世界各地的禁忌：英语精读讲义

The word taboo originates from a mealtime in 1777, 短語搭配

“禁忌”（taboo）一词源于1777年的一次进餐，

when British explorer James Cook invited a Tongan tribe to sit down with him and enjoy the food.

当时英国探险家詹姆斯·库克邀请一个汤加部落与他一起坐下享用美食。

The tribe refused,

部落拒绝了，

telling Cook it was taboo for them to do so. 語法

告诉库克这样做对他们来说是禁忌。

Startled Cook,

库克吃了一惊，

probably feeling a little taken aback, 習語

可能感到有些错愕，

asked what taboo meant.

询问禁忌是什么意思。

And after a little time with some help from the tribesmen,

在部落成员的帮助下，花了一点时间后，

he found out it meant something that was forbidden, 短語動詞

他发现它的意思是某种被禁止的、

inviolable,

神圣不可侵犯的，

or even cursed.

甚至是被诅咒的东西。

Today we all live with our own cultural taboos.

如今，我们都生活在各自的文化禁忌中。

For example,

例如，

the average American is not likely to make a steak out of his dearly departed grandmother,

普通美国人不太可能把刚离世的亲爱祖母做成牛排，

but for the Korowai tribe in Western New Guinea,

但对于西新几内亚的科罗威部落来说，

consuming the carcass of the deceased is not a social faux pas. 用詞

食用死者的遗体并不是什么社交失礼。

It's a right.

这是一项权利。

Today,

今天，

we are going to explore our cultural differences in this episode of the Infographic Show,

我们将在这期《Infographic Show》中探索我们的文化差异，

Taboos Around the World.

本期主题是《世界各地的禁忌》。

Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell button

别忘了订阅并点击小铃铛按钮，

so that you can be part of our notification squad.

这样你就能加入我们的通知小分队啦。

Let's start by traveling to the USA 表達脈絡

让我们从前往美国开始，

and looking at a controversial taboo that persists today.

看看一个至今依然存在的、备受争议的禁忌。

Having an intimate relationship with our own family member is seen as an immutable no-no in just about every culture, 用詞

与自己的家庭成员发生亲密关系在几乎所有文化中都被视为不可动摇的禁忌，

not only because we deem it unethical, 語法

不仅因为我们认为这不道德，

but also because the offspring of such a relationship is at risk of being genetically flawed. 短語搭配

也因为这种关系的后代有遗传缺陷的风险。

In the USA,

在美国，

one famous incestuous relationship happened quite recently,

最近就发生了一起著名的乱伦关系，

and that was with the Mamas and the Papas band leader John Phillips.

那就是“妈妈与爸爸”乐队（The Mamas and the Papas）的队长约翰·菲利普斯。

He started having an intimate relationship with his own daughter,

他开始与自己的亲生女儿发生亲密关系，

Mackenzie.

麦肯齐。

This was quite a shock when the story came out in 2009, 短語動詞

2009年这件事被曝光时，引起了相当大的轰动，

especially as his daughter told the press she had aborted his baby.

尤其是他的女儿告诉媒体她打掉了他的孩子。

In most US states,

在美国的大多数州，

that would be a crime punishable with a prison sentence,

这将是可判处监禁的罪行，

although in New Jersey an incestuous relationship is legal.

尽管在新泽西州，乱伦关系是合法的。

Marriage for the couple is not.

但这对伴侣结婚并不合法。

Speaking of genetic flaws, 表達脈絡

说到遗传缺陷，

the author of On the Origin of Species,

《物种起源》的作者，

Charles Darwin,

查尔斯·达尔文，

married his first cousin.

娶了他的表妹。

They had 10 kids together,

他们一共生了10个孩子，

and three of them died very young.

其中3个在很小的时候就夭折了。

In the UK,

在英国，

incest is illegal,

乱伦是非法的，

but only for close family.

但仅限于直系亲属。

What Darwin did then would be legal today in the UK. 語法

达尔文当时的所作所为在今天的英国是合法的。

Staying in America for a moment, 表達脈絡

让我们继续把目光停留在美国一会儿，

we know that when the index finger is pointed at someone,

我们知道，用食指指着别人，

it is almost universally seen as rude,

几乎被全世界公认为是粗鲁的，

and that's probably due to the export of Hollywood films.

这可能归功于好莱坞电影的输出。

Outside of the USA,

但在美国之外，

it's more complex.

