A tarot deck is a set of 78 cards used to tell someone's fortune — to say what may happen to them, or what kind of person they are, or what they should do. The cards have pictures on them, and each picture has a meaning: the Sun, the Moon, Death, the Lovers, the Tower. A reader lays some cards out on the table in a pattern, then reads them together, like reading a sentence made of pictures.

A tarot deck is a set of 78 cards一副塔羅牌是一組七十八張的牌卡 used to tell someone's fortune用來幫人算命 to say what may happen to them說他們可能會發生什麼事 or what kind of person they are或是他們是什麼樣的人 or what they should do或是他們該怎麼做。The cards have pictures on them牌上都有圖案 and each picture has a meaning每張圖案都有意義 the Sun像是太陽 the Moon月亮 Death死神 the Lovers戀人 the Tower高塔。A reader lays some cards out on the table in a pattern算牌的人會把幾張牌依照某種排法擺在桌上 then reads them together然後把它們合在一起解讀 like reading a sentence made of pictures就像在讀一句由圖案組成的句子。

'Tarot' is usually the whole system or the whole deck, not one card — you say a tarot reading, a tarot deck, a tarot card, and often just 'tarot' alone: 'She does tarot.' The word can be used for the cards, for the practice, or for the whole body of meanings behind them.

'Tarot' is usually the whole system or the whole deck「Tarot」通常指的是整套系統或整副牌 not one card不是一張牌 you say a tarot reading你會說 a tarot reading（一次塔羅占卜） a tarot decka tarot deck（一副塔羅牌） a tarot carda tarot card（一張塔羅牌） and often just 'tarot' alone也常常就單獨說「tarot」 'She does tarot.'像「She does tarot.（她玩塔羅。）」 The word can be used for the cards, for the practice, or for the whole body of meanings behind them這個字可以指那些牌、這個占卜的行為，或是背後整套意義。

Two things worth knowing, though. First, the cards started out as an ordinary card game in Italy in the 1400s — people played with them the way we play poker, and in parts of France and central Europe they still do. Fortune-telling came later, in the 1700s, and the ancient-Egypt stories attached to the cards are not history.

Two things worth knowing, though不過有兩件事值得知道。First第一 the cards started out as an ordinary card game in Italy in the 1400s這些牌最早是十五世紀義大利的一種普通紙牌遊戲 people played with them the way we play poker人們玩它就像我們玩撲克牌一樣 and in parts of France and central Europe they still do在法國和中歐部分地區現在還是這樣玩。Fortune-telling came later算命是後來才出現的 in the 1700s在十八世紀 and the ancient-Egypt stories attached to the cards are not history而附加在這些牌上的古埃及故事並不是真的歷史。

Second, in English, people who use tarot often talk about it softly: not 'this card says you will lose your job' but 'this card is about endings.' Even believers usually treat it as something to think with, not a machine that prints the future. Someone who does not believe in it at all may still say 'that's very Tower energy' as a joke — the pictures have become shared language.

Second第二 in English在英文裡 people who use tarot often talk about it softly用塔羅牌的人講話通常會講得比較委婉 not 'this card says you will lose your job'不會說「this card says you will lose your job（這張牌說你會丟工作）」 but 'this card is about endings.'而是說「this card is about endings.（這張牌講的是結束。）」 Even believers usually treat it as something to think with就連相信的人通常也只把它當成一種幫助思考的工具 not a machine that prints the future不是一台能印出未來的機器。Someone who does not believe in it at all一個完全不相信的人 may still say 'that's very Tower energy' as a joke也可能開玩笑說「that's very Tower energy（這超有高塔牌的感覺）」 the pictures have become shared language這些圖案已經變成大家共通的語言。