(我是先在word上打好再貼上來，應該打錯字的機率會比較小一點了)
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People of all nations have their own superstitious beliefs.
They think some things, words and actions can bring them
good luck, or at least guard them against the influence of
evil spirits. The following article tells us what most
Americans do to keep away bad luck.
Have you ever heard a friend from abroad say "God bless
you" when someone sneezes? And did you know that Americans
cross their fingers when making a wish? These customs are
very common in Western societies and they are good examples
to prove that Chinese people are not the only ones who
believe in superstitions. Sometimes the superstitions tell
us a great deal about a country's cultural beliefs. Most
superstitions have some basis in history or religion, and
it is interesting to see how they began.
Sneezing
In ancient times, men believed that the soul lived in the
head. Every time someone sneezed, he risked blowing the
soul out through the nose into the outside world. So, as
insurance against a lost soul, people would say"God bless
you" as a way of asking God to catch the soul and return it
to its rightful owner.
Spilling Salt
Some people today toss a bit of salt over their left
shoulder if they happen to spill any at the dinner table.
This practice once had a serious purpose. In an earlier
time, men believed that evil spirits always stood on their
left side and good spirits on their right. Since salt was a
good way of protecting their food from going bad, they felt
it could also protect them against evil spirits. So any
time they spilled some salt, they would fling a pinch of it
over their left shoulder to keep away the evil spirits.
Putting your best foot forward
Since the evil spirits stood on the left, and the good
spirits on the right, the right, side was considered the
lucky side of the body. Putting your best foot forward
meant starting out on the lucky side, with your right foot
first. That was a guarantee of good luck for whatever you
were about to do. We still speak of "putting your best foot
forward, " although we don't always start walking with the
right foot. Today, this means appearing at your best.
Bridesmaids and ushers
In Roman times, it was believed that evil spirits were even
present at weddings. So the Romans created a law to protect
the bride and groom from danger. There had to be ten
witnesses at a wedding. The women dressed like the bride
were called bridesmaids. The men dressed like the groom
were called ushers or best men. This would confuse the evil
spirits. Since they could not tell who it was that was
getting married, the spirits could do nothing but leave the
couple alone. The newlyweds were thus insured a good life.
Knocking on wood
At one time, people believed that gods lived in tree
trunks. If you wanted to ask a favor of a god, all you had
to do was go to a tree and knock on the wood before asking
for the favor. Then, if the favor was granted, you returned
to the tree and knocked a second time to thank the god.
Today, people still knock on wood to insure good luck.
Crossing your fingers
In earlier times, men felt that the cross was a lucky sign.
The point where the two lines of a cross met was the
luckiest spot. If you made a wish on it, the wish would be
held between these two lines and not get loose. So people
crossed their fingers when they made a wish. A wish made in
this way would eventually come true.
Each of these little good-luck customs once had a serious purpose.
There was nothing worse than offending a god or an evil spirit,
and although people no longer believe in evil spirits,
they are still knocking on wood or crossing their gingers--
just be sure that good luck comes their way.
--
上邪！我欲與君相知，長命無絕衰。
山無稜，江水為竭，
冬雷震震，夏雨雪，
天地合，乃敢與君絕。
--
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