十大經典數字背後的故事(上)

Numbers factor into everything. Some numbers have become so well-known that nobody questions where they came from or how they became so important.

數字無處不在。有些數字廣爲人知，成爲生活中再平常不過的代號，人們甚至都無意追溯其緣起。

e 66

10.66號公路

It's known as America's Main Street. It's the place where you can get your kicks. Running from Chicago to Los Angeles, Route 66 is an icon of Americana, whisking travelers across the nation's heart. The road was decommissioned in 1985, but it still holds a mythical place in American culture.

66號公路從芝加哥一路橫貫到洛杉磯，被稱爲"美國主幹線"，是美國文化的象徵之一。它讓無數旅行者蠢蠢欲動，吸引人們駕車馳騁，穿越這個民族的心臟，探尋其魅力。1985年，66號公路被迫退役，雖已不復見於公路地圖，但其傳奇般的過往仍在美國文化中舉足輕重。

So why 66? Why not 12, or 384? Let's go back to the beginning. In 1917, Wisconsin became the first state to prohibit the marking and naming of roads without the approval of the government. Previously, it was common for roads to be sponsored by motor clubs, private companies, and tourist boards, who would choose the route that best suited them—regardless of whether it was the best or quickest path for motorists. To replace this confusing system, Wisconsin's State Highway Commission developed an efficient layout of numbered highways, an innovation that was quickly adopted across the country. In 1925, St. Louis was selected as the hub for four major highways traveling across the US. None of them was supposed to be numbered 66. Instead, Routes 40, 50, and 60 would run east/west, while Route 61 would travel north/south. But the plan hit a bump when Kentucky demanded the name Route 60 for the highway between Virginia Beach, Virginia and Springfield, Missouri (which ran right through Kentucky). The reason? Kentucky was the only state in the Missouri Valley without a road that ended in zero. Really, it was that petty. The original plan was for Route 60 to run between Chicago and Los Angeles, but Kentucky suggested that this could be renamed Route 62. The Bluegrass State got their way, but other state highway agencies weren't enthusiastic about the Route 62 name—they wanted something more memorable. After noticing that the number was still available, Midwest agency members Cyrus Avery and B.H. Piepmeier sent a letter to the Bureau of Public Roads simply stating, "We prefer 66 to 62." And that was that—the most famous road in the United States got its name after a silly fight over numbers ending with zero.

那麼問題來了，爲什麼要叫"66號公路"，而不是"12號公路"或者"384公路"呢？讓我們回到最初來一探究竟。1917年，威斯康星州成爲第一個通過"未經政府允許，不得給公路標號或命名"法案的州。在此之前，公路名稱一般都由汽車俱樂部、私人公司或旅遊局來命名，這些機構選擇最適合他們宣傳的公路予以贊助，而不考慮這條路對於車主來說是不是最好、最快、最便捷。所以，爲了取代這些紛繁複雜的公路系統，威斯康星州公路委員會規劃以數字命名公路，這一創舉迅速被其他州所借鑑。1925年，聖路易斯被選爲橫跨美國的四大主要公路網的中心樞紐。起初，人們完全沒有考慮66這個數字，而是計劃用60命名東西向的那條公路，用61命名南北向的那條公路，用40和50命名另外兩條公路。但是，由於肯塔基州要求以60命名穿過肯塔基州的那條公路，於是計劃泡湯。爲什麼肯塔基想要60呢？因爲在密蘇里谷，肯塔基是唯一一個沒有以0結尾公路的州。沒辦法，誰讓肯塔基州規模小呢。最初的計劃是將芝加哥到洛杉磯的洲際公路編號爲60，但是肯塔基州想給經過自己州的公路編號60，所以提議將這條公路改名爲62。牧草州（美國肯塔基州別名）一意孤行，可其他州並不買賬，大家都想要一個更具紀念意義的編號。意識到彼此相執不下也不能解決問題，中西部地區的代理成員Cyrus Avery和B.H. Piepmeier給國家公共道路管理局寫了一封信，說"我們不喜歡62，給我們66吧"。於是，在一場激烈的"搶零風波"後，偉大的66號公路就這樣誕生了！

