龙与独角兽：神话传说的现实思考

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老桑说

Dragons and unicorns

龙与独角兽

 Is your self-perception myth or reality?

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「  朋友，你好，我是老桑。」

老桑与麒麟

上个月我参观了费城的自然科学院，在那里我之前写过一篇关于蝴蝶展的文章，告诉你如何去释放内心的蝴蝶，经历自我的蜕变。我在那里偶遇的另一个展出，同样吸引着我的注意力：“神秘生物：龙、独角兽与美人鱼”。

虽然我参观自然科学院的目的是去了解蝴蝶，但最终我花了更多的时间来参观这个“神秘生物”的展览。这是一个机缘巧合的例子，有时你会遇到一些有趣的事情，虽然是出乎意料，但却能让你愉快地“走点弯路”。我特意做了一些笔记，来和大家分享我的感想。

自然科学院

几千年来，人们一直通过艺术和传说赋予一些神秘的生灵以生命力。那些真实存在的动物，比如恐龙和独角鲸，可能是人们今日所称的龙与独角兽的来源。即使科学发现已经区分了神话和现实，这些陆地和空中的野兽仍然对人类的想象力产生了持久的影响。

这些故事其实是有可取之处的。在英语中，“a kernel of truth”是指一个宏大叙事中所存在的真实成分，尤其是当其他大部分或所有的元素都是虚构的或可疑的情形出现时。

例如，美人鱼是神话中的人物，在现实中并不存在。民俗学家和神话学者认为传说中的美人鱼起源于儒艮，一种中等大小的海洋动物。早期的水手可能见过儒艮，但不知道它们是什么，于是创造了美人鱼的神话传说。

儒艮 

如今，我们可以更好地区分真实与虚构，理解有多少故事中包含着可信之处。同样的道理也适用于自我认知。如果我们对自己有负面的看法，就可能会把有道理的内容变成一个夸大的故事，而不是准确地看待自己，反而是以一种不准确或不切实际的负面方式看待自己。

此外，不同民族的人们对同一件事的看法也是不同的。例如，中国人和西方人对龙和独角兽的看法就差异明显，尽管我们用的是同一个词。同样，人们也会根据自己的主观理解对你有不同的看法。让我们以龙和独角兽为例。

这种拥有神奇力量的serpentine（蛇形）动物的故事几乎在世界各地都令人敬畏。在中国，龙从海洋、湖泊和河流腾飞到天空，带来了农垦所需的雨水。但在欧洲的故事中，龙可以用putrid（腐烂的）气息屠杀人类，也可以喷火焚烧城市。

在欧洲传说中，龙是强大的、邪恶的、危险的。它们通常生活在洞穴深处，或在农场动物吃草的地方附近的沼泽地里。有的则白天睡觉，到了晚上就开始脾气暴躁。它们用炽热有毒的呼吸杀死人，用尾巴勒死大型动物，并且通常用两条或四条腿爬行，可能还有翅膀。

红色的威尔士龙

在基督教传统中，龙象征着撒旦或罪恶。圣乔治是基督教信仰的一个典型的象征，他曾拯救了一位利比亚公主，使她免于成为一条龙的牺牲品，而这条龙一直在terrorize（威胁）着她的城市。如果公主、她的父亲以及他们的臣民同意受洗，那么他就同意杀死龙。

然而，亚洲的龙则被认为是能量的来源和雨水的给予者。它们吞云吐雾，掌握着季节的更替，控制河流、湖泊和海洋的水文变化。腾起的龙与阳气相联系，“阳”指的是男性的热烈、阳光和行动的准则，而“阴”则代指女性的冷静、阴柔和repose（宁静）的品格。这里的龙强大而仁慈。

亚洲龙

中国龙的唾液香气浓烈，视力很好，额头上有一个叫做“尺木”的隆起物，能够帮助龙腾飞于天，拥有81片鳞甲(相当于九乘九，是一个吉祥数字)，四条腿，每只脚上最多有五爪。龙的形象出现在皇帝的长袍和屋顶瓦片上，而“龙骨”则是一种中药。

“龙性粗猛，而爱美玉、空青，喜嗜燕肉，畏铁及罔草、蜈蚣、五色丝。“——中国医学家李时珍(1518-1593)

