海外文化:英美民俗 神奇的數字:13

【英文原文】

摘要：數字13 一個廣爲流傳的迷信是13不吉利。許多飯店就不設13房間。有人不願意在13號出發旅行，特別趕上當天是星期五。

One of the most widespread superstitions is that thirteen is unlucky, and so general is this idea that many hotels do not have a room number thirteen. Some people will not start a trip on the 13th day of the month, especially if it happens to be a Friday. Various explanations have been given as to the origin of this superstition. The most popular explanation is that there were thirteen persons at the Last Supper, Judas being frequently represented as the thirteen. The superstition about the number thirteen is universal. We can find it in France, England, throughout almost the whole of Europe, and in America. It has long been a matter of etiquette in France to avoid having exactly thirteen guests at a dinner or party, and the person who is invited to fill the fourteenth seat at the table is usually known as quatorizième.

The English writer Joseph Addison, who wrote early in the 18th century, tells us a story about the superstition in his time:

“I remember I was once in a mixed assembly that was full of noise and mirth, when on a sudden an old woman unluckily observed there were thirteen of us in company. This remark struck a panic terror into several who were present, insomuch that one or two of the ladies were going to leave the room; but a friend of mine, taking notice that one of our female companions was big with child, affirmed there were fourteen in the room, and that, instead of portending one of the company should die, it plainly forebode one of them should be born. Had not my friend found this expedient to break the omen, I question not but half of the women in the company would have fallen sick that night.”

Nowadays few people take the number so seriously as people in Addison’s time.

【中文譯文】

數字13 一個廣爲流傳的迷信是13不吉利。許多飯店就不設13房間。有人不願意在13號出發旅行，特別趕上當天是星期五。對這一迷信的起源衆說紛紜。最普遍的說法是最後的晚餐上共有13人，出賣耶穌的猶大算是第13個。歐美各國都有這一迷信。法國的社交禮儀要求避免13人同席，遇此情況，人們就隨便拉來一個食客湊數，稱之爲“第14個”。

英國18世紀作家艾迪生談到過親身經歷過的一件趣事，可見當時這個迷信相當流行。一次，他與一羣男女賓客同席進餐，正當大家興高采烈、笑語喧譁時，一個老太太開口說，在座的共有13人。席上的幾個人頓時大驚失色，有一兩位女士竟欲起身離席而去。此時艾迪生的一位朋友注意到席上有一位身懷六甲的女客，便說同席的不是13人，而是14人；這不是一位客人要死的凶兆，而是一位客人要出生的吉兆。艾迪生說，多虧了他的朋友情急生智，不然當天晚上女客們都會病倒的。