h-22

9.第22條軍規

"Catch-22" is a common phrase in English-speaking countries. It can defined as "a paradox in which the attempt to escape makes escape impossible." The term comes from Joseph Heller's classic novel of the same name, although its popularity as a phrase didn't really take off until the 1970 movie came out. In the book and movie, the phrase refers to an Air Force ruling that only a crazy person would make an extremely dangerous bombing run without trying to get out of it. Any pilot who doesn't try to get out of it is clearly deranged and therefore qualifies for immediate medical leave on the grounds of insanity. However, anyone who asks not to make the run must be sane (since trying to get out of danger is the sign of a rational mind) and therefore any pilot who requests medical leave for insanity cannot be granted it. Either way, every pilot has to make the run. Catch-22.

"Catch-22"在英語國家是個常用短語，用來形容"自相矛盾、不合邏輯的規定或條件所造成的無法脫身或左右爲難的困境"。它出自約瑟夫·赫勒的經典同名小說，不過直到1970年同名電影上映，這個短語才真正爲人所熟知。在同名小說和電影中，catch-22指空軍部隊的一條軍規，它規定"只有瘋子可以免於執行轟炸的飛行任務"。如果一個飛行員真的瘋了，想不去執行轟炸任務，他可以提出申請，證明自己瘋了，休病假，免於飛行。可是，任何想以神智不清爲由不去執行任務的人一定是心智健全的（因爲對自身安全表示關注，乃是頭腦理性活動的結果），所以沒人能取得瘋癲的病假，因而每個飛行員都必須執行轟炸任務。這就是第22條軍規，又謂"坑人二十二"。

But why Catch-22? Well, it's mostly because another book took the original number. In 1955, the first chapter of what became Catch-22 appeared in a magazine under the title Catch-18. The full book hit stores in 1961, but by then there was another popular book with "18" in the title: Leon Uris's Mila 18. The publishers thought that the reading public couldn't handle two books with the same number in the title, so Catch-18 became Catch-22. But it's not like 18 was just some random number Heller pulled out of the sky—it had a specific meaning that the new title lost. In Jewish culture, 18 is a highly significant number—the 18th letter in the Jewish alphabet is "chai" which means life (or living). Early drafts of Heller's work had more of a Jewish emphasis. Heller suggested Catch-14 as an alternate title, but the catchier Catch-22 won out.

那麼爲什麼是第22條呢？這就要追溯到另一本書了。1955年，小說《第22條軍規》的第一章發表在一本雜誌上，不過當時這本小說名爲《第18條軍規》；1961年，全書完成，小說面世。當時，利昂·尤里斯的小說Mila 18很受歡迎，出版者考慮到讀者可能會混淆兩本同帶數字18的書，於是建議將Catch-18改爲Catch-22。赫勒起初選取數字18，不是一時興起、毫無緣由的。在猶太文化中，18是一個很重要的數字，猶太字母表中的第18個字母是"chai"，意思是生命或生存。赫勒的早期作品比較強調猶太文化，不過改名之後的小說名稱失去了這一暗含寓意。赫勒曾經想過用Catch-14，不過最後還是選擇了更吸引眼球的Catch-22。

cky numbers

8.不吉利的數字

Different cultures consider different numbers to be bad luck. In English-speaking countries, it's usually 13 which is held to be unlucky. This belief might go back as far as the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, which skips a 13th law for unclear reasons. There are quite a few other indications that the number had negative connotations in the ancient world, including Judas being the 13th person to arrive at the Last Supper. The belief could have originated in ancient Sumeria, where 12 was considered the perfect number.

