To know the future, you must understand the past.

欲知未來，必先了解過去

Hi, welcome to China Uncensored.

歡迎收看「中國解密」

I'm your host Chris Chappell.

我是主持人 Chris Chappell

If you've been to any Chinese restaurant in the United States,

如果你曾經去過美國的中國餐館

you've been served a fortune cookie.

肯定吃過幸運餅乾

A lovely little saying, some lucky numbers,

一句祝福的好話 一些幸運數字

maybe it teaches you a word in Mandarin.

也許是教你中文字

Yes, fortune cookies are a beloved Chinese restaurant tradition all around the world.

沒錯，幸運餅乾向來是全球的 中國餐館一項受到喜愛的傳統

But why can't you find fortune cookies in China?

但為何你在中國找不到幸運餅乾？

In fact, the ancient art of fortune cookies was nearly lost forever.

事實上，幸運餅乾這項傳統藝術幾近失傳

It was a dark time in China's history.

這是中國歷史上一段黑暗時期

One that few people even know about.

只有少數人知道

So today, we bring you a China Uncensored exclusive investigation

所以今天我們將為您帶來中國解密的獨家調查

into the secret history of the fortune cookie.

讓你了解幸運餅乾的歷史秘辛

The origins of the fortune cookie stretch back to the roots of recorded Chinese history--the

從中國歷史的根源往回追溯幸運餅乾的起源源自

Shang Dynasty.

商代

In a grand ceremony to determine the fortune of the nation for the coming year,

在一項預測來年國運的盛大儀式中

the emperor would toss oracle bones into a bronze "ding" vessel that would then be lit.

皇帝將帶有神諭的甲骨文投入青銅鼎中後引火點燃

A mystic would interpret the cracks that formed on the bones as predictions for the future.

巫師會根據骨頭上的裂痕預測來年的國運

Clearly, a feudalistic superstition.

顯然這是封建社會下的迷信

That's why, during the Cultural Revolution,

這是為何在文化大革命時期

when Mao Zedong began destroying the Four Olds

毛澤東開始推動破四舊時--

--a systematic campaign to wipe out traditional culture--

一項有計畫掃蕩傳統文化的運動---

he targeted the fortune cookie.

便將幸運餅乾作為破除對象

"That was the official reason Mao gave for the

[艾瑞絲‧沃爾西博士：食物史學家] 「這是毛澤東對『搗毀孔家店，粉碎幸運餅乾』的

'Smash Confucius, Smash the Cookie' campaign.

官方說法

But there were actually much more sinister reasons behind it."

但是背後其實隱含更陰險的理由。」

Dr. Iris Wolsey is one of the world's foremost experts on fortune cookies.

艾瑞絲‧沃爾西博士是全世界研究幸運餅乾歷史的權威

"After the Shang emperors,

「殷商帝王之後

it became a folk tradition.

幸運餅乾成為民間傳統

People started putting their own spirit tablets with fortunes and charms written on them

人們開始將寫有祈求好運字眼的小木片

in steamed rice cakes to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

塞進年糕來慶祝農曆新年

Whoever ended up with the cake with the tablet would have good fortune for the coming year."

吃到這塊小木片的人來年就會有好運。」

"Unless they broke their teeth."

「除非他們咬斷自己的牙齒。」

"At a certain point, they switched to paper."

「久而久之木片換成紙條。」

But for Mao Zedong,

但是對毛澤東來說

fortune cookies were more than just feudal superstition.

幸運餅乾不僅代表封建社會的迷信

They were also political.

而且與政治有關

During the late Ming Dynasty,

明代末年

the making of fortune cookies became part of esoteric rituals,

幸運餅乾的製作過程變成秘教儀式的一部分

dominated by secretive clans with occult practices

並由修練秘術的秘密宗族掌控

rooted in geomancy, fengshui, and fortune telling based on the Bagua and I-ching.

幸運餅乾與八卦和易經做撒泥占卜、風水 與算命有相同的淵源

One of these clans had a charismatic leader

其中一個宗族的領袖極具影響力

who convinced his followers that he had the will of Heaven,

他說服他的追隨者他帶有上天的意旨

and the will of heaven

天意指示

was for him to become Emperor.

他將成為皇帝

That led to the Le Zaohua, or Happy Good Luck, Uprising of 1629,

引發樂造化起義或稱 1629 年「快樂好運」起義

and later the 1633 Chang Fu, or Everlasting Fortune, Rebellion.

