之前的【土豆留学地图】专栏里，我曾给大家介绍过各国趣味文化，例如：
英国人的虚伪：论“假”，假笑男孩不一定赢得了英国人！
中国人在外国人眼里的奇葩“偏见：出国后才发现，原来老外对中国留学生有这些偏见……
今天的【土豆留学地图】，正值开学，就聊聊开学后即将会遇到的《那些让西方人放弃科学的迷信》。
总是被吐槽我大中华民族事（mi）儿（xin）多~什么本命年一定要穿红色啦，尽量不要说“4”、在家别打开雨伞、出门之前带半截儿燃尽了的香棍.....
其实在西方国家，也不乏一大堆古怪的“封建迷信”好吗！
今天就来带大家来看这16个连他们自己都忍不住吐槽的古怪说法~
NO.1 The number 13
数字“13”
It’s just a number. Yet, people tweak on Friday the 13th. Many airports don’t have a gate #13. (Like the folks at 12A won’t figure it out.) Many hotels don’t have a floor #13.
这只是个数字。但是，每逢13号的礼拜五，人们普遍都会焦虑。很多机场没有13号登机口（好吧，你们真的以为12A登机口的乘客们不会发觉吗？）很多宾馆也没有13楼。
NO. 2 An acorn at the window will keep lightning out.
在窗边挂一只橡果可以防止被闪电击中
That is some acorn.
唔…真是神奇的橡果啊。
NO.3 Spit on a new bat before using it
for the first time to make it lucky.
在新球棒上吐口口水，可以保持好运。
Gross. Gross. Gross.
好恶心，好恶心，好恶心！
And speaking in terms of basic physics, having a lubricated bat makes for less friction, and therefore, slippery balls …
从基本物理学的角度来讲，一个被口水润滑过的球棒的摩擦力更小，因此击球打滑的几率更大了好吧······
NO. 4 If three people are photographed together,
the one in the middle will die first.
如果三个人一起拍照，中间的那个会最先死掉。
NO. 5 If you stick your hands in your pocket
while walking past a graveyard,
it will protect your parents.
经过墓地的时候，
如果你把双手插在兜里，便能保护你的父母。
Makes me wonder what happens if I turn my pockets inside out. Or, take off my pants and wave my arms around.
我不禁好奇：假如我把里兜翻出来会发生什么？或者，假如我脱掉裤子摇摇手臂，又会发生些啥？
NO. 6 Never take a broom along
when you move. It is bad luck.
Throw it out and buy a new one.
搬家的时候不要带走扫帚，它会带来厄运。
把它扔了，买个新的。
Isn’t that common sense? A used broom is kind of a nasty thing to box up with the linens. Like packing up used trash cans. A new broom costs like two dollars.
这不是常识吗？用过的扫帚很脏，没法跟亚麻制品放一起啊。这就跟打包带走用过的垃圾桶一样好笑。再说，一把新扫帚只需要两美元。
NO.7 If a candle blows out,
evil spirits are nearby.
如果蜡烛熄灭，说明附近有邪恶灵魂。
Or, there’s a draft.
或者也可能只是有阵风。
NO. 8 It is bad luck to light three
cigarettes with the same match.
用一根火柴点燃3根香烟，会带来厄运。
Yeah it is. And that bad luck is called cancer.
嗯没错。这个厄运的名字叫“癌症”。
NO.9 Evil spirits can’t harm you when you stand inside a circle.
当你站在一个圈内，邪恶的灵魂便伤害不到你。
Oh, that explains all those people walking up and down the street wearing hula hoops.
哦，难怪有些人会戴着呼啦圈在街上走来走去啊！
NO. 10 It’s bad luck to pick up a coin
if it’s tails side up.
Good luck comes if it’s heads up.
如果捡起的硬币反面朝上，则会带来厄运；
正面朝上会带来好运。
In this economy, a little bad luck is worth the nickel.
捡了再说吧。
NO.11 A cricket in the house brings good luck.
家里发现蟋蟀，会有好运。
It will also bring cricket poop.
也会有蟋蟀粪便啊亲。
NO. 12 If the palm of your right hand itches,
it means you will soon be getting money.
If the palm of your left hand itches,
it means you will soon be paying out money.
假如你右手掌发痒，
说明很快就能获得一笔钱；
假如你左手掌痒，
说明你很快要付出去一笔钱。
If the palm of either of your hands is itching, you might want to get that checked.
假如你两只手都痒，那我建议你还是去医院检查一下吧。
NO. 13 A knife as a gift from a lover means
that the love will soon end.
如果爱人送了一把小刀作为礼物，
说明爱情很快会结束。
Who gives their lover a knife for a gift? What happened to roses or chocolate? Creepy!
谁会送自己爱人一把刀啊！送玫瑰送巧克力不都行嘛？在搞笑？
A knife placed under the bed during childbirth will ease the pain of labor.
分娩的时候，在枕头下放把刀能减轻分娩疼痛。
If I were the impregnator, I would be very nervous.
如果我是那个孕妇，我会更紧张的。
NO.14 Salty soup is a sign that the cook is in love.
汤太咸，说明那个厨子恋爱了。
Check the sodium content on any can in any grocery store and feel good about how much love there is in the world.
随便走进一家百货店，随便拿起一个罐头看看它的盐分含量吧。你会发现世界简直充满了爱了！
NO.15 Three seagulls flying together,
directly overhead,
are a warning of death soon to come.
如果三只海鸥一起从你头上直直飞过，预示着死亡很快会降临。
Or poop on your head.
也预示着你头顶会有一泡便便。
