神秘的龍

曹雪

What do you picture when you hear the word dragon？ Is it a monster that breathes fire or a magical creature that brings good luck？

The answer might depend on where you live or what culture you come from. In stories from Europe， dragons are deadly winged reptiles（爬行動物）that love to eat people for breakfast， lunch， and dinner. They are evil（邪惡的）， greedy（貪婪地）beasts.

The Chinese have a different view of dragons. In Chinese culture， dragons are the best and smartest of all animals. Even in modern China， dragons are honored as symbols of good luck and strength.

The Great Dragons of China 中國的巨龍

Two thousand years ago， a Chinese emperor（皇帝;君王）named Qin Shi Huang admired dragons. He honored them so much that he made his people call him the True Dragon， the Son of heaven. His throne became the dragon throne， and his hands were dragon claws.

For years afterward， almost every emperor called himself the Dragon. The emperors wore special dragon robes with dragon patterns sewn on them. No one else was allowed to have dragons on their clothes. In the early Chinese empire， yellow dragons were the most royal. Later， red dragons took their place. Even today many people in China believe that red is a very lucky color.

Appearance 外觀

Pictures of Chinese dragons show large snake like creatures covered in scales. Their faces often look like crocodiles’ or other reptiles’. Many have long chin whiskers and horns that look like deer antlers（鹿角）. Some have pearls tucked under their neck. Chinese dragons have four legs and feet with sharp claws. The emperors’ dragons always have five claws on each foot， while other dragons have three or four. In some Chinese stories， dragons can change size. They can be so huge that they fill up the sky. Other times， they become small enough to fit in a teacup.

Habitat 棲息地

Chinese dragons are mostly sea creatures. Some stories say that four main dragons rule seas to the north， south， west and east of the country. The most powerful is the dragon of the Eastern Seas. Dragons are said to spend winters in ocean palaces made of glittering jewels. Shrimp soldiers guard them， and crab generals command their armies.

Rising for the Rain 降雨

In spring， dragons rise into the sky， using magic bumps on their heads. As they soar out of the water， a huge clap of thunder shakes the heavens. Dark clouds gather， and rain beats down on the dry fields below. Chinese stories tell dragons that control weather and the seasons. Temples along the Chinese coast often have dragons carved on them. When floods came， people used to go to the temples to ask the dragons for help.

European Dragons 歐洲的龍

Many European dragon tales were based on Greek myths. Over the years， people added their own dragon stories. During the Middle Ages， people imagined that dragons prowled the countryside at night looking for a midnight snack of people， cattle or sheep.

Stinky Caves and Lairs 惡臭的洞穴和巢穴

A medieval dragon’s home is called its lair. Dragon lairs can be in riverbanks， caves or the ruins of castles and other large buildings. European dragons are greedy. They love gold and precious stones. They fiercely guard their treasure and even sleep on top of it at night.

Appearance 外觀

Dragons of the Middle Ages look like lizards with long tails and scaly bodies. Sharp， jagged（鋸齒狀的）ridges（龍脊）run down their back. They have four wings that are similar to bat wings. Most of them breathe fire out of their mouths and noses. One blast of their fiery breath can kill. One twist of their powerful tail is enough to choke（使窒息）animals and people to death！

Dragon Tales 歐洲龍的傳說

In the Middle Ages， stories about knights fighting dragons were very popular. Knights are the forces for good. Their brave deeds teach that good can defeat evil.

The most famous dragon story in Great Britain is about St. George. There are many different versions of the tale. In one version， a fierce dragon was causing terror in the countryside. Every day the dragon forced people to give it a sheep to eat. When the sheep were gone， the dragon asked for young girls. After the dragon had killed all the other girls， it took the king’s beautiful daughter. Thing asked St. George for help right away. St. George rode up to the dragon’s cave. The poor princess stood there waiting to die. Suddenly a huge dragon charged out of the cave. Its roars shook the ground！ St. George tried to thrust（插入;刺入）a spear（矛）into the dragon， but its hard scales broke it. Then St. George leapt from his horse and whipped out a sword. He struck the dragon under a wing where there were no scales. The mighty beast fell dead at his feet！ For his reward， St. George got to marry the beautiful princess.