零距离美语会话[信仰]Lesson 2:Do you believe in palmistry?

Two    Do you believe in palmistry?

你相信手相术吗？

 1   Introduction
A    In America, thirteen is considered to be a superstitious¹ number.  So some buildings don’t have the thirteenth floor, instead, they go from the twelfth to the fourteenth floor.  Some house door numbers are like that as well.
在美国，十三被认为是个迷信数字。所以一些建筑物都没有十三楼，相反，它们是从十二楼直上到十四楼。一些房子的门牌号码也是这样的。

B    When a ladder is propped² against the wall, it is supposed to be bad luck to walk underneath³ it.
当梯子靠墙支架时，从下走过被认为是有坏运气。

C    At Halloween, people usually place a carved pumpkin⁴ with a candle inside and a scary face carved on it, outside their front doors.  It is meant to frighten off evil spirits.
万圣节前夕，人们通常把一个里面点有蜡烛、表面雕刻有鬼脸的南瓜，摆放在他们的前门。目的是想吓走阴魂鬼神。

 2    Sample Sentences
1.   Numerous devout⁵ men and women are kowtowing and praying.
     许多信男信女在磕头、祈祷。
2.   She would be interested in having her fortune told.
     她很想有人给她算命。
3.   I believe they were fated to be married.
     我相信他们命中注定了结婚的。
4.   You should go to an astrologer to have your horoscope read.
     你应该找一个占星家，让他告诉你你的星象。
5.   You can get someone to tell your fortune over the phone.
     你可以找个人在电话里跟你算命。
6.   I believe for a business to succeed, it has to pay tribute⁶ to Buddha⁷.
     我相信一个事业要成功，就必须拜佛进贡。
7.   How much would you pay for genuine peace of mind?
你会出多少钱买个心境平和？
8.   I believe that two people sharing a pear are not good.
     我觉得两个人分梨是不好的。
9.   Are you superstitious?  I guess I am a fatalist.
     你迷信吗？我猜我是个宿命论者。
10.  While many college students felt the urge to push their beliefs on their friends, they also recognized it might not be the most helpful thing at the moment.
     在许多大学生很想把他们的信念强加给他们的朋友时，他们同时也意识到了在这个时候这样做可能并不是最有益的事。

 3    Conversations
1.   A funny story about ghosts.
Ruth:  So, Jack⁸, do you believe in ghosts? 
Jack:  No, not really.  Why do you ask? 
Ruth:  Because I want to tell you about the time that I saw a ghost.
Jack:  You saw a ghost?  When?
Ruth:  It was many years ago, when I was a little child.  It was the middle of the night, and I went to get a drink of water from the kitchen.  I walked out of my room and was at the top of the stairs, when… 
Jack:  So that's where you saw the ghost?  In your house?  What did it look like?  Was it hideous1? 
Ruth:  It was a big, green thing that looked like a person.  It was in the kitchen, and it slowly moved towards the stairs… 
Jack:  So what did you do? 
Ruth:  I hid so that it couldn't see me.  Slowly it got closer and closer, until ……
Jack:  Until what?  What happened?  Did you see it clearly?  Did it attack you?
Ruth:  It moved slowly up the stairs, step by step, and I could hear its approaching2 footsteps.  When it finally got to the top of the stairs, I realized that it was my father in his green pajamas⁹.  He had gone to get a late night snack.

【译文】
——那么，杰克，你相信鬼吗？
——不，不完全信。你为什么问这个？
——因为我想告诉你一次我看见了一个鬼。
——你看见了一个鬼？什么时候？
——那是许多年前，当我还是小孩子的时候。那晚半夜，我去厨房喝水。我走出我的房间，在楼梯的顶端，就在这时……
——那么说你就在那儿看见了鬼？在你家里？是什么样子？可怕吗？
——它是一个巨大的、绿色的东西，看上去像个人。它在厨房，慢慢向楼梯移动。
——那你怎么办？
——我躲起来以便它看不见我。慢慢地它越来越近，直到……
——直到什么？发生了什么事？你看清楚了吗？它有没有攻击你？
——它慢慢地移上了楼梯，一步一步，我能听见它越来越近的脚步声。当它最后走到楼梯顶端时，我才知道原来是我父亲穿着他的绿睡衣。他去吃了个宵夜。

