The Local:奧地利十大怪(多圖)

Austria is home to some weird andwonderful superstitions, with some of them still practised today. Ahead of thatTraditionally inauspicious date - Friday 13th - weexplain ten of the most common Austrian superst itions.
在奧地利本土有許多怪異奇特的風俗迷信，其中有些還一直流傳至今，在鄰近“黑色星期五"這個不吉利日子前，我們 來見識一下奧地利的十個最常見的迷信。

As a Catholic country, it's perhaps no surprise that Austria is steeped in superstition.
奧地利迷信盛行，但作為一個天主教國家，這不算奇怪。
Some - like never walking under a ladder - you may have already heard of in your own home country while o thers are individual toAustria.
你或許在家鄉聽到去過奧地利的人說過，那兒的有些人可能從不會在梯子下走過。
If the prospectof Friday 13th is troubling you, or youworry about breaking mirrors, here are ten other t hings to think about.
要是眼前的黑色星期五困擾著你，或是你還在擔心弄碎鏡子,有十件事要留心了。

Eating raw sliced garlic mixed with yoghurt isbelieved to bring you good luck. We're not sure this would have the desiredeffect if taken before a first date though. It's also thought to be a powerfulcold remedy - which makes more sense, as garlic is believed to stimulate theimmune system.
吃混有生蒜的酸奶能給你帶來好運。要是第一次約會時就這樣幹，我們不知道這能否達到預期效果。把它看成治療感冒的強效藥還差不多，因為大蒜能增強免疫。

However, telling someone about your dreamsbefore you drink a glass of water is believed to bring bad luck.
無論怎樣，你在向別人說起你的夢境前喝了杯水，會被認為帶來厄運。

Austrians tend to bemodest about how successful they are, especiallywhen it comes to money. Perhaps this is because it's traditionally thought tobe bad luck to mention how successful you are - and if you are stupid enough tomention it, knock on wood to make sure you don't lose that good fortune.
奧地利人在談及他們的成就時往往非常謙遜，尤其當談到錢的時候。或許這是因為，按照習俗他們會認為，怕你在努力奔向成功時會帶來厄運，如果你不小心提起這個，趕緊去敲幾下木頭以確保你的好運別溜走。

Bad things will happen to you if you sneezewhile looking at the new moon. Be careful when sneezing - it's also consideredbad luck to sneeze before breakfast.
當你在賞著新月，這時突然打了個噴嚏，你就等倒黴吧。早飯前打噴嚏也被認為會倒黴的，所以管住你的噴嚏吧。

Austrians love nature. And some of them believethat if you have a headache it can be cured by going outside and resting yourhead against a tree for a few minutes.
奧地利人熱愛大自然。他們有些人認為，你要是有點頭痛什麼的，只要跑到野外，把頭靠在樹上休息一會就會好了。

If a man owns a white horse, a white cow, awhite cat AND also happens to carry a white umbrella, most Austrians won't gonear him.
有人要是擁有一匹白馬，或是一頭白奶牛，或是一隻白貓，或是碰巧帶了把白傘，多數奧地利人都會躲他遠遠的。

Traditionally it was considered bad luck toride behind a bobtailed horse at a funeral - luckily this is something we don'thave to worry about so much these days.
傳說在舉行葬禮時坐在一匹短尾馬拉的車後座上，會被認為帶來厄運，幸運的是，這事很難遇上。

But here's something to watch out for - it is considered unlucky to enter a house with your left foot forward. A tricky one for those of us who have trouble telling their right from their left.
可有些事要注意了，進屋前先邁左腳會被認為很不吉利的。但對於那些左右不分的人來講會有些麻煩。

There are quite a few superstitions aroundweddings in Austria. Traditionally, when a man wanted topropose he sent his friends or family members to represent his interests to thebride and her family. If anyone from the two families saw a blind man,a monk, or a pregnant woman before the proposal, the wedding would be doomedsince these were all believed to be bad omens. On the other hand, if they sawgoats, pigeons, or wolves, these were good omens.
在奧地利舉行婚禮時會伴有不少風俗迷信。按照傳統 ，當男方想安排他派個親友團代他向新娘或孃家人提親。如果雙方在結親前有人看到了個瞎子，出家人，或一個孕婦，這場婚禮註定因為這些而被認為有不好的兆頭。相反，要是有人看到羊群，鴿群，或狼群就會被認為是個好彩頭。

In the old days it was considered unlucky for awoman to marry a man with a surname that started with the same letter as hers.A rhyme mothers would tell their daughters went: "To change the name andnot the letter, is to change the worst and not the better." An Austrianbride was not even supposed to practice writing her new name before thewedding.
在以前，要是一個女人嫁給了一個和自己一樣的，名和字都是同一字母開頭的男士，（例如：Amy Adams和Ryan Reynolds感覺就不好了）會被認為不會有什麼好結果的。這時帶有（同樣）疊音字母名字的媽媽就會這樣告訴他們的女兒："趕緊去把名字改了。換個字母，把它改的越不一樣越好。" 可以肯定地說這位奧地利新娘一定會趁在婚禮前會把他的新名練的好好的。