学者们仍在争论的是亚洲和西方国家龙的起源是否是来源于恐龙骨骼的早期发现。在古代中国，这一形象可能起源于不同部落的图腾。当一个部落与另一个部落合并时，他们将图腾组合在一起，创造出许多生物的组合体。

费城自然科学院霸王龙骨骼化石

不管怎样，一些真实的，但被误解的东西，产生了某种神秘的事物，并且它们以非常不同的方式进化。这样当我们回到传说的可信之处时，我们就会更好地理解事实和虚构的差异。

在欧洲传说中，如珍珠般白色的独角兽生活在森林深处，避免与人类相接触。当人们遇到它们时，这些生物并不会伤害人类。然而，无数的故事讲述了人类猎杀独角兽并引诱它们落入陷阱的故事。

独角鲸

在现代童话故事和其他的故事里，神话中的独角兽看起来像一匹白马，头上长着角。但在更古老的故事中，这种神奇的动物却拥有着短的、彩色的角和山羊的身体。

神话中的独角兽

亚洲最古老的关于独角兽的故事可以追溯到公元前2700年。这种独角兽被描述为一种拥有巨大力量和智慧的生物。它永远是benevolent（仁慈的），会不惜一切代价避免战斗，走起路来非常轻柔，连一根草都不会踩碎。它罕见的出现代表着一种吉兆，象征一位公正而明智统治者的出现。

根据传说所言，孔子是最后一个见到麒麟的人。它有一个鹿的身体和一层有鳞的皮毛，涵盖了蓝、黑、红、白、黄四种颜色，长着一个肉质覆盖的角(可能有两三个)，还有一头牛的尾巴。

亚洲独角兽

数千年前，圣人伏羲坐在河边时身上却被溅到了水花。他抬起眼睛，看见麒麟正小心翼翼地涉水过河。这动物像一只鹿，但有像龙一样闪闪发光的鳞片。它的前额长出了一只角，背上布满了标记和神秘的符号。

通过龙和独角兽的故事，我们可以看到那些传闻的可信之处是如何延展为不同故事的。就我们自己而言，我们不应该让软弱的内心来定义自己的整个人生旅程。不要认为：“我考试不及格，所以我很笨”或“我喉咙痛，所以我得了肺炎”，避免以偏概全。

每当一个消极的想法出现时，问问自己:“这是真的吗?有没有什么证据能反驳我的想法呢？这样，你就会养成发现自己消极想法的习惯，而不是把它们扩展成一个关于你自己的虚无缥缈的想象，你可以用客观的耳朵来观察它们，但在必要时把它们关闭。

此外，当你被负面的声音所besiege（包围）时，你可以列出自己那些优秀的特质，包括你的性格中积极的特点，之前做过的无私的事情，曾经克服的恐惧。肯定自己，并在接受弱点和自我完善之间找到平衡，专注于自己的发展空间。

游行龙

我的朋友，龙骨和神秘的生物可能是今天龙和独角兽故事的起源。虽然它们作为一种文化现象是有价值的，但我们应该避免自己接受那些不熟悉或消极的东西，并将其扩展到我们总体的自我认知。把事实和虚构分开，你就会发现自己是一个可爱而有价值的人。

本文部分图片来源网络。

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Dragons and unicorns:

is your self-perception myth or reality?

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「 Hello, my friend！

I'm John Smagula. 」

Last month I visited the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, where I wrote about their butterfly exhibit and how to release your inner butterfly and go through your own metamorphosis. Another exhibit, which I unexpectedly encountered at the Academy, also caught my attention: Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids. 

Although my purpose for visiting the Academy was to learn about butterflies, I ended up spending more time in the Mythic Creatures exhibit. This is an example of serendipity, where you come across something interesting, albeit unanticipated, that brings you on a delightful detour. I made a point to take some notes and share my reflections with you.

Academy of Natural Sciences 

For thousands of years, people have brought mythic creatures to life through art and stories. Real animals such as dinosaurs and narwhals may have given rise to the dragons and unicorns of today. Even as scientific discoveries have drawn distinctions between myth and reality, these beasts of the land and air have maintained an enduring hold on the human imagination.