 

2.  Palmistry.
Janice:  So do you believe in palmistry3? 
Margaret:  Palmistry?  What is that?
Janice:  It's when someone takes a look at another person's palm4 to tell the future.
Margaret:  Oh, you mean palm reading5.  I've seen that before, but I don't believe in it.
Janice:  Are you sure?  I've read a lot about palmistry and I've been able to tell a lot of accurate things about a person from his palm.  Do you want me to take a look at your hand? 
Margaret:  Really?  You've read books about it?  Ok, then.  But only if you want to.
Janice:  Ok, let's see, well, you've got a long life line, which is good, and the love line is strong ……
Margaret:  What else do you see?  Will I be successful?  Will I make a lot of money?
Janice:  Hmm, hard to say, wait, yes, it looks like you will do well in business, and your ambition will help you a lot, but …… 
Margaret:  What?  What is it?  What's the matter?
Janice:  You seem to have a large gullibility¹⁰ 6 line.  You believe everything that you're told. 
Margaret:  Hey!

Helpful Information：
The most accurate statement about palm reading is that people believe what they want to believe. 
关于看手相，最准确的说法是，人们相信他们想相信的东西。

【译文】
——你相信手相术吗？
——手相术？什么是手相术？
——手相术就是别人通过看另外一个人的手掌，然后预知他的未来。
——哦，你是说看手相。我以前看过，但我不相信。
——你真的不信？我读过很多关于手相术的书，而且我已经能通过一个人的手掌上讲准很多关于他的事情。你想要我看一下你的手掌吗？
——真的吗？你看过许多关于手相术的书？那好吧。只要你想看。
——好的，让我看，唔，你有一条很长的生命线，这很好，而且爱情线很粗……
——你还看见其它什么东西了吗？我会成功吗？我会赚很多钱吗？
——呣，很难看出，等一下，是，看上去好像你生意上会有所成就，而且你的抱负将对你大有帮助，但是……
——什么？是什么？有什么麻烦？
——你似乎有一条很粗的轻信线。别人说的，你都相信。
——嘿！

3.  Thirteen people on Friday.
David:  Ok, so who are we going to invite to our dinner party? 
Sue:  Well, we have the Thompsons, the Greens, and the Andersons, about twelve people total. 
David:  Don't forget my friend Andy from the office.  He has nothing to do on Friday, so I invited him over.
Sue:  But that makes thirteen people!  We can't have thirteen people for dinner on Friday!
David:  Why can't we?
Sue:  It's an old superstition7.  If we have thirteen people at the table, then it means bad luck.  Can Andy bring a date? 
David:  I'm not sure.  He just broke up with his girlfriend recently, and I don't think he's in the mood to start again so soon. 
Sue:  But we can't have thirteen for dinner!
David:  I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill8.  It's only a superstition¹¹.  It really doesn't mean anything.
Sue:  Absolutely not!  I refuse to have thirteen people for dinner on Friday! 
David:  Ok, ok.  I'll ask my sister to come.  That way we'll have fourteen for dinner.
Sue:  That's better. 

Helpful Information：
If something bad happens on a particular day, people have a tendency to associate that day with the negative event.  The same goes for Friday the 13th, so if something bad happens on Friday the13th, people blame it on the day.  On Friday the 13th, some people are so superstitious that they go as far as to refuse to leave the house.  As for me, I’ve always had good luck on Friday the 13th.  It’s really all about what you believe the most, so I choose to believe that Friday the 13th is my good luck day.
如果特定的一天发生了什么坏事，人们倾向于把那一天和这个消极的事联系起来。星期五、十三号也一样，所以如果有坏事发生在星期五、十三号，人们把这件事归咎于这一天。在星期五、十三号这一天，一些人是这么迷信以至于他们都不出家门。对我来说，星期五、十三号总是有好运。所有这些真的是全在于你最相信什么，所以我选择相信星期五、十三号是我的幸运日。