以及 1633 年常富起義或稱「長久財富」起義

Which they most definitely were not.

當然兩次起義都沒有帶來快樂好運或長久財富

Both rebellions failed,

儘管兩次起義都以失敗告終

but they greatly weakened the Ming Dynasty.

卻大大削弱明朝的勢力

And they were partly responsible for the dynasty's collapse and conquest by the Manchus in 1644.

這兩場起義是造成明朝瓦解的部分原因 並導致 1644 年明朝被滿族征服

So it's no wonder that,

這也難怪

in the 20th century,

到了二十世紀

Mao Zedong was afraid the fortune cookie could threaten his rule.

毛澤東害怕幸運餅乾威脅他的統治地位

At least that's the accepted scholarly interpretation.

至少，這是公認的學術說法

But it turns out, there might be more to the story...

但故事另有內情

"No, no that's totally wrong.

[金豐：幸運餅乾主廚] 「不，不，這是完全錯誤的。

That's not why Mao turned against fortune cookies at all."

這並不是毛澤東反對幸運餅乾的主要原因。」

I went to Manhattan's Chinatown to interview Jing Fong.

我前往曼哈頓的中國城拜訪金豐

He's a seventh generation fortune cookie master from the southern Har Gow school.

他是南方蝦餃燒賣門派的第七代幸運餅乾傳人

His was one of only a handful of fortune cookie families

他們家族是少數在文化大革命前離開中國

that left China before the Cultural Revolution,

的幸運餅乾製作家族

and have carried on the tradition overseas.

並將中國傳統帶往海外

"I've been making fortune cookies for nearly 40 years."

「我從事幸運餅乾製作將近四十年。」

"You...don't look that old."

「你看起來沒那麼老。」

"My mother put a fortune cookie in my hand before I learned to walk."

「我的母親在我還未學會走路前就把幸運餅乾交到我的手裡。」

His fortune cookie factory now supplies nearly one quarter of the Chinese restaurants in

他的幸運餅乾工廠現在供應美國將近四分之一的

the United States.

中國餐館

"Mao was a secret believer in the power of Fortune Cookies.

「毛澤東堅信幸運餅乾具有神秘的力量

That's why during the Chinese Civil War,

因此在中國內戰期間

when the Communists were fighting the Nationalists,

共產黨和國民黨交戰之際

Mao had his troops use fortune cookies to deliver secret messages between Revolutionary cells.

毛澤東命令他的軍隊利用幸運餅乾 在革命黨工間傳遞秘密訊息

He believed it was the fortune cookies that helped him win the war."

他相信幸運餅乾幫助他贏得國共內戰。」

But according to these memoirs written by Mao's doctor,

但是根據毛澤東醫生撰寫的回憶錄指出

Mao later became obsessed with fortune cookies.

毛澤東晚年很迷信幸運餅乾

Especially after several predictions proved eerily correct.

特別是其中幾次預言十分神準令人發毛

"You mean, the fortunes were accurate?"

「你是指幸運餅乾預言準確？」

"Yes.

「是的

One fortune Mao got read,

毛澤東讀到其中一個幸運餅乾寫到

'When metal is depleted, the earth will become weak.'

『當金被耗盡，土將會變弱。』

That's based on the Five Elements theory.

這是根據五行理論所得

Earth generates Metal.

土生金

The five elements theory is a profound skill that Chinese people use to predict the future.

中國人民利用五行理論的博大精深預測未來

From this perspective,

從此觀點來看

Mao was using a skill that he didn't completely grasp."

毛澤東使用了他並不完全了解的技能。」

According to Jing,

根據金豐的說法

Mao thought this prediction meant that unless he increased steel production,

毛澤東認為這個預測意味了除非他增加鋼的產量

the “earth,” or China, would be weak and vulnerable to foreign invasion.

「土地」或中國將無法抵禦外侮的入侵

So during the Great Leap forward,

因此在大躍進時期

he drove the entire population into steel production.

他將全中國的人口投入鋼鐵產業

Even in rural areas, entire forests were leveled just to fuel the furnaces.

即使在農村地區整片森林也被夷平作為熔爐的燃料

But it was all a waste.

但最後一切付之一炬

They couldn't get the temperatures high enough and so the metal was brittle and useless.

