其实你也可以对着自己的睫毛许愿，反正
如果你掉了一根睫毛会怎样?你是否认为这并没有什么大不了的，不过只是一根睫毛而已，又或许你觉得这肯定意味着什么了不得的事?但对很多人来说，倘若掉下一根睫毛，他们就多了一个许愿的机会。
A 6-year-old girl may wish on every loose lash she finds, but probably doesn't really expect she'll wake up the next morning to find a pony stationed outside. Her mother, even though she's well into her 30s, wishes on loose eyelashes, too. She doesn't really believe that her wish will result in a work promotion or lottery jackpot, but figures an occasional try can't hurt. After all, she's been making wishes on eyelashes as long as she can remember, and deep down, she thinks making wishes wards off bad luck.
当一个六岁的小女孩向一根掉落的睫毛许愿时，她的愿望可能是拥有一匹可爱的小马，但却也并不会真的期待一根睫毛就能做到;当她的妈妈掉下一根睫毛时，内心盼着自己能中彩票或者升职，但也不会真的就寄托于此。但她知道，从记事起，她就一直在这么做;在她内心深处，这样做就可以赶走坏运气。
Much like wishing upon a star, tugging on a wishbone or other wish-related rituals, a loose eyelash could be a direct route to your deepest desire -- if you believe, that is.
这就像你也会对着一颗星星许愿一样。只要你相信，一根松动的睫毛可能就是通往你心中的渴望的直接途径。
The superstition that compels us to wish on otherwise random objects dates back at least a couple of centuries. Several versions of eyelash wishing existed in 18th century Britain and Ireland. For example, folklore recorded in Shropshire, England, instructs that if "an eyelash comes out, put it on the back of the hand, wish, and throw it over the shoulder. If it leaves the hand, the wish will come true." Another version, this one passed among Cornish schoolgirls, reports a loose eyelash must be placed on the tip of the nose or the back of the hand. If it is successfully blown off the surface, the accompanying wish will materialize .
这种让我们对着一些小东西许愿的迷信，早就好几百年前就有了。十八世纪时在英国和爱尔兰，就有好几种不同版本的“睫毛许愿”。 例如，在希罗普郡的民间传说中，如果"一根睫毛掉了，你把它放在手背上，朝它许愿，然后把它扔向肩膀。如果它离开了手，愿望就会实现。" 还有另一个版本，是在康沃尔的女学生中流传起来的：首先你必须把松动的睫毛放在鼻尖或者手背上，如果它被成功被吹走，愿望就会实现。
While the origins -- and success rates -- of wishing on eyelashes are historically murky, one thing is clear: It doesn't count if you pull out an eyelash and try to make a wish. In fact, it's not a good idea to pull out your lashes under any circumstances. An eyelash can take up to eight weeks to grow back .
虽然这件事儿，并不是很靠谱，但有一点是一定的：如果你人为地拔下睫毛，再对着它许愿，就一定不作数。不过好端端地，我们扯睫毛干嘛呀。一根睫毛可是需要八个星期左右才会长回去呢。
What's more, your eyelashes function as gatekeepers -- fine hairs used to protect the eyes from dust, sand and other debris. Now that's something to wish for.
更重要的是，人的睫毛具有护眼功能，使得我们心灵的窗户免受灰尘、沙子、和其他一些碎片的伤害。这才是我们需要“许愿”的。