【译文】
——好了，那么我们打算邀请谁来参加我们的宴会？
——唔，我们将邀请托马斯一家，格雷一家，安德森一家，大约一共有12个人。
——不要忘了我办公室的朋友安迪。星期五他无事可做，所以我邀请了他过来。
——但是那样就有13个人！星期五我们不能有13个人吃饭！
——为什么不能？
——这是个老迷信。如果我们在饭桌上有13个人，那就意味着运气不好。安迪能带他女朋友来吗？
——我不知道。他最近才和他女朋友分手，我想他没有心情这么快又找一个。
——但我们不能有13个人吃饭！
——我想你是在把问题弄大。这只是个迷信，没有任何实际意义。
——绝对不是！我拒绝星期五13个人吃饭！
——好，好。我要我妹妹也来。那样我们就有14人吃饭。
——那还差不多。

 

4.  Horoscope.
Ben:  Hey, what's new?
Kitty:  Not much.  Just sitting here eating some Chinese food.  Is that the paper?  Why don't you open it and tell me my horoscope9?
Ben:  Ok, wait a minute … let's see.  I'm a Taurus, and it says, “Mars is in the third house, and is soon to eclipse¹² Venus”.  I don't know what that means, but then it says, “Your charm¹³ and drive will win others over to your way of thinking.  Remember to be positive.”  Sounds good to me.
Kitty:  What about Gemini?  What's the prediction? 
Ben:   “Since Mercury10 has crossed paths with Jupiter¹⁴, your fortunes are falling.  Bad luck will follow you today, and you will lose that which you value.  Be careful.”
Kitty:  That sounds bad!  I'm really worried, what should I do?  Maybe I should go home and stay in the rest of the day. 
Ben:  But we have a date tonight!  You can't stay at home because of a stupid horoscope. 
Kitty:  But those things are dangerous!  I'm not going out if it means bad luck.
Ben:  That's silly.  They don't mean anything.  Here, give me one of those fortune cookies11 you're eating.  Let's see what it says.  “Sunshine will follow your feet if you let it.”  See, that sounds good to me.  It's ridiculous12 to let a horoscope control your life.
Kitty:  I don't know.  I've had days that seem to fit with my horoscope's predictions, but then there are days that it doesn't work.  I really don't know.
Ben:  Does this mean we're still on for tonight?
Kitty:  I guess so. 
Ben:  Good. 

【译文】
——嗨，有什么新鲜事？
——没有什么。只不过是坐在这儿吃一些中国菜。那是报纸吗？为什么你不打开它，告诉我我的星位呢？
——好的，等会儿……让我看一下。我是金牛座，上面说，“火星在第三座房子里，很快将吃掉金星。”我不知道这是什么意思，但上面还说，“别人因为你的魅力和推动力也会转到你的思维方式上来。记住要积极一些。” 我看很好。
——双子座呢？预言是什么？
——“墨丘利神已经穿过木星的轨道，你的运气正在下落。今天坏运将跟着你，你会失去你认为重要的东西。小心。”
——听起来很坏！我真担心，我该怎么做？或许我应该回家，今天呆在家里不再出门。
——但是我们今晚有个约会！你不能因为一个荒唐的星象呆在家里。
——但这些事情是危险的！如果它意味着坏运，我就不会出去。
——那样做是愚蠢的。它们没有任何意义。 喂，把你要吃的那些签饼给我一个。看它说什么。“如果你愿意，阳光将跟随着你的脚步。”看到了吗，我看挺好的。让一个星象控制你的生活真是荒谬。
——我不知道。我已经有好几天似乎和我的星象预言相符合，但有几天又不相符合。我真的不知道。
——这就是说今晚我们仍继续吗？
——我想是。
——很好。

