让人又敬又怕的神秘女巫

导读： 她们有着超常的法力，既能给人治病，也能用巫术蛊惑他人做坏事。这一神秘的职业，令许多人又敬又怕。

Witchcraft, also called black magic, is the power or practices of witches. Western people used to believe that witches had supernatural powers. They were supposed to be able to call up spirits and make them do evil things. Their special helping spirits are called “familiars”, who take the form of animals, particularly cats, snakes, owls, and dogs.

巫术，也称黑魔法，是巫师，尤其是女巫施行的法术。西方人曾相信女巫具有超自然的力量，可呼唤妖魔协助她们作恶。跟随她们的妖魔称为“巫使”，通常以猫、蛇、猫头鹰和狗等动物形象出现。

Some people believed witches had the power to change into animals. This power enabled them to travel about secretly. Witches also were said to be able to fly. They flew by riding brooms or rakes, or riding magical animals. Witches had great knowledge of how to make magical potions and charms, which were used to change people’s behavior. Witches were believed to be able to see into the future. They were also believed to have the evil eye – that is, the ability to harm or kill by looking.when crops failed, horses ran away, cattle sickened, wagon broke, women miscarried, or storms destroyed house, a witch was always found to blame. Some of these reputed witches were thought to hold yearly ceremonies called “Witches Sabbath”, a midnight meeting of 12 witches and the Devil.

有人认为女巫也可变化为动物，所以她们可以四处游荡而不为人所知。据说女巫能够飞翔。飞行时或骑在扫帚或耙子上，或骑在某种有魔力的动物背上。女巫懂得如何煎制魔药、制作符录，以蛊惑他人。女巫也有预卜未来的本领。据说她们还有魔眼，即用目光伤害或杀死他人的能力。在中世纪，每当庄稼欠收、马匹走失、牛群遭瘟、车辆损坏、妇女流产或风暴摧毁房舍，总要找一个女巫承担罪责。有人还认为某些女巫每年举行一次女巫安息日聚会。与会者有十二个女巫及魔鬼。

Nearly all those who were suspected of practicing witchcraft were women, especially old women who were lean and ugly, looking pale and melancholy, or with red hair. In many witch trials of the 17th century in Europe and colonial America, a suspected witch was tied up and thrown into water. If she sank, she was considered a witch and was ecuted.

几乎所有被怀疑行巫术的人都是妇女，特别是些年老、瘦削、畸形、面色苍白而忧郁或长有红发的妇女。在17世纪的欧洲和北美殖民地，有女巫嫌疑的人往往被捆绑起来，投入水中，如果她下沉，就证明清白；如果浮在水面，就被断定为女巫，处以死刑。

In the early Christian centuries, the church was relatively tolerant of magical practices. But in the late Middle Ages European people began to look upon those women who tried to cure diseases by using magic as witches, or the followers of Satan. Many women accused of practicing witchcraft were tortured or even burned to death. Most of them were obviously innocent.The belief in witchcraft declined at the beginning of the 18th century when people began to examine their old beliefs again with a skeptical eye.

早期欧洲基督教会曾对巫术较宽容，但到了中世纪末，人们开始将使用魔法为人治病的妇女视为女巫，或魔鬼的门徒。许多女人被控行巫术，遭受拷打后被施以火刑。其中大多数显然是无辜的。自18世纪启蒙运动始，人们开始对巫术持怀疑态度，对巫术的迷信不再流行。