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  3. Sailors and fishermen in particular, have always been extremely superstitious. This is hardly surprising when one considers the

Sailors and fishermen in particular, have always been extremely superstitious. This is hardly surprising when one considers the

admin2010-07-06  97
问题      Sailors and fishermen in particular, have always been extremely superstitious. This is hardly surprising when one considers the changeable nature of tile sea where, even today ,with sophisticated weather forecasting techniques a sudden storm can blow up quite unexpectedly. In the days before radio and engines, where there could be no long distance communicating with another ship or land and when sails were the only means of movement, it was only natural for the sailor to take every precaution to avoid offending the gods who control the sea.
      One way of pleasing these gods was to make an annual offering. This custom survives in the ceremony of blessing the sea, which can still be seen once a year in some fishing ports.
      Next to pleasing the sea gods, the most important thing for the sailor is to know that his boat is free from evil influences. The time to make sure of this is at the launching ceremony. It is clear that the well-known custom of launching a ship by breaking a bottle of champagne against the side goes back a very long way.
     On the North coast of Britain new ships are launched with sea water, and on the North East coast of Scotland a similar ceremony takes place but with whisky substituted for sea water. In both cases, the launching is followed by drinking and celebration. The purpose of these ceremonies is to keep away evil spirits, rather than to ask for the sea god’s protection.
      Starting on a new voyage or fishing trip was a dangerous business at the best of times. Once the fisherman has set out for his trip he dared not, on any account, look back. It was bad luck even to call after him, so if he had forgotten anything, someone had to run after him and put the object into his hands.
     But bad luck could also result from some chance meeting on the way to the boats. In some countries, It was considered particularly unlucky to meet a priest, a rabbit or a woman. In such an event, the only thing to do was to turn back and sail next day.
     Redheads and people with flat feet were also to be avoided, but if the fisherman did happen to meet them, he could avert bad luck by speaking to them first. For a fisherman to see a dog near his boat was unlucky, while cats were considered lucky, especially black ones. Some fishermen’s wives believed a black cat would bring their husbands back from the sea, and sometimes domestic cats disappeared from island towns and turned up in fishing villages!
This custom survives in the ceremony of blessing the sea, which can still be seen once a year in some fishing ports.
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答案至今仍能在祭海仪式中见到这种风俗，这种仪式在有些渔港每年举行一次。
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