中英雙語話中國民風民俗 第48期:生肖的運用
The Use of Zodiac Animal Signs
生肖的運用A Chinese horoscope may predict that a person born in the Year of the Horse is "cheerful,popular and quick to compliment others". The year of a person's birth is considered the primary factor in determining a person's personality,physical and mental attributes,ability and level of success and happiness throughout his or her lifetime. Events and occurrences in a given year are influenced by the nature of that year's animal.
中國占星可以預測，在馬年出生的人“性格開朗，受歡迎和善於恭維別人”。出生那年的生肖被認爲是決定他或她的一生的主要因素，他/她的個性、身體和精神屬性、能力、成功和幸福水平。在某一年發生的事件受當年生肖影響。Animal signs also have a useful social function for determining someone's age. Instead of asking directly how old a person is,the Chinese often ask about his or her animal sign,which places a person within a cycle of 12 years. This is a popular way to socialize.
生肖對確定一個人的年齡也很有用。中國人經常問他或她的屬相而不是直接問別人多大了，屬相是12年爲一個週期內。這是一種流行的社交方式。
