Unlucky for Some(a) | 当数字 13 碰上星期五(a)

Unlucky for Some

当数字 13 碰上星期五

by Jeremy Beacock

For some, Friday the 13th is a combination of the worst number on the worst day of the week.

对有些人而言，13 号星期五是最不吉利的数字遇上最不吉利的一天。

讲解曲目 11 |朗读曲目 36 |

Most cultures have some superstitions about numbers or dates. In the West, there is one combination that is feared above all others—Friday the thirteenth. It appears in novels and has even given its name to an entire series of successful horror movies. The day even affects the economy since as many as 20 million Americans change their habits on this unluckiest of days.

Both the number 13 and Friday have long been seen as unlucky. Including Judas the traitor, 13 is the same number as Jesus and his disciples. It has a similar association in Norse myths, where the trickster god Loki is usually given the number 13. Friday is also associated with bad luck because Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and many Christians believe it to be a bad omen to start journeys or new projects on Fridays.

Even so, the belief that the thirteenth day of any month is especially unlucky if it falls on a Friday is far more recent than you think. The idea only became widespread in the early part of the 20th century. Some people attribute the start to a novel called Friday, the Thirteenth, which is about a banker who tricks people into believing something bad will happen on that date. Nevertheless, no one is exactly sure of its true origin.

However it came about, the superstition has taken hold across the West. Ironically, accident figures from some countries suggest that Friday the thirteenth is safer than many other days, perhaps because fewer people are out and those that are try to be more careful.

   大多数文化对数字或日期都有一些迷信。在西方，有一种组合比起其他组合都要来的令人害怕――13号星期五。这个日子出现在小说中，甚至有一系列卖座的恐怖电影以它为名。这一天甚至能影响经济，因为有多达两千万美国人在这最不吉利的一天改变他们的习惯！

　　一直以来，数字 13 和星期五都被视为不吉利。包含叛徒犹大在内，耶稣和他门徒的总数是 13。在北欧神话中，这个数字有着类似的关联，因为奸诈之神洛基通常会和数字 13 扯上关系。星期五也和厄运有所关联，因为耶稣被钉上十字架那天是星期五，因而许多基督徒认为在星期五踏上旅途或开始新计划是不好的兆头。

　　即使如此，任何月份的第 13 日落在星期五这天特别不吉利的这个看法，其实是最近才发生的事。这个观念在 20 世纪初才开始流行。有些人认为这是始于一本名为《13 号星期五》的小说，里面谈的是一个专门骗人说这天会有坏事发生的银行家。话虽如此，还是没有人能完全确定这个观念的起源为何。

　　不论这个想法是怎么来的，这个迷信在西方广为流行。而讽刺的是，一些国家的意外事故数字显示，13号星期五这天比起其他许多日子都来得安全，或许是因为这天比较少人外出，而在这天外出的人也都更小心谨慎吧。