A 2000 Gallup poll revealed that only 25 percent of Americans considered themselves either very or somewhat superstitious. Despite this relatively low number, many people may find themselves participating in superstitious behaviors — actions that appear to be unconnected to the planned or desired results. Even those who consider themselves to be completely ruled by rationality may be surprised to find out just how many common superstitions they comply with on a regular basis — not because of any magical thinking, but simply because these actions or traditions make sense.
2000年的一份盖洛普民意调查发现，只有25%的美国人认为自己非常或者有一点迷信。尽管这个比例相当小，但还 是有很多人发现他们或多或少有一些迷信的举动，这些举动似乎都与自己的计划或者意愿无关。就算是那些自认为完全理性的人也会惊讶地发现，许多常见的迷信说 法其实是有理可循的——这个结论不是任何奇幻思维的产物，而是因为这些看似迷信的行为或者传统都合乎情理。
Think you can avoid the influence of superstition? Check out these 10 tales, which are deeply rooted in common sense, no matter what your opinion of their more mystical associations.
你认为你可以不受迷信的影响吗？不管你对迷信传说之间的神秘关联有何看法，先把它们放一边，来看看下面这10个早已深深扎根于我们的常识中的迷信传说。

10.Avoid Ladders
10.不要走在梯子下面

One old wives' tale warns that you should never walk under a ladder. Some believe that this action simply brings bad luck, while others feel it will negatively influence your love life. Falling off a ladder is said to bring misfortune because it will cause you to go broke — financially, that is.
有一个传说，告诫人们永远不要从梯子下面走过。一些人相信此举会招致厄运，而另一些人则认为这样会使感情生活不如意。据说从梯子上跌落会带来厄运，因为从那上面摔下来会让你破产——从个人财产的角度来说，这确实有可能会造成人财两空。
The roots of ladder-based superstitions may be due to the triangular shape that the ladder forms when placed up against a wall, reminiscent of the Holy Trinity. Passing through this Trinity is considered disrespectful to God, or even a tribute of sorts to the devil and other evil spirits. Another explanation relies on the fact that hanging victims used to be forced to climb a ladder to reach the noose, giving the ladder an unlucky air. While either of these explanations may be valid depending on who you ask, do you really need a reason beyond the obvious danger associated with hanging around under a ladder? You could easily be struck by a falling tool — or person — which is sure to bring some fairly swift misfortune, no magical thinking required.
梯子迷信可能是源于靠墙放置的梯子与墙形成的三角会令人想起三位一体，而穿过这个三角则被认为是对上帝的不敬，甚至是在向魔鬼和其他邪灵致敬。另一种解释是，过去接受绞刑的犯人会被迫爬上梯子到达套索处然后受刑，这就使“梯子”成了不幸的象征。以上两种解释到底哪一个可能是合理的，这取决于你问的是谁，取决于你是否还需要另一个 理由——除了“在梯子底下闲逛明显是有危险的”之外，来确保人们远离梯子。毫无疑问，从高处掉下的工具或人很容易打到你，这种情况无需什么奇幻思维，被打到你就倒霉了。

9.Shoes on the Table
9.鞋子不放桌子上

Superstition states that placing new shoes on the table can negatively impact future prosperity, while leaving any shoes on the table is likely to lead to a quarrel, or just plain bad luck. Traditionally, this legend may be tied to the mining industry; when miners passed away, their relatives would bring their shoes into the home and place them onto the table.
有迷信说在桌子上放新鞋子会给将来的成功带来负面影响，而随便放一双鞋子在桌子上就会引发一场争吵或给人带来坏运气。据说这可能跟以前的煤矿工业有关。矿工去世之后，他们的家属会把他们的鞋子带回家然后放在桌子上。
Though fewer people are involved in dangerous mining jobs today, the shoes-on-the-table superstition still lingers — and makes perfect sense if you think about it. Do you really want people putting their shoes — new or used — on the same surface where you eat? If your family members stuck their shoes on the table, wouldn't you want to argue with them about it, or throw a heaping dose of bad luck their way? This one may date back many years, but it's as valid today as it ever was, though possibly for different reasons.
尽管现在从事危险的采矿工作的人变少了，桌上不能放鞋的迷信却仍然存在——仔细想想你也会觉得这种说法挺有道理的。你真的希望有人把他们的鞋子——无论新旧，放在你吃东西的桌面上吗？如果你的家庭成员把他们的鞋子扔在桌子上，你是不是会想和他吵一架或者希望他们各种倒霉？这个迷信可能要追溯到很多年以前，但出于各种原因它到今天仍然是有效的。

