There are many superstitions in Britain, but one of the most widely held is that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder even if it means stepping off the pavement into a busy street. (20) If you must pass under a ladder you can avoid bad luck by crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed until you have seen a dog. Alternatively, you may lick your finger and make a cross on the toe of your shoe, and not look again at the shoe until the mark has dried.
Another common superstition is that it is unlucky to open an umbrella in the house. It will either bring misfortune to the person who opened it or to the whole household. Anyone opening an umbrella in fine weather is unpopular, as it inevitably brings rain.
The number 13 is said to be unlucky for some, and when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday, anyone wishing to avoid a bad event had better stay indoors. The worst misfortune that can happen to a person is caused by breaking a mirror, as it brings seven years of bad luck. (21) The superstition is supposed to have originated in ancient times, when mirrors were considered to be tools of the gods.
(22) Black cats are generally considered lucky in Britain, even though they are associated with witchcraft. It is especially lucky if a black cat crosses your path although in America the exact opposite belief prevails.
Finally, a commonly held superstition is that of touching wood for luck. This measure is most often taken if you think you have said something that is taking a risk, such as "my car has never broken down, touch wood?"
20. How to avoid bad luck when you must pass under a ladder in Britain?
21. What did the ancient British people think of mirrors?
22. What is believed as good luck in Britain?
在英国有很多迷信的说法,但是信众最多的一个迷信说法是在梯子底下经过会带来厄运,即使这有时候意味着你必须离开人行道到车辆川流的大街上去走
。如果你必须要从梯子下面走过,可以让手指保持交叉状态,直到看到狗时再放开,这样就可以避免厄运 。或者,你舔一下手指,然后在鞋尖上画一个十字 。接下来不能看这只鞋,直到标记干掉为止 。另一个很多人相信的迷信说法是在房间里面打开伞会带来厄运
。这要么会给打开伞的人带来坏运气,要么会给全家人带来坏运气 。人们也不喜欢在晴好的天气里打伞,因为他们认为这样必定会招来阴雨天气 。数字13对于一些人来说是不吉利的,当13日这一天刚好是星期五时,不想遇到坏事情的人们通常会选择待在家中
。一个人遇到最不幸的事情可能就是打碎镜子,因为这会带来连续七天的坏运气 。这个迷信之说应该是起源于古代,当时人们认为镜子是神的工具 。在英国黑猫被认为是幸运的,虽然它通常被与巫术联系在一起
。如果走路时一只黑猫从你面前穿过,一般会认为你将交上好运,但是美国人则正好相反 。最后,一个普遍的迷信说法是摸木头驱除厄运
问题20 在英国如果人们从梯子下面走过怎样避免坏运气?
问题21 英国古代的人们对镜子的想法是什么?
问题22 在英国人们认为什么象征着好运气?
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