英语阅读能力依靠什么？必然是词汇的积累，但，仅仅是词汇的积累是不够了，更应该了解英语句式，不同句型所表达意义。如何培养自己的阅读语感呢？那么就跟着聚创考研网小编每天学一点英语，一起为考研筑起坚实的地基。阅读是需要积累的，就像我们需要经常和人沟通才会促进我们的表达能力一样~小伙伴跟着小编一起，每天坚持打卡，培养英语阅读能力及语感，了解文章一些经典词汇的用法。

经济学人:为什么黑猫在西方文化中是不祥之兆

Why Black Cats Are Associated With Halloween and Bad Luck?It comes down to the historical superstitions of Puritan Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. This particular group of people lived by a strict Protestant lifestyle, shunning anything that went against their religious beliefs. Since witchcraft was viewed as a practice that worshiped the devil, the Puritans became extremely wary of everything that could possibly be linked to a witch.Black cats were high up on that list. Legend had it that witches could transform into a black cat and back, emphasizing superstitions of these furry creatures. Some people even believed that witches could re-incarnate into black cats after death. Additionally, there was the Middle Age legend that the devil often gifted black cats to witches to act as their servants.

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为什么黑猫在西方文化中是不祥之兆？这可以归咎于普利茅斯殖民地清教徒的古老迷信。这一群人严格遵守新教生活方式，避讳任何违背他们宗教信仰的事情。由于巫术被视为一种崇拜魔鬼的习俗，清教徒对任何可能与女巫有关的事情都变得极其谨慎。而黑猫就是他们的头号禁忌。传说，女巫可以变成黑猫，这加深了人们对黑猫的迷信。有些人甚至相信女巫死后会化身为黑猫。此外，中世纪时期的传说认为，魔鬼通常会把黑猫送给女巫充当其仆人。

The naturally standoffish, stealthy attitude of cats probably didn’t help these felines, either. Paired with their dark fur coats and glowing eyes, black cats were feared as much as the human witches themselves. And as literature about witchcraft became more widespread, a period of “witchcraft hysteria” reigned between 1560 and 1660 in Europe and the New England colonies.These days, many black cat superstitions still exist. They are often linked to bad luck and are feared by some. Just take a look at television shows, movies, and books; it's not uncommon to see a black cat portrayed in a spooky and tense environment.So how does this all relate to Halloween? The basis of this modern holiday revolves around all things dark and spiritual. Many of the celebrations that take place during this time of the year focus on honoring the dead. Ancient traditions usually have some kind of link to either the practice of witchcraft or the opposing beliefs against them.As a result, witches – and their black cats – have become a commercialized symbol of Halloween.

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黑猫冷漠、神秘的天性可能也不利于它们的形象。黑猫有着黑色的毛皮和发光的眼睛，这让它们和女巫一样令人恐惧。随着关于巫术的文学作品传播越来越广泛，1560年至1660年间，欧洲和新英格兰殖民地出现了一段“巫术恐慌”时期。如今，许多关于黑猫的迷信仍然存在。它们经常与厄运联系在一起，让很多人感到恐惧。在电视节目、电影和书籍中，黑猫经常出现在恐怖和紧张的环境里。那么这一切与万圣节有什么关系呢？这个现代节日的起源与一切邪恶灵异的事物有关。每年万圣节举行的众多庆祝活动都是为了纪念逝者。古代的节日传统通常与施展巫术或反对巫术的信仰有关。因此，女巫以及她们的黑猫，已经成为万圣节的商业化象征。

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