Ghosts and Spirits
鬼魂與靈魂
An ancient belief
Belief in ghosts is as old as mankind itself. In ancient cultures all around the world, people believed that the human soul left the body at the time of death and entered the afterlife. But if spirits go to live in the afterlife, why would they appear to the living in the form of ghosts? In Chinese tradition, the gates to the underworld open during Ghost Month—the seventh month of the lunar calendar—allowing the spirits of the dead to visit the world of the living for food and entertainment.
古代的信仰
自從有人類以來，就存在鬼魂的信仰。在世界各地的古文化中，人們相信在死亡之際，人的靈魂會離開身體，進入來世。但靈魂若是到來世生活，又為何要以鬼魂的形式出現在人間？中國傳統認為，陰間大門會在鬼月，也就是農曆七月開啟，讓往生者的靈魂到人間覓食和作樂。
In Christian tradition, the souls of the dead go to Heaven or Hell, where they remain for eternity. No wonder there are only two clear references to ghosts in the Bible. In the Old Testament, Saul, King of Israel, asks the ghost of Samuel for advice in defeating the Philistines; and in the New Testament, Jesus has to persuade people that’s he’s not a ghost after he rises from the dead. Yet while the Church discouraged belief in ghosts, there were so many sightings over the centuries that their efforts had little effect.
基督教傳統認為，死者的靈魂會上天堂或下地獄，並永遠留在那裡，因此聖經中只有兩處明確提到鬼魂也就不足為奇了。在舊約中，以色列的掃羅王向撒母耳的鬼魂請教如何打敗非利士人；在新約中，耶穌復活後要說服大家他不是鬼魂。不過，儘管教會阻止人民相信鬼魂，但幾百年來仍有許多看到鬼魂的傳聞，可見教會的控制成效不彰。
Ghosts enter the modern era
Ghost stories had long been popular with Victorian readers, but it was the work of Scottish writer Catherine Crowe that brought belief in ghosts into the modern era. In The Night Side of Nature, published in 1848, she collected accounts of ghost sightings and haunted houses from all over Europe. What made Crowe’s book different from other collections of ghost stories was the fact that she carried out careful research, requiring at least two firsthand witnesses for each account included.
傳入現代的鬼魂
鬼故事長久以來一直深受維多利亞時代的讀者歡迎。但將鬼魂信仰帶入現代的，是蘇格蘭作家凱瑟琳克羅維的作品。她在1848年出版的《自然的夜界》中，收錄歐洲各地看到鬼魂和鬼屋的報導。克羅維的書和其他鬼故事選集的不同之處在於她精心進行研究，所收錄的每篇報導，都至少有兩位第一手目擊證人。
The rise of spiritualism
While Crowe’s book did much to raise public awareness of the supernatural, it was an event on the other side of the Atlantic that turned belief in ghosts and the afterlife into a new religious movement called spiritualism. In the spring of 1848, when the Fox family of New York State was kept up by strange noises in their house, sisters Maggie and Katie discovered the source was a ghost, and that they could communicate with him by asking questions and interpreting the rapping sounds that he made.
通靈的崛起
正當克羅維的書推波助瀾大幅使大眾對超自然有進一步的認識時，在大西洋的另一邊正興起一場將鬼魂和來世的信仰發展成通靈的新宗教活動。1848年春季，紐約州的福克斯家因住家發出奇怪聲響夜不成眠，瑪姬和凱蒂兩姐妹發現聲音的來源是鬼魂，而且她們能透過提問跟鬼溝通，也能解讀鬼發出的敲擊聲。
The ghost claimed that he was a salesman who’d been killed by the house’s former owner, and when human bones were discovered in the basement, the sisters’ story spread across the country. They began traveling from town to town holding séances, where they communicated with other spirits using the same method. As their fame as mediums grew, many others found that they could also contact spirits, and a new religious movement was born. Instead of church, members attended séances, where mediums helped them talk to dead relatives and receive guidance from the spirit world.