8.Three to a Match
8.三人共用同一根火柴

Sharing a match to light multiple cigarettes makes perfect sense, but when you're a soldier in the battlefield, it can quickly get you killed. The superstition that three to a match will leave one soldier dead dates back to the Crimean War. Striking a match would alert enemy snipers to your presence, which wouldn't do them much good if you put the match out right away. Leaving it lit for a second soldier to use gave the sniper a chance to aim. By the time the third person used the match, the sniper would be ready to fire, and with so much time to prepare his shot, it wouldn't have taken much luck to hit his target. Sure, there's no reason three friends can't light up using the same match at home, but when it comes to the battlefield, this superstition is still spot-on.
用一根火柴点燃多支烟原本是件稀松平常的事，但对战场上的士兵来说，这样的做法也许是致命的。一个源于克里米亚战争的迷信说法是，三个士兵共享一根火柴，其 中定有一人必死无疑。士兵一划亮火柴，就暴露了行踪，好在只是一瞬，如能及时灭火，敌方狙击手也难以做出判断。但是，如果再把点亮的火柴递给第二个士兵， 就给了敌方狙击手可趁之机。等到这根火柴传到第三个士兵时，狙击手已准备开枪，有这么长的准备时间，击中目标也是不出所料。当然，朋友间三五成群聚在家中共用火柴是合情合理，但战场上是断不能这么做的。

7.No Bananas
7.香蕉切勿上渔船

If you ever step foot on a fishing boat, you'd better not have a banana in your lunchbox. No, really. As ridiculous as it sounds, the idea that bananas bring bad luck at sea actually makes perfect sense. First, banana peels are really slippery. The last thing you want to have to look out for as you navigate a slippery deck riddled with fish guts is a hidden peel leftover from someone's lunch. In addition, banana peels release methane — a toxic gas — as they ferment. This might not matter much when only one banana is involved, but if you're carrying a larger shipment, the air below deck could quickly turn deadly.
倘若有一天你要乘渔船，记得别把香蕉放到饭盒内带上去。香蕉会给海航招致厄运的说法尽管听上去甚是荒诞，但并不是毫无道理。一则，香蕉皮确实滑溜。当你通过满是鱼内脏的甲板时，很难留意到他人饭后扔于此处的香蕉皮，你极有可能会因此摔得四脚朝天；再者，香蕉皮发酵时会释放一种有毒气体——甲烷。只有一个香蕉皮 时并无大碍，但香蕉皮数量较多时，吸入甲板下的空气将会是致命的。

6.Food Fables
6.食物怪谈

According to some common food superstitions, it's bad luck to leave a plate of unfinished food sitting out overnight. Legend has it that you'll invite the devil in by doing so, but in reality, you're much more likely to invite mice, roaches and other unwanted pests. In other food fable news, it's supposedly a bad omen to drop food on yourself accidentally while you eat. Ya think? Even if it doesn't end up bringing you any serious bad luck, you've still wasted food and left yourself with an unpleasant mess to clean up, or maybe an ugly stain on your clothes, the carpet or your furniture.
根据一些关于常见的食物迷信说，把吃剩的食物放在餐盘中过夜会交厄运。传闻，这样做会招来恶魔，但实际上引来老鼠、蟑螂和其他恶心害虫的可能性更大。还有其他关于食物的迷信说法，比如吃东西时不小心把食物掉在身上是厄运的预兆。你觉得可信吗？即使食物掉在身上不会招致厄运，但它确实是一种浪费，同时你还要去清 理桌上地下的狼藉，还有衣服、地毯或家具上的污渍。

审校：梅子九 来源：前十网