星座伴我行（英文）

 　　Before going on a blind date arranged by her parents, Sammy Xia checked out her favorite astrology website to see if her suitor's horoscope sign matched hers or not.

　　She compared the personality of his Aries with her Sagittarius to see if they were compatible.

　　The results showed that according to their signs, they shared a lot in common. Both signs are supposed to have a carefree, optimistic and passionate¹ character.

　　“I was not sure if we would perfectly² match each other, but you don't have to waste your time on a date if you find out beforehand that the man's sign is not your type,” explained Xia, who is now engaged to her blind date.

　　Xia is not the only young university-educated Chinese who makes decisions based on the Western zodiac. In the land of ancient fortune telling, Western astrology is gaining popularity among young people.

　　Many classic Western horoscopes and tarot card readings have been translated into Chinese and are widely available online.

　　Young people like Wendy Wu, a 23-year-old postgraduate³ student, checks several popular horoscope blogs that post daily, weekly and monthly forecasts, offering advice to readers on the dos and don'ts during that period.  

I don't 100 percent believe it,” she claimed, “but I accept those things I prefer to believe.”

　　Wu follows the horoscope predictions of her friends and herself to help understand each other better.

　　“Every time when I have a fight with my boyfriend, I tell him that, ‘What I forgive is not you, but your horoscope sign, because I know Cancer men are the most sensitive men and the weakest emotional type in all the zodiac,'” Wu said.

　　Different from many older Chinese who seek advice from the masters of I Ching or The Book of Changes, the younger generation seems to prefer turning to Western horoscopes to make sense of the world and guide them in some aspects of their lives.

　　“The Western horoscope was already packaged and commercialized when it was brought to China. It is fashionable. That's why it's very popular among Chinese young people,” Andy Wang, also known as the Little Astrology Prince, one of China's most famous astrologers who studied in London, told the Global Times.

　　He described that his method for making his horoscope predictions is based on the tides caused by the moon, in that the emotions or feelings of people on Earth can be also affected⁴ by the movement of celestial⁵ bodies. Wang pointed⁶ out that the reason why people find horoscope readings accurate is because it has scientific principles, even though Chinese authorities officially frown on “superstitious practices.”

　　“I will be very happy if it says I will have good luck in the coming week and I will be cautious if it says something bad may happen,” said Xie Weina, a 30-year-old business development executive from Beijing who believes horoscopes can offer some clues about how to live your life.

　　While some follow horoscopes religiously every week or even everyday, some are not as obsessed⁷, but are still looking for answers. Wu's boyfriend seldom discusses or follows his horoscope unless he encounters something really difficult.

　　“Most of the time the horoscope said that he may have some ups and downs when he turned to it for advice. Then he would say it explained why he felt so stressed out recently,” Wu explained.

　　With the increasing pressures of modern life, particularly stress from work and relationships, many people are searching for something to solve their frustrations⁸, depression and anxiety.

　　There is a popular line on the Internet that says, “When time and patience are precious, we use horoscopes to know each other.”

　　As a spiritual guide, many more people in China are turning to astrology for answers in the bewildering modern world as more and more people feel insecure about their life and future, Wang added. “Society is so complicated nowadays. People are under great pressure at work that they don't know what to do with their careers and their lives.”

　　“I remember the zodiac signs of everyone around me so that I can know them better,” Wu said, adding that horoscopes provide guidance for her to handle interpersonal relationships.

　　Receiving around 50,000 visitors a day to his online horoscope blog, the Little Astrology Prince said he could totally understand why so many people follow horoscopes.

　　However, he also warned that while his work aims to bring happiness to his readers, he does not want them to indulge too much.

　　“It's just a reference. What I write every week doesn't fit everyone perfectly because even people in the same zodiac sign have their own charts which are the main factors in determining a person's life according to astrology,” he said.

　　“Neither the horoscope or I am God. What I do is try to soothe⁹ people's hearts in this complicated world. People still need to figure out on their own where they need to go.”

　　While Wang tries to downplay the fervor¹⁰ in which some people approach horoscopes, psychologists believe that those who read them are anxious for any kind of sign to make them feel confident about their life choices.

　　“As they are immature¹¹, young people feel insecure, especially when they are met with setbacks or when they fail,” said Ni Xiaoli, head of psychology¹² at the Psychological Health Research Center at Xi'an Jiao tong University.

　　“They need something to soothe themselves and horoscopes are there for them. Horoscope readings are ambiguous and general to give psychological hints to those who need them. There is no scientific basis of those predictions. Everyone's fate is in his or her own hands. Horoscopes are just a form of entertainment. You can't be too obsessed by it.”

1 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

2 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

3 postgraduate   

adj.大学毕业后的，大学研究院的；n.研究生

参考例句：

• I didn't put down that I had postgraduate degree.我没有写上我有硕士学位。
• After college,Mary hopes to do postgraduate work in law school.大学毕业后， 玛丽想在法学院从事研究工作。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 celestial   

adj.天体的；天上的

参考例句：

• The rosy light yet beamed like a celestial dawn.玫瑰色的红光依然象天上的朝霞一样绚丽。
• Gravity governs the motions of celestial bodies.万有引力控制着天体的运动。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

8 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

9 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

10 fervor   

n.热诚；热心；炽热

参考例句：

• They were concerned only with their own religious fervor.他们只关心自己的宗教热诚。
• The speech aroused nationalist fervor.这个演讲喚起了民族主义热情。

11 immature   

adj.未成熟的，发育未全的，未充分发展的

参考例句：

• Tony seemed very shallow and immature.托尼看起来好像很肤浅，不夠成熟。
• The birds were in immature plumage.这些鸟儿羽翅未全。

12 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。