What's in a number? No great fortune
<p><span word="Last">Last</span> <span word="Thursday">Thursday</span>, <span word="China">China</span> <span word="Daily">Daily</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bizarre">bizarre</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="owner">owner</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cheap">cheap</span> <span word="automobile">automobile</span> <span word="who">who</span> "<span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fortune">fortune</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lucky">lucky</span> <span word="license">license</span> <span word="plate">plate</span>" <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Foshan">Foshan</span>, <span word="Guangdong">Guangdong</span> <span word="province">province</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="bought">bought</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="license">license</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> 88888 <span word="for">for</span> <span word="his">his</span> 40,000-<span word="yuan">yuan</span> ($5,882) <span word="compact">compact</span> <span word="car">car</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="report">report</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="reveal">reveal</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="paid">paid</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plate">plate</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 200,000 <span word="yuan">yuan</span> ($29,412), <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="sources">sources</span>.</p><p><span word="Figure">Figure</span> <span word="eight">eight</span>, <span word="pronounced">pronounced</span> <span word="as">as</span> "<span word="ba">ba</span>" <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="believed">believed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lucky">lucky</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="homophonic">homophonic</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="character">character</span> <span word="Fa">Fa</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="rich">rich</span>. <span word="Five">Five</span> <span word="eights">eights</span> <span word="definitely">definitely</span> <span word="symbolize">symbolize</span> <span word="tons">tons</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wealth">wealth</span>.</p><p><span word="However">However</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="wishful">wishful</span> <span word="thinking">thinking</span>. <span word="Things">Things</span> <span word="evolve">evolve</span> <span word="along">along</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="logical">logical</span> <span word="courses">courses</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="occasionally">occasionally</span> <span word="diverted">diverted</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="fortuity">fortuity</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="affected">affected</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="numerical">numerical</span> <span word="sphinx">sphinx</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="sounds">sounds</span> <span word="pleasant">pleasant</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ears">ears</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="belief">belief</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="numbers">numbers</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="bring">bring</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="luck">luck</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="homophonic">homophonic</span> <span word="pronunciation">pronunciation</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="stupid">stupid</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="superstition">superstition</span>. <span word="Anyhow">Anyhow</span>, <span word="superstition">superstition</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="based">based</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="telling">telling</span> <span word="reasoning">reasoning</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="represent">represent</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="highest">highest</span> <span word="level">level</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="mythology">mythology</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="reasonable">reasonable</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="one">one</span>, <span word="two">two</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="represent">represent</span> <span word="good">good</span>, <span word="better">better</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="respectively">respectively</span>; <span word="triple">triple</span>-<span word="three">three</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="nine">nine</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="naturally">naturally</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="highest">highest</span>. <span word="Ancient">Ancient</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="believed">believed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="heaven">heaven</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="levels">levels</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="origin">origin</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="figure">figure</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="stands">stands</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="luck">luck</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="reveals">reveals</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="absurdity">absurdity</span>. <span word="Number">Number</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="regarded">regarded</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="representing">representing</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="luck">luck</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="annals">annals</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="superstition">superstition</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> 1980<span word="s">s</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="Guangdong">Guangdong</span> <span word="locals">locals</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="favor">favor</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="auspicious">auspicious</span> <span word="symbol">symbol</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="ba">ba</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fa">fa</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="homophones">homophones</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="dialect">dialect</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="happened">happened</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="herald">herald</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="people">people</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="awakening">awakening</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="justification">justification</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="pursuing">pursuing</span> <span word="wealth">wealth</span>.</p>
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