你不知道的十大日本"習俗"(上)

Japan is a very beautiful and fascinating country, but it seems a lot of people only know the barest minimum of facts related to this ancient culture. It's time to remedy that, and teach you that …

日本，一個美麗而迷人的國度。不過很多人對日本的傳統文化卻鮮有了解，接下來我們就一起看看日本有哪些任性的風俗...

ng Raw Horse Meat Is Perfectly Normal in Japan

10.生吃馬肉很正常

Many of us would cringe at the thought of eating horse meat, especially if it's raw and cold. But in Japan, raw horse meat, also called basashi, is considered a delicacy and is served in many restaurants. Eating raw horse meat is not a recent fad Popularized by a celebrity or an innovative chef, though — it's been practiced by the Japanese for many decades now.

一聽到吃馬肉，而且還是生冷的馬肉，我想大多人肯定都不由得渾身一機靈。但是對於日本人而言，生馬肉可是人間美味，很多餐廳都有這道菜。生吃馬肉可不是因爲某位名人或某位大廚一時的創新而帶來的最新潮流，它在日本已經有幾十年歷史了。

Before you dismiss the idea of trying basashi, know that it's much healthier than pork and beef, and is less prone to E. coli contamination. It is very high in protein yet low in calories, and is rich in Linoleic Acid. Aside from that, eating horse meat may possibly prolong your life. A demographic statistics published in 2013 showed that the residents of the Nagano prefecture had the highest life expectancy in Japan: 80.88 years for men and 87.18 for women. Their secret: eating horse meat.

先別急着將生馬肉拒之門外，它可比豬肉和牛肉還要健康呢，而且也不易感染大腸桿菌。此外，馬肉富含蛋白質和亞麻油酸，卡路里含量低，而且還有延年益壽之功效。根據2013年公佈的人口統計數據，長野縣的男性平均壽命80.88，女性平均壽命87.18，是日本平均壽命最高的縣。想知道他們長壽的祕訣？吃馬肉！

9.1,500 Earthquakes Hit Japan Every Year

9.平均每年地震1500次

Though Japan is a very beautiful country, it is also quite deadly, not because of its crime rate (it's actually one of the safest countries in the world), but primarily because it's one of the world's most earthquake-prone areas. It experiences 1,500 earthquakes every year. Thankfully, most of these quakes are just tremors. Japan is no stranger to devastating earthquakes. It has experienced several catastrophic quakes in the past that has led to the destruction of billions of dollars worth of properties and the death of thousands of people.

日本雖然美麗讓人神往，但有時卻也致命得讓人望而卻步。這倒並不是說日本犯罪率高（因爲日本算是世界上最安全的國家之一），而是因爲日本是世界上地震最頻發的地區。日本平均每年會發生1500多次地震，不過好在震幅往往都不大，不會造成太大影響。但是，日本過去也曾遭受過幾次大地震，造成數十億的財產損失和數千人喪生。

Japan's geographical location is the primary factor as to why it's prone to earthquakes. It is situated on top of four massive tectonic plates. When these plates move, earthquakes are produced. In 2011, these tectonic plates had a massive movement that resulted into a catastrophic event. Considered as the strongest and biggest earthquake in Japan, the Tohoku Earthquake of 2011 had a magnitude of 9.0. Though it was the strongest and the biggest, the Tohoku Earthquake was not the deadliest in Japan's history. It only killed around 29,000 people. Surprisingly, Japan's deadliest earthquake, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, only had a magnitude of 7.9, and yet it killed 142,800 Japanese residents.

日本頻發地震的主要原因在於其地理位置。日本處於四大地質板塊的交界處，任何一個板塊的移動都會引發地震。2001年，由於地質板塊移動，日本列島東北方向遭受里氏9.0級大地震，是日本有史以來震級最大、最強的一次地震，不過其傷亡人數並不是日本之最，只造成大約29,000人喪生。相較之下，1923年發生的關東大地震，雖然震級只有7.9，卻造成142,800人喪生，是日本歷史上造成死傷人數最多的地震。

n Is Home to the World's Craziest Vending Machines

8.街頭到處都是自助販賣機

The Japanese people love vending machines. In fact, there are around 5.52 million of them scattered throughout the country. Over the years, these machines have greatly evolved from being practically convenient to extremely bizarre. In most countries, vending machines typically sell snacks like chips, gums, candies, sodas, and chocolates. However, the Japanese seemed to have combined the practicality of vending machines with their love for innovation and bizarre everything.