那個鬼魂自稱是銷售員，是被那棟房子的前屋主所殺，屍骨在地下室被找到後，這對姐妹的故事傳遍全國。她們開始周遊各個城鎮，舉辦降神會，以同樣的方式跟其他鬼魂溝通。隨著她們的靈媒聲望越來越高，也有許多人發現自己能跟鬼魂溝通，於是新的宗教運動就此誕生。信徒不上教堂，而是參加降神會，靈媒在集會上幫他們跟死去的親戚溝通，接受來自靈界的指引。
Are ghosts real?
When ghosts at séances went from rapping on tables to moving objects and even appearing before audiences, many began to suspect that the mediums were just performing tricks. Clubs and societies were formed to investigate the existence of ghosts, and while a number of mediums turned out to be frauds, some investigators—including doctor and author Arthur Conan Doyle and scientist Pierre Curie—actually became believers. This tradition continues today on popular shows like Ghost Hunter and Ghost Adventures. Although no solid proof has been found yet, it’s hard to prove that ghosts don’t exist.
真的有鬼魂嗎？
降神會上的鬼魂有的會敲打桌子，有的會移動物品，甚至有的出現在群眾眼前，但許多人開始質疑這是靈媒在耍把戲。於是有人成立會社和協會調查是否有鬼魂存在，儘管有些靈媒證實是騙子，但也有些調查者成了信徒，包括醫生兼作家亞瑟柯南道爾和科學家皮耶居里。這種傳統持續至今，甚至以此製作成受歡迎的節目，例如《靈異前線》和《靈異探險》。雖然尚未找到可靠的證據證明鬼魂存在，但也難以證明鬼魂不存在。
Properties of ghosts
When ghosts can be seen to humans, they usually have a white, transparent appearance, but may also look just like they did in real life. Some walk around in a normal manner, while others float through the air. Ghosts are almost always dressed, usually in clothing from the period they lived in. They may use words or gestures to communicate with the living, or may not even notice them at all. Some ghosts appear to living relatives to deliver warnings or advice, and others haunt specific locations, usually where they died violent or tragic deaths. Ghosts called poltergeists—“noisy ghost” in German—make loud noises and throw objects around.
鬼魂的特性
人看到的鬼魂通常外表是白色、透明的，但也可能看起來就是祂們在世的模樣。有些鬼的行為正常，有些則飄浮在空中。鬼魂幾乎都有穿衣服，通常穿著生存時代的衣服。祂們可能會用言語或手勢跟生者溝通，也可能根本沒人注意到祂們。有些鬼魂出現在活著的親戚眼前，給他們警告或建議，另有一些鬼魂則在特定地點出沒，通常是祂們慘遭暴力或不幸而喪生的地方。源自德文的騷靈，意思是「喧鬧的鬼」，會發出巨大的噪音和到處扔東西。
Getting rid of ghosts
Most ghosts mean humans no harm, but living in a haunted house can still be a scary experience. Sometimes getting rid of a ghost is as simple as asking it to leave. If the ghost is a dead loved one, just tell it that it’s all right to move on. Another way to get rid of a ghost is to cleanse the space with incense, candles and prayer. For ghosts that are particularly stubborn or evil, an exorcism may be necessary.
