零距離美語會話[信仰]Lesson 2:Do you believe in palmistry?

Two Do you believe in palmistry?

你相信手相術嗎？

1 Introduction
A In America, thirteen is considered to be a superstitious number. So some buildings don’t have the thirteenth floor, instead, they go from the twelfth to the fourteenth floor. Some house door numbers are like that as well.
在美國，十三被認爲是個迷信數字。所以一些建築物都沒有十三樓，相反，它們是從十二樓直上到十四樓。一些房子的門牌號碼也是這樣的。

B When a ladder is propped against the wall, it is supposed to be bad luck to walk underneath it.
當梯子靠牆支架時，從下走過被認爲是有壞運氣。

C At Halloween, people usually place a carved pumpkin with a candle inside and a scary face carved on it, outside their front doors. It is meant to frighten off evil spirits.
萬聖節前夕，人們通常把一個裏面點有蠟燭、表面雕刻有鬼臉的南瓜，擺放在他們的前門。目的是想嚇走陰魂鬼神。

2 Sample Sentences
1. Numerous devout men and women are kowtowing and praying.
許多信男信女在磕頭、祈禱。
2. She would be interested in having her fortune told.
她很想有人給她算命。
3. I believe they were fated to be married.
我相信他們命中註定了結婚的。
4. You should go to an astrologer to have your horoscope read.
你應該找一個占星家，讓他告訴你你的星象。
5. You can get someone to tell your fortune over the phone.
你可以找個人在電話裏跟你算命。
6. I believe for a business to succeed, it has to pay tribute to Buddha.
我相信一個事業要成功，就必須拜佛進貢。
7. How much would you pay for genuine peace of mind?
你會出多少錢買個心境平和？
8. I believe that two people sharing a pear are not good.
我覺得兩個人分梨是不好的。
9. Are you superstitious? I guess I am a fatalist.
你迷信嗎？我猜我是個宿命論者。
10. While many college students felt the urge to push their beliefs on their friends, they also recognized it might not be the most helpful thing at the moment.
在許多大學生很想把他們的信念強加給他們的朋友時，他們同時也意識到了在這個時候這樣做可能並不是最有益的事。

3 Conversations
1. A funny story about ghosts.
Ruth: So, Jack, do you believe in ghosts?
Jack: No, not really. Why do you ask?
Ruth: Because I want to tell you about the time that I saw a ghost.
Jack: You saw a ghost? When?
Ruth: It was many years ago, when I was a little child. It was the middle of the night, and I went to get a drink of water from the kitchen. I walked out of my room and was at the top of the stairs, when…
Jack: So that's where you saw the ghost? In your house? What did it look like? Was it hideous1?
Ruth: It was a big, green thing that looked like a person. It was in the kitchen, and it slowly moved towards the stairs…
Jack: So what did you do?
Ruth: I hid so that it couldn't see me. Slowly it got closer and closer, until ……
Jack: Until what? What happened? Did you see it clearly? Did it attack you?
Ruth: It moved slowly up the stairs, step by step, and I could hear its approaching2 footsteps. When it finally got to the top of the stairs, I realized that it was my father in his green pajamas. He had gone to get a late night snack.

【譯文】
——那麼，傑克，你相信鬼嗎？
——不，不完全信。你爲什麼問這個？
——因爲我想告訴你一次我看見了一個鬼。
——你看見了一個鬼？什麼時候？
——那是許多年前，當我還是小孩子的時候。那晚半夜，我去廚房喝水。我走出我的房間，在樓梯的頂端，就在這時……
——那麼說你就在那兒看見了鬼？在你家裏？是什麼樣子？可怕嗎？
——它是一個巨大的、綠色的東西，看上去像個人。它在廚房，慢慢向樓梯移動。
——那你怎麼辦？
——我躲起來以便它看不見我。慢慢地它越來越近，直到……
——直到什麼？發生了什麼事？你看清楚了嗎？它有沒有攻擊你？
——它慢慢地移上了樓梯，一步一步，我能聽見它越來越近的腳步聲。當它最後走到樓梯頂端時，我才知道原來是我父親穿着他的綠睡衣。他去吃了個宵夜。

2. Palmistry.
Janice: So do you believe in palmistry3?
Margaret: Palmistry? What is that?
Janice: It's when someone takes a look at another person's palm4 to tell the future.
Margaret: Oh, you mean palm reading5. I've seen that before, but I don't believe in it.
Janice: Are you sure? I've read a lot about palmistry and I've been able to tell a lot of accurate things about a person from his palm. Do you want me to take a look at your hand?
Margaret: Really? You've read books about it? Ok, then. But only if you want to.
Janice: Ok, let's see, well, you've got a long life line, which is good, and the love line is strong ……
Margaret: What else do you see? Will I be successful? Will I make a lot of money?
Janice: Hmm, hard to say, wait, yes, it looks like you will do well in business, and your ambition will help you a lot, but ……
Margaret: What? What is it? What's the matter?
Janice: You seem to have a large gullibility 6 line. You believe everything that you're told.
Margaret: Hey!

