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Ben Ming Nian
本命年
Written by Sophie Song
Translated and edited by Spark Liao
The term “Ben Ming Nian” in Chinese means a year that shares the same zodiac animal as the year you were born. You’d think this is good fortune, but not so in traditional Chinese culture. Instead, this is bound to be a year of unstable luck and setbacks in every area of your life. But fear not, because there are also several ways, according to tradition, that you can protect yourself from bad luck and put yourself in favor with the gods, even if it is your Ben Ming Nian.
“本命年”一词在汉语中的意思是与你出生的年份相同的一年。你会认为这意味着好运气，但在中国传统文化中并非如此。相反，这一年注定是运气不稳定的一年，你生活的各个方面都会遇到挫折。但不要害怕，因为根据传统，也有几种方法可以保护自己免受厄运，让自己得到神灵的青睐，即便这是你的本命年。
什么是本命年？
Unlike in western astrology, where each sun sign governs one month of the year, in Chinese folklore, there are twelve zodiac animals, each taking charge of a whole year. These are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and finally Pig. The year you were born would have had a zodiac animal, and when that zodiac animal comes around again, you are said to be in your Ben Ming Nian.
Since there are twelve zodiac signs, your Ben Ming Nian will come once every twelve years. An easy way to remember is that when your age is a multiple of 12—for example, 24, 36, 48 and so forth—it will always be your Ben Ming Nian.
Although the calendar for each lunar new year starts a little later—sometime in January or February of the Gregorian calendar—the zodiac animals still roughly correspond to years in the western calendar. The year 2023, for example, is the Year of the Rabbit, while 2023 will be the Year of the Rabbit. Check out the chart below to see what zodiac animal is associated with your birth year.
为什么在你的本命年里运气会不好？
Unfortunately, being in your Ben Ming Nian is not an occasion for celebration, but traditionally believed to be a year of setbacks and delays at best and disasters at worst. This is because in addition to the zodiac animal, each year also has a governing god, called the God of “Tai Sui” in Chinese. To understand this peculiarity, you might consider that back in the days of emperors, it was considered taboo to share the same name as the emperor - so it isn’t surprising that the God of the Tai Sui might not look kindly upon your sharing their zodiac!
不幸的是，你的本命年不是庆祝的场合，而是传统上认为的运气好的话充满挫折和延误的一年，运气差的话充满灾难的一年。这是因为除了生肖之外，每年都有一个主神，在汉语中称为“太岁”之神。为了理解这一特点，你可以试想，在帝王时代，与皇帝同名被认为是禁忌，所以太岁之神可能不会善待你分享他们的生肖，这一点也就不足为奇了！
According to folklore, people in their Ben Ming Nian are most susceptible to incurring the wrath of Tai Sui for that year, which could lead to tricky luck in everything you do even in the most optimistic interpretation. Some believe worse could befall those in their Ben Ming Nian. In love, for example, tradition dictates that you’d do best to avoid getting married or engaged in these years, otherwise the marriage may not last.
根据民间传说，本命年的人最容易在那一年招致太岁的愤怒，这可能会导致你所做的每一件事都不会有好运气，即便是在最乐观的情况下。一些人认为，更糟糕的情况可能会出现在他们的本命年。例如，在爱情婚姻中，按照传统，你在本命年里要尽量避免结婚或订婚，否则婚姻可能不会长久。
In terms of work, switching jobs or starting businesses in Ben Ming Nian could lead you to severe financial difficulties. Even other major ventures like moving house, traveling great distances and such are generally advised against. Basically, it is best to lay low on Ben Ming Nian and try to fly under the radar of Tai Sui to avoid serious calamity.
在工作方面，在本命年换工作或创业可能会导致严重的经济困难。即使是搬家、长途旅行等其他大型活动，人们也普遍反对。一般来说，在本命年里最好低调行事，尽量在太岁的庇佑下行事，以避免遭受严重的灾难。
But of course, it isn’t always possible to live strictly by those rules, especially in today’s fast-moving world. If you expect major life changes to take place in your Ben Ming Nian, you can be thankful that tradition has also passed down a few practical ways you can curry favor with Tai Sui and cautiously ask for their blessing for the year.
