好奇害死貓

  此條目頁的主題是英國諺語。關於2006年上映的中國大陸電影，請見「好奇害死貓 (電影)」。

一隻好奇的小貓。

好奇害死貓（Curiosity killed the cat）是英國的一句諺語，旨在警告不必要的調查或實驗帶來的危險，警戒人們不要過分好奇，否則會給自己帶來傷害。對於「好奇害死貓」的一個不常見的答辯是「但滿足了就沒事（but, satisfaction brought it back）」。

這個諺語原來的形式，現已較少使用，是「Care killed the cat」。在本句中，「care」被當作「煩惱（worry）」或「悲傷（sorrow）」。

起源

在本節中，「care」都是當作「煩惱（worry）」或「悲傷（sorrow）」。

這句諺語最早出現在英國劇作家本·瓊森寫於1598年的劇本《人各有癖》（Every Man in His Humour）中。這部劇本最早是由莎士比亞演出的。

...Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care will kill a cat, up-tails all, and a pox on the hangman.

莎士比亞在他1599年所著的劇作《無事生非》中運用了一句相似的話：

“ What, courage man! what though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care.
喂，放出勇氣來，朋友！雖然憂能傷人（原文為貓），可是你是個好漢子，你會把憂愁趕走的。 ”

至少直到1898年以前，該諺語都維持不變。「care killed the cat」被埃比尼澤·科巴姆·布魯爾收錄到他的「片語與寓言字典（Dictionary of Phrase and Fable）」中，並定義為：

“ Care killed the Cat.

It is said that "a cat has nine lives," yet care would wear them all out.

”

• 中譯：據說貓有九條命，但即使如此，悲傷仍會把牠們搞死。

轉變

現代版本的起源未知。已知實際使用「Curiosity killed the cat」最早的是在1873年詹姆斯·艾倫·梅爾（James Allan Mair）的一本手冊「諺語手冊：英格蘭、蘇格蘭、愛爾蘭、美式、莎士比亞風格、聖經和家庭格言（A handbook of proverbs: English, Scottish, Irish, American, Shakesperean, and scriptural; and family mottoes）」，列在34頁的愛爾蘭諺語上。

約翰·亨德里克斯·柏克德（John Hendricks Bechtel）所著「諺語：警句與短語（Proverbs: Maxims and Phrases）」1902年的版本中，片語「Curiosity killed the cat」是100頁的專題「好奇心（Curiosity）」上的一個單獨條目。

歐·亨利1909年的短篇小說《學校呀學校》中也有提到，這顯示了該諺語在當時廣為人知：

“ Curiosity can do more things than kill a cat; and if emotions, well recognized as feminine, are inimical to feline life, then jealousy would soon leave the whole world catless.
好奇心不僅僅殺死一隻貓；而如果一致公認女性的感情對貓類生命不利的話，妒忌心很快就會使世界上的貓一隻不剩。 ”

而作為一個故事的標題出現則是在1916年3月4日的華盛頓郵報上（第6頁）：

“ CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT.

Four Departments of New York City Government Summoned to Rescue Feline.

From the New York World.

Curiosity, as you may recall—

On the fifth floor of the apartment house at 203 West 130th street lives Miss Mable Godfrey. When she came to the house about seven months ago she brought Blackie, a cat of several years' experience of life.

The cat seldom left the apartment. He was a hearth cat, not a fence cat, and did not dearly love to sing. In other respects he was normal and hence curious.

Last Tuesday afternoon when Miss Godfrey was out Blackie skipped into the grate fireplace in a rear room. He had done this many times before. But he had not climbed up the flue to the chimney. This he did Tuesday. Blackie there remained, perched on the top of the screen separating the apartment flue from the main chimney, crying for assistance. Miss Godfrey, returning, tried to induce her pet to come down. If you are experienced in felinity, you know that Blackie didn't come down.

On Wednesday the cat, curiosity unsatisfied, tried to climb higher—and fell to the first floor. His cries could still be heard by Miss Godfrey; who, to effect Blackie's rescue, communicated with the following departments:
1. Police department.
2. Fire department.
3. Health department.
4. Building department.
5. Washington Heights court.

Among them they lowered a rope to Blackie. But it availed neither the cat nor them anything.
Thursday morning, just before noon, a plumber opened the rear wall back of the chimney. Blackie was taken out. His fall had injured his back. Ten minutes later Blackie died.

”

儘管這諺語很早就公開亮相，它在尤金·奧尼爾1920年的劇作「Diff'rent」上還是被錯誤地引用成了「Curiosity killed a cat!」：

“ BENNY—(with a wink) Curiosity killed a cat! Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies. ”

作家史蒂芬·金在他的《鬼店》中，對此諺語做出延伸：「好奇害死貓，但滿足了就沒事（Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought him back）」。

參見

• 薛丁格貓

外部連結

• Henry, O. Schools and Schools. (Gutenberg text)（頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）
• Jonson, Ben. Every Man in His Humour. (Gutenberg text)（頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）
• O'Neill, Eugene. Diff'rent. (Gutenberg text)（頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）
• Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. (Gutenberg text)（頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）
• Brewer, E. Cobham. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.（頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）
• The Literary Encyclopedia.（頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）
• 好奇心殺死了一隻貓（頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）