有声英文阅读-笑谈美国迷信

American Superstitions²

  Many of us already know about several American superstitions. Having a black cat cross your path, walking under a ladder, and breaking a mirror are all bad luck. In addition to these, there are many other superstitions that are worth knowing. Understanding them will keep you safe from evil³ spirits—if you believe in such things—and impress your American friends when you mention them.

  Like the superstitions in other cultures, American superstitions often involve the things important in daily life, such as health, numbers, and marriage. For example, have you ever had a cough that would not go away? According⁴ to one American superstition¹, you should take a piece of your hair and put it between two slices of buttered bread. Next, feed this hair sandwich to a dog and say, “Eat well, you hound⁵, may you be sick and I be sound.”  This will trick the evil spirits and help your cough. It will also raise some eyebrows⁶ if you try it.

  In American superstitions, the number three is very important. Often, Americans will say, "All things come in threes." Three is lucky because it represents⁷ the traditional family: mother, father, and child. Therefore, gifts, letters, and guests will often arrive at your home in groups of three. However, it is also possible for bad events, like accidents and funerals⁸, to come in threes as well.
 
  Another time people pay attention to superstitions is when they get married. During a wedding, brides must wear or carry “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” The old and borrowed things will bring luck to the person who gives them to the bride. The new and blue things will bring good fortune to the bride herself. The next time someone you know is getting married, be sure to recite⁹ this phrase¹⁰. 

  As it would be unlucky to discuss one more superstition, we will wind things up here. Keep your fingers crossed, and stay lucky!

笑谈美国迷信

    我们许多人已经知道一些美国的迷信。路上碰见黑猫，从梯子下走过和打破了一面镜子都是不吉利的。此外还有其它许多迷信值得一知。了解这些迷信能让你远离恶灵──如果你相信它们的话──而当你在美国朋友面前提起这些迷信时，会让他们对你刮目相看。

    正像其它文化中的迷信，美国的迷信通常与日常生活中的重要事情有关，如健康、数字和婚姻。如你有没有咳个不停的经历？根据美国的迷信，你应该把你的一根头发夹进两片涂了黄油的面包中。然后把这个夹有发丝的三明治拿去喂狗并对它说“好好吃，狗儿，希望你生病我健康”。这招就可以骗过恶灵，帮你治好咳嗽。如果你想这样做，也会让一些人感到惊讶。

    在美国迷信中，数字“三”很重要。美国人常会说“无三不成礼”。三是个幸运数字，因为它代表了一个传统的家庭︰母亲，父亲和孩子。因此，礼物、信件和客人常常会成三出现在你的家。不过，事故和葬礼等不幸的事件也有可能会成三的出现。

    人们留意迷信的另一个时刻是他们结婚的时候。婚礼中，新娘必须穿或带“一件旧的，一件新的，一件借来的和一件蓝色的东西。”旧的及借来的东西会给送东西给新娘的人带来幸运。而新的和蓝色的东西会给新娘本人带来好运。下次你认识的人结婚的时候，一定要背这句话给她听。

    既然再讲一个迷信会倒霉，那我们就在这里结束吧。把食指和中指交叉，祈求好运而且永远走运！

1 superstition   

n.迷信，迷信行为

参考例句：

• It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
• Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

2 superstitions   

迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Old superstitions seem incredible to educated people. 旧的迷信对于受过教育的人来说是不可思议的。
• Do away with all fetishes and superstitions. 破除一切盲目崇拜和迷信。

3 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

4 according   

adj.按照，根据

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• We must cut our coat according to our cloth this year.今年我们必须学会量入为出。

5 hound   

n.猎狗，卑鄙的人；vt.用猎狗追，追逐

参考例句：

• The hound found the trail of the rabbit.猎狗发现了兔子的踪迹。
• The police have promised to hound down those responsible for the explosion.警方已保证要追查此次爆炸事件有责任的人员。

6 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

7 Represents   

v.表现( represent的第三人称单数 )；代表；体现；作为…的代表

参考例句：

• This represents a volte-face in government thinking. 这代表着政府观点的彻底转变。
• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history. 俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 funerals   

葬礼，丧礼( funeral的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Dad, nominally a Methodist, entered Churches only for weddings and funerals. 爸名义上是卫理公会教徒，可只去教堂参加婚礼和葬礼。
• They danced at weddings and wailed at funerals. 他们在办喜事的时候跳舞，在办丧事的时候哭泣。

9 recite   

vt/vi.背诵，朗读，叙述

参考例句：

• He is going to recite a poem.他将要朗诵一首诗。
• He can recite that poem from memory.他能凭记忆背诵那首诗。

10 phrase   

n.短语，词组；成语，习语

参考例句：

• The phrase was caught on and immediately became popular.这个短语被采用后很快就流行了。
• That's exactly the phrase I was looking for.这就是我一直找的那个短语。