Left-Handedness
左撇子的美麗與哀愁
Many cultures have not been friendly to lefties over the years. The word “left” was linked to negative ideas in several languages. In Latin, it was connected with something “unlucky” and “evil.” In Old English, “left” meant “weak.” In Islamic culture, people commonly use their left hand to clean themselves after they use the toilet, so many Muslims feel the left hand is unclean. Christians also like the right hand better. The Bible says that Jesus is seated on God’s right side in Heaven.
長久以來許多文化對左撇子不是很友善。「left」這個字在許多語言與負面的概念有關。在拉丁文中，「不幸」和「邪惡」與之相關聯。在古英語裡，「left」意味著「軟弱、虛弱」。伊斯蘭文化中，人們通常在如廁後用左手清潔，因此許多伊斯蘭教信徒覺得左手是不潔淨的。基督徒也較偏愛右手。聖經中敘述了在天堂，耶穌坐在聖父的右側。
生活必備字詞：
be linked to... 與……有關
The police think the crime is linked to another one.
negative a. 負面的，不好的
seated a. 坐著的（不用於名詞前）
本文節錄自《常春藤生活英語》雜誌，完整內容請見八月號。
