異國風情 4 分鐘閱讀
Karen, Wesley
It’s likely that you’ve seen the Maneki-neko, the beckoning cat figurines. Though they are everywhere in places like Japan and Taiwan, they are also found in countries around the world at Japanese restaurants. So, you’ve seen them, but do you know where and when they originated and exactly what that raised paw means?
你很可能曾看過招財貓 ── 招手的貓咪公仔。雖然在日本和臺灣四處都見得到招財貓,在全球各國的日式餐廳同樣也能見到招財貓的身影。所以你看過招財貓,但你知道它們起源於何地及何時、還有舉起來的手掌究竟意味什麼嗎?
There is a slight dispute about the origin of the Maneki-neko, with some saying it originated in Tokyo and others claiming Kyoto. Either way, the cat statue♦ first appeared during the Edo period, and the first written record of the figurine is found in an 1852 chronology of the period.
關於招財貓的起源,有一點小爭議,有些人說是起源於東京,有些人則聲稱是京都。不管是起源於哪一個地方,這種貓塑像最先是於江戶時代出現,而此塑像的第一次書面記載則見於一本 1852 年江戶時代的年表。
There also exist various origin stories of the cat statue, ranging from tales of a lonely old woman to a struggling shop owner to a cat-protected geisha. Yet, one of the most common is about a poor monk and a cat that lived in a Tokyo monastery.
這種貓塑像的起源故事也有很多個,這些故事從一名孤單的老婦人、到一名苦撐的商店老闆,再到一名受到貓咪保護的藝妓都有。然而,最常見的故事之一是關於住在一座東京寺廟裡的一名窮和尚和一隻貓。
As legend has it, the monk wished that the cat would bring prosperity to the temple. One day, a wealthy lord was sheltering under a tree during a storm when he saw the cat beckoning to him.
傳說中,這名和尚祈望這隻貓咪能為這座寺廟帶來興旺。有一天,一名富有的藩主在暴風雨中躲在一棵樹下,這時他看見那隻貓向他招手。
As he moved towards the monastery, the tree was struck by lightning. The grateful man then became the monastery’s patron, and when the cat died, a statue was made to honor it.
當他走向那座寺廟時,那棵樹被閃電擊中了。這名心懷感激的男子後來成了該座寺廟的贊助者,且當那隻貓咪過世時,還打造了一座雕像以紀念牠。
(看了好想去日本啊~~~)
There are some things we do know for sure about the Maneki-neko. A raised left paw is meant to attract customers, while a beckoning right paw brings good fortune. Traditionally, the former would be placed in businesses, and the latter would be for homes.
關於招財貓,我們還有一些確知的事情。舉起的左手意味著要招攬客人,而右手招手則會招來好運。傳統上,前者會放在營業場所,而後者則會放在家裡。
A Maneki-neko may also have an object in its paw, such as a coin, a mallet, or a gem. All symbolize good things, including fortune, wealth, and wisdom. Sounds like a good charm to have around.
招財貓的手裡也可能會拿著東西,像是硬幣、木槌或是寶石。全部都象徵著好事,包括幸運、財富和智慧。聽起來招財貓是個放在身邊還不錯的幸運物。
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