黑貓為什么會(huì)跟厄運(yùn)聯(lián)系在一起

It is bad luck for a black cat to cross your path

黑貓?jiān)诿媲按┻^(guò)是不吉利的

Never turn your back on a black cat or you will be cursed

永遠(yuǎn)不要背對(duì)黑貓，否則會(huì)被詛咒

A black cat on the bed of an ill person will bring death

黑貓出現(xiàn)在病人床前意味著死亡

It comes down to the historical superstitions of Puritan Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. This particular group of people lived by a strict Protestant lifestyle, shunning anything that went against their religious beliefs. Since witchcraft was viewed as a practice that worshiped the devil, the Puritans became extremely wary of everything that could possibly be linked to a witch.

這可以歸咎于普利茅斯殖民地清教徒的古老迷信。這一群人嚴(yán)格遵守新教生活方式，避諱任何違背他們宗教信仰的事情。由于巫術(shù)被視為一種崇拜魔鬼的習(xí)俗，清教徒對(duì)任何可能與女巫有關(guān)的事情都變得極其謹(jǐn)慎。

Black cats were high up on that list. Legend had it that witches could transform into a black cat and back, emphasizing superstitions of these furry creatures. Some people even believed that witches could re-incarnate into black cats after death. Additionally, there was the Middle Age legend that the devil often gifted black cats to witches to act as their servants.

而黑貓就是他們的頭號(hào)禁忌。傳說(shuō)，女巫可以變成黑貓，這加深了人們對(duì)黑貓的迷信。有些人甚至相信女巫死后會(huì)化身為黑貓。此外，中世紀(jì)時(shí)期的傳說(shuō)認(rèn)為，魔鬼通常會(huì)把黑貓送給女巫充當(dāng)其仆人。

The naturally standoffish, stealthy attitude of cats probably didn’t help these felines, either. Paired with their dark fur coats and glowing eyes, black cats were feared as much as the human witches themselves. And as literature about witchcraft became more widespread, a period of “witchcraft hysteria” reigned between 1560 and 1660 in Europe and the New England colonies.

黑貓冷漠、神秘的天性可能也不利于它們的形象。黑貓有著黑色的毛皮和發(fā)光的眼睛，這讓它們和女巫一樣令人恐懼。隨著關(guān)于巫術(shù)的文學(xué)作品傳播越來(lái)越廣泛，1560年至1660年間，歐洲和新英格蘭殖民地出現(xiàn)了一段“巫術(shù)恐慌”時(shí)期。

These days, many black cat superstitions still exist. They are often linked to bad luck and are feared by some. Just take a look at television shows, movies, and books; it's not uncommon to see a black cat portrayed in a spooky and tense environment.

如今，許多關(guān)于黑貓的迷信仍然存在。它們經(jīng)常與厄運(yùn)聯(lián)系在一起，讓很多人感到恐懼。 在電視節(jié)目、電影和書(shū)籍中，黑貓經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)在恐怖和緊張的環(huán)境里。

So how does this all relate to Halloween? The basis of this modern holiday revolves around all things dark and spiritual. Many of the celebrations that take place during this time of the year focus on honoring the dead. Ancient traditions usually have some kind of link to either the practice of witchcraft or the opposing beliefs against them.

那么這一切與萬(wàn)圣節(jié)有什么關(guān)系呢？這個(gè)現(xiàn)代節(jié)日的起源與一切邪惡靈異的事物有關(guān)。每年萬(wàn)圣節(jié)舉行的眾多慶?；顒?dòng)都是為了紀(jì)念逝者。古代的節(jié)日傳統(tǒng)通常與施展巫術(shù)或反對(duì)巫術(shù)的信仰有關(guān)。

As a result, witches – and their black cats – have become a commercialized symbol of Halloween.

因此，女巫以及她們的黑貓，已經(jīng)成為萬(wàn)圣節(jié)的商業(yè)化象征。