从A到Z畅谈美国流行文化：Curiosity killed the cat
<p>电影《好奇害死猫》的海报有这样一段宣传语：“猫，因为好奇丢掉了性命;人，因为好奇而深陷泥潭。记住，有句英文谚语：好奇害死猫。”随着影片的热映，这句谚语在国内迅速流行起来。</p><p>由于电影的官方英文名字是<span word="Curiosity">Curiosity</span> <span word="Kills">Kills</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Cat">Cat</span>，不少人误以为谚语的原话就是这句，其实不然。正确的说法是 <span word="curiosity">curiosity</span> <span word="killed">killed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cat">cat</span>，过去式。 用过去式是否意味着这句话起源于某个特定事件?这个问题始终没有明确的答案，各大词典给出的回答都是“<span word="ongm">ongm</span> <span word="unknown">unknown</span>/<span word="unclear">unclear</span>”(起源不详)。</p><p>可以确定的是，这句谚语最早以书面形式出现是在1909年0.<span word="Henry">Henry</span>的短篇故事“<span word="Schools">Schools</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Schools">Schools</span>”(《学校呀学校》)里：<span word="Curiosity">Curiosity</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="kill">kill</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cat">cat</span>: <span word="and">and</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="emotions">emotions</span>. <span word="well">well</span> <span word="recognized">recognized</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="feminine">feminine</span>. <span word="arelnimical">arelnimical</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="f">f</span>'<span word="eline">eline</span> <span word="life">life</span>. <span word="then">then</span> <span word="jealousy">jealousy</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="leave">leave</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="catless">catless</span>.(好奇可以做到的不仅仅是害死猫。如果通常被认为是女性化的情绪对猫的生命有害，那么妒忌很快将杀死世上所有的猫。)</p><p>当然，这里用的是<span word="can">can</span> <span word="kill">kill</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cat">cat</span>，而非过去式<span word="killed">killed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cat">cat</span>。 采用过去式的表达于1916年3月4日第一次在印刷物中出现。当天的<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Washingto">Washingto</span>疗<span word="Pc">Pc</span>晤<span word="f">f</span>(((华盛顿邮报》)有一则关于猫意外死亡的报道，大致内容是说一只叫<span word="Blackie">Blackie</span>的猫因为好奇心太重，沿着主人家的壁炉一路往上爬，想到楼顶的烟囱里一探究竟。结果一不小心摔到地上，死了。</p>
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