Some years ago, when I was a TV host and a newspaper columnist, a senior official of a big Hong Kong bank often invited me and other friends to snake dinners during the winter. I always accepted but reminded my host I was allergic to snake meat. He always arranged other dishes for me. If you are allergic to something, it means you have a condition that causes illness or discomfort if you eat certain foods. Many years ago, I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant with colleagues who ordered snake soup without telling me.
I had itches all over my body and felt feverish after eating just a little soup. Luckily, it was not an itchy rash. A rash is a lot of small red spots on the skin. An itchy rash is a rash that causes much itchiness. I asked my colleagues what was in the soup. They said chicken meat but then admitted it was snake meat when they saw I was feeling sick. We have entered the Year of the Snake. I have always wondered if people who celebrate Chinese New Year consider it lucky or unlucky to eat snake in the Year of the Snake. What do you think?
Ancient Egypt had snake charmers. A snake charmer is a person who plays a musical instrument to make a snake perform. India also had snake charmers. Different cultures have different beliefs about snakes. In the Bible, the serpent (snake) is associated with Adam and Eve. The serpent, symbolizing Satan, tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. But Chinese and Indian cultures consider snakes to be wise and good creatures. Happy New Year of the Snake!
好些年前，當我還是電視節目主持人和報章專欄作家時，一間香港大銀行的高管在冬季期間常邀請我和其他朋友赴蛇宴。我總是應邀，但會提醒主人家我對蛇肉有食物敏感（allergic）。他總是會安排其他餸菜給我。若你對某食物 allergic，意即你進食某種食物時會引發疾病或不適反應。許多年前，我跟同事們在一間中菜館共進午餐，同事叫了蛇羹卻沒有告訴我。
我只是喝了一點羹，便全身發癢，並感到有點發燒。還好，那不是 itchy rash。Rash是出疹，即皮膚上出現許多小小的紅點；itchy rash 則是會發癢的皮疹。我便問同事湯裏有甚麼。他們說雞肉，但當他們見我不適後便承認那是蛇肉。我們已經邁進蛇年了，我總是好奇，慶祝農曆新年的人，會認為在蛇年吃蛇算是會帶來好運還是厄運？你認為呢？
古代的埃及有snake charmers，snake charmer就是能用樂器弄蛇，讓其舞動表演的人。印度也有弄蛇人（snake charmers）。不同的文化對於蛇有不同的信仰。在聖經中，蛇（serpent）跟亞當和夏娃相關，象徵撒但的蛇（serpent）誘惑夏蛙去吃禁果。但在中國和印度文化中，蛇被視為聰明和好的生物。祝大家蛇年快樂！
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
