中西方迷信superstitions in Chinese and western culture

SuperstitionsinChineseandWesterncultureSuperstitionsContent:Whatissuperstition?Whydoessuperstitionexist?ChinesesuperstitionsWesternsuperstitionsNowpeople'sviewofsuperstitionsWhatissuperstition?Abelief,practice,orriteirrationally(不合理的仪式）maintainedbyignoranceofthelawsofnatureorbyfaithinmagicorchance.Whydoessuperstitionexist?Everyagepaysattentiontotheancientsuperstitionsaccordingtoacertainsubtlefashion,veryoftenknowingnothingabouttheoriginalsourcesfromwhichtheyderived.Superstitionsremainasoutwardexpressionsofthetensionsandanxietiesthatholdswayoverhumanityasitstrugglesdownthecorridoroflifefrombirthtodeath,fullofchangeanduncertainty.人类在从生到死的生命长廊里为充满变数而又无法预知的一生进行挣扎的过程中，始终被紧张和焦虑困扰。而迷信的延承正是人类紧张和焦虑的外在表现。•Wecanseethesuperstition,therefore,asakindofreassuranceagainstfluctuationasthoughwearepartofanimpenetrablemysterywithincomprehensiblerules.•Factorsaffectingpeople◎Theinfluenceoffriends◎Theinfluenceoffamily◎Experience◎Books◎Hearsay(谣言)◎Traditionreligionetc.我们可以把迷信看成是面对多变人生的一种慰藉，就好像我们是一个神秘世界的一部分，而这个神秘的世界又充满着不可理喻的规则。TheEightDiagrams•Accordingtolegend,itwascreatedbyFuxi,anancientChinesesage(圣人）.ItiswrittenintheancientbookZhouYi•ItrepresentstheancientChinese'searliestknowledgeoftheuniverse,whichcontainsasimpledialecticalmaterialistpointofview(辩证唯物主义）ChinesesuperstitionsTheEightDiagramsqian---skykun---earthzhen---thunderxun---windkan---waterli---firegen---mountaindui---lakefengshuiFengshuiisanancientChinesepracticeofarrangingiteminaroomsothattheyareinbalanceandharmonywiththeirenvironment.Stickingchopsticksupright•Stickchopsticksintotherice:Donotstickyourchopsticksintoyourfoodgenerally,especiallynotintorice,becauseonlyatfunerals,chopsticksarestuckintothericewhichisputontothealtar(祭坛).Lefteyejumpwealth,therighteyejumpdisasterPeopleoftenthinkthatlefteyejumpwillbringthemgoodluck,AndintherighteyejumpwillbringbadluckNumbers•Thewordforeight(bā)soundssimilartothewordwhichmeansprosperorwealth(fā).•Thenumber2isagoodnumberinChineseculture.ThereisaChinesesaying:goodthingscomeinpairs.Itiscommontousedoublesymbolsinproductbrandnames,suchasdoublehappiness,doublecoinsanddoubleelephants.someothersuperstitions•Fortune-telling&divination•PraytothespiritualbeingWesternsuperstitions13&FridayJesuswasbetrayedbyhis13thdisciple,andhewashungonaFriday.BritainusedtohangcriminalsonFriday,thusFridaywascalled“thehangingday”.AdamandEveatetheForbiddenfruitonFriday;bothdiedonFriday;andtheirsonCain(该隐)killedhisbrotherAbel(亚伯)onFriday.LastsupperThe13superstitionisbasedontheideathatJudas,thebaddisciple(门徒）,wasthe13thmantositdowntothetableatTheLastSupper.Ithinkamorerationalsuperstitionwouldbetofearbaddisciples.SpillingSalt—BadLuckSaltisregardedasatokenoffriendshipandtrust.SpillingwasseenasanintentionaloffensetothecelestialpowersJudasknockedoverthesaltcellar.Onecancounteract（抵消）theeffectofspilledsalt,orbadluck,bythrowingalittleovertheleftshoulderPutsaltonthedoorstepofanewhouseandnoevilcanenter.WalkingunderaLadder•Inthemiddleages,aleaningladderwasthoughttoresemblethegallows（绞刑）andsobywalkingunderneathaladder,youareplayingoutyourownexecution•Howtoavoid?1Crossyourfingersuntilyouseeadog2Lickfingerandmakeacrossonthetoeofshoes,anddon‘tlookdownattheshoeuntilthemarkhasdriedUmbrella•It‘sbadlucktoopenanumbrellaindoors•Infinitepowerofthesunhavebeenaresultofworship(崇拜）,indoorumbrellaswereconsideredtobeaninsult（侮辱）tothesun,andtheneveryoneinthehousewillbringbadluck.•Someofthethingsassociatedwiththeumbrella,allwithbadluck,andthereforeshouldnotbeanumbrellaasagiftforWesterners。BrokenmirrorsTobreakamirrormeans7yearsbadluck.•Mirrorshavebeenusedinfortune-telling.•Breakingamirroristhedestructionofameansofknowingthewillofgods.RabbitsthesuperstitionofrabbitsinwesternersoriginatesfromthefamousEnglishwriterLewisCarroll’sbookAlice’sAdventureinWonderland.Rabbitsaremysteriousandswift,especiallygoodatrunning,sothattheycanescapefrommisfortune.Therefore,thewesternersbelievethattherabbitfootcandriveawayevilandbringaboutluck.AlsotheadultstelltheirchildrenthattheEastereggsaresentbytherabbitsonEaster.KnockingonWoodFinally,acommonlyheldsuperstitionisthatoftouchingwoodforluck.Thismeasureismostthatoftentakenifyouthinkyouhavesaidsomethingthatistemptingfate,suchasmycarhasneverbrokendown,touchwood?Nowpeople'sviewofsuperstitions•Nowadays,scienceandtechnologyhavedevelopedrapidly,andmanypeoplemaynotbelieveinthese,butdoyouthinkthesuperstitionisfarawayfromus?•Aswejustsay,theexistofsuperstitionperhapsisadaptiveasaplacebo(安慰剂）orforsocialbondingormaybeitreallyismaladaptive(不适应）today,butitistheoutcomeoftraitsthatwereadaptiveinancestralenvironment.Sowhetherwebelieveitornot,It'sstillanessentialpartofculture.