每個文化中都有所謂的厄運數字，而在英語國家，這個惡名就落到了數字13身上。"13不吉利"的說法最早要追溯到古巴比倫的《漢謨拉比法典》，該法典中跳過了第13條法律，原因不明。另外，古代有很多關於13不吉利的傳說，其中一個是說在最後的晚餐上，猶大是第13位到場的客人。還有人將不吉利13的緣起歸於古蘇美爾文化，該文化中12被視作完美的數字。

In modern times, there are still many buildings in North America that don't have a 13th floor due to the superstition. Every year, Friday the 13th sees about $800 million less in economic activity than you'd expect, as people tend to avoid the day for traveling or events like weddings. In 1907, Thomas Lawson had a hit bestseller with Friday the Thirteenth, in which a crazed stockbroker attempts to bring down the market, further cementing the day's poor reputation. In Asia, it's four which is considered bad luck. The number four in Chinese sounds remarkably similar to the word for death. Naturally, people don't like to associate with anything that sounds like death. China went as far as discontinuing license plates with the number four in them. As American buildings skip 13, some Chinese buildings skip the fourth floor. Fans of the acclaimed Hong Kong police thriller Infernal Affairs (which was given a Hollywood remake as The Departed) may have noticed that the classic elevator scene skips the fourth floor.

現在，北美的很多建築仍然由於這一迷信而有意跳過樓層13，甚至每年恰逢13號星期五的經濟額也比其他時候少8億之多，因爲人們都儘量避免在那一天出去旅遊或舉辦婚禮之類的大型活動。1907年，托馬斯·勞森所著之書《黑色星期五》躋身暢銷書單，書中描述了一個精神失常的股票經紀人企圖使市場股價下滑的故事，這又進一步加重了13的不吉利意味。在亞洲，人們往往認爲數字4不吉利，中文中數字"4"的發音跟"死"的發音相近，所以人們聽到"4"就很自然的聯想到了"死"。在中國，人們的車輛牌照往往沒有4，就像美國建築會跳過樓層13一樣，中國有些大樓也會跳過樓層4。一些鍾愛香港警匪片的粉絲們也許留意過，在電影《無間道》（曾於2006年被好萊塢翻拍爲《無間道行者》）經典的電梯一幕中，電梯上沒有4層的按鈕。

ts Numbers

7.運動場上的數字

Look around any sporting event and you'll see thousands of fans wearing their favorite players' jersey. These days, the most popular players are practically synonymous with their number. The origin of numbered jerseys couldn't be any simpler. In soccer, or football to most of the world, shirt numbers were introduced to match up with your position on the field. Goalies wore 1, and at the other end of the field the field strikers wore 9 and 10. The first substitute wore 12, and the next wore 14—naturally, few players wanted to wear unlucky 13. These days, numbers mostly no longer correspond to position, but some elements of the system remain, like the term "false nine " for a striker who tends to drop deep into midfield instead of staying forward like a traditional 9.

環顧各大運動賽場，會發現無數的粉絲穿着代表他們最喜歡的運動員的運動服。現在，運動員似乎跟他們場上所穿衣服的號碼融爲了一體。運動員穿帶有數字的運動衫，原因很簡單。比如說大多國家的足球或橄欖球項目，球衣號碼就代表着球員在場上的位置。守門員穿1號，前鋒穿9號和10號，第一替補穿12號，第二替補穿14號——沒人願意穿不吉利的13號。現在，數字大多與位置無關，不過有些數字的位置信息還是保留了下來，比如說"僞9號"，指的是一個經常回撤到中場拿球的中鋒，而不是傳統的只在禁區線附近活動的正統9號。

In baseball, the first team to wear numbers was the minor league team in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1907. Nine years later, the Cleveland Indians of the majors wore numbers for the first time (it only lasted a few weeks, but they brought them back later). As with soccer, baseball's numbers coincided with positions—in this case in the usual batting order. So Babe Ruth's famous 3 wasn't his personal choice, it was because he batted third in the lineup. The Philadelphia Athletics were the last team to fully embrace numbers—they wouldn't wear them for home games until 1937 .