情况就复杂多了。

In Asia,

在亚洲，

holding up the four finger and index finger with the palm turned inwards is seen as a sign of cuteness,

举起食指和中指，手心向内，被视为可爱的标志，

but in the UK,

但在英国，

it's liable to get you into a fight. 講解

这很容易让你卷入一场斗殴。

This is because it was the sign English archers of the past showed to their French rivals to prove they still had two fingers.

因为这是过去英国弓箭手向法国对手展示的标志，证明他们还有两根手指。

The French would cut them off if they captured the archers, 短語動詞

如果法国人俘虏了这些弓箭手，就会把他们的手指砍掉，

so they couldn't use them again to pull the string on the archer's bow.

这样他们就不能再用手指拉弓了。

The sign now in the UK is the equivalent of giving the middle finger in the US. 短語搭配

在如今的英国，这个手势相当于在美国竖中指。

In most parts of Asia,

在亚洲的大部分地区，

don't point at anyone,

不要用手指着任何人，

as it's seen as impolite,

因为这被认为是不礼貌的，

while a thumb up gesture in Israel,

而在以色列，竖大拇指的手势，

where hitching rides is common, 短語搭配

虽然搭便车很常见，

is offensive.

却是具有冒犯性的。

It's the same throughout much of the Middle East.

整个中东地区也大致如此。

Imagine giving the finger to every car that passes you. 習語

想象一下对每一辆路过你的车竖中指的感觉。

Let's now look more at Asia,

现在让我们把目光更多地转向亚洲，

where taboos are perhaps more prevalent.

这里的禁忌可能更为普遍。

In some parts of Asia,

在亚洲的一些地区，

pointing at the soles of your feet at someone is seen as extreme rudeness

把脚底板对着别人被视为极其粗鲁的行为，

and could easily get you into trouble. 短語搭配

很容易让你惹上麻烦。

This is also true in Russia,

在俄罗斯也是如此，

as well as parts of the Middle East.

还有中东的部分地区。

That's why when George W. Bush almost took a shoe to the head from an angry Iraqi journalist,

这就是为什么当乔治·W·布什差点被一位愤怒的伊拉克记者用鞋子砸中头部时，

it was more symbolic than it was an act of violence.

这更多是一种象征意义，而不是暴力行为。

The shoe was a dirty weapon aimed at the highest and most esteemed point of the body.

鞋子是一种肮脏的武器，瞄准了身体最高、最受尊敬的部位。

In countries such as Thailand and China,

在泰国和中国等国家，

putting your feet up on a chair,

把脚放在椅子上，

and certainly any place near to where someone might put their head,

尤其是任何靠近别人可能放头部的地方，

is seen as very disrespectful.

都被视为非常不尊重人。

The foot in most of Asia is viewed as dirty, 語法

在亚洲大部分地区，脚被认为是肮脏的，

and the head is seen as sacred.

而头部被视为神圣的。

If you are planning to travel to Asia,

如果你计划去亚洲旅行，

bear this mind,

请牢记这一点，

lest you rankle the locals. 語法

以免惹恼当地人。

Okay,

好吧，

so the rude American may have upset his Asian host with his filthy big feet,

也许粗鲁的美国人用他肮脏的大脚惹恼了他的亚洲主人，

but what about the noise that guy makes when he eats?

但那家伙吃东西时发出的声音又该怎么说呢？

Most cultures accept that eating quietly with your mouth closed is just plain good etiquette 短語搭配

多数文化都认同，闭着嘴安静地吃东西就是最基本的礼仪，

if you are older than three years old.

只要你超过三岁。

Not so much in China, 表達脈絡

但在中国就不完全是这样了，

where eating at a restaurant can sound like a chorus of cows chomping down on wet grass. 講解

在那里的餐厅吃饭，听起来可能像一群牛在咀嚼湿草。

Well,

那么，

to the Chinese,

对中国人来说，

the sound emitting from your mouth is a sign of how much you appreciate the food.

嘴里发出的声音是你对食物有多欣赏的标志。

It's like saying,

就像在说，

"That's delicious,"

“太好吃了，”

without the words.

虽然没有用语言表达。

The Chinese slurp,

中国人吃饭会发出吧唧声，

and the Filipinos often smack their lips. 短語搭配

菲律宾人也经常吧唧嘴。

If it bothers you,

如果这让你觉得困扰，

just remember someone is having a good time.

只要记住有人正吃得很开心就行了。

In Asia,

在亚洲，

how you eat,

你的吃相、

what you wear,

穿着、

your body language,

肢体语言，

and even how you write has to be taken into consideration. 短語搭配

甚至写字的方式都必须考虑到。

In parts of Asia,

在亚洲的一些地区，

be careful when you write something down for someone,

当你给别人写字时要小心，

as writing in red ink is seen as a curse. 文化背景

因为用红墨水写字被视为一种诅咒。

This is because in some Asian cultures,

这是因为在一些亚洲文化中，

red ink was reserved for messages applying to the deceased.

