這不是完全不合理嗎？

Well, yes, but for many people,

好吧，但對於很多的人

superstitions are based more on cultural habit than conscious belief.

迷信基於文化習慣 勝於有意識的信仰

After all, no one is born knowing to avoid walking under ladders

畢竟，沒有人生來就知道 要避免走在梯子下

or whistling indoors,

或在室內吹口哨

but if you grow up being told by your family to avoid these things,

但如果你長大後被家人告知 要避免這些事情

chances are they'll make you uncomfortable,

它們就有可能會讓你感到不舒服

even after you logically understand that nothing bad will happen.

即使你在邏輯上理解不會有壞事發生

And since doing something like knocking on wood doesn't require much effort,

而且敲敲木頭之類的事情 不需要花上太多的力氣

following the superstition is often easier than consciously resisting it.

遵循迷信往往比有意識地抵抗它容易

Besides, superstitions often do seem to work.

此外，迷信似乎常常可行

Maybe you remember hitting a home run while wearing your lucky socks.

你可能記得穿著幸運襪來擊出全壘打

This is just our psychological bias at work.

這只是我們的心理偏誤起了作用

You're far less likely to remember all the times you struck out

你不太可能記得你穿著同雙襪子 每一次被三振出局的時候

while wearing the same socks.

But believing that they work could actually make you play better

但相信它是可行的 實際上可以幫你打得更好

by giving you the illusion of having greater control over events.

因為那會讓你有更能掌握事件的錯覺

So in situations where that confidence can make a difference, like sports,

所以在信心可以影響的情況下 例如運動

those crazy superstitions might not be so crazy after all.

那些瘋狂的迷信或許不這麼瘋狂