当代手相分析

　　The art of reading character, motivation and the future from our palms is no longer shrouded in mystery. There are simple and accurate ways to engage in some DIY hand- reading. Palmist, author and teacher Frank Clifford explains how.

　　仅凭手相就能看出人的个性、动机和未来，这不是传说。手相学家Frank Clifford可以传授几个简单靠谱的法子，让你轻松读手相。

　　Palmistry (or hand analysis, as it is often now known) is finally being given the thumbs up in some scientific quarters. Leading scientists have been discovering connections between our hands and inherited talents, behaviour and health patterns – scientific findings that not only back up what palmists have been declaring for years, but also provide further insight into this fascinating subject.

　　手相学最近终于得到了科学界的认可。手相占卜师一直主张人的手和他的天资、行为、健康状况紧密相连，最近科学家们也证实了这一点，为这一有趣的课题带来了新思路。

　　Palm lines are formed in the womb and develop over a lifetime. The lines are directly linked to nerve endings from the brain and are not a result of hand folding or excessive use. Research has noted, for example, that the Heart Line (which runs horizontally under the fingers and is linked to emotional and sexual development) can change greatly during puberty. In addition, lines in our palms begin to fade if our mental faculties fade, either temporarily (e.g. during a breakdown) or with age. When we recover, so do the lines.

　　掌纹在胚胎时期开始形成，一生都在发展变化。掌纹和大脑发出的神经末梢直接相连，并不是握拳或摩擦造成的。有研究发现，感情线（位于手指下方的水平纹路，与情感和性发展有关）在青春期的变化最大。另外，我们的头脑状态不佳时掌纹也会变浅，不管是（由于突发事件导致）暂时的，还是随年龄增长不可逆的。等状态恢复，掌纹也会恢复原来的样子。

　　But how can the subject help us? Our hands are living mirrors, reflecting personality, needs and drives – as well as future possibilities. By interpreting the language of the hands, we gain an immediate ‘aerial view’ of our journey in life, a road-map of our individual life path. Palmistry can zoom in on the important aspects of this journey, make us aware of alternative routes and prepare us for the exciting road ahead.

　　读懂手相对我们有什么帮助？手相是一面镜子，能照出我们的个性、需求、动机和未来的一切可能性。手相是一张私人订制的人生旅程鸟瞰图。手相可以让我们近距离观察这趟旅途中的关键部分，也能让我们了解其他的备选路径，为未来的精彩旅程做好准备。

　　Learning to read palms opens up a whole world of insight, but can also be great fun and a great deal easier than people think. When interpreting the palm, there’s room for many common sense associations that aid quick interpretation. Here’s an example:

　　手相是一种全新的解读方式，手相其实很有意思，也没人们想像的那么复杂。读手相前，应该先学会一些基础的知识帮助解读。例如：

　　The Head Line has been linked to the way we think and process ideas. The horizontal line, below the Heart Line, can be straight or curved. When we think of the word ‘straight’ we might picture a direct, uninterrupted course, without digression; words such as linear, conventional, conformist, orderly, and unbending. Indeed, a straight Head Line is found on someone with a level-headed and practical mentality. This person works from A to B in a straightforward manner and will prefer to do things according to a set plan. The word ‘curved’, however, brings up notions of bending, meandering, shooting off at an angle, and taking a new turn. A curved Head line suggests a mentality that is more lateral in its thinking and allows for more flexibility and change. Such a person would think of new ways of working or approaching a problem, and be able to ‘bend’ by working around any preconceived notions.

　　智慧线是位于感情线下方的水平纹路，可弯可直，与思维方式相关。说到“直”，我们可以想像一条笔直的不间断的线段，象征传统、有秩、坚定、合规。的确，有笔直智慧线的人大都沉着冷静，脚踏实地。他们做事直接，喜欢按照既定的方案开展行动。说到“弯”，我们想到的就是一条曲折迂回的线。智慧线弯的人思维更加开放，灵活多变。他们常常能想出新点子，在工作中也会抛开原计划见机行事。

　　Frank’s Party Piece

　　Frank的绝活

　　When others discover what I do for a living, palms often appear under my nose for inspection. So over the years I’ve devised a number of ways of picking up instant information without delving into specific lines and their courses. I call the following method my party piece because it’s quick to do, easy to remember and offers insights into our current needs and behaviour. I hope you find it useful.

　　多人一知道我的职业就立马把手伸到我鼻子底下，让我看相。所以这么多年下来，我琢磨出了一套方法，能够撇开细枝末节，迅速了解一个人手相包含的大致信息。我管它叫我的绝活，因为它方便快捷，能立刻看穿人当下的需求和行为。希望你觉得有用。

　　First of all, shake your hands and lay them palm-up on a desk or solid surface. You’ll notice that some fingers naturally lie closer to each other than others, while some stick out from the rest. It’s rare to have all the fingers with equal distances between them.

