第240期：七星瓢虫为什么叫ladybird？

七星瓢虫英文叫ladybird，你知道这个名字是怎么来的吗？

在美国和加拿大英语中，七星瓢虫一般叫ladybug，在英国和其他英联邦国家通常叫ladybird或lady beetle.怎么每个名字都跟lady有关呢？今天我们就来讲讲这个典故。

The name “ladybird” originated in Britain where the insects became known as “Our Lady’s bird” or the Lady beetle.

Mary (Our Lady) was often depicted wearing a red cloak in early paintings,
and the spots of the seven-spot ladybird (the most common in Europe)
were said to symbolise her seven joys and seven sorrows.

这里的Mary就是圣母玛利亚，又被欧洲诸国人民尊称为Our Lady，一般来说our和lady的首字母都要大写，以示尊敬，可以直译为“我们的夫人”。

上面这段英语解释说因为圣母玛利亚的早期画像里总是穿一件红色的斗篷，于是人们就把这个红色斗篷和各处常见到的七星瓢虫联系起来。同时把瓢虫身上的七个黑斑称为象征圣母的“七喜七悲”(the seven joys and seven sorrows of Mary）。

再深入一点讲，这seven joys指的是：

1. The Annunciation
2. The Nativity of Jesus
3. The Adoration of the Magi
4. The Resurrection of Christ
5. The Ascension of Christ to Heaven
6. The Pentecost or Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary
7. The Coronation of the Virgin in Heaven

The seven sorrows of May指的是：

1. The Prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34–35)
2. The escape and Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:43–45)
4. The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Via Dolorosa.
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary. (John 19:25)
6. The Piercing of the Side of Jesus with a spear, and His Descent from the Cross. (Matthew 27:57–59)
7. The Burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea. (John 19:40–42)

再讲下去的话，就涉及太多圣经内容了。佛老不便多讲。只希望大家知道七星瓢虫在英国叫ladybird，在美国叫ladybug.