Learn about superstitions related to hearing a raven, and hearing a magpie
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Eric: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Chinese Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 3 - Hearing a Raven and Hearing a Magpie. I'm Eric and I'm joined by Dehua. |
| Dehua: 你好! (nǐhǎo!), I'm Dehua. |
| THE TWO SUPERSTITIONS |
| Eric: In this lesson we’ll talk about two common superstitions in China. The first superstition is about bad luck. What’s it called in Chinese? |
| Dehua: 听见乌鸦叫, (tīngjiàn wūyā jiào). |
| Eric: Which literally means "to hear a raven." Dehua, can you repeat the Chinese phrase again? |
| Dehua: [slow] 听见乌鸦叫 [normal] 听见乌鸦叫 |
| Eric: In China, it's believed that hearing a raven is bad luck. |
| Dehua: I think ravens are associated with the supernatural in many cultures. |
| Eric: I would agree. This could be because of the raven's black color and the depressing sound it makes. In English, they say “caw” and in Chinese, they say… |
| Dehua: [gwa gwa] |
| Eric: Also, ravens were always seen at battlefields feeding on dead bodies. |
| Dehua: So you can understand why they have a negative image. |
| Eric: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s it called in Chinese? |
| Dehua: 听见喜鹊叫, (tīngjiàn xǐquè jiào). |
| Eric: Which literally means "to hear a magpie." Let’s hear it in Chinese again. |
| Dehua: [slow] 听见喜鹊叫 [normal] 听见喜鹊叫 |
| Eric: In China, it's believed that hearing a magpie is good luck. |
| Dehua: In China, magpies have a much more positive image than ravens. |
| Eric: It's because magpies are attracted to fresh fruits and food. |
| Dehua: These are foods served on happy occasions in China, such as weddings. |
| Eric: So people associate magpies with good things and good luck. |
Outro |
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| Eric: There you have it - two Chinese superstitions! Are they similar to any of your country’s superstitions? Let us know in the comments! |
| Dehua: 再见! (Zàijiàn!) |
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