中国龙PK西方龙

在西方，古希腊和古罗马人对于龙的存在深信不疑。关于龙的传说流传了很久。他们崇拜龙的智慧，但是又惧怕龙的强大力量。

What are dragons?

什么是龙？

中国龙 PK西方龙

Do they actually exist or they just another sample drawn out of a human imagination?For centuries these creatures have influenced the human culture. From the early Mayan and the Chinese culture to the western culture of the medieval times, all have something or the other to say about dragons. Each culture has its own set of beliefs and concepts about these dragons. But what are they?

它们究竟是真实存在的还是只是人们想象出来的一个标本？这种生物对人类文化的影响十分久远。玛雅文明以及中世纪的中西方文化都有许多有关龙的传说。每一种文化都有他们自己对龙的理解和信仰，它们究竟是一种什么样的生物？

Generally, a dragon is described as a large serpent like creature with scaly wings and a strong long tail and a large jaw bearing sharp deadly teeth.Its body is usually covered in scales and it is recognized by its ability to spit fire. In many of the old legendary and even modern time stories, a dragon is presented as a mystical creature that can speak and has great magical powers. Although it has wings, it prefers not to fly much and lives in a secluded cave usually guarding a treasure or defending a land.

龙拥有强壮的身躯，带有一对长鳞的大翅膀，又长又粗的颈，一条长长的尾巴，有角或褶边的头，巨大的下颚以及锋利的牙齿。它的身体全身覆盖着鳞片，保护着身体。它可以作出喷吐攻击，如红龙会喷火，蓝龙会喷电等。而它亦会对同类的能量攻击免疫。不管是古代的传说还是现在的故事，龙总是以一种神秘的形象出现，了解人类的语言并且被赋予神奇的力量。尽管龙是一种会飞的生物，但它们更多的时候总是在隐蔽的山洞里守护着一块宝藏或是守卫着一片疆土。

西方龙

That's the general concept of a dragon, a symbol of magic and mystery, but when we look into different mythologies, each culture has its own story to tell. In many of the cultures it is described as a highly intelligent and a wise creature, in some it is a symbol of good luck, while in some it is an evil creature whose intention is to destroy the mankind.

这些都是普通观念上对龙的理解，其实不同的文化对于龙也有不同的理解。不同的故事。不同的故事对龙有不同的理解，有的认为龙是非常智慧的生物，有的认为龙是好运的象征，而有的则认为龙是一种要毁灭人类的邪恶力量。

Over the times it has created quite an impact on many of the cultures, greatly influencing the lives of humans through out the history. Even today, a dragon is taken as a magical creature in many of the movies, games and contemporary fiction.

在人类历史的进程中，龙这种生物对人类文化产生了及其深远的影响。即便是在信息高速发展的今天，龙作为一种神秘的生物依然出现在电影、游戏以及当代小说中。

Western (European) Dragon Mythology

西方龙的神话

Unlike the Chinese dragons which are considered as a symbol of good luck, a dragon in western mythology is considered an evil entity. he English word dragon is usually said to be derived from the Greek word drakes meaning a serpent. However the true origin of the word still carries an ambiguity. If we summarize all the European legends regarding the dragons, a dragon in the western mythology is a symbol of greed and hunger.

在西方神话中“dragon”一般被认为是邪恶力量的化身，与东方的瑞兽完全不一样。英语单词“dragon”通常被认为是希腊语“drakes”的衍生，表示硕大无比。然而这种说话也是模棱两可的。通过对西方传说中有关龙这部分的归纳，不难看出，龙在西方神话中还是一种贪楚和欲望的化身

Chinese Dragon Mythology

中国龙的传说