Between 17 and 21 million people in the U.S. suffer from the hard-to-pronounce paraskavedekatriaphobia, or the fear of the unluckiest day on the calendar—Friday the 13th. But when did a fear of this dreaded day start, and why did it catch on? Let's find out on today's episode of Colossal Questions!
美國有 1700 萬到 2100 萬人都得了這個超難發音的「十三號星期五恐懼症（paraskavedekatriaphobia）」，也就是害怕日曆上最不吉利的日子－－十三號星期五。但人們對這個日子的恐懼感是從何時開始，又為何會流傳至今呢？讓我們在今天的〈大哉問〉一探究竟吧!
Nobody is exactly sure where the fear of Friday the 13th started, but most experts agree it likely has something to do with the number 12. Throughout history, 12 has been considered a complete number by many cultures. There are 12 months in a year, 12 gods of Olympus in Greek mythology, and 12 sons of Odin in Viking mythology. There are 12 Jewish tribes of Israel, 12 Christian apostles of Jesus, 12 stages of life in Buddhism, and 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac.
沒有人真的知道這種對十三號星期五的恐懼是從哪裡冒出來的，但專家大多認為這跟數字 12 有關。一直以來，「12」在各個文化中都被視為一個完整的數字。一年有 12 個月，希臘神話中的奧林帕斯山上有 12 天神，北歐神話裡的奧丁也有 12 個兒子。以色列有 12 支派，耶穌有 12 門徒，佛教有 12 因緣，中國也有 12 生肖。
Since 12 is considered complete, and therefore the perfect number adding one more number threw off that perfect balance, making 13 an irregular and, over time, unlucky number. So, why is it Friday the 13th?
12 既然被視為完整的數字，那這完美的數字多出一個，就會破壞完美的平衡，讓人覺得 13 很突兀，後來就變成一個不吉利的數字。那麼，到底為什麼是十三號星期五呢？
Over time, Friday is taking on its own significance in Western cultures as an unfortunate bloody day. Most Roman crucifixions took place on Fridays, including the most famous crucifixion of all time—Jesus. So, as Christianity spread, Friday's unlucky reputation spread as well. Over time, Friday the 13th took on its own spooky significance because it was a combination of two separate superstitions—a super superstition!
隨著時間推移，西方文化中有越來越多人將「星期五」視為不吉利的血腥日子。古羅馬都是在星期五將犯人釘死在十字架上，包含最有名的一場死刑－－耶穌。所以說啦，隨著基督教越來越盛行，星期五不吉利的名聲也逐漸傳了開來。十三號星期五開始讓人感到毛骨悚然，因為這結合了兩種迷信－－超超迷信啊!
Nowadays, we still see remnants of this superstition in our everyday lives. Many tall buildings skip the 13th floor, street addresses sometimes skip from 12 to 14, and airports occasionally don't have a 13th gate. But despite all the precautions, many studies have shown that there's no increase in the number of accidents or injuries when Friday the 13th rolls around.
現在，我們在日常生活中還是看得到這種殘存的迷信。很多大樓都會跳過 13 樓，街道地址從 12 號直接跳到 14 號，有的機場也沒有 13 號登機門。雖然大家對這個數字戰戰兢兢，但研究指出，十三號星期五當天的意外或傷亡事件並沒有比較多。
So, Friday the 13th might make you a little uneasy, but it's safe to say you probably have nothing to worry about. But...that being said, I'd steer clear of any black cats or broken mirrors, you know, just to be safe.
十三號星期五可能會讓你有點不自在，但其實可以很放心地說，你根本不太需要擔心這一天。但...話雖然是這麼說啦，看到黑色的貓或破掉的鏡子我還是會閃得遠遠的，你知道，安全起見嘛。
And now you know why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky. Comment below if you have any burning questions you'd like to know the answer to. We may just answer it. Oh, and don't forget to subscribe for more episodes of Colossal Questions!
現在你知道為什麼十三號星期五很不吉利了。有任何你超想要知道答案的問題，就在底下留言吧。我們可能會回答喔。喔，也別忘了訂閱，才不會錯過其他〈大哉問〉的影片!
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