An image of a black cat. Halloween is a bad time of year for black cats, with their long-standing connections with witches, hubble-bubble and evil.

万圣节临近 黑猫倍受冷落
The problem with black cats: no one wants them
Halloween is a bad time of year for black cats, with their long-standing connections with witches, hubble-bubble and evil.

Reports of deliberate cruelty to black cats rise especially in the weeks around Halloween in Britain, the RSPCA animal charity said on Wednesday.

But it seems that not only do people treat black cats badly in October -- they shun them for the rest of the year too.

Black cats at animal shelters take longer than others to find homes, probably because of all the superstitions surrounding them, the charity said.

"Unfortunately, black cats often do spend longer in our rehoming centres than others as they are frequently overlooked by potential owners," said shelter manager Beverly Leavy.

"But their fur color makes no difference to how much love they have to give," she added. "The cats are ready to make wonderful pets."

The image problem varies from country to country and often involves black cats crossing people's paths.

Historians differ about the origins of the superstitions.

Some point to the ancient Celts, some to folklore tales that liken cats to snakes and cast them as the constant companions of witches, others to a Medieval belief that they caused the black plague in Europe.

The view that they bring bad luck has also woven its way into art and popular culture.

American writer of macabre tales, Edgar Alan Poe, published a short story "The Black Cat" in 1843 and in the late 19th century a shady cabaret called Le Chat Noir welcomed guests in the Bohemian Montmartre district of Paris.

The RSPCA is appealing for potential owners to come forward for the black cats in its shelters. They can be found on www.rspca.org.uk.

(Read by Chantal Anderson. Chantal Anderson is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.)

(Agencies)
 对于黑猫来说，万圣节是一年中最“悲惨”的日子。一直以来，人们都将它们与巫婆、喧闹以及邪恶联系在一起。

英国皇家防止虐待动物协会（RSPCA）于本周三称，在临近万圣节的前几周，英国故意虐待黑猫的案例数出现上升。

但似乎人们不仅在十月份虐待黑猫，其它时候也是避之不及。

该慈善机构称，动物收容所里的黑猫等待领养的时间比其它猫都要长，这或许是因为那些与之相关的迷信说法。

收容所经理贝弗莉•利维说：“不幸的是，黑猫往往在我们的收养中心待得时间更久，它们常被潜在的收养者们忽视。”

她说：“但它们皮毛的颜色和它们给予人们的爱的多少没有关系。它们可以成为很好的宠物。”

各国有关黑猫的迷信说法各不相同，但一般都有忌讳看见黑猫从自己面前走过这一说。

历史学家对这些迷信说法的起源看法各异。

有些人认为这源于古凯尔特人，有些人则认为这与把黑猫比作蛇，总将黑猫与巫婆扯在一起的民间传说有关，还有一些人认为这源于中世纪时期的一种有关黑猫在欧洲引发鼠疫的说法。

黑猫会带来厄运的说法在艺术和流行文化中也有所体现。

美国惊悚小说家埃德加•爱伦•坡曾于1843年发表了一本名为《黑猫》的短篇小说。19世纪晚期，一家名为Le Chat Noir（法语，黑猫）的隐秘歌舞表演场所在法国巴黎具有波希米亚风格的蒙马特区开业。

英国皇家防止虐待动物协会正呼吁潜在的收养者们主动领养收容所的黑猫。具体信息可登陆www.rspca.org.uk网站查询。