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日食面面观

印度占星家预测本周的日全食将会带来地球的冲突和紊乱，这是一种迷信和宗教观点。科学家认为这只是一种很正常的自然现象，月亮运行到地球和太阳中间，并在一条线上，同时，科学家完全置否这种灾难说。

Solar eclipse pits superstition（迷信） against science

MUMBAI (AFP) – Indian astrologers（占星家） are predicting violence and turmoil （混乱）across the world as a result of this week's total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom（劫数）.

But astronomers, scientists and secularists are trying to play down claims of evil portent（预兆） in connection with Wednesday's natural spectacle, when the moon will come between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring（使模糊） the sun.

In Hindu mythology（印度神学）, the two demons（恶人） Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.

Pregnant women are advised to stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects, while prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, particularly in holy rivers, are encouraged.

Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynaecologist（妇科学家） at the Fortis Hospital in New Delhi, said a number of expectant mothers scheduled for caesarian deliveries on July 22 had asked to change the date.

"This is a belief deeply rooted in Indian society. Couples are willing to do anything to ensure that the baby is not born on that day," Gour said.

Astrologers have predicted a rise in communal and regional violence in the days following the eclipse, particularly in India, China and other Southeast Asian nations where it can be seen on Wednesday morning.

Mumbai astrologer Raj Kumar Sharma predicted "some sort of attack by (Kashmiri separatists) Jaish-e-Mohammad or Al-Qaeda on Indian soil" and a devastating natural disaster in Southeast Asia.

An Indian political leader could be killed, he said, and tension between the West and Iran is likely to increase, escalating（使逐步升高） into possible US military action after September 9, when fiery Saturn moves from Leo into Virgo.

"The last 200 years, whenever Saturn has gone into Virgo there has been either a world war or a mini world war," he told AFP.

It is not just in India that some are uneasy about what will transpire because of the eclipse.

In ancient China they were often associated with disasters, the death of an emperor or other dark events, and similar superstitions persist.

"The probability for unrest or war to take place in years when a solar eclipse happens is 95 percent," announced an article that attracted a lot of hits on the popular Chinese web portal Baidu.com.

Sanal Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, dismissed such doomsday predictions.

"Primarily, what we see with all these soothsayers and astrologers is that they're looking for opportunities to enhance their business with predictions of danger and calamity," he told AFP.

"They have been very powerful in India but over the last decade they have been in systematic decline."

Astronomers and scientists are also working to educate the public about the eclipse.

Travel firm Cox and Kings has chartered a Boeing 737-700 aircraft to give people the chance to see the eclipse from 41,000 feet (12,500 metres).

Experts will be on board to explain it to passengers, some of whom have paid 79,000 rupees (1,600 dollars) for a "sun-side" seat on the three-hour flight from New Delhi.

The eclipse's shadow is expected to pass over the aircraft at 15 times the speed of sound (Mach 15), said Ajay Talwar, president of the SPACE Group of companies that promotes science and astronomy.

"It's coming in the middle of the monsoon season. On the ground, there's a 40 percent chance of seeing it in India. On the aircraft you have almost a 90 percent chance of seeing the eclipse," he added.

Siva Prasad Tata, who runs the Astro Jyoti website, straddles（横跨） the two worlds.

"There's no need to get too alarmed about the eclipse, they are a natural phenomenon," the astrologer told AFP.

But he added: "During the period of the eclipse, the opposite attracting forces are very, very powerful. From a spiritual point of view, this is a wonderful time to do any type of worship.

"It will bring about good results, much more than on an ordinary day."

Keke View

Mysterious Astrology （神奇的占星术）

就在我们迎接人类首次登月成功40周年的时候，大自然给了我们另外一个surprise——日食(solar eclipse)。媒体纷纷报道，此次日食400年一次，下一次得300年后，这样一算就是700年啊，不能不说是个自然界的luxurious gift。

天文学家告诉我们，in the 500 year before now，no one has ever seen such a long solar eclipse as 6 minutes；在我们之后，要在中国境内看到这样时长的日全食，那得到2309年，as for the whole world，那也得精确到2132年6月13日之后。How can a person wait 500 years？而且，由于存在潮汐摩擦力的作用，moon orbit慢慢变大，10亿年以后，full solar eclipse will disappear。

Just at this moment, 印度占星学家们宣称，日食阴影扫过之处，是此次日食到下次日食期间，最易发生问题的地方，the problems will include war, diseases, political change and others。 It is said that the route of the World War II就是沿著二战前最后一次日食所扫过的地方逐步进行。从德国意大利那边开始，最后结束於日本。

根据传统占星的理论来说，it is said that the effects of the full solar eclipse will come 6 months later。

So what is astrology？（什么是占星术？）

事实上， 占星学是用天体的相对locations和相对movements（尤其是太阳系内的行星的位置）来explain或predict人的fate和行为的系统。从科学的角度出发占星学是一种伪科学(pseudoscience)。它试图利用人的birth place、birth time和天体的位置来解释人的性格和命运。There a lot of astrological systems and theories in the world。占星术士之间对占星学的使用范围的意见也不一致，有些占星术士认为占星学可以客观地预言将来可以被验证的事件，也有的占星术士认为占星学的解释只是趋向性的，它并不能做预言。

　　A lot of people once believed it and some are still believing in astrology.

　　在占星学中，天文现象的任何特定影响只局限于地球上的一个特定的地点和时间，在其它地点和时间的影响是不同的。因为地球上所有的人看到的天文现象基本上大致相同，因此占星学的客观性只是表面的。这也是自然科学对占星学最主要的批评。今天的占星学的预言一般都是象征性的，它们大都是无法用物理科学来验证的，因此今天的占星术士认为他们的学问是与物理自然科学无关的。

在印度传说中，罗日侯和计都是两大恶魔。传言他们会在日全食期间“吞吃”太阳，吸走让万物生长的太阳光，使得食物不能够食用、水源也不能饮用。

孕妇们通常要呆在屋子里，以防日食让她们的孩子不能健康成长。此时，祈祷、节食和沐浴，特别是圣河里的沐浴是被鼓励的。

Though the terrifying astrology leaves us aome scare, it still adds a thread of mysterious color to the solar eclipse. 我们不能说占星学家们的语言荒谬无稽，但我们可以确定神秘的占星术如大自然的奇迹一般耀眼。