Reader question:
In this sentence seen in a fan forum on the web – Go break a leg, Yao – "break a leg" is explained as "good luck", how come?
My comments:
Break a leg, Yao.
It's a scary thought, isn't it? Any time I see Yao Ming fall to the floor clutching his ankle (as he did two days ago in the Olympics opener against USA), I am scared.
Anyways, "break a leg" is an old idiom in Britain and America, meaning "good luck". Indeed, how come?
There are many theories as to its origin, the most plausible ones (to me) point to superstition and ancient theater.
In many cultures including Chinese, people don't always say "good luck" outright to someone about to embark on a journey or adventure. This is perhaps due to the fact that well-wishing notwithstanding, bad luck (accidents and so forth) does happen and so therefore in some cases, saying "good luck" outright becomes a bad omen. It is as though, you see, in soliciting good luck, one wakens up the demons as well. Voodoo as it may sound, this is actually not inconsistent with human psychology (or common sense, sticking to the superstition side) – The more we look for something, the more elusive it sometimes becomes. That's why Taoists say: In trying to get it you don't get it; in not trying to get it you sometimes get it. In other words, don't try too hard.
On the other hand, therefore, to say "Break a leg" is like confronting the demons head-on – as though saying to the devils, I am aware you're there so don't bother playing mischief in an attempt to catch me off guard.
【Break a leg, Yao】相关文章:
最新
2020-09-15
2020-08-28
2020-08-21
2020-08-19
2020-08-14
2020-08-12