蛇年说“蛇”
<p> 今年是蛇年。蛇与龙一样，都属于十二生肖。幼时，听老人讲“属蛇”就是“属小龙”。龙代表刚猛，蛇象征柔韧，一个刚，一个柔。中国人讲究刚柔并济，以柔克刚。蛇是现实世界的生灵，而龙是模拟身体细长的蛇而想象出来的神话动物。英语表示“蛇”的词有<span word="snake">snake</span>（蛇）、<span word="serpent">serpent</span>（巨蛇）、<span word="viper">viper</span>（蝰蛇）、 <span word="cobra">cobra</span>（眼镜蛇）等，例如：</p><p> 1. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="snake">snake</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="crawling">crawling</span> <span word="animal">animal</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="thin">thin</span> <span word="body">body</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="legs">legs</span>.蛇是一种身体非常细长而无足的爬行动物。</p><p> 在西方文化中，蛇常使人联想到阴险、凶恶和奸诈。《圣经·旧约》记载了 <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Serpent">Serpent</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Eden">Eden</span> 的故事。伊甸园之蛇诱惑夏娃（<span word="Eve">Eve</span>）和亚当（<span word="Adam">Adam</span>）偷吃禁果，唆使他们犯了原罪，使他们被逐出伊甸园。</p><p> <span word="snake">snake</span>/<span word="viper">viper</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span>/<span word="the">the</span> <span word="bosom">bosom</span> 这个成语源自古希腊伊索寓言（<span word="Aesop">Aesop</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="fable">fable</span>）。一个农夫怜悯冻僵的毒蛇，将其放入怀中，毒蛇苏醒后咬死了农夫。 <span word="snake">snake</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span>/<span word="the">the</span> <span word="bosom">bosom</span> 的字面意思是“怀中的蛇”，比喻“忘恩负义的人”。 <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cherish">cherish</span>/<span word="nourish">nourish</span>/<span word="nurse">nurse</span>/<span word="rear">rear</span>/<span word="warm">warm</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="snake">snake</span>/<span word="viper">viper</span>/<span word="serpent">serpent</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="bosom">bosom</span> 的字面意思是“把蛇揣在怀中”，其比喻意义是 <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dangerous">dangerous</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="ungrateful">ungrateful</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="oneself">oneself</span> 或 <span word="to">to</span> <span word="befriend">befriend</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="proves">proves</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="treacherous">treacherous</span>，相当于“护恶养奸”或“养虎遗患”，例如：</p>
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