Celebrated on Aug. 13, International Left Handers Day shines a spotlight on the left-handed minority. This annual holiday aims to raise awareness for left-handed people, who have faced discrimination and inconvenience in a world dominantly built for righties.
Historically, being left-handed was considered taboo or even evil, and this is reflected in many languages. The English word “left” comes from the Anglo-Saxon lyft, which means weak. Likewise, the word “sinister,” coming from the Latin for left, suggests evil or misfortune. This dual meaning persists in many modern European languages such as sinistra in Italian.
Religious beliefs have compounded the challenges for left handers. For instance, the Bible portrays Christ at God’s right hand, associating the left with negativity. God welcomes those on his right into Heaven and casts those on his left into Hell. In Islam and Hinduism, the right hand is for food handling, whereas the left is for hygiene, thereby branding the left as the unclean hand.
Photo: Freepik / 照片：Freepik
Though these prejudices have diminished over time, left handers still encounter numerous daily inconveniences. School desk and chair sets usually feature the table on the right, making writing on them awkward for lefties. Additionally, bank pens are often tied to the right side of counters. The right-hand bias in product design can turn simple tasks into frustrating experiences.
International Left Handers Day not only encourages left handers to embrace their uniqueness but also invites right handers to consider the advantages they enjoy. Let’s use this day to promote a more inclusive society, where being different is not just accepted but celebrated.
在8月13日慶祝的國際左撇子日，聚焦於左撇子這一少數群體。這個一年一度的節日旨在提高對左撇子的認識，他們在一個主要為右撇子建立的世界中面臨歧視和不便。
從歷史上看，左撇子被視為禁忌的甚至是邪惡的，這在許多語言中都有所體現。英文單字「left」來自盎格魯-撒克遜語的lyft，意思是軟弱的。同樣，來自拉丁語中表示左邊的單詞「sinister」暗示著邪惡或不幸。這種雙重含義在許多現代歐洲語言中仍然存在，比如義大利語中的sinistra。
宗教信仰加劇了左撇子的挑戰。例如，聖經中將基督描繪在上帝的右手邊，將左邊與負面連結在一起。上帝歡迎那些站在他右邊的人進入天堂，而將那些站在他左邊的人丟進地獄。在伊斯蘭教和印度教中，右手負責食物處理，但左手則是用於衛生，從而將左手貼上不潔之手的標籤。
儘管這些偏見隨著時間的推移有所減少，左撇子仍然遇到許多日常不便。學校的課桌椅通常將桌面設置在右邊，讓左撇子在書寫時很不方便。此外，銀行的筆常常綁在櫃台的右側。產品設計中的右撇子偏見可能會將簡單的事情變成令人沮喪的經歷。
國際左撇子日不僅鼓勵左撇子擁抱他們的獨特性，還邀請右撇子思考他們所享有的優勢。讓我們利用這一天來促進一個更具包容性的社會，一個不僅接受而且慶祝差異的社會。
MORE INFORMATION
shine a spotlight on sth 聚焦於……；使人關注……
taboo adj. 禁忌的；忌諱的
Anglo-Saxon adj. 盎格魯 - 撒克遜語的
sinister adj. 不祥的；邪惡的
dual adj. 雙重的；兩倍的
Islam n. 伊斯蘭教
Hinduism n. 印度教
hygiene n. 衛生
inclusive adj. 包容的
KEY VOCABULARY
1. inconvenience n. 不便；麻煩
Lulu is getting tired of the inconvenience of living so far from an MRT station.
露露對住得離捷運站很遠的不便漸漸感到厭煩。
2. dominantly adv. 主要地；佔主導地位地
The painting features dominantly cool colors like blue and green.
這幅畫主要使用了藍色和綠色等冷色調。
3. misfortune n. 不幸；厄運
Jessie had the misfortune of meeting Lance, the rudest man she’d ever spoken to.
潔西不幸遇見蘭斯，他是她曾交談過的最粗魯的男人。
4. persist vi. 持續；堅持不懈
The storm was supposed to blow over by Thursday, but it has persisted, ruining my weekend plans.
這場風暴原本應在星期四結束，但它持續下去，破壞了我週末的計畫。
5. whereas conj. 然而；但是
Josephine is tall, whereas her sisters are all quite short.
約瑟芬很高，然而她的姐妹們都很矮。
6. prejudice n. 偏見；歧視
Despite her experience, the hiring committee’s prejudice prevented them from offering the woman the job.
儘管她有經驗，但人事委員會的偏見阻止他們提供那名女子工作。
7. encounter vt. 遭遇；偶然發現
Becky encountered many difficulties while starting her new business.
貝琪在創業初期遇到了許多困難。
8. counter n. 櫃台；（廚房的）料理台；計數器
At the airport check-in counter, passengers line up to drop off their luggage.
在機場的登機櫃台，乘客排隊辦理行李托運。
9. frustrating adj. 挫折的；使人氣餒的
Finding a parking spot in the city center is always frustrating.
在市中心找停車位總是令人感到挫敗。
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