海外文化:英美民俗 有關月亮的迷信

【英文原文】

摘要：月亮影響人間生活的迷信自古有之。古代哲學家和祭司們說，由於月亮有圓缺，與人的出生、成長、衰老、死亡有關聯。

Many peoples used to believe that the moon influenced life. Philosophers and priests in ancient times taught that the moon was related to birth, growth, and death because it waxed and waned. Some people feared eclipses as signs of famine, war, or other disasters. According to one superstition, sleeping in moonlight could cause people to lose their sound mind. Crazy people may become even crazier under the influence of the moon. When people become slightly crazy, they are often said to be moonstruck, that is, under the influence of the moon. The word lunatic, which means moonstruck, comes from luna, a Latin word meaning moon. Even today, many people believe the moon affects the weather. Others think seeds grow especially well when planted during a waxing moon. The best day for a wedding is the day when the moon is full.

【中文譯文】

月亮影響人間生活的迷信自古有之。古代哲學家和祭司們說，由於月亮有圓缺，與人的出生、成長、衰老、死亡有關聯。古人對月蝕感到恐懼，視之爲饑荒、戰爭和其他災禍的徵兆。迷信的人認爲，睡在月光裏對人的心智有害。有精神病的人在月圓時會犯病。英文裏表示“精神錯亂”的詞“moonstruck”就是受到月亮傷害的意思。另一個表示同樣意思的詞“lunatic”源於拉丁文“luna”，即月亮。即使在今天，仍有人認爲月亮會影響天氣。還有人認爲，趁上弦月時播種，莊稼會長得茂盛。另外，滿月時結婚有福。