文化之窗
The story of the lucky cat.
If you have ever been to Asia—particularly Taiwan or Japan—then chances are that you’ve come across at least one adorable little cat statue waving at you with one paw raised. This statue is known as a maneki-neko, which is Japanese for “beckoning cat.” In Japan, the way to gesture for someone to come over to you is by holding your palm forward and keeping your fingers pointing down. But the maneki-neko isn’t trying to beckon people—it’s trying to invite good luck.
So, how did this lucky cat manage to win the title of fortune bringer? Well, as one legend goes, a regional ruler was saved by a cat named Tama that lived at the Gōtoku-ji Temple in Tokyo. The cat beckoned the ruler into the temple, which saved the man from being struck by a lightning bolt. The ruler donated a large sum of money to the temple afterwards. The cat was then given its own shrine, and people made statues of it. They hoped that the cat would be as lucky for them as it had been for the ruler.
想看更多這類型文章嗎?現在就入會,每週一將收到免費的電子報喔!
入會及綁定LINE再享100元折價券 →
Monica came across a pretty dress while she was shopping.
莫妮卡逛街時偶然發現一件漂亮的洋裝。
The girl waved at her parents when she saw them.
這女孩看到父母時,向他們揮手。
Jamie managed to contact the busy manager in that company.
傑米成功聯絡到了那家公司業務很繁忙的經理了。
Mr. and Mrs. Smith donated one million dollars to a local charity.
史密斯夫婦捐了 100 萬美元給當地的慈善機構。
♦ Chances are (that) + S + V
1. chance 原本表「機會」,在此表「可能性」,故本 句型意為「很有可能⋯⋯」。要注意的是,chances 恆用複數。
例:If you are looking for Luke, chances are he is exercising in the gym.
如果你在找路克,他很有可能在健身房運動。
2. 以下介紹其他表「很有可能⋯⋯」的句型:
a. There is a good chance (that) + S + V
Judging by the dark clouds, there is a good chance that it is going to rain soon.
從那些烏雲看來,等會兒下雨的機會很大。
b. It is likely (that) + S + V
例:It is likely that the event will be canceled due to the typhoon.
這場活動很有可能會因颱風而取消。
請依句意在空格內填入適當的字詞
1. 你捐錢給需要幫助的人,真是慷慨。
It’s generous of you to ________ money to people in need.
2. 凱文在購物中心時偶然發現一名走丟的孩童。
Kevin ____________ a lost child while he was at the mall.
3. 儘管生病,我仍硬撐著從床上爬了起來。
Despite my illness, I still ____________ drag myself out of bed.
答案:1. donate 2. came across 3. managed to
開運貓的故事
如果你曾去過亞洲 ── 特別是臺灣或日本 ── 那你可能會偶遇至少一個可愛的小貓雕像,舉起一隻手向你招手。這個雕像被稱為 「招き猫(maneki-neko)」,是日語「招財貓」的意思。在日本,要 示意某人過來的方式是將手掌向前、手指向下。但招財貓不是要試著招呼人們 ── 它是試著招來好運。
所以,這隻開運貓是如何贏得開運物的頭銜呢?嗯,根據一則傳 說,一位地區領主被一隻生活在東京豪德寺、名為 Tama 的貓所救。 那隻貓示意領主進入寺廟,此舉救了該名男子免遭雷擊。這名領主後 來捐贈一大筆錢給豪德寺。Tama 隨後被賦予自己的神龕,人們也製 作牠的雕像。他們希望這隻貓能像之前對那名領主一樣,給他們帶來好運。