Most experts agree that palmistry started in India, but perhaps its most common association is with the nomadic people popularly known as Gypsies. During the Middle Ages, they were often employed as spies by various kingdoms in Europe. They would use palm reading sessions with important people as an opportunity to get information.
大多数专家同意相手术起源于印度，不过也许最容易是和人们熟悉的游牧民族吉普赛人联系在一起。在中世纪，吉普赛人常被欧洲的王国雇来充当间谍。他们利用替大人物看手相的机会来刺探情报。
Have you ever heard of the hand of destiny, or the fickle finger of fate? English, like other languages, has colorful metaphors linking the hand to notions of influence by forces beyond our control. In fact, the hand has been a source of fascination since ancient times, and palmistry, the reading of the hand, has been practiced around the world for centuries.
你听过“命运之手”或是“命运的捉弄”之类的话吗?和其它语言一样，英语用生动而丰富的暗喻，将“手”和“我们难以控制的影响力”的观念联系起来。自古以来，手一直在引发人们的兴趣。相手术，即看手相在全世界也已经应用几个世纪了。