5.  The Missing Floor
Some Russian students are spending their summer in Philadelphia, visiting historic¹⁵ sights.  They are checking into a hotel.
Boris:  We'd like a room with two beds, please.
Clerk:  A double?  Let's see ... I can put you in room 1405.  It faces the river and has a wonderful view. 
Alexis:  That will be fine.  Since we're going to be fourteen stories above the ground, I think we should definitely have a room with a view. (Later, Alexis returns from a walk.)
Alexis:  Boris, I saw you sitting out on the balcony of our room.  I could see you from the street. 
Boris:  That's quite a distance.  How could you tell who it was?
Alexis:  I recognized your bright red shirt.  But there's something strange.  We're in room 1405, right?  Well, when I saw you on the balcony, I counted upward.  I only got to thirteen.  We're on the thirteenth floor.
Boris:   No, I'm sure we're on the fourteenth floor.  The desk clerk said so.
Alexis:  I know!  I'll look out the window and count downward. (She counts.)  I still say we're only thirteen stories up.

【译文】
——我们想要一间双人房。
——双人房？让我看看……我可以把你们安排到1405房间。面对着江，风景很好。
——那太好了。既然我们将住在十四楼上面，我想我们当然应该挑个景色好的房间。
（后来，亚力克西斯散步回来。）
——鲍里斯，我看见你坐在我们房间外面的阳台上。我可以从街上看到你。
——那比较远。你怎么能分辨出是谁？
——我认出了你的那件大红的衬衫。但是有点怪。我们在1405房，是不是？不过，当我看见你在阳台上，我就往上数。我只数到了十三。我们在十三楼上。
——没有，我肯定我们在十四楼上。接待人员这样说了。
——我知道了！我会从窗户往外看，并往下数。（她数着。）我还得说我们只是在十三楼上面。

 

 4    Words and Expressions
1. hideous  [] 丑陋的; 可怕的; 骇人听闻的
2. approach  [] 接近, 靠近
3. palmistry  [] 手相术
4. palm  [] 手掌, 手心
5. palm reading   看手相
6. gullibility   [] 易受欺骗
7. superstition  [] 迷信; 迷信行为
8. molehill  [] 鼹鼠丘(因鼹鼠打洞而鼓起的土堆)
9. horoscope  [] 占星术; 星象(算命)
10. Mercury  [] 水银, 汞
11. fortune cookie   签饼
12. ridiculous  [] 可笑的, 荒谬的; 滑稽的

1 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

2 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

3 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

4 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

5 devout   

adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)

参考例句：

• His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
• The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

6 tribute   

n.颂词，称赞，(表示敬意的)礼物；贡品

参考例句：

• She accepted their tribute graciously.她慈祥地接受了他们的致意。
• Many conquered nations had to pay tribute to the rulers of ancient Rome.许多被征服的国家必须向古罗马的统治者朝贡。

7 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

8 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

9 pajamas   

n.睡衣裤

参考例句：

• At bedtime,I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas.睡觉时，我脱去衣服，换上睡衣。
• He was wearing striped pajamas.他穿着带条纹的睡衣裤。

10 gullibility   

n.易受骗，易上当，轻信

参考例句：

• Gullibility: Measure of speed of paper adhesive bonding and its strength. 胶粘性能：胶粘剂对纸品的粘合速度和强度的能力。 来自互联网
• Open-mindedness can often be treated as gullibility and therefore as a tool to manipulate people's beliefs. 思想开明容易像轻信一样被对待，因此会被用作一种操纵人们观念的工具。 来自互联网

11 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。

12 eclipse   

v.使黯然失色，使相形见绌，日食，月食

参考例句：

• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
• There will be an eclipse of the moon next month.下个月有月食。

13 charm   

vt.使着迷，使陶醉；n.招人喜欢之处，魅力

参考例句：

• With all imperfections the short play has a real charm.尽管有不少缺欠，这出小戏仍颇具魅力。
• He could resist her charm no longer.他再也抗拒不住她的魅力。

14 Jupiter   

n.木星

参考例句：

• Jupiter is unlike the Earth in almost every way.木星与地球几乎完全不同。
• The astronomers were taking an observation of Jupiter.天文学家们正在观测木星。

15 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。