Helpful Information：
The most accurate statement about palm reading is that people believe what they want to believe.
關於看手相，最準確的說法是，人們相信他們想相信的東西。

【譯文】
——你相信手相術嗎？
——手相術？什麼是手相術？
——手相術就是別人通過看另外一個人的手掌，然後預知他的未來。
——哦，你是說看手相。我以前看過，但我不相信。
——你真的不信？我讀過很多關於手相術的書，而且我已經能通過一個人的手掌上講準很多關於他的事情。你想要我看一下你的手掌嗎？
——真的嗎？你看過許多關於手相術的書？那好吧。只要你想看。
——好的，讓我看，唔，你有一條很長的生命線，這很好，而且愛情線很粗……
——你還看見其它什麼東西了嗎？我會成功嗎？我會賺很多錢嗎？
——呣，很難看出，等一下，是，看上去好像你生意上會有所成就，而且你的抱負將對你大有幫助，但是……
——什麼？是什麼？有什麼麻煩？
——你似乎有一條很粗的輕信線。別人說的，你都相信。
——嘿！

3. Thirteen people on Friday.
David: Ok, so who are we going to invite to our dinner party?
Sue: Well, we have the Thompsons, the Greens, and the Andersons, about twelve people total.
David: Don't forget my friend Andy from the office. He has nothing to do on Friday, so I invited him over.
Sue: But that makes thirteen people! We can't have thirteen people for dinner on Friday!
David: Why can't we?
Sue: It's an old superstition7. If we have thirteen people at the table, then it means bad luck. Can Andy bring a date?
David: I'm not sure. He just broke up with his girlfriend recently, and I don't think he's in the mood to start again so soon.
Sue: But we can't have thirteen for dinner!
David: I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill8. It's only a superstition. It really doesn't mean anything.
Sue: Absolutely not! I refuse to have thirteen people for dinner on Friday!
David: Ok, ok. I'll ask my sister to come. That way we'll have fourteen for dinner.
Sue: That's better.

Helpful Information：
If something bad happens on a particular day, people have a tendency to associate that day with the negative event. The same goes for Friday the 13th, so if something bad happens on Friday the13th, people blame it on the day. On Friday the 13th, some people are so superstitious that they go as far as to refuse to leave the house. As for me, I’ve always had good luck on Friday the 13th. It’s really all about what you believe the most, so I choose to believe that Friday the 13th is my good luck day.
如果特定的一天發生了什麼壞事，人們傾向於把那一天和這個消極的事聯繫起來。星期五、十三號也一樣，所以如果有壞事發生在星期五、十三號，人們把這件事歸咎於這一天。在星期五、十三號這一天，一些人是這麼迷信以至於他們都不出家門。對我來說，星期五、十三號總是有好運。所有這些真的是全在於你最相信什麼，所以我選擇相信星期五、十三號是我的幸運日。

【譯文】
——好了，那麼我們打算邀請誰來參加我們的宴會？
——唔，我們將邀請託馬斯一家，格雷一家，安德森一家，大約一共有12個人。
——不要忘了我辦公室的朋友安迪。星期五他無事可做，所以我邀請了他過來。
——但是那樣就有13個人！星期五我們不能有13個人吃飯！
——爲什麼不能？
——這是個老迷信。如果我們在飯桌上有13個人，那就意味着運氣不好。安迪能帶他女朋友來嗎？
——我不知道。他最近才和他女朋友分手，我想他沒有心情這麼快又找一個。
——但我們不能有13個人吃飯！
——我想你是在把問題弄大。這只是個迷信，沒有任何實際意義。
——絕對不是！我拒絕星期五13個人吃飯！
——好，好。我要我妹妹也來。那樣我們就有14人吃飯。
——那還差不多。