然而，我们也当然不总是可以做到严格遵守这些规则，尤其是在当今快速发展的年代。如果你期望你的本命年会发生重大的生活变化，你应该感谢传统中也沿袭了一些实用的方法，你可以用以讨好太岁，谨慎地祈求他们的祝福。
如何在本命年里求得好运
太岁神祠
If it is your zodiac year, it will also be your year of Fan Tai Sui—offending the God of Tai Sui. To turn this around, you might want to set up a shrine in your house and ask for their forgiveness, even before anything happens. Each Tai Sui favors a direction, therefore, that will be your best bet for placing the shrine.
如果这是你的本命年年，那也将是你范太岁之年，即冒犯太岁神的年份。为了扭转这一局面，你可以在你的房子里立一座神祠，在尚未发生什么事情之前，祈求他们的原谅。因此，每一个太岁都坐据一方，这将是放置神祠的最佳选择。
不要直视太岁
Similarly, it is considered irreverent to look directly at Tai Sui. Therefore, in your Ben Ming Nian, it is advised that you place the beds, desks, couches and such in your house, so that they face away from the direction favored by Tai Sui. This will not only avoid angering Tai Sui, but may even convince them to bless you with some extra good fortune. This is an important idea in the Chinese art of Feng Shui.
同样，直视太岁也被认为是无礼的。因此，在你的本命年里，建议你把床、桌子、沙发等放在你的房子里，这样它们就可以远离太岁喜欢的方向。这不仅可以避免激怒太岁，甚至可以说服他们给你带来额外的好运。这是中国风水艺术中的一个重要思想。
佩戴属相动物或貔貅的护身符
You could also wear a pendant or a bracelet bearing a talisman of your zodiac animal, or the mythical creature of Pixiu, which is believed to bring the wearer wealth. Chinese people will usually choose to wear talismans made of jade, because they believe the stone to possess the power to draw out impurities from your body - including any blight of ill fortune.
你也可以佩戴一个挂件或手镯，上面有你的生肖属相的护身符，或者佩戴有传说中的貔貅的护身符，人们相信貔貅会给佩戴者带来财富。中国人通常会选择佩戴玉石制成的护身符，因为他们相信玉石具有从身体中排除杂质的能力，包括清除所有厄运。
穿红色的衣服
Red is a favorite color of the Chinese because it signifies prosperity and bliss. It is worn for weddings, birthdays and major holidays in China. Since your Ben Ming Nian is not bringing you good tidings, you could wear red - for example, a red belt or a red scarf - for a bit of extra luck. In addition, you can also wear the talisman of your choice on a red string. Chinese people will also usually have a set of red underwear and red socks ready to put on for the lunar new year, especially if it is your Ben Ming Nian, to bind yourself to good fortune.
红色是中国人最喜欢的颜色，因为它象征着繁荣和幸福。在中国，它被用于婚礼、生日和重大节日。由于你的本命年没有给你带来好消息，你可以穿红色的衣服，比如红腰带或红围巾，以获得额外的好运。此外，你还可以将自己选择的护身符串在红绳上。中国人通常也会准备好一套红色内衣和红色袜子，准备在农历新年穿上，特别是如果是你的本命年，这样你就会获得好运。
关于本命年礼物的注意事项
By the way, it's important to note that zodiac talismans and red clothes are most effective when they are gifts from your close friends and family, instead of purchased by yourself. This is because in gifting you with these red items, your loved ones are giving you pieces of their own luck, which can do wonders to “suppress” any ill omens in your year of disrupted luck.
顺便说一句，一定要注意的是，当你的生肖属相护身符和红色衣服是来自好友和家人的礼物，而不是自己购买的话，它们最灵验了。这是因为在送给你这些红色物品的过程中，你的爱人会给你一些他们自己的运气，会因此创造奇迹，“抑制”你这一年厄运中的不祥预兆。
2023年及以后的本命年
The year of 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. Zodiac Rabbits, above all, should eat healthy food without anything too spicy or flavorful this year. In addition, because they tend to give up easily when facing difficulties, in 2023 they should try to practice perseverance.
2023年是兔年。对于生肖兔而言，最重要的是今年要多吃健康的食物，不要吃太辣或太香的食物。此外，由于他们在面临困难时容易放弃，2023年他们应该努力练习毅力。
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