记者 吴倩雯

4月10日晚上6点🏋️‍♂️，英语角活动在图书馆一楼如期举行。到场的外教老师分别是⚾️🙎🏼：Ms. Sarah Tillman、Mr. Sean McHugh⏫、Mr. Chris Dockstader、Mr. Charles Brian Harrison和Ms. Linda Jean Visner。恰逢清明假期归来，大家交谈的话题不知不觉便走向了“迷信”。

民间信仰与民间崇拜🫅🏽，都是各国传统文化的重要组成部分👳🏽‍♂️🏤。而迷信历经千百年的沉淀，更能显现出文化的力量🧜🏻。在本期英语角中，外籍老师向同学们介绍了一些西方的迷信思想及其起源。Mr. Sean McHugh告诉同学们，很多迷信的思想都和宗教信仰有关。比如说，数字13 是不吉利的，许多饭店不设13号房间，有人不愿意在13号出发旅行，特别赶上当天是星期五时。他补充说，星期五多年来一直被认为是不吉利的日子，这一迷信可能起源于耶稣基督的受难日。Ms. Sarah Tillman在谈到西方迷信中的一些不祥之举时提到，最普遍的一种迷信说法便是打破镜子的人会死去，或至少倒霉7年👨🏻‍✈️。室内撑伞，从梯子下面走过，不慎撒盐等也是以往西方人忌讳的行为。但是，她强调说，随着社会的发展，现代的西方人已经不怎么在意这些迷信的说法了🫲🏽。当外教们说起这些迷信的时候🧞‍♂️🌝，同学们也提起了中国的一些迷信📓，比如在中国，乌鸦是不吉祥的鸟；而在西方🔘，喜鹊则获有这一“头衔”。

有位打算去美国新爱尔兰旅游的同学，趁此次机会向外教老师了解了当地的文化特色，风情民俗😹，语言习惯等知识𓀜。她笑着对老师说道：“Thanks for your helpful advices!”

English Corner - Superstitions

By WU Qianwen

The English Corner was held in the library on April 10th, and tonight’s topic was Superstition. Ms. Sarah Tillman, Mr. Sean McHugh, Mr. Chris Dockstader, Mr. Charles Brian Harrison and Ms. Linda Jean Visner attended this activity.

Folk belief is a vital part of traditional culture in a country. Superstition becomes a kind of cultural power, which has existed for hundreds of years. In the English Corner, the foreign teachers introduced some concepts of superstition and their origins in the west. Mr. Sean McHugh told the students that most superstitions were related to religions. One of the most widespread superstitions was that thirteen is regarded as an unlucky number. Therefore, generally many hotels do not have a room of number thirteen. Some people will not start a trip on the 13th day of a month, especially when it is also a Friday. “Friday has long been regarded as an unlucky day, because they believe that Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross on Friday”, Mr. Sean McHugh continued. When it came to the behaviors supposed to be unlucky, Ms. Sarah Tillman said that breaking a mirror was one of the most common superstitions, for it meant bringing death or seven years of bad luck. And other common superstitions include opening an umbrella indoors, walking under a ladder, and piling salt and so on. Students also mentioned some superstitions in China. For example, the magpie has generally been considered as a bird that brings ill luck in the west, while the black crow is the one in China.

A student, who planned to visit the New Orleans, got some helpful information like local culture, customs, and language use from the foreign teachers.

The discussion of superstitions could promote the cultural exchanges and raise the interest of teachers and students in study.