A swastika is a cross whose four arms are each bent at a right angle, so it looks like a small pinwheel.

A swastika is a crossSwastika是一個十字，whose four arms are each bent at a right angle四隻手臂各自呈直角彎折，so it looks like a small pinwheel看起來像個小風車。

In English today, saying the word calls up one thing before anything else: the symbol of the Nazi Party in Germany, and everything done under it. Painted on a wall, it is a threat. It is illegal to display in Germany and several other countries. If you say the word in English, that is the meaning people will hear.

In English today, saying the word calls up one thing before anything else在今天的英文裡，講出這個字第一個讓人想到的，the symbol of the Nazi Party in Germany就是德國納粹黨的符號，and everything done under it以及在那個符號底下做過的一切。Painted on a wall畫在牆上，it is a threat它就是一種威脅。It is illegal to display in Germany and several other countries在德國和其他幾個國家，展示它是違法的。If you say the word in English如果你用英文說出這個字，that is the meaning people will hear這就是別人聽到會想到的意思。

But the symbol is thousands of years older than the Nazis and belongs to many places, including this part of the world. It is an auspicious mark in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, drawn at doorways and on temples, and you have seen it your whole life on Buddhist temples and monks' robes here in Taiwan. That one is usually drawn the other way round, with the arms bending anticlockwise, and it means good fortune, not hatred.

But the symbol is thousands of years older than the Nazis但這個符號其實比納粹早了幾千年，and belongs to many places, including this part of the world屬於很多地方，包括這一帶。It is an auspicious mark in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism它在印度教、佛教和耆那教裡是個吉祥的標記，drawn at doorways and on temples畫在門口和寺廟上，and you have seen it your whole life on Buddhist temples and monks' robes here in Taiwan而你在台灣這裡，一輩子都在佛寺和出家人的僧袍上見過它。That one is usually drawn the other way round那個版本通常方向相反，with the arms bending anticlockwise手臂往逆時針彎，and it means good fortune, not hatred意思是好運，不是仇恨。

So the same shape carries two histories that cannot be reconciled. In English, name which one you mean. When you talk about the temple symbol to a Westerner, it is far safer to say "the Buddhist symbol" or use the Sanskrit-flavoured framing than to say "swastika" and let them assume the worst.

So the same shape carries two histories that cannot be reconciled所以同一個形狀背負著兩段無法調和的歷史。In English, name which one you mean用英文講的時候，要說清楚你指的是哪一個。When you talk about the temple symbol to a Westerner跟西方人講到寺廟上的那個符號時，it is far safer to say "the Buddhist symbol" or use the Sanskrit-flavoured framing說「the Buddhist symbol佛教的符號」或用帶梵文色彩的說法會安全得多，than to say "swastika" and let them assume the worst比直接說「swastika」讓對方自己往最壞的方向想。

One more thing worth knowing: the Nazis themselves did not call it a swastika. In German it is Hakenkreuz — "hooked cross".

One more thing worth knowing還有一件事值得知道：the Nazis themselves did not call it a swastika納粹自己並不把它叫做swastika。In German it is Hakenkreuz在德文裡它叫Hakenkreuz——"hooked cross"意思是「鉤十字」。