The Chinese zodiac, explained | ShaoLan

譯者: 易帆 余 審譯者: Pat Lee

Have you ever been asked by your Chinese friend,

你是否曾經被你的中國朋友問過，

"What is your zodiac sign?"

＂你的生肖是甚麼？＂

Don't think they are making small talk.

不要以為他們要聊無關緊要的事。

If you say, "I'm a Monkey,"

如果你說＂我屬猴＂

they immediately know

他們馬上就能知道，

you are either 24, 36, 48 or 60 years old.

你不是24歲、就是36、48或60歲。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Asking a zodiac sign is a polite way of asking your age.

從問你的生肖來知道你的年齡 是一個比較禮貌的問法。

By revealing your zodiac sign, you are also being evaluated.

知道你的生肖後，你也可以算命。

Judgments are being made about your fortune or misfortune,

關於你好的或不好的事， 都可以算出來，

your personality, career prospects

你的個人特質、職場方向，

and how you will do in a given year.

還有你今年會過的如何。

If you share you and your partner's animal signs,

如果你分享了你和 你另一半的動物生肖，

they will paint a picture in their mind about your private life.

他們就會在他們的腦海裡 描繪出你的私人生活。

Maybe you don't believe in the Chinese zodiac.

也許你不相信中國的 12 生肖，

As a quarter of the world population is influenced by it,

但世界上有四分之一的人口受它影響，

you'd be wise to do something about that.

你最好多少懂一點。

So what is the Chinese zodiac, exactly?

那到底 12 生肖是在講些什麼？

Most Westerners think of Greco-Roman zodiac,

大部分的西方人會聯想到 希臘羅馬的 12 星座，

the signs divided into 12 months.

分別代表不同的月份。

The Chinese zodiac is different.

中國的 12 生肖不一樣

It's a 12-year cycle labeled with animals,

它是由 12 種動物循環組成的，

starting with a Rat and ending with a Pig,

從 「鼠 」開始到 「豬 」結束，

and has no association with constellations.

而且與西方的星座無關。

For example, if you were born in 1975, you are a Rabbit.

舉例，如果你是 1975 年生，你屬兔。

Can you see your zodiac sign there?

你們可以看到自己的生肖嗎？

Our Chinese ancestors constructed a very complicated theoretical framework

我們中國的古代先人， 建立了一個相當複雜的理論架構，

based on yin and yang, the five elements and the 12 zodiac animals.

以陰陽、五行、12生肖 為基礎所架構出來的。

Over thousands of years,

這股流行文化

this popular culture has affected people's major decisions,

已經影響了人們的重要決策 好幾千年了，

such as naming, marriage, giving birth and attitude towards each other.

像是，命名、婚姻、出生 以及彼此的相處之道。

And some of the implications are quite amazing.

有些用法也相當神奇，

The Chinese believe certain animals get on better than the others.

中國人相信某些生肖與 某些生肖比較處的來。

So parents choose specific years to give birth to babies,

所以有些父母親會傾向在 某一年生下小孩，

because they believe the team effort by the right combination of animals

因為他們相信正確的生肖組合，

can give prosperity to families.

可以為家族帶來好運。

We even refer to the zodiac when entering into romantic relations.

我們甚至連談戀愛都會參考生肖。

I'm a Pig; I should have perfect romance with Tigers, Goats and Rabbits.

我屬豬：我跟虎、羊、兔 會有美好的婚姻。

Chinese people believe some animals are natural enemies.

中國人相信有些生肖會跟自己的相剋。

As a Pig, I need to be careful with a Snake.

屬豬的我，要小心屬蛇的。

Raise your hand if you are a Snake.

在場屬蛇的人請舉一下手，

Let's have a chat later.

我們晚點再聊。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

We believe some animals are luckier than the others,

我們相信有些生肖比其它生肖來的好，

such as the Dragon.

像是「龍」。

Unlike the Western tradition,

不同於西方傳統，

the Chinese Dragon is a symbol for power, strength and wealth.

東方的龍是權利財富的象徵。

It's everyone's dream to have a Dragon baby.

每個人都夢想能生出「龍子」。

Jack Ma's parents must have been very proud.

馬雲的爸媽一定很驕傲能生出龍子。

And they are not the only ones.