These tales may have a kernel of truth. In English, “a kernel of truth” is a singular element of truth within a greater story, especially when most or all of the other elements are fictitious or questionable.

For example, mermaids are mythical figures that do not exist in reality. Many folklorists and mythographers believe that the origin of the fabled mermaid is the dugong, a medium-sized marine animal. Early sailors may have seen dugongs but did not know what they were, creating the mythical lore of the mermaid.

Dugong 

Today, we can better distinguish between the real and fictional, understanding how many stories can have a kernel of truth. The same reasoning applies to our own self-perception. If we have a negative view of ourselves, we may be turning a kernel of truth into an exaggerated story, not seeing ourselves accurately but in an inaccurate or unrealistically negative way.

Moreover, two people can see the same thing differently. For example, Chinese and Western perceptions of dragons and unicorns are different, even though we use the same words. Likewise, people will have different opinions of you, based on their own subjective interpretations. Let’s look to dragons and unicorns as an example.

Stories of serpentine beasts with fabulous powers inspire awe in almost every part of the world. In China, dragons ascend from the sea, lakes, and rivers up to the sky, bringing rain needed for cultivation. In stories from Europe, dragons can slaughter people with their putrid breath, or spit fire and set cities ablaze.

In European tales, dragons are powerful, wicked, and dangerous. They often live deep inside caves, or in marshes near places where farm animals graze. Some sleep during the day, and go on the rampage after night falls. They kill people with fiery, poisonous breath, can strangle large animals with their tails, usually creep on two or four legs, and may have wings.

European Dragons 

In the Christian tradition, dragons symbolize Satan or sin. Saint George, a popular symbol of the Christian faith, rescues a Libyan princess from being sacrificed to a dragon that has been terrorizing her city. He agrees to kill the dragon if the princess, her father, and their subjects agree to be baptized.

Asian dragons, however, are honored as sources of power and bringers of rain. They breathe clouds, move the seasons, and control the waters of rivers, lakes, and seas. Ascendant dragons are linked with yang, the masculine principle of heat, light, and action, as opposed to yin, the feminine principle of coolness, darkness, and repose. They are powerful and benevolent.

Parade Dragon 

The Chinese dragon has sweet-smelling saliva, excellent eyesight, a bump on the forehead called chi mu that helps the dragon float up into the heavens, 81 scales (equal to nine times nine, a lucky number), and four legs with up to five claws on each foot. Dragons appear on imperial robes and roof tiles, and “dragon bones” is a traditional Chinese medicine.

”The dragon’s nature is rough and fierce, and yet he likes beautiful gems and the Stone of Darkness, and is fond of roasted swallows. He is afraid of iron, the wang plant, of centipedes, of the leaves of the lien tree, and of five-colored silk thread.” –Chinese scholar Li Shizhen (1518-1593)

Scholars continue to debate whether the origins of Asian and Western dragons were early sightings of dinosaur bones.  In Ancient China, the image may have originated from the totems of different tribes. When a tribe merged with another, they combined their totems, creating a compilation of many creatures.

Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton 

Either way, something real, but misunderstood, gave rise to something mythical, and they evolved in very different ways. When we go back to that kernel of truth, we better understand fact vs. fiction.

In European legends, the pearly white unicorns live deep in the forest and avoid contact with humans. When people do encounter them, the creatures cause them no harm. Yet countless stories tell of humans hunting unicorns and luring them into traps.

Narwhal 

In modern fairy tales and other stories, the mythic unicorn looks like a white horse with a single long horn on its head. But in older stories, this fantastic creature has a short, colored horn and the body of a goat.

Mythic Unicorn 

The oldest written stories from Asia that mention a one-horned, magical animal date from 2,700 BC. This unicorn is described as a creature of great power and wisdom. Always benevolent, it avoids fighting at all costs and walks so softly it will not crush a blade of grass. Its rare appearances are omens, celebrating a just and wise ruler.

According to legend, Confucius was the last person ever to see an Asian unicorn. It had a deer’s body, a scaly coat multicolored in blue, black, red, white, and yellow, a flesh-covered horn (maybe even two or three), and the tail of an ox.

