氣質姐與可愛可

　　As the story goes, the Spider Woman Asibikaashi was the protector1 of all the people of the Ojibwe Nation. As the Ojibwe spread across North America, however, Asibikaashi could no longer watch over all of them. Mothers and grandmothers started using twigs2 to make spider webs to hang over the beds of their children to protect them from bad dreams and evil thoughts. These were the first dreamcatchers.
　　According to legend, the spiderweb shape of dreamcatchers acts like a real spiderweb to catch and hold evil spirits. Dreamcatchers were originally from the Ojibwe Nation, one of many nations of Native Americans. As the Ojibwe intermarried3 and traded with other nearby nations, dreamcatchers spread across North America, but they were still very specific to only certain tribes.
　　In the 1960s and 1970s, however, Native American culture grew in popularity among non-Native Americans. The dreamcatcher became a symbol of Native American culture and not just the Ojibwe Nation. Today dreamcatchers have become big business. Many people around the world buy them for decorating windows and hang them over beds. Though dreamcatchers may not really be catching evil spirits, they are still a significant symbol of Native American history and culture.

Words & Phrases

1. As the story goes, ...　　據說……
   As the story goes, this village was the boyhood home of the president.
   據說這座村莊是總統小時候的家。
2. no longer...　　不再……
   We no longer have to travel far to watch a movie.
   我們不必再跑很遠去看電影了。
3. hang over...　　吊在∕懸掛在……（之上）
   The bat hung over the fruit as it ate it.
   那隻蝙蝠倒吊在水果上啃食。
4. protect...from...　　保護……免於……
   The jacket protected me from the freezing cold.
   這件夾克幫我禦寒。
5. be specific to...　　僅限於……特有的
   This problem is specific to big cities.
   這個問題是大城市所特有的。
6. grow in popularity　　越來越受歡迎
   Organic foods have grown in popularity since people have put more emphasis on healthy living.
   人們重視健康生活的風氣讓有機食物越來越受歡迎。
7. a symbol of...　　……的象徵
   symbol n. 象徵；符號
   The Statue of Liberty in New York City is a symbol of freedom.
   位於紐約市的自由女神像是自由的象徵。
8. significant a. 意義重大的，重要的
   Hard work plays a significant role in achieving success.
   努力在獲得成功方面扮演了重要的角色。

Extra Words

1. protector n. 守護者
2. twig n. 小樹枝，嫩枝
3. intermarried a. 異族通婚的

據說蜘蛛夫人 Asibikaashi 是所有奧吉布瓦族人的守護者。然而，當奧吉布瓦族擴及整個北美時，Asibikaashi 便無法再守護他們所有人。族裡的母親和祖母開始用小樹枝織蜘蛛網懸掛在她們孩子的床頭上方，以保護孩子遠離惡夢和邪念。這些是最初的捕夢網。
　　根據傳說，捕夢網蜘蛛網的形狀就像真的蜘蛛網能捕捉並困住邪靈。捕夢網源自於奧吉布瓦族，也就是北美原住民眾多部落的其中一族。隨著奧吉布瓦族和其他鄰近的部落通婚和通商，捕夢網也遍及整個北美，但它們僅限於某些部落所特有。
　　然而，在六○年代和七○年代，北美原住民文化越來越受到非北美原住民人士的歡迎。捕夢網變成北美原住民文化的象徵，而不僅僅是奧吉布瓦族的象徵。今日捕夢網已成為很夯的商品。全世界許多人買捕夢網來裝飾窗戶和懸掛在他們的床頭上。雖然捕夢網或許不能真的捕捉邪靈，但它們仍是北美原住民歷史和文化重要的象徵。

引用自常春藤網路書城https://www.ivy.com.tw/index.php