驅鬼
大部分鬼魂無意傷害人類，但住在鬧鬼的房子仍是可怕的經歷。有時驅鬼的方式就只是要求他們離開這麼簡單而已。如果鬼魂是死去的愛人，只要請祂放下並離開就好。另一種驅鬼方式是用焚香、蠟燭或禱告淨化空間。對於那些特別頑固或邪惡的鬼魂，可能有必要舉行驅魔儀式。
Vocabulary
afterlife (n.) 來世
underworld (n.)（首字母常大寫）陰間，冥府
lunar (a.) 陰曆的，按月球的運轉測定的
entertainment (n.) 娛樂
eternity (n.) 永遠，（似乎）無止盡的時間
reference (n.) 提及，參考書目
testament (n.) （首字母大寫）聖經舊約，聖經新約
defeat (v./n.) 擊敗，戰敗
sighting (n.) 目擊
account (n.) 報導，記述
carry out (phr.) 完成，執行，進行
firsthand (a. / adv.) 第一手的；親自地
witness (n. / v.) 目擊者，證人；目擊，證明
spiritualism (n.) 通靈，招魂論
awareness (n.) 意識，認識，了解。raise awareness 即「使進一步了解，喚起…意識」
supernatural (a.) 超自然的，靈異的
movement (n.)（社會）運動，活動
interpret (n.) 解釋，闡述
rap (v./n.) 敲打；扣扣聲
séance (n.) 降神會
medium (n.) 靈媒，（藝術）媒介、材料、種類
fraud (n.) 欺騙，詐欺，騙局
property (n.) 特性，屬性
transparent (a.) 透明的
get rid of (phr.) 擺脫，排除
incense (n.) 香
exorcism (n.) 驅魔，招魂
Saul掃羅王
掃羅（也譯作撒烏耳）是以色列的開國君王（西元前1020年）。當時以色列人強烈希望能有自己的君主，先知撒母耳（Samuel，也譯作撒慕爾）依照上帝的旨意膏立（anoint，塗油引入神力、擺脫魔鬼的宗教儀式，常用於君王登基及驅魔除病）掃羅為王。掃羅在位40 年間多次帶領人民與非利士人（Philistine）、亞捫人（Ammon）作戰獲勝，對以色列民族的統一功不可沒。
Victorian era維多利亞時代
即維多利亞女王（Alexandrina Victoria）的統治時期（1837~1901年），是英國工業革命及大英帝國的巔峰時期，文化、藝術、建築都有很大的進步，科技的發展導致人口快速成長，加上生產方式由農業轉為工業，形成大量中產階級，符合中產階級品味的小說因此成為英語文學的主流。小說家狄更斯（Charles Dickens）即為本時期的文學代表人物。
Fox sisters 福克斯家三姐妹
Maggie Fox（1833~1893）和Katie Fox（1837~1892）堪稱現代靈媒的始祖，十幾歲起展現她們的通靈能力，能透過敲擊聲組成的密碼與鬼魂溝通。兩人的大姐 Leah Fox（1831~1890）曾經協助她們發展事業，在上流社交圈內舉辦降神會、首開先河收費表演通靈術。儘管Maggie和Kati晚年公開招認只是在裝神弄鬼，但相信及研究鬼魂的風氣，早已隨她們的聲名遠播而大開。
Arthur Conan Doyle 柯南道爾爵士
英國作家柯南道爾（1859~1930）是福爾摩斯系列小說作者。他中學時期開始排斥家庭的天主教信仰；二十幾歲剛開始寫作時期，就已加入研究靈異現象的團體；後來歷經妻子、兒子、弟弟及多位親屬相繼離世，讓他更想藉由證明活人可以與死者溝通來獲得慰藉。
Pierre Curie 皮耶居里
法國物理學家皮耶居里（1859~1906）曾因放射性元素鐳的研究，與妻子瑪麗居里（Marie Curie，或稱居里夫人Madame Curie）共同獲得諾貝爾物理學獎。
居里夫婦與當時多位科學家，曾共同研究一位著名靈媒，記錄到許多靈異現象，並認為真的有某種神秘未解的領域存在。
move on 繼續過生活
move on 字面上的意思是「繼續移動」，常用於形容從失敗或是傷痛中站起來。這是把人生看成一段旅程， move on 正可傳神地表達那種走出悲情，「日子繼續過下去」的感覺。
A: It's been a year, but I still think about her all the time.
已經一年了，但我還是一直想著她。
B: I think it's time for you to meet someone new and move on.
我覺得該是你重新跟人交往，展開新生活的時候了。
恐怖哦～～靈異新聞 Paranormal News
情境設定：一個台灣學生（女）和一個美國學生（男）做語言交換，美國學生要讀中文報紙，兩個人在瀏覽報紙上的文章。
（主題1）凶宅
F: Hey, Tom. I brought a paper. What section do you want to read?
女：嘿，湯姆，我帶報紙來了。你想讀哪一版？
M: The crime section, of course. That’s where all the juicy stories are—murders, suicides….