　　首先甩手放松，将手掌手心朝上放在桌面。你会发现放松状态下，有些手指和其他手指离得比较近，有些离得较远。很少有人五根手指间距一模一样。

　　In general, fingers held close together betray a conservative person who prefers not to take risks. When fully splayed, however, expect a bohemian type determined to do things his or her way.

　　总地说来，手指间距小的人比较保守，不爱冒险。间距大的人桀骜不羁，主见很强。

　　Keep two points in mind. Firstly, regardless of which hand you write with, relative finger positions on the left hand show traits that apply mostly in your personal life, while on the right hand, these are characteristics seen more vividly at work and in social situations. Secondly, finger positioning shows current needs rather than fixed behaviour patterns. Only when the finger has begun to bend towards (or away from) another will this reveal a long-term character trait.

　　记住两点：第一，不论你是左撇子还是右撇子，左手手指位置对应的特质都体现在你的个人生活中，右手对应特质多见于工作和社交场合。第二，手指的位置显示的是当前的状态，而不是固定的个性。某根手指突然远离或靠近其他手指时，才能揭示一种长期的性格特质。

　　? Thumb tip held close to the palm: Self-contained, private and wary of intrusion; at present others will be in your life ‘by invitation only’.

　　?大拇指尖靠近手掌：自我克制，重视私人空间，害怕他人侵扰。目前你的生活对外挂牌是“非请勿进”

　　? Thumb tip held away from the palm: Open and needy – what you see is what you get; you are currently self-confident in presenting yourself and relaxed enough with others to encourage intimacy, but you may have trouble saying ‘no’ and discriminating.

　　?大拇指尖远离手掌：开放、贪婪（我想不到其它词语），看见什么就拿什么。你和他人相处时自信、放松，容易亲近，但不会拒绝，不善于区分

　　? Index finger held away from the middle finger: Confident and independent; you are currently feeling ready to assert yourself and your desires.

　　?食指、中指间距大：自信、独立，你准备好了随时捍卫自己的立场和梦想

　　? Index finger tilted towards the middle finger: Shy and lacking in confidence or courage; at present you are seeking reassurance and feeling unsure of your abilities.

　　?食指、中指间距小：害羞、信心不足、缺乏勇气，你对自身的能力不自信，需要寻求慰藉

　　? Middle finger held close to the ring finger: Duty-bound, guilt-ridden or reluctant to let your hair down; you are currently feeling put-upon but may secretly enjoy being a martyr.

　　?中指、无名指间距小：责任心强、容易内疚、难放松，你觉得被人欺骗利用，但可能暗中享受做圣母或圣父的感觉

　　? Ring finger separated from the middle finger: Focused on personal projects; you are now determined to enjoy your life and put family duties to the back of your mind.

　　?中指、无名指间距大：专注于个人享受，家庭责任暂时搁置一边

　　? Little finger jutted out away from the palm: Independent and unwilling to be tied down; at present you are seeking space from, or avoiding, a full-on relationship.

　　?小拇指离手掌远：独立、不被束缚，当下不想谈一场严肃认真的恋爱

　　? Little finger curled in on itself appearing ‘reticent’: Fear of intimacy; at present you are unwilling to focus on your sexual needs or get physically involved.

　　?蜷缩的小拇指：害怕和人亲近，不愿意正视自己的性需求，不愿付出行动

　　? Low-set little finger, where its base a ‘step’ down from the base of the other fingers: Focused on problems with one parent, who may have been either physically absent or emotionally remote; right now, you are feeling the need to address this but should avoid letting parental issues dominate or mar personal relationships in adulthood.

　　?小拇指根部比其他手指低：父母中有一人较为疏离，可能是关系冷漠或住得很远，当下你感到需要解决这个问题，但不应该让它影响到你个人的恋爱关系

　　Self-determination

　　命运在自己手中

　　Our hands are our personal autobiographies, but not all the chapters have been written yet. Lines change to reflect our actions, reactions and decisions in life. The choices we make and our reactions to the events and people we encounter all shape our lives and, in turn, the lines on our palms. Our actions and reactions of today will show in our hands tomorrow. We influence our environment and it also affects us. The hands reflect this two-way process and are a living testament to the power we have to shape our own destinies. With palmistry, we are reminded that the future is negotiable.

　　手相是我们的自传，但并不是所有的章节都已完成。掌纹的变化反映了我们的决策和行动。选择和际遇都会影响我们的生活，也改变着我们的掌纹。今天做的，明天就会反映在掌纹上。我们影响环境的同时，环境也在影响我们。掌纹就反映了这个双向影响的过程，也是“命运在自己手中”的最好证明。学会手相占卜，未来就在你手中。

　　© Frank C. Clifford