Asian Unicorns 

Thousands of years ago, the sage Fuxi was sitting by a river when he was splashed with water. Raising his eyes, he saw the qilin wading carefully through the river. The animal resembled a deer but had shining scales like a dragon. A single horn grew from its forehead. Its back was covered with signs and magic symbols.

Looking to dragons and unicorns, we can see how a kernel of truth gave rise to differing stories. In our own case, we should not let a kernel of weakness define our entire life story. Rather than say, “I failed this test, and therefore I am stupid,” or “I have a sore throat, and therefore I am coming down with pneumonia,” avoid mistaking the partial for the overall.

Each time a negative thought comes up, ask yourself: “Is this really true? What evidence counts against what I’m thinking?” This way, you will get in the habit of detecting your negative thoughts, and rather expand them into a mythical tale about yourself, you can observe them with an objective ear and shut them down when necessary.

Moreover, when besieged by negative voices, you can instead list your good qualities, including your positive traits, selfless things you have done, and fears you have overcome. Affirm yourself, and balance this acceptance of your weaknesses with self-improvement, focusing on where you have space for development. 

My friend, dragon bones and unfamiliar creatures may have given rise to today’s tales of dragons and unicorns. While valuable as a cultural phenomenon, we should avoid taking something unfamiliar, or negative, about ourselves and expanding it to cover our entire self-perception. Separate fact from fiction, and you will see yourself as the lovable and valuable person you truly are!

{  今日英文速记卡  }

1.Serpentine \ ˈsər-pən-ˌtēn \

a)含义：adj. 蜿蜒的；弯弯曲曲的

b)例句：

i.Stories of serpentine beasts with fabulous powers inspire awe in almost every part of the world. 

这种拥有神奇力量的蛇形动物的故事几乎在世界各地都令人敬畏。

ii.This is a serpentine road going through the Urals.

这是一条蜿蜒的路穿过乌拉尔山。

c)近义词： curving, sinuous, winding

2.Putrid \ ˈpyü-trəd \

a)含义：adj. 腐败的；腐烂的

b)例句：

i.In stories from Europe, dragons can slaughter people with their putrid breath, or spit fire and set cities ablaze.

但在欧洲的故事中，龙可以用腐烂的气息屠杀人类，也可以喷火焚烧城市。

ii.Today, I was sitting on the train wondering what that putrid smell was.

今天我坐在火车上，旁边一直有股奇怪的味道。

c)近义词：decayed, rotten, stinking

3.Terrorize \ ˈter-ər-ˌīz \

a)含义：v. 使…恐怖

b)例句：

i.Saint George, a popular symbol of the Christian faith, rescues a Libyan princess from being sacrificed to a dragon that has been terrorizing her city. 

圣乔治是基督教信仰的一个典型的象征，他曾拯救了一位利比亚公主，使她免于成为一条龙的牺牲品，而这条龙一直在威胁着她的城市。

ii.Their point is to terrorize people, right?

他们的目的是恐吓人们，不是吗？

c)近义词：frighten, horrify, scare

4.Benevolent \ bə-ˈnev-lənt \

a)含义：adj. 仁慈的；亲切的

b)例句：

i.Always benevolent, it avoids fighting at all costs and walks so softly it will not crush a blade of grass. 

它永远是仁慈的，会不惜一切代价避免战斗，走起路来非常轻柔，连一根草都不会踩碎。

ii.This list is about the greatest, most benevolent monarchs in history—those rulers who made life better for their people.

这则名单是关于历史上的那些最伟大、最仁慈，让他们的人民生活得更加美好的君王的。

c)近义词： beneficent, humane, warmhearted

5.Besiege \ bi-ˈsēj \

a)含义：v. 包围；围困

b)例句：

i.Moreover, when besieged by negative voices, you can instead list your good qualities, including your positive traits, selfless things you have done, and fears you have overcome. 

此外，当你被负面的声音所包围时，你可以列出自己那些优秀的特质，包括你的性格中积极的特点，之前做过的无私的事情，曾经克服的恐惧。

ii.Fans besieged the box office to try and get tickets for the concert.

歌迷们围着售票处，试图买到音乐会门票。

c)近义词：harrow, plague, torment

Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you. 

See you next time.

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John Smagula

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