因為他們煉鋼的溫度不夠高 因此生產的鋼鐵易碎無法使用

In fact, that was one of the contributing factors to the Great Famine.

事實上，這也是造成大飢荒的主要原因之一

"'When metal is depleted,

「『當金被耗盡

the earth will become weak.'

土將會變弱。』

30 million people starved to death.

三千萬人民遭餓死

The Earth element correlates to the stomach."

土元素與胃相關聯。」

"Whooooaaaa."

「哇。」

"There were other fortunes, too.

「還有其他幸運餅乾籤詩。」

The entire reason Mao blocked Zhou Enlai from getting treatment for his cancer

毛澤東阻止周恩來治療癌症的主要原因

is because of a fortune cookie predicting that if Mao died first,

是因為幸運餅乾預測如果毛澤東先入土

Zhou would take over his legacy."

周恩來將動搖他的歷史地位。」

"And it'd be Zhou's face up in Tiananmen today.

「這麼一來現在天安門掛的肖像將會是周恩來？」

Wow, so, I'm really impressed by the history of your art.

哇，我真的佩服你對幸運餅乾歷史淵源的了解

I was wondering,

我在想

can I have one of your fortune cookies?"

能不能試吃你們店裡的幸運餅乾？」

"Knowing the future can be a burden as much as it is a gift."

「知道未來不只是禮物，也是一種負擔。」

"I'll take my chances."

「我願意賭賭看？」

"'You will have the number one show on YouTube.'

「你將擁有 YouTube 最紅的節目。」

Oh wow!!!

哇！

Oh. Wait there's more...

等等，還有...

'Visit Learn Chinese Now for the true meaning.'"

「欲解此籤請造訪『學中文』。」

And thank you for watching.

感謝您的收看

What do you like most about fortune cookies?

你最喜歡幸運餅乾哪一點？

And if you comment below—

如果你有任何意見

no spoilers please.

拜託別爆雷

Once again I'm Chris Chappell. See you next time.

我是 Chris Chappell 下次再見

OK, so for the real story behind this episode,

接下來這集節目幕後的真實故事

here's my friend Ben Hedges from Learn Chinese Now.

由我的好朋友郝毅博的『學中文』節目做揭曉

Yu ren jie.

愚人節

That's how you say April Fool's day in Chinese!

這是愚人節的中文念法

So when an elementary student

當一個小學生

tells his teacher that the principal wants to see him in his office,

告訴他的老師校長要他去辦公室見他

and he actually goes there to find it was fake...

他到了辦公室後才知道上當

Yu ren jie.

愚人節

That was me who pulled that one.

那個小學生就是我

When the BBC tells you spaghetti grows on trees...

當 BBC 告訴你義大利麵條長在樹上

The last two weeks of March

三月的最後兩個禮拜

are an anxious time for the spaghetti farmer.

對義大利麵農來說是最期待的時候

After picking,

從樹上採收後

the spaghetti is laid out to dry in the warm Alpine sun.

義大利麵在阿爾卑斯山上溫暖的太陽下曬乾

Yep,

是的

it's yu ren jie.

愚人節

Or when you see a video that says "traditional" Chinese Fortune Cookies

或是當你看到影片中說「傳統」的中國幸運餅乾

were suppressed by the Communists but preserved in America.

受到共產黨壓制，卻在美國發揚光大

It must be

肯定是

yu ren jie.

愚人節

Sorry to break the illusion.

抱歉耍了你們

You guys really believed that right?

你們真的相信這個故事？

But Chris, the Communists did suppress a lot of stuff right?

但是 Chris，共產黨的確壓制了很多東西吧？

I mean Chinese American food uses a lot of broccoli.

美國的中國食品使用了大量了青花菜

That is surely one of the cuisines that were suppressed in the cultural revolution right?

這無疑是在文化革命期間受到壓制的菜色吧？

I wish the communists had suppressed broccoli.

我希望共產黨壓制青花菜

It's the bane of a good General Tsao's Chicken.

因為它是美味左宗棠雞的最大敗筆

Anyway, if you like humor and want to learn some useful words in Mandarin,

總之，如果你喜歡幽默想學些實用的中文

click here to go to Ben's channel,

可以按一下這裡來收看郝毅博的節目

Learn Chinese Now

『學中文』

where you can, you know,

你可以在節目中

learn Chinese now.

學會講中文

He uploads new awesome videos every week.

他每週都會上傳很棒的新節目