【英文原文】

Touching Wood

The English touch wood for luck; Americans prefer to knock wood for the purpose. Some people believe this superstition reflects the early Christian worship for the wooden cross on which Jesus was put to death. Touching or knocking wood is a sign of connecting with the cross. Others give a different explanation. They say during the Middle Ages when a person who ran away from something could find protection in a church, touching the wooden doors of the church would mean that he or she was safe. Still another explanation is that people used to believe that the god who lived in oak trees would punish boasters, and so knocking on wood is a way of apologizing to him after one has boasted.

【中文譯文】

摸木頭

英國人摸木頭圖吉利，美國人敲木頭圖吉利。有人認為這一迷信反映了古代基督徒對耶穌受難十字架的膜拜。不管是摸還是敲，總之都算是碰了十字架。另一種解釋是，在中世紀時，逃犯可到教堂避難，連法律都暫時奈何他不得。觸摸到教堂的木門就算得到了避難權。還有一種說法認為，櫟樹里的精靈專門懲罰愛吹牛皮的人，所以人吹過牛皮之后，敲敲木頭向精靈道歉，免得挨罰。