图源：CHINA DAILY
Rabbits are a courageous little species able to live on every continent, except Antarctica. Alongside the beginning of 2023, the new Year of the Rabbit is about to start! Maybe now is the best time to talk about this adorable animal in the eyes of different cultures.
兔子虽然体型娇小，却生性勇敢，除了南极洲，每块大陆上都能看到兔子的生存繁衍。随着步入2023年，兔年也到了！也许现在正是最佳时机，让我们谈谈在不同文化中，人们是如何看待可爱的兔子的。
Cultural image of rabbits in China
兔子在中国文化中的形象
Rabbits are instinctively quiet but agile, which suits traditional Chinese aesthetic values of being gentle and cultivated. There is a view of rabbits in Chinese culture as being smart and gentle. This is shown by the phrase dongru tuotu, a Chinese idiom praising people who are smart and agile like a rabbit.
兔子天性安静、敏捷，符合中国传统“温文尔雅”的审美价值。在中国文化中，兔子意味着聪颖、文雅，“动如脱兔”这个成语便是证明，人们用其赞美那些像兔子一样聪明、机敏的人。
Legend has it that there is a Jade Rabbit living on the moon which is the pet of Chang’e, a goddess widely known in China. This can explain why rabbits are regarded as an auspicious sign.
在神话传说中，月亮上住着一只玉兔，它是中国家喻户晓的神仙嫦娥的宠物，这就可以解释人们为何视兔子为祥瑞。
Also, in ancient China, it was common sense that the more children you had, the luckier and happier you would be. This belief made the rabbit a popular sign of good fortune, since rabbits are full of vitality and fertile in nature.
此外，在中国古代，大家普遍认为子嗣越多，福运和喜气就越大。而在大自然里，兔子精力旺盛、繁殖能力强，因此就成为了吉祥的象征。
Cultural image of rabbits in the West
兔子在西方文化中的形象
Similarly in the West, they are well-known to be able to reproduce and thrive in sometimes difficult and surprising conditions, with populations growing to enormous sizes in short amounts of time. Rabbits are also considered to be incredibly lucky in the West, with several traditions illustrating how to gain the animal’s good luck for yourself.
兔子的形象在西方与中国有一点很相似：兔子以强大的生存能力著称，有时在出奇艰苦的条件下，也能生存繁衍、茁壮成长，并在很短的时间内将种群扩张到巨大的规模。西方人还将兔子视为极致的幸运，多个西方传统都解释了如何从兔子身上汲取好运。
One of the most well-known symbols of good luck, a stuffed rabbit’s foot is supposed to bring good fortune. This is a good luck charm that can be found all over the world, from the people of Europe to the traditional cultures of North America.
毛绒的兔子脚是最著名的吉兆之一，人们认为兔脚应该会带来好运。从欧洲社会到北美的传统文化中，世界各地都能感受到这种好运气。
A hunter being able to catch a rabbit in the first place is also a sign of good luck. Another tradition for good luck found in North America and the UK is to say the word “rabbit” on the first morning of every month.
猎人在打猎的时候，如果能够先抓到兔子，也是一个好兆头。在北美和英国，还有另一个祈求好运的传统：在每个月第一天的早上，说出“兔子”一词。
Rabbits also pop up in other areas of Western culture. It is a rabbit that Alice follows in the story of Alice in Wonderland to escape the normal world and helps to begin her adventure. Rabbits are also related to Easter, with the Easter bunny being thought to be in some way related to the chocolate eggs eaten at this time of year. While the animal appears in many different places, it is always seen as an animal to be welcomed.
兔子也出现在西方文化的其他领域。在《爱丽丝梦游仙境》的故事中，爱丽丝跟随一只兔子逃离了现实世界，开始了冒险之旅。兔子还与复活节有关，人们认为每年复活节吃的巧克力蛋，某种程度上就与兔子有关。虽然兔子出现在许多不同的领域，但大家总是将其视为一种受欢迎的动物。
So, with it now being the lucky animal’s turn on the Chinese zodiac, maybe the Year of the Rabbit can bring you some good fortune, too!
所以，现在轮到十二生肖中的祥瑞之兔登场了，或许兔年也能给你带来一些好运呢！
以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报》高二894期
