11月1日是西方的傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日萬圣節(jié)，在這一天總少不了南瓜、幽靈、女巫和黑貓這些元素。在西方文化中，黑貓通常與厄運、邪惡聯(lián)系在一起，關(guān)于黑貓的迷信說法有許多，比如：

It is bad luck for a black cat to cross your path
黑貓在面前穿過是不吉利的

Never turn your back on a black cat or you will be cursed
永遠(yuǎn)不要背對黑貓，否則會被詛咒

A black cat on the bed of an ill person will bring death
黑貓出現(xiàn)在病人床前意味著死亡

諸如此類的迷信廣為流傳，讓許多人對黑貓唯恐避之不及。為什么黑貓就成了厄運和災(zāi)禍的象征呢？

It comes down to the historical superstitions of Puritan Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. This particular group of people lived by a strict Protestant lifestyle, shunning anything that went against their religious beliefs. Since witchcraft was viewed as a practice that worshiped the devil, the Puritans became extremely wary of everything that could possibly be linked to a witch.
這可以歸咎于普利茅斯殖民地清教徒的古老迷信。這一群人嚴(yán)格遵守新教生活方式，避諱任何違背他們宗教信仰的事情。由于巫術(shù)被視為一種崇拜魔鬼的習(xí)俗，清教徒對任何可能與女巫有關(guān)的事情都變得極其謹(jǐn)慎。

Note:
Shun 避開；回避；避免

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 furry 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. 
而黑貓就是他們的頭號禁忌。傳說，女巫可以變成黑貓，這加深了人們對黑貓的迷信。有些人甚至相信女巫死后會化身為黑貓。此外，中世紀(jì)時期的傳說認(rèn)為，魔鬼通常會把黑貓送給女巫充當(dāng)其仆人。

The naturally standoffish, stealthy attitude of cats probably didn’t help these felines, 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” reigned between 1560 and 1660 in Europe and the New England colonies.
黑貓冷漠、神秘的天性可能也不利于它們的形象。黑貓有著黑色的毛皮和發(fā)光的眼睛，這讓它們和女巫一樣令人恐懼。隨著關(guān)于巫術(shù)的文學(xué)作品傳播越來越廣泛，1560年至1660年間，歐洲和新英格蘭殖民地出現(xiàn)了一段“巫術(shù)恐慌”時期。

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 uncommon to see a black cat portrayed in a spooky and tense environment.
如今，許多關(guān)于黑貓的迷信仍然存在。它們經(jīng)常與厄運聯(lián)系在一起，讓很多人感到恐懼。
在電視節(jié)目、電影和書籍中，黑貓經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)在恐怖和緊張的環(huán)境里。

So how does this all relate to Halloween? The basis of this modern holiday revolves 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.
那么這一切與萬圣節(jié)有什么關(guān)系呢？這個現(xiàn)代節(jié)日的起源與一切邪惡靈異的事物有關(guān)。每年萬圣節(jié)舉行的眾多慶祝活動都是為了紀(jì)念逝者。古代的節(jié)日傳統(tǒng)通常與施展巫術(shù)或反對巫術(shù)的信仰有關(guān)。

As a result, witches – and their black cats – have become a commercialized symbol of Halloween.
因此，女巫以及她們的黑貓，已經(jīng)成為萬圣節(jié)的商業(yè)化象征。

來源：Bustle
編輯：董靜