【英语生活】如何打破迷信怪圈？

When I sneeze, people often say to me – I know not why – “bless you”. I do not reciprocate when others sneeze, for I refuse to subscribe to any form of superstition.

It follows that my well-wishers clearly are superstitious. Therefore, my exceptional politesse dictates that I ought to offer them a blessing whenever they expel extraneous sinal mucus.

But perhaps the whole of humankind believes that everyone else is superstitious and so this absurd tradition continues between people who ought to know better, each of them fearing that they will cause offence. It is an awful superstition-fearing spiral. How, dear economist, to break out of it?

Hugh Costello

Dear Hugh,

There seem to be competing explanations for the “bless you” convention – that the sneeze has driven out an evil spirit, that the blessing wards off the bubonic plague, or even that a blessing restarts the heart after the sneeze stops it.

You conclude that anyone who says “bless you” either believes one of these things, or is indulging another person's presumed superstition. A more likely explanation is that saying “bless you” sends a signal that you have noticed another person's existence. It is a weak signal, but not saying “bless you” sends a strong signal that you do not care to acknowledge the presence of another human being.

Here is a parallel. When I wish a colleague “good morning” it is not because I believe doing so will cause a good morning to spring into existence. It is because not saying “good morning” is rude – doubly so if she has said “good morning” to me.

You seem a literal-minded fellow, Hugh. When you addressed me as “dear” economist, were you expressing romantic feelings for me? If so, I am afraid I have some bad news.

当我打喷嚏时，不知为什么，人们常常会对我说，“长命百岁”。但当别人打喷嚏时，我却不会做出同样的回应，因为我拒绝支持任何迷信形式。

由此推断，祝福我的人显然是迷信的。而我对礼节异常注重，这意味着只要他们打喷嚏，我都应该对他们说一声“长命百岁”。

但或许全人类都会认为，所有其他人都是迷信的，所以，这种荒谬的传统才得以在本该更加明智的人群中传承下去，他们都担心自己会冒犯到别人。这是一个可怕的迷信恐惧心理的恶性循环。亲爱的经济学家，该如何打破这一循环呢？

休?科斯特洛(Hugh Costello)

亲爱的休，

对于“长命百岁”这一习俗，似乎存在相互矛盾的解释：喷嚏驱逐了邪恶的灵魂；祝福语击退了黑死病；甚至，祝福重启了因打喷嚏而停止跳动的心脏。

你的结论是，说“长命百岁”的人，要么相信这其中的某个解释，要么以为另一个人相信，从而迎合他的迷信心理。但一个更合理的解释是，说“长命百岁”是在发出一个信号——表明你注意到了另一个人的存在。这是一个很微弱的信号，但如果不说，你就会发出一个很强的信号——即你无意理会另一个人的存在。

我们可以打个比方。当我向同事说“早上好”时，不是因为我相信，这么做就会带来一个美好的早晨。而是因为不问候别人是不礼貌的——如果她先跟我说了“早上好”，那就是加倍地不礼貌。

休，你貌似是一个望文生义的家伙。当你称呼我为“亲爱的”经济学家的时候，你是在向我表达爱意吗？如果真是这样，恐怕我要一些坏消息要告诉你。

译者/何黎