红墨水是专门用来写给死者的信息的。

Filling in an official form in red, 短語動詞

用红色填写官方表格，

maybe even an arrival card,

甚至是一张入境卡，

in countries such as Taiwan, Korea, Japan, or Thailand

在台湾、韩国、日本或泰国等国家和地区

is seen as bad form, 用詞

都被认为是不好的举止，

and perhaps a very bad omen.

或许还是个非常坏的预兆。

Red is reserved for the dead in an official environment. 文化背景

在官方环境中，红色是留给死者的。

As for what you eat,

至于吃什么，

some Asians chow down on animals that are strictly taboo foods in the West. 短語動詞

一些亚洲人会吃在西方绝对属于禁忌食物的动物。

While cannibalism is downright taboo pretty much everywhere in the world, 短語搭配

虽然同类相食在世界各地几乎都是彻头彻尾的禁忌，

there are certain animals cultures put on the table that cause outcries in the Western media.

但有些文化餐桌上的某些动物却在西方媒体中引起了强烈抗议。

The most infamous is the consumption of dog meat,

其中最声名狼藉的是吃狗肉，

something it's thought around 5 to 30% of South Koreans have done.

据认为大约5%到30%的韩国人都吃过。

According to one BBC story,

根据BBC的一篇报道，

a bowl of dog soup will set you back about $10 in South Korea. 短語動詞

在韩国，一碗狗肉汤大约要花你10美元。

Dog is also eaten in China, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Indonesia.

中国、越南、尼日利亚和印度尼西亚也吃狗肉。

In 2014,

2014年，

Newsweek reported hundreds of thousands of people in Switzerland eat cat and dog meat,

《新闻周刊》报道称，数十万瑞士人吃猫肉和狗肉，

adding that it's a specialty dish at Christmas.

并补充说这是圣诞节的特色菜。

The French have a penchant for cooked horse, 用詞

法国人偏爱熟马肉，

the Thais have been known to eat chicken embryos on a stick, 語法

泰国人因吃串烤鸡胚胎而闻名，

and deep-fried guinea pig as a specialty has moved from South America and is now eaten in the USA.

而作为特色菜的油炸豚鼠已经从南美洲传入，现在在美国也有人吃。

For around $45,

花大约45美元，

you can try some at the Urubamba restaurant in New York.

你就可以在纽约的Urubamba餐厅品尝到它。

If cute rodent isn't your thing, 習語

如果你不喜欢可爱的啮齿动物，

the restaurant also offers veal heart,

这家餐厅还提供小牛心、

cow foot stew, and rabbit.

炖牛蹄和兔肉。

Taboos don't only relate to what you eat, 語法

禁忌不仅关乎你吃什么，

but how you eat.

还关乎你怎么吃。

In many Western countries,

在许多西方国家，

it's polite to clean your plate of food,

把盘子里的食物吃光是礼貌的，

even if you are not so keen on the cuisine. 短語搭配

即使你不太喜欢这种菜肴。

Leaving food might mean you didn't like it,

剩下食物可能意味着你不喜欢它，

and it's also seen as being wasteful.

也被认为是浪费。

Well,

好吧，

if you do that in China, India, or Afghanistan,

如果你在中国、印度或阿富汗这么做，

one thing is going to happen.

会发生一件事。

Your plate will be refilled.

你的盘子会被重新装满。

It's seen as polite to always leave a little,

总是留一点食物被认为是礼貌的，

and a bit greedy or expectant to clean your plate as it's saying,

而把盘子吃光则显得有点贪婪或有所期待，因为这就像在说，

"Give me more."

“再给我点。”

This has certainly led to situations in which polite Westerners have made themselves almost sick by politely eating up what's offered, 講解

这无疑导致了一些情况，即礼貌的西方人为了礼貌地吃光提供的食物而几乎吃撑到吐，

only for their guests to think they are absolute gluttons, 語法

结果他们的主人却认为他们绝对是吃货，

but obliged to fill the plate again.

但又不得不再次装满盘子。

Do some taboos carry across every culture?

有没有跨越所有文化的禁忌呢？

Insulting someone's mother or father is taboo pretty much worldwide for obvious reasons,

出于显而易见的原因，侮辱某人的父母在世界各地几乎都是禁忌，

but in some cultures even mentioning parents in a negative light can get you into trouble or even killed. 習語

但在一些文化中，甚至以负面的眼光提到父母都可能让你惹上麻烦，甚至被杀。

In Russia,

在俄罗斯，

a curse with a parent in it is seen as the worst thing you could possibly say.

