猫咪传说 第7期

古今中外，伴着特殊的优雅，猫咪带着神秘的传说生存至今，各种谚语和习语中也不乏猫咪的身影。本期我们来看看有关猫咪的几种有趣的传说。

Black Cats黑猫

有的人把看到黑猫说是不祥的预兆，但是中世纪的渔民妻子却愿意在家养一只黑猫保佑外出的丈夫安全回家。

In the Middle Ages, cats were not very popular because of their association with witchcraft1 and black magic. Superstitions2 about cats, some of them current today, date back to this period.Fishermen’s wives believed keeping a black cat in your home meant your husband would always return from the sea.In the 9th century, King Henry Ⅰ of Saxony decreed that the fine for killing a cat should be sixty bushels3 of corn.

There are still people who believe that the cat is a reincarnation4 of the devil and regard it as bad luck.

Pussy5 Willows6

猫柳，是美洲柳树的一种，而这个名字的由来是一个美丽的传说。

There is a legend that many little kittens were thrown into a river to drown. The mother cat wept and was so distraught that the willow trees on the bank felt compassion and held out their branches to the struggling kittens who clung to them and were saved. Ever since that time, every spring, the willow trees wear gray buds that feel as soft and silky as kitten tails. That is why they are called “pussy willows.”

Chinese Cats

中国的猫咪古代是狮子和猴子的混合体，代表了高贵、好奇和顽皮。

Ancient Chinese legend maintains that the cat is the product of a lioness and a monkey―the lioness endowing7 her offspring with dignity and the monkey with curiosity and playfulness.

Japanese Cats

日本最著名的猫咪除了Hello Kitty之外，应该就算“招财猫”了，一般日本的商铺门口都会摆上这么一个猫咪，以招徕好运和财运。

Mi-Ki, or tri-colored cats, have been long taken by Japanese sailors on their ships to bring them good luck. The native Bobtail, according to legend, is the Japanese cat of preference because it is less likely to “bewitch” you with a twitching tail.

The figure of a cat with its left paw raised is commonly seen in gift shops in Japan where they are sold as souvenirs8. It is believed that the beckoning9 cat brings good fortune to its owner.

（责编：张雯）

1.witchcraft巫术，妖术

2.superstitions迷信，迷信观点（或思想）eg.According to superstitions,breaking a mirror brings bad luck.

3.bushel 蒲式耳(谷物、水果等容量单位,美=35.238升,英=36.368升)，这里指容量;bushels(of sth)大量，很多

4.reincarnation灵魂转世

5.pussy（儿童用语）猫咪

6.willows柳树

7.endowing认为天生具有某种品质

8.souvenir 纪念品eg.I bought the ring as a souvenir of Greece.

9. beckoning招手