Learn the superstitions about feeling pulses in your right and left eyes
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Eric: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Chinese Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 1 - Feeling Pulses in Your Right and Left Eyes. 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: 右眼跳灾, (yòu yǎn tiào zāi). |
| Eric: Which literally means "A twitch in right eye, upcoming disaster." Dehua, can you repeat the Chinese phrase again? |
| Dehua: [slow] 右眼跳灾 [normal] 右眼跳灾 |
| Eric: In China, it's believed that if your right eyelid twitches, bad things could happen to you. |
| Dehua: Actually this isn’t true for all regions in China. |
| Eric: That’s right. Some people from certain areas actually believe the opposite, that a twitch in the left eye indicates upcoming disaster. |
| Dehua: So it depends on who you ask. |
| Eric: Where did this superstition come from? |
| Dehua: It’s just a saying that was passed down. |
| Eric: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s it called in Chinese? |
| Dehua: 左眼跳财, (zuǒ yǎn tiào cái). |
| Eric: Which literally means "A twitch in left eye, upcoming fortune." Let’s hear it in Chinese again. |
| Dehua: [slow] 左眼跳财 [normal] 左眼跳财 |
| Eric: This superstition is the opposite of the previous one. |
| Dehua: Yes. In China, it's believed that if your left eye twitches, luck might be coming your way. |
| Eric: Again, this changes depending on the region. In some places, people believe that a twitch in your right eye indicates upcoming fortune. |
| Dehua: Again, it’s just a saying that was passed down. |
| Eric: So if your eye twitches, it could be either good luck or bad luck. |
| Dehua: Right, so be on the lookout! |
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! |
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