日本人鍾愛自助販賣機。日本全國大概有5, 520,000個自助販賣機，不管在哪裏，都能看到它們的身影。販賣機以前賣的都是爲方便人們生活的一些實用商品，但如今卻在奇異爭怪的路上一去不回頭。大多國家的販賣機一般只出售零食，比如薯片、口香糖、糖果、蘇打飲料和巧克力等。但是在日本，島國人民充分發揮創新精神，販賣機的商品既實用，又讓人有些匪夷所思。

In Japan, it's perfectly normal for vending machines to sell fresh eggs, bags of rice, and even fresh bouquets of flowers. If these aren't enough to amuse you, they also sell toilet paper, condoms, umbrellas, fish baits, and even porn magazines. Crazy, yet oddly convenient.

日本自助販賣機種類繁多，有賣新鮮雞蛋、袋裝大米和鮮花的，還有賣衛生紙、避孕套、雨傘、魚餌的，甚至還有色情小說的自助販賣機。真是隻有想不到，沒有做不到啊，雖然聽着有點奇怪，但確實很便利。

ping When Eating Soups or Noodles Is Perfectly Normal in Japan

7.吃麪喝湯聲響要大

In the Western world, people are expected to eat their food without making any unnecessary noises. Creating sounds like slurping when eating soups or noodles is considered inappropriate and rude. However, in Japanese society, it is the complete opposite. Slurping is perfectly normal and acceptable, even when done in public. In fact, slurping is highly encouraged.

在西方國家，人們都覺得吃東西時不應該發出不必要的聲音，而且吃麪或喝湯時發出聲音很不禮貌。但在日本卻截然相反，日本人覺得吃麪的聲音越大越好，尤其是在公共場合。

So, why do the Japanese make pig-like sounds when eating hot soups and noodles? In Japan, slurping is considered as a sign of appreciation and approval. It means that you find the soup or noodles you're eating so delectable, you want to get it in your mouth as quickly as possible, and by any means necessary. In other words, slurping is a highly accepted way of complimenting the cook for doing a great job.

爲什麼日本人在喝熱湯或吃麪時要發出像豬一樣的聲音呢？日本人覺得吃飯發出聲音是對食物的一種讚美和肯定，聲音大就說明食物好吃，所以想盡可能快的吃乾淨，哪怕是不顧形象、狼吞虎嚥發出聲響。吃東西的時候發出很大聲音其實也是對廚師的一種肯定。

ball Is Very Popular in Japan

6.棒球在日本很火

Sumo might be the national sport of Japan, but baseball is the most loved and most popular. Known as Yakyu in Japanese, baseball was introduced to Japan by an American teacher named Horace Wilson. In 1873, under the supervision of Mr. Wilson, the first baseball game in Japanese history was played at the Tokyo University, back then it was known as Kaisei Gakko. Since then, yakyu has become Japan's most loved team sport.

雖說相撲是日本“國技”，但是棒球纔是最受日本國民歡迎的運動。日語中，棒球發音爲“yakyu”，這項運動是由美籍教師霍雷斯·威爾森首次引入日本的。1873年，在威爾森的監督指導下，日本歷史上第一次棒球比賽在東京大學拉開帷幕。自此之後，棒球便廣泛傳播，成爲日本最受歡迎的一項運動。

Japan has two professional baseball leagues: the Pacific League and the Central League. Aside from these two pro leagues, baseball is also played in various high schools and universities throughout the country. Also, baseball tournaments featuring high school teams are quite famous and highly anticipated for. In fact, their games are even broadcast on national television.

日本有兩個職業棒球聯盟，即太平洋聯盟和中央聯盟。除了這兩個職棒聯盟，日本很多高中和大學也有自己的棒球隊。在高等學校舉行的棒球錦標賽也很有名，甚至會在日本國家電視臺進行現場直播，備受關注。

翻譯:毛志遙 來源:前十網