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Lesson Transcript

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

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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