男：當然是社會版。精彩的新聞都在這裡——謀殺、自殺…。
F: Ha-ha. That reminds me of a story that was in the news lately. A group of friends rented a house, and after they moved in bad things started happening to them, like traffic accidents and strange illnesses. Then the faucets started turning on by themselves, and every night the smell of baking cake filled the air. When they started asking around, a neighbor told them that the house’s previous owner committed suicide there by burning charcoal. They were so freaked out that they broke their lease and moved out.
女：哈哈。這讓我想到最近的一則新聞。有幾個朋友合租了一棟房子。住進去之後，每個人都開始碰到倒楣的事，像是出車禍、生怪病，而且水龍頭會自己打開，還每天晚上都飄出烤蛋糕的味道。他們向鄰居打聽，一個鄰居透露之前的屋主在這棟房子燒炭自殺。嚇得他們趕緊退租搬家。
M: So they thought the house was haunted by the suicide victim?
男：所以他們認為是自殺者在屋裡作祟？
F: Yeah. In Taiwan, we call a house where a murder or suicide took place a “xiong zhai.”
女：是的。在台灣，我們稱曾發生謀殺或自殺的房屋為「凶宅」。
M: So it doesn’t count if somebody dies of natural causes.
男：所以如果有人自然死亡並不算？
F: Right. In Taiwan it’s a big taboo to buy a xiong zhai. People believe it can cause bad health and bring bad luck. When someone sells a house where there was a murder or suicide, they’re required to disclose that to the buyer. There’s even a xiong zhai website where you can look up addresses to see if anything bad happened there. Do you have taboos like that in America?
女：對。在台灣非常忌諱買到凶宅，大家相信這對健康和運勢非常不利。出售曾發生謀殺或自殺的房屋時，賣方必須告知買主。這裡甚至有「凶宅網」供人查詢地址，看那裡是否曾經出事。在美國，你們對這類房子有忌諱嗎？
M: I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, but nobody wants to live in a house where some grisly murder took place. As far as I know, some states have disclosure laws, but most don’t.
男：我不認為這在美國是嚴重的問題，但沒人想住在發生過可怕凶殺案的住宅。據我所知，有些州有揭露法，但大部分沒有。
F: Oh, there was another weird story in the news recently. A worker fell off a roof into an alley between two houses, and it was too narrow for the ambulance to drive into. The paramedics asked the owner of one of the houses if he could open his back door so they could carry the injured man out, but he refused. He was afraid that if the guy died in his house it would affect his property value!
女：對了，最近還有一則非常離譜的新聞。有工人從屋頂跌落兩棟房屋中間的窄巷，救護車開不進去。救難人員請一戶人家打開後門，讓他們將傷患抬出去，那位屋主拒絕。因為他怕傷患死在他家裡，會影響他的房價！
M: Wow, I guess people really take this stuff seriously.
男：哇，我想有人真的把這種事看得很嚴重。
F: Well, not everybody’s a believer. Some people even invest in xiong zhai, and I hear the money is good.
女：不過也有人不信邪。有人專門投資凶宅，聽說利潤很不錯。
M: Are you considering an investment?
男：妳也想投資？
F: Apartments here are so expensive that I couldn’t even afford a xiong zhai. How about you? Would you live in a xiong zhai?
女：房子實在太貴了，我連凶宅都買不起。那你呢？如果是凶宅，你敢住嗎？
M: I don’t know. All these creepy stories are giving me the heebie-jeebies. How about showing me that website so I can see if my apartment is a xiong zhai?
男：我不知道。這些恐怖的新聞令我坐立難安。給我看看那個網站如何，我想看我的公寓是不是凶宅？
Vocabulary
commit (v.) 做（錯事），犯（罪），commit suicide 即「自殺」
charcoal (n.) 木炭
freak out (phr.)（使人）（因為害怕、生氣，興奮等）失控，發神經
lease (n.) 租約
taboo (n.) 禁忌
required (a.) 必須的
disclose (v.) 公開，揭露。名詞為disclosure
grisly (a.) 可怕的，慘重的
weird (a.) 奇怪的，怪異的
ambulance (n.) 救護車
paramedic (n.) 醫務人員
injured (a.) 受傷的
creepy (a.) 令人毛骨悚然的，恐怖的
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