A Fire Monkey Can Usher In Chaos. So Can 600 or So Macaques.

命理大师提示：中国“火猴年”，请小心

What do Julius Caesar, Miley Cyrus and a village in Sichuan Province, China, have in common?

有什么能把朱利叶斯·凯撒(Julius Caesar)、麦莉·赛勒斯(Miley Cyrus)和中国四川省的一个村庄联系起来？

The Year of the Monkey.

猴年。

Generations of Americans were introduced to the Chinese zodiac by way of restaurant place mats, perused while waiting for platters of kung pao chicken and lo mein. Those exotic 12-year cycles, with their hints of destiny and personality predictions, basically said, “Capricorn? What. Ever!” as they replaced Western horoscopes with animal mascots.

通过在大盘宫保鸡丁和捞面上桌之前仔细研究餐厅的餐垫，一代代美国人知道了中国的十二生肖。它们颇具异域特色，12年一个轮回，预测不同的运势和性格。随着它们以动物吉祥物取代了西方的十二星座，传达出的信息基本是，“摩羯？管它呢！”

If you happened to be born in 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956 or 1944, you’re a monkey, and your time is now.

如果你碰巧出生在2004、1992、1980、1968、1956或1944年，你就是属猴的，今年是你的本命年。

Chinese tradition says people born in the Year of the Monkey are natural-born leaders: highly intelligent, innovative and influential. But they can also be arrogant and envious. In addition to Caesar and Miley, other famous monkeys are Leonardo da Vinci and Mick Jagger.

中国传统认为，猴年出生的人是天生的领导者：非常聪明、富有创新精神和影响力。但它们也有可能比较傲慢和善妒。除了凯撒和麦莉，其他属猴的名人还有莱奥纳多·达芬奇(Leonardo da Vinci)和米克·贾格尔(Mick Jagger)。

This lunar year, which began in February, is being celebrated as the Year of the Fire Monkey. This is based on the tenets of feng shui, which ascribe luck and prosperity based on the balance of fire, water, wood, metal and earth in the universe.

今年2月开始的阴历年被作为火猴年(Year of the Fire Monkey)庆祝。这是基于风水的推算，它将运气和财富归因于宇宙之中火、水、木、金、土的平衡。

Fortunetellers point ominously to the last time the fire monkey occurred, in 1956. That was the year of the Suez Canal Crisis — when Britain, France and Israel invaded Egypt — and the start ofthe Cuban revolution.

算命师不祥地指出了上一次火猴出现的时间，1956年。那一年世界上爆发了苏伊士运河危机——英国、法国和以色列入侵了埃及——和古巴革命。

If you’re looking for evidence that the fire monkey — withits attendant bad luck — is already ascendant, you can find it in Xianfeng, a village in central Sichuan Province.

如果你在寻找火猴——以及它所带来的坏运气——已经占据主导的证据，你可以在四川省中部的先锋村找到。

In June, China state television reported that the town had been virtually taken over by macaque monkeys. Lured from the mountains into the village in an effort to increase tourism, the monkeys soon took over. The once-small troop quickly grew to more than 600 members, eating up villagers’ food and making a riot that keeps people from sleeping.

今年6月，中国官方电视台报道，这个村庄已经基本被猕猴占领。为了带动旅游业，村庄的村民之前从山上引来不少猴子，不久后，它们便泛滥成灾。原先不大的猴群迅速扩大到600多只，它们吃村民的食物，制造骚乱，使村民无法安眠。

Astrologers advise that those born under the monkey sign be extra cautious with money, focus on their health and, perhaps most important for the fiery among us, make sure not to lose their tempers. That’s easier said than done, especially when you’ve got 600 macaques keeping you up all night.

命理大师建议属猴的人在财务上格外小心，注意自己的健康。对于其中脾气比较火爆的人来说，最重要的或许是确保自己不发脾气。这说起来容易，做起来难，尤其是在有600多只猕猴扰得你整夜无法入睡的情况下。