11月1日是西方的传统节日万圣节，在这一天总少不了南瓜、幽灵、女巫和黑猫这些元素。在西方文化中，黑猫通常与厄运、邪恶联系在一起，关于黑猫的迷信说法有许多，比如：

 

It is bad luck for a black cat to cross your path

黑猫在面前穿过是不吉利的

 

Never turn your back on a black cat or you will be cursed

永远不要背对黑猫，否则会被诅咒

 

A black cat on the bed of an ill person will bring death

黑猫出现在病人床前意味着死亡

 

诸如此类的迷信广为流传，让许多人对黑猫唯恐避之不及。为什么黑猫就成了厄运和灾祸的象征呢？

 

It comes down to the historical superstitions¹ of Puritan Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. This particular group of people lived by a strict Protestant lifestyle, shunning² anything that went against their religious beliefs. Since witchcraft³ was viewed as a practice that worshiped the devil, the Puritans became extremely wary⁴ of everything that could possibly be linked to a witch.

这可以归咎于普利茅斯殖民地清教徒的古老迷信。这一群人严格遵守新教生活方式，避讳任何违背他们宗教信仰的事情。由于巫术被视为一种崇拜魔鬼的习俗，清教徒对任何可能与女巫有关的事情都变得极其谨慎。

 

Black cats were high up on that list. Legend had it that witches could transform into a black cat and back, emphasizing superstitions of these furry⁵ creatures. Some people even believed that witches could re-incarnate into black cats after death. Additionally, there was the Middle Age legend that the devil often gifted black cats to witches to act as their servants. 

而黑猫就是他们的头号禁忌。传说，女巫可以变成黑猫，这加深了人们对黑猫的迷信。有些人甚至相信女巫死后会化身为黑猫。此外，中世纪时期的传说认为，魔鬼通常会把黑猫送给女巫充当其仆人。

 

The naturally standoffish, stealthy attitude of cats probably didn’t help these felines⁶, either. Paired with their dark fur coats and glowing eyes, black cats were feared as much as the human witches themselves. And as literature about witchcraft became more widespread, a period of “witchcraft hysteria” reigned⁷ between 1560 and 1660 in Europe and the New England colonies.

黑猫冷漠、神秘的天性可能也不利于它们的形象。黑猫有着黑色的毛皮和发光的眼睛，这让它们和女巫一样令人恐惧。随着关于巫术的文学作品传播越来越广泛，1560年至1660年间，欧洲和新英格兰殖民地出现了一段“巫术恐慌”时期。

 

These days, many black cat superstitions still exist. They are often linked to bad luck and are feared by some. Just take a look at television shows, movies, and books; it's not uncommon⁸ to see a black cat portrayed⁹ in a spooky and tense environment.

如今，许多关于黑猫的迷信仍然存在。它们经常与厄运联系在一起，让很多人感到恐惧。

在电视节目、电影和书籍中，黑猫经常出现在恐怖和紧张的环境里。

 

So how does this all relate to Halloween? The basis of this modern holiday revolves¹⁰ around all things dark and spiritual. Many of the celebrations that take place during this time of the year focus on honoring the dead. Ancient traditions usually have some kind of link to either the practice of witchcraft or the opposing beliefs against them.

那么这一切与万圣节有什么关系呢？这个现代节日的起源与一切邪恶灵异的事物有关。每年万圣节举行的众多庆祝活动都是为了纪念逝者。古代的节日传统通常与施展巫术或反对巫术的信仰有关。

 

As a result, witches – and their black cats – have become a commercialized symbol of Halloween.

因此，女巫以及她们的黑猫，已经成为万圣节的商业化象征。

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