大千世界: 英國驚現數棵"搖錢樹"

They say money doesn't grow on trees. But it certainly appears to do so.

據英國《每日郵報》9月13日報道，俗話說，錢不會從樹上長出來，但現在這種事似乎也成真了。

Actually, these old trees with coins embedded all over their bark dotted around the UK's woodland. There are seven tree trunks with coins pushed into them in Wales.

事實是，在英國的森林裏，到處可見樹皮上鑲滿了硬幣的老樹。在威爾士，也有7棵鑲着硬幣的樹。

Meurig Jones, an estate manager at the tourist destination, says he believes they are being used as "wishing trees".

旅遊景區房地產經理人邁裏格?瓊斯認爲這些樹是“許願樹”。

　 From centuries ago, the coins were usually knocked into felled tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hoped it will bring them good fortune.

幾個世紀之前，路人用石頭將這些硬幣砸入倒下的樹幹中，希望能帶給他們好運。

He said that a sick person could press a coin into a tree and their illness would go away.

他說，人們通過往樹裏戳硬幣來驅趕疾病。

"If someone then takes the coin out though, it's said they then become ill，" Jones added.

“據說，如果人們再將樹裏的硬幣取出來，那麼他就會生病，” 瓊斯補充道。

It used to be believed that divine spirits lived in trees, and tradition of making offerings to deities at wishing trees dates back hundreds of years, but this combination of the man-made and the natural is far rarer.

以前人們認爲神靈會居住在樹裏。爲許願樹裏的神靈獻上貢品的傳統可以追溯到幾百年前，但是這種人爲與自然組合的方式卻實屬罕見。