Many cultures in the world tell stories about dragons. In some cultures they are good, and in some they are bad. Whether they are good or bad, in stories dragons are always strong and have supernatural powers. Some people say that there used to be real dragons, but most agree that they are imaginary creatures. In China and other Asian countries, dragons are usually considered to be kind. People say that they bring strength, harmony, good luck, and health. In ancient China, dragons were symbols of the Chinese emperors. Some Chinese people believe that dragons live underwater most of the time. Unlike European dragons, they do not have wings. Instead, they fly using magic. The Chinese dragon, sometimes called the Oriental dragon, looks like a long snake with four claws. In the Chinese zodiac, people born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be lucky, brave, ambitious, healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. A "dragon person" can achieve great things in life if he or she knows how to make the best use of his or her tremendous energy, intelligence, and talent. In European legends, on the other hand, dragons are usually seen as greedy, cruel winged monsters. They were strong and smart, but not kind. They usually guarded things, like treasure. Many European stories describe brave knights fighting terrible dragons. Any knight who killed a dragon was able to get not only its treasure but also its wisdom. In Christianity, the devil is sometimes shown as a dragon. People might not believe in dragons anymore, but these magical creatures live on in storybooks. Modern fantasy writers still write books about heroes fighting dragons.
世界上許多文化都有關於龍的傳說。在某些 文化中，龍是良善的；但在另一些文化中，龍卻是邪惡的。不管好或壞，在故事裡龍永遠是強而有力，且擁有超自然力量。有些人認為，過去真 的有龍的存在，但大多數人都認為，龍只是虛構的生物。 在中國和亞洲其他國家，龍常被認為是仁慈 的。人們說牠會帶來力量、祥和、好運和健康。 在古代中國，龍是帝王的象徵。有些中國人相信， 龍大部分時間住在水底。和歐洲的龍不同的是， 中國的龍沒有翅膀，牠們利用魔法來飛行。中國的龍有時也被稱為「東方龍」，看起來像是一條 長有四個爪子的長蛇。在中國的生肖中，出生在龍年的人被認為是幸運、勇敢、具企圖心、健康、 有活力、容易激動、脾氣暴躁和固執的。屬龍的人如果知道如何將自己驚人的幹勁、智慧和潛能做最好的運用，那他一定能有所作為。 在歐洲的傳說中，龍通常被視為是貪心、殘暴的長翅膀怪獸。牠們強壯、聰明，但卻不親切， 通常守護如寶藏之類的物品。很多歐洲故事都有勇敢騎士對抗邪惡的龍的情節，所有殺害龍的騎 士不但可以得到其財富，還可以擁有牠的智慧。 在基督教裡，惡靈有時也會化身為龍出現。 人們或許不再相信龍的存在，但龍依舊活躍於故事書中。現代的奇幻小說家仍持續創作英雄 對抗飛龍的故事。 |