带有父母字眼的咒骂被认为是你可能说出的最糟糕的话。

In Madagascar,

在马达加斯加，

children belonging to the Antandroy tribe are not even allowed to call their father by his name. 短語搭配

属于安坦德罗部落的儿童甚至不被允许直呼他们父亲的名字。

In some Hindu families,

在一些印度教家庭中，

even the wives of husbands are not permitted to call the man by his name,

甚至丈夫的妻子也不被允许直呼丈夫的名字，

although progressive Hindus see this as antiquated and patriarchal. 用詞

尽管进步的印度教徒认为这过时且男权至上。

Some Westerners may find that strange,

一些西方人可能会觉得这很奇怪，

but in most Western countries it's taboo for children to be on first name terms with their parents. 短語搭配

但在大多数西方国家，孩子直呼父母的名字也是禁忌。

The curse mother plus expletive is almost universal in language.

带有母亲加脏话的脏话在语言中几乎是通用的。

Surely public pooping is universally taboo?

那么在公共场所大便肯定是普遍的禁忌了吧？

In developed nations,

在发达国家，

yes,

是的，

but the BBC reported in 2015 that open defecation in India was still a problem, 用詞

但BBC在2015年报道称，在印度随地便溺仍然是一个问题，

mostly due to the lack of toilets.

主要是由于缺乏厕所。

French philosopher Michel de Montaigne upset his fellow highbrow intellectuals because he liked to discuss flatulence,

法国哲学家米歇尔·德·蒙田惹恼了他的那些高知精英同行，因为他喜欢讨论肠胃胀气，

aka passing gas, 用詞

又名放屁、

farting, cutting the cheese.

排气、切奶酪（放屁的俚语）。

He even wrote a treatise on farting and other bodily functions, 用詞

他甚至写了一篇关于放屁和其他身体机能的论文，

once saying, "Kings and philosophers defecate,

曾说过：“国王和哲学家都要排便，

and so do ladies." 語法

贵妇也一样。”

In spite of his entreaties to help make the human race comfortable with such bodily taboos, 語法

尽管他恳求帮助人类对这种身体禁忌感到坦然，

public farting doesn't go down well in most cultures. 習語

但在大多数文化中，公开放屁并不受欢迎。

Well, apparently if you are invited to eat in an Inuit household,

不过，显然如果你被邀请到因纽特人家里吃饭，

you can show your appreciation for the meal by letting one rip post prandial. 習語

你可以通过在饭后放个响屁来表达你对这顿饭的赞赏。

Even though we fart on average about 14 times a day,

尽管我们平均每天放屁大约14次，

we are usually discreet about it. 用詞

我们通常都会小心翼翼。

Not so much for the Yanomami tribe in South America,

但对南美洲的亚诺马米部落来说并非如此，

who are said to fart as a greeting. 語法

据说他们把放屁作为一种问候。

Taboo or not taboo, 文化背景

禁忌还是不禁忌，

that is the question.

这是一个问题。

We might do well to remember that our way of living is not the right way, 講解

我们最好记住，我们的生活方式并不是唯一正确的方式，

but a way.

而只是一种方式。

Montaigne believed we should be curious about our taboos,

蒙田认为我们应该对我们的禁忌保持好奇，

deconstruct them,

解构它们，

and at times get over them. 短語動詞

有时也要克服它们。

Then again, 表達脈絡

话又说回来，

how would you feel if your grandad turned up to Thanksgiving dinner 講解

如果你的爷爷出现在感恩节晚餐上，

with his new farting fiance,

带着他那爱放屁的新未婚妻，

who was actually his cousin,

而她实际上是他的表妹，

with a gift of dog and cat stew,

并带了一份猫狗炖肉作为礼物，

and an appetite for dinner destruction?

还带着摧毁晚餐的胃口，你会作何感想？

Could you handle that?

你能应付得了吗？

Let us know in the comments.

请在评论区告诉我们。

And please tell us about any unusual taboos in your country.

也请告诉我们你们国家任何不寻常的禁忌。

If you liked this video,

如果你喜欢这个视频，

be sure to check out our other video called

一定要去看看我们的另一个视频，名为

What a Dollar Gets You Around the World.

《一美元在世界各地能买到什么》。

Thanks for watching,

感谢观看，

and as always,

像往常一样，

don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

别忘了点赞、分享和订阅。

See you next time.

下次见。