InthisNov.15,2009,filephoto,TigerWoodshitsanapproachshotduringtheAustralianMastersgolftournamentatKingstonHeathGolfClubinMelbourne,Australia.It'stheYearoftheTiger,butChinesefortunetellerssayit'llbearoughpatchfortheworld'smostfamousone:disgracedgolferTigerWoods.(Agencies)
It'stheYearoftheTiger,butChinesefortunetellerssayit'llbearoughpatchfortheworld'smostfamousone:disgracedgolferTigerWoods.
Otherpredictions:tryingtimesforUNSecretary-GeneralBanKi-moon,turmoilinthefinancialmarkets,spikesinfire-relatednaturaldisastersandacrucialperiodforUSPresidentBarackObama.
Undertheschooloffengshui-thetraditionalChinesepracticeofpredictingfortunesthroughdatesandclassicalChinesetexts-thenewlunaryearstartingSundayisassociatedwiththenaturalelementsofmetal,wood,thunderandfire.Metalisasymbolofrighteousaction-likewagingwar.Thunderandfiresymbolizevolatility,whilewoodfeedsthefire.
It'sarecipeforgeopoliticaltensionsanddrasticmarketmovements,fengshuiexpertssay.
"Peoplewilltrytotakeonthestrongandhelptheweak.Theywilltrytohelptheirfellowbrothers.Theywillhelpfriendswhoarebeingbullied.Thisyearwillbemoreviolent,"HongKongfengshuiadviserRaymondLosaid,notingthatthepreviousYearoftheTigerassociatedwithmetalwas1950-theyeartheKoreanWarbrokeout.
TheChinesezodiacoperatesonarotationof12differentsigns,oranimals.Peoplewhoareenteringayearwhosesignisthesameastheirbirthyear'sareconsidered"inclash"andmayhavebadluck,accordingtofengshuibelief.ButwhileChinesefortunetellersgivetigersaconservativeoutlookthisyear,thezodiacsignthatcausesthemostseriousconflictthisyearisthemonkey.
ThemostnotablemonkeyinworldpoliticsisBan.TheSouthKorean"willfacealotoftroublethisyear,"Losaid.OtherfamousmonkeysincludeIranianPresidentMahmoudAhmadinejad,NBAstarYaoMing,singersDianaRoss,CelineDionandactorsElizabethTaylor,TomHanks,MichaelDouglas,OwenWilsonandDanielCraig.
Theworld'sbest-known"tiger"-AmericangolferTigerWoods-actuallyisn'tatigernoramonkey,accordingtothelunarcalendar.BornDecember30,1975,the14-timemajorwinnerisarabbit.
ButWoods'birthdateisassociatedwithmetal,whichclasheswiththepresenceofmetalinthecominglunaryear.SoafteradmittingtocheatingonhiswifeandtakinganindefiniteleavefromgolfinDecember,the34-year-oldcanexpectmorepersonaltroublethisyear,predictionssay.
"Hislong-termfortuneisonthedecline,"Losaid.
AsforObama,therearedifferinginterpretations.TheAmericanpresident'sbirthdayisAugust4,1961,makinghimanox.AccordingtoLo,thetigerisalucky"nobleman"forpeopleborninyearsendinginthedigit"1"andObama'sbirthdateisassociatedwiththenaturalelementofearth,whichiscomplementarywithmetalbecausemineralscomefromtheearth.
"Hewillshinewithflyingcolors,"Losaid,addingthattheAmericanleaderwillbecomemoreaggressiveinpushinghisagenda."Hisforeignpolicymaybetougher."
(ReadbyReneeHaines.ReneeHainesisamultimediajournalistattheChinaDailyWebsite.)
(Agencies)
虽然今年是中国的农历虎年，但算命大师们说，今年对于全世界最著名的“老虎”——名誉扫地的高尔夫名将“老虎”伍兹来说却不会太好过。
风水大师们说，这些正好构成了地缘政治的紧张局势和金融市场的动荡起伏。
香港风水大师卢恒立说：“在这一年中，人们会抑强扶弱、帮助同胞和受欺凌的朋友。这一年将更加暴力。”他指出，上一个金虎年是1950年，当年爆发了朝鲜战争。
中国的黄道十二宫12生肖一轮回。根据风水观，如果人们遇到本命年，则会被认为“流年不利”，可能会交霉运。但今年中国的风水师们对肖虎者的运程预测比较保守，却称在虎年最犯冲的是肖猴者。
潘基文是世界政坛最著名的肖猴者。卢恒立说，这位韩国人“今年会面临很多麻烦。”其他属猴的名人包括伊朗总统马哈茂德艾哈迈迪内贾德、NBA球星姚明、歌星黛安娜罗斯、席琳迪翁和演员伊丽莎白泰勒、汤姆汉克斯、迈克尔道格拉斯、欧文威尔逊和丹尼尔克雷格。
根据农历，全世界最著名的“老虎”——美国高尔夫名将“老虎”伍兹——其实既不属虎也不属猴。这位出生于1975年12月30日的14次大满贯得主属兔。
不过伍兹的生日与金相连，恰好与即将到来的农历年的金相撞。去年12月，伍兹承认背叛妻子并宣布无限期离开高尔夫，所以此后便有人预测，这位34岁的高尔夫球手今年恐怕会有更多的私生活麻烦。
卢大师说，“他的长期运势呈下降趋势。”
卢大师说：“今年他会大放异彩。”并称这位美国总统今年在推进政治议程方面会更加强势，“他的外交政策可能会更强硬。”
（中国日报网英语点津陈丹妮编辑蔡姗姗）
Vocabulary:
roughpatch:难关，困难时期
takeon:toopposeincompetition同……较量
zodiac:theimaginaryareaintheskyinwhichthesun,moonandplanetsappeartolie,andwhichhasbeendividedintotwelveequalpartseachwithaspecialnameandsymbol黄道带（天球上的十二个等份区，各有其名称和符号，日、月、行星分布其中）