4. Horoscope.
Ben: Hey, what's new?
Kitty: Not much. Just sitting here eating some Chinese food. Is that the paper? Why don't you open it and tell me my horoscope9?
Ben: Ok, wait a minute … let's see. I'm a Taurus, and it says, “Mars is in the third house, and is soon to eclipse Venus”. I don't know what that means, but then it says, “Your charm and drive will win others over to your way of thinking. Remember to be positive.” Sounds good to me.
Kitty: What about Gemini? What's the prediction?
Ben: “Since Mercury10 has crossed paths with Jupiter, your fortunes are falling. Bad luck will follow you today, and you will lose that which you value. Be careful.”
Kitty: That sounds bad! I'm really worried, what should I do? Maybe I should go home and stay in the rest of the day.
Ben: But we have a date tonight! You can't stay at home because of a stupid horoscope.
Kitty: But those things are dangerous! I'm not going out if it means bad luck.
Ben: That's silly. They don't mean anything. Here, give me one of those fortune cookies11 you're eating. Let's see what it says. “Sunshine will follow your feet if you let it.” See, that sounds good to me. It's ridiculous12 to let a horoscope control your life.
Kitty: I don't know. I've had days that seem to fit with my horoscope's predictions, but then there are days that it doesn't work. I really don't know.
Ben: Does this mean we're still on for tonight?
Kitty: I guess so.
Ben: Good.

【譯文】
——嗨，有什麼新鮮事？
——沒有什麼。只不過是坐在這兒吃一些中國菜。那是報紙嗎？爲什麼你不打開它，告訴我我的星位呢？
——好的，等會兒……讓我看一下。我是金牛座，上面說，“火星在第三座房子裏，很快將吃掉金星。”我不知道這是什麼意思，但上面還說，“別人因爲你的魅力和推動力也會轉到你的思維方式上來。記住要積極一些。” 我看很好。
——雙子座呢？預言是什麼？
——“墨丘利神已經穿過木星的軌道，你的運氣正在下落。今天壞運將跟着你，你會失去你認爲重要的東西。小心。”
——聽起來很壞！我真擔心，我該怎麼做？或許我應該回家，今天呆在家裏不再出門。
——但是我們今晚有個約會！你不能因爲一個荒唐的星象呆在家裏。
——但這些事情是危險的！如果它意味着壞運，我就不會出去。
——那樣做是愚蠢的。它們沒有任何意義。 喂，把你要吃的那些籤餅給我一個。看它說什麼。“如果你願意，陽光將跟隨着你的腳步。”看到了嗎，我看挺好的。讓一個星象控制你的生活真是荒謬。
——我不知道。我已經有好幾天似乎和我的星象預言相符合，但有幾天又不相符合。我真的不知道。
——這就是說今晚我們仍繼續嗎？
——我想是。
——很好。

5. The Missing Floor
Some Russian students are spending their summer in Philadelphia, visiting historic sights. They are checking into a hotel.
Boris: We'd like a room with two beds, please.
Clerk: A double? Let's see ... I can put you in room 1405. It faces the river and has a wonderful view.
Alexis: That will be fine. Since we're going to be fourteen stories above the ground, I think we should definitely have a room with a view. (Later, Alexis returns from a walk.)
Alexis: Boris, I saw you sitting out on the balcony of our room. I could see you from the street.
Boris: That's quite a distance. How could you tell who it was?
Alexis: I recognized your bright red shirt. But there's something strange. We're in room 1405, right? Well, when I saw you on the balcony, I counted upward. I only got to thirteen. We're on the thirteenth floor.
Boris: No, I'm sure we're on the fourteenth floor. The desk clerk said so.
Alexis: I know! I'll look out the window and count downward. (She counts.) I still say we're only thirteen stories up.

【譯文】
——我們想要一間雙人房。
——雙人房？讓我看看……我可以把你們安排到1405房間。面對着江，風景很好。
——那太好了。既然我們將住在十四樓上面，我想我們當然應該挑個景色好的房間。
（後來，亞力克西斯散步回來。）
——鮑里斯，我看見你坐在我們房間外面的陽臺上。我可以從街上看到你。
——那比較遠。你怎麼能分辨出是誰？
——我認出了你的那件大紅的襯衫。但是有點怪。我們在1405房，是不是？不過，當我看見你在陽臺上，我就往上數。我只數到了十三。我們在十三樓上。
——沒有，我肯定我們在十四樓上。接待人員這樣說了。
——我知道了！我會從窗戶往外看，並往下數。（她數着。）我還得說我們只是在十三樓上面。

4 Words and Expressions
1. hideous [] 醜陋的; 可怕的; 駭人聽聞的
2. approach [] 接近, 靠近
3. palmistry [] 手相術
4. palm [] 手掌, 手心
5. palm reading 看手相
6. gullibility [] 易受欺騙
7. superstition [] 迷信; 迷信行爲
8. molehill [] 鼴鼠丘(因鼴鼠打洞而鼓起的土堆)
9. horoscope [] 占星術; 星象(算命)
10. Mercury [] 水銀, 汞
11. fortune cookie 籤餅
12. ridiculous [] 可笑的, 荒謬的; 滑稽的