在棒球運動中，賓夕法尼亞州雷丁的一支棒球小聯盟於1907年首次身着帶號碼的球衣進行比賽。9年後，美國職棒大聯盟球隊克里夫蘭印地安人隊首次身着號碼球衣。跟足球一樣，棒球服的數字也跟位置對應，不過棒球服的數字排序簡單，是根據打擊順序排列的。所以，巴比·魯斯身着三號球服並不是出自個人意願，而是由他在場上的位置決定的。費城的棒球運動員是最後一批完全接納數字球衣的隊伍，直到1937年，他們才願意穿上帶號碼的球衣進行主場比賽。

6.205 Communists

6.205名共產黨員

In one of the most infamous speeches in American political history, Senator Joseph McCarthy made a shocking allegation—there were communists working in the US government! The speech was headline-grabbing then, and it might be even more notorious now. McCarthy would eventually flame out after accusing the US Army of harboring communists and becoming the butt of ridicule for his over-the-top antics, which famously climaxed with him being chided, "Have you no sense of decency?"

美國參議員約瑟夫·麥卡錫曾大肆宣稱美國政府有共產黨員滲透，這一演講也成爲美國政壇史上一次臭名昭著的演講。該演講的主題在當時奪人眼球，在當下更是聲明狼藉。麥卡錫譴責美國軍隊包庇共產黨員，這種滑稽透頂的言論讓他變成了人們的笑柄，大家斥責他："你難道都沒有一點良知嗎"，麥卡錫這才消停了。

But his 1950 speech caused a sensation. The speech was given in the rather incongruous setting of the Women's Republican Club of Wheeling, West Virginia. There's some debate over how many communists McCarthy claimed were in the government, since he later announced that there were 57 card-carrying communists in the State Department, but most agree that the original number he gave was 205. So where did the flamboyant McCarthy pull that 205 number out of? Believe it or not the number did have some basis in reality. In 1946, the State Department's screening committee identified 284 potential security risks—people with far left ties. Later in the year, 79 of them were let go, leaving 205. Congress had been informed of these findings in 1946, but it didn't raise much of a stir. In 1950, immediately after the Alger Hiss trial, the first Soviet atomic bomb test, and the fall of China to communism, the mood was very different. So despite McCarthy's questionable motives, he did have reason to believe that around 205 State Department employees could potentially be security risks. Naturally, McCarthy wildly exaggerated (he was so adamant that he had discovered 205 communists that it took the State Department weeks to realize he was alluding to their own investigation) but he didn't just make the number up out of thin air either.

1950年，在對西弗吉尼亞共和黨婦女俱樂部的演講中，麥卡錫聲稱自己有一張紙，上面記錄着爲國務院工作的57名共產黨人名單，這一舉動引起輿論譁然。不過大家都認爲最初的人數有205個。那麼，狂傲的麥卡錫是從哪裏挑出的205人呢？不管你信不信，這個數字還真有現實依據。1946年，國務院審查委員會指控了284名潛在危險人物，唯一的證據就是對公務員進行"忠誠調查"後的甄別材料。其後一年，284人中有79人被解僱，剩下205人。國會早在1946年就公佈過這些材料，但當時並未引起注目。而到了1950年，阿爾傑·希斯審判案後不久，蘇聯發起第一次原子彈實驗，中國也成爲共產主義共和國，於是使得美國的氣氛也變得不同。所以，儘管麥卡錫動機可疑，但他確實有理由質疑國務院存在205名左右的危險分子。很明顯，麥卡錫誇大了事實（他堅持說有205名共產黨員，國務院花了數週才意識到麥卡錫是拐彎抹角的指明他引用了他們之前調查的數據），但這個數字也不是憑空捏造的。

翻譯：毛志遙 來源：前十網