中西方"龙文化"差异
Dragons are for China a symbol of prosperity but in the West they've had a bad press for centuries. They've been depicted as roaring, flesh-eating, fire-spitting animals so it's no surprise that they've been broadly perceived as villains.
在中国，龙是繁荣的象征，但是在西方国家，几个世纪以来，龙的名声则一直不佳。在西方国家，龙被描绘成咆哮、食肉、喷火的动物，所以他们一般被视为邪恶的化身也是不足为奇的。
The Greek heroes Hercules and Perseus are supposed to have slain dragons. The Egyptians wrote of the dragon Apophis, seen as an enemy of the sun god Re. The Babylonians described a monster called Tiamat as the embodiment of chaos.
希腊英雄赫拉克勒斯和珀尔修斯就曾经杀死过龙。埃及人笔下的阿波菲斯龙被看作是太阳神雷的敌人。巴比伦人认为提亚玛特怪兽是混沌的化身。
Throughout history references to these creatures have been used to convey fear. In Britain, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 793 says that "fiery dragons were seen flying in the air" during an attack from Viking invaders over Northumbria.
纵观整个历史，凡是与龙相关的事物都被用来传达恐惧感。在英国，793年盎格鲁-撒克逊编年史记载道"火龙在空中飞蹿"，当时正处于北欧海盗袭击诺森布里亚的时候。
St George, the patron saint of England, popularly identified with the country's ideals of honour and bravery, is always shown slaying a dragon. According to the myth, the animal was on the verge of eating a local woman.
英格兰的守护神圣乔治被看作是勇气和荣誉的典范，他的杀龙事迹被广为流传。据神话讲述：当时这条巨龙即将吃掉当地的一位妇女。
But there's hope for this much-maligned creature. A red dragon is shorthand for all things Welsh. It even features on its main emblem, the flag of Wales. Recently, a dragon came to epitomise a child's innocence. The lyrics of the 1963 song Puff, the Magic Dragon describe a creature who befriends a little boy.
但备受非议的龙挽回名誉还是有希望的。红龙代表了威尔士，甚至，威尔士还把红龙画在了国旗上。近日，龙成了孩子天真无邪的象征。1963年，一首名为《帕夫，神龙》的歌曲讲述了一条神龙和一个小男孩成为了朋友。
The boy grows up and loses interest in imaginary adventures, leaving the sensitive Puff feeling alone and depressed. Maybe the Chinese Year of the Dragon will improve the reputation of dragons everywhere.
小男孩长大后对神龙失去了兴趣，受伤的帕夫感到既孤独又沮丧。或许中国的龙年能改善龙在世界各地的名誉。