英文原文

【英文原文】

摘要：试图通过魔法或超自然手段获取未知信息称为占卜。迷信认为，占卜人能够通过占卜得知过去发生事件的真相、异地正在发生的事件以及未来发生的事件。

Divination is the practice of trying to learn about the unknown by magical or supernatural means. A diviner is supposed to have the ability to learn about the past, present, or future. Some diviners believe they can learn the causes of past events. For example, if a person has died mysteriously, the diviner is supposed to be able to tell when, where, and how the person died. Other diviners, called dowsers, claim they can find the location of underground water. Still others believe they can foretell events, such as when a person will die or whom a person will marry.

There are many kinds of divination. Some diviners try to learn about the unknown by communicating with the spirits of the dead. Astrology is an attempt to describe future happenings by studying the positions of the sun, the moon and stars. Some diviners interpret dreams to foretell events. Palmistry claims to know one’s future by examining the lines on the palm of one’s hand. Some fortunetellers are supposed to be able to see, in their crystal balls, pictures of events that happened in the past, are happening at present or are going to happen in the future.

Courts in the West once used divination to determine the guilt or innocence of criminals. Divination in a trial was called an ordeal. For example, in many witch trials of the 17th century in Europe and colonial America, a suspected witch was tied up and thrown into water. If she sank, she was considered innocent. If she floated, she was considered a witch – and was executed.

中文译文

【中文译文】

试图通过魔法或超自然手段获取未知信息称为占卜。迷信认为，占卜人能够通过占卜得知过去发生事件的真相、异地正在发生的事件以及未来发生的事件。例如，如有个人死得很神秘，占卜人就能说出那人死亡的时间、地点和方式。有一类占卜人叫找水人，他们自称能找到地下水的确切位置。还有一类占卜人为人算命，告诉人能活多久或将与何人结婚。

占卜的方式多种多样。有的人通过与亡灵交流占卜。占星术通过观察日月星辰的位置预测未来。有的人靠圆梦占卜。看手相的通过观看手掌的形状和纹路为人卜卦。也有的人算命使用水晶球，声称从水晶球里能看到过去、现在或未来事件的画面。

西方的法庭曾用占卜来确定被告是否有罪。这种裁判法称神裁法。例如，在17世纪的欧洲和北美殖民地，有女巫嫌疑的人往往被捆绑起来，投入水中，如果下沉，就证明清白，如果浮在水面，就被断定为女巫而处以死刑。