海外文化:英美民俗 神奇的数字:13

【英文原文】

摘要：数字13 一个广为流传的迷信是13不吉利。许多饭店就不设13房间。有人不愿意在13号出发旅行，特别赶上当天是星期五。

One of the most widespread superstitions is that thirteen is unlucky, and so general is this idea that many hotels do not have a room number thirteen. Some people will not start a trip on the 13th day of the month, especially if it happens to be a Friday. Various explanations have been given as to the origin of this superstition. The most popular explanation is that there were thirteen persons at the Last Supper, Judas being frequently represented as the thirteen. The superstition about the number thirteen is universal. We can find it in France, England, throughout almost the whole of Europe, and in America. It has long been a matter of etiquette in France to avoid having exactly thirteen guests at a dinner or party, and the person who is invited to fill the fourteenth seat at the table is usually known as quatorizième.

The English writer Joseph Addison, who wrote early in the 18th century, tells us a story about the superstition in his time:

“I remember I was once in a mixed assembly that was full of noise and mirth, when on a sudden an old woman unluckily observed there were thirteen of us in company. This remark struck a panic terror into several who were present, insomuch that one or two of the ladies were going to leave the room; but a friend of mine, taking notice that one of our female companions was big with child, affirmed there were fourteen in the room, and that, instead of portending one of the company should die, it plainly forebode one of them should be born. Had not my friend found this expedient to break the omen, I question not but half of the women in the company would have fallen sick that night.”

Nowadays few people take the number so seriously as people in Addison’s time.

【中文译文】

数字13 一个广为流传的迷信是13不吉利。许多饭店就不设13房间。有人不愿意在13号出发旅行，特别赶上当天是星期五。对这一迷信的起源众说纷纭。最普遍的说法是最后的晚餐上共有13人，出卖耶稣的犹大算是第13个。欧美各国都有这一迷信。法国的社交礼仪要求避免13人同席，遇此情况，人们就随便拉来一个食客凑数，称之为“第14个”。

英国18世纪作家艾迪生谈到过亲身经历过的一件趣事，可见当时这个迷信相当流行。一次，他与一群男女宾客同席进餐，正当大家兴高采烈、笑语喧哗时，一个老太太开口说，在座的共有13人。席上的几个人顿时大惊失色，有一两位女士竟欲起身离席而去。此时艾迪生的一位朋友注意到席上有一位身怀六甲的女客，便说同席的不是13人，而是14人；这不是一位客人要死的凶兆，而是一位客人要出生的吉兆。艾迪生说，多亏了他的朋友情急生智，不然当天晚上女客们都会病倒的。