不只他們，很多人也是。

In 2012, the Year of the Dragon,

在 2012 的龍年，

the birthrate in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan

中國、香港、台灣的出生率，

increased by five percent.

增加了 5% 。

That means another one million more babies.

意思就是比正常 多出了 100 萬個小寶寶。

With a traditional preference to baby boys,

傳統上中國人比較喜歡生男孩，

the boy-girl ratio that year was 120 to 100.

那一年男女生的比例是 120:100 。

When those Dragon boys grow up,

當這些屬龍的男生長大後，

they will face much more severe competition in love and job markets.

他們在愛情及職場上 會面臨更嚴峻的挑戰。

According to the BBC and the Chinese government's press release,

根據 BBC 及中國官方媒體報導，

January 2015 saw a peak of Cesarean sections.

2015年的一月， 是剖腹產的高峰月。

Why?

為什麼？

That was the last month for the Year of the Horse.

那個月是馬年的最後一個月，

It's not because they like horses so much,

不是因為他們比較喜歡屬馬的，

it's because they try to avoid having unlucky Goat babies.

是因為他們想避免生下 命運不佳的屬羊寶寶。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

If you are a Goat, please don't feel bad.

如果你屬羊的，也不要難過。

Those are Goat babies.

這些人是羊年出生的。

They don't look like losers to me.

對我而言，他們看起來 可不像是魯蛇啊！

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Tiger is another undesirable animal,

老虎也是另一個不受歡迎的動物，

due to its volatile temperament.

因為牠的脾氣暴躁。

Many Chinese regions saw a sharp decline of birthrate

在很多中國地區，

虎年的出生率都有急遽下降的現象。

during those years.

Perhaps one should consider zodiac in reverse,

也許他們可以換個角度想，

as those Tiger and Goat babies will face much less competition.

這些屬虎屬羊的寶寶， 比較不會面對那麼多的競爭。

Maybe they are the lucky ones.

也許他們就是幸運之子。

I went through the Forbes top 300 richest people in the world,

我統計了富比世全世界 前300名有錢人的生肖，

and it's interesting to see

發現了一件有趣的事，

the most undesirable two animals, the Goat and Tiger,

兩個最不受歡迎的虎跟羊

are at the top of the chart,

是圖表上最多人數的動物，

even higher than the Dragon.

甚至比龍還要多。

So maybe we should consider,

所以，也許我們要想想，

maybe it's much better to have less competition.

比較少的競爭或許對你比較好。

One last but interesting point:

還有一個有趣的現象：

many Chinese people make their investment decisions

很多中國人會參考他們的生辰八字

based on the zodiac sign index.

來擬定他們的投資決策。

Although the belief and tradition of the zodiac sign

雖然信仰與傳統生肖

has been over thousands of years,

已經流傳了好幾千年，

the trend of using it in making major decisions

使用生肖作重大決定的風潮

did not really happen until the past few decades.

直到近幾十年才開始出現。

Our ancestors were very busy surviving poverty, drought,

我們的祖先也是得忙於應付貧窮、乾旱

famine, riot, disease and civil war.

飢荒、暴動、疾病和戰爭。

And finally, Chinese people have the time, wealth and technology

但最後，中國人擁有了時間、財富與科技

to create an ideal life they've always wanted.

來創造出他們所渴望的理想生活。

The collective decision made by 1.3 billion people

這 13 億人口的集體決策，

has caused the fluctuation in economics and demand on everything,

對於經濟的起伏與 對每樣東西的需求已造成影響，

from health care and education to property and consumer goods.

包含健康醫療、教育、財產及消費品。

As China plays such an important role in the global economy and geopolitics,

因為中國扮演了重要的角色

在全球經濟及地緣政治上。

the decisions made based on the zodiac and other Chinese traditions

基於黃道 12 宮及其它中國傳統 所做出的決策，

end up impacting everyone around the world.

最後都會影響全世界所有的人。

Are there any Monkeys here?

這裡有屬猴的人嗎？

2016 is the Year of the Monkey.

2016 年是猴年，

Monkeys are clever, curious, creative and mischievous.

猴子是聰明的、好奇的、 富有創造力且頑皮的。

Thank you.

謝謝各位！

(Applause)

（掌聲）