龙生九子

　　老大囚牛，牛与龙的杂交，爱好音乐，常常蹲立琴头，一些贵重的胡琴琴头上会有龙头的形象。

　　a creature that likes music, are used to adorn musical instruments

　　老二睚眦，狼与龙的杂交，平生好斗喜杀，更有睚眦必报的说法，常装饰在刀环、刀柄等与兵器相关的物品上，还大量地用在仪仗和宫殿守卫者武器上，凸显威严。

　　a creature that likes to fight, is aggressive and is normally found on cross-guards on sword as ornaments

　　老三嘲风，羊和龙的杂交，平生好险又好望，一般宫殿殿台角上的走兽就是它，象征着吉祥、美观和威严，而且还具有威慑妖魔、清除灾祸的含义。

　　a creature that likes to climb and eat. They are typically placed on the four corners of roofs.

　　这些走兽挺立在垂脊的前端，领头是一位骑兽仙人，后面依次为：龙、凤、狮子、天马、海马、狻猊、押鱼、獬豸、斗牛、和行什。

　　它们的安放有严格的等级制度，只有北京故宫的太和殿才能十样俱全，次要的殿堂则要相应减少。中和殿是七个、保和殿是九个。天安门上也只是九个。

　　老四蒲牢，狗和龙的杂交，形似盘曲的龙，平生好鸣好吼，洪钟上的龙形兽钮就是它。据说蒲牢居住在海边，虽为龙子，却一向害怕庞然大物的鲸鱼。当鲸鱼一发起攻击，它就吓得大声吼叫。

　　a creature that likes to scream, and are represented on the tops of bells, used as handles.

　　于是人们把蒲牢铸为钟纽，把敲钟的木杵作成鲸鱼形状。

　　老五狻猊，狮子和龙的杂交，平生喜静不喜动，又喜欢烟火，因此佛座上和香炉上的脚部装饰就是它。

　　a creature that likes to sit down, are represented upon the bases of Buddhist idols (under the Buddhas' or Bodhisattvas' feet).

　　老六霸下，龟和龙的杂交，又名赑屃，形似龟，平生好负重，力大无穷，碑座下的龟趺是它，与龟不同的是它有一排牙齿。

　　a creature with a large shell able to carry heavy objects, and are normally found on tombstones.

　　霸下又称石龟，是长寿和吉祥的象征。

　　我国一些显赫石碑的基座都由霸下驮着，在碑林和一些古迹胜地中都可以看到。但是导游一般不建议游客摸霸下，认为它有吃苦负重的意味，替它心酸一把~

　　老七狴犴，虎和龙的杂交，平生好讼又有威力，仗义执言，秉公而断，官衙、狱门上部那虎头形的装饰便是它，比如虎头牢。

　　a creature that likes litigation, are placed over prison gates

　　老八负屃，蛇和龙的杂交，平生好文，石碑两旁的文龙是它，和底座的霸下相配在一起，倍显壮观。

　　a creature that likes to drink water, and is typically used on bridge structures.

　　上负屃，下赑屃

　　老九螭吻，鱼和龙的杂交，又名鸱尾、鸱吻，平生好吞，作镇邪之物以避火，古代建筑多为木质，因此防火是极为关键的事情。

　　a creature that likes swallowing, are placed on both ends of the ridgepoles of roofs (to swallow all evil influences).

　　除了上述的龙，常见的瑞兽还有麒麟、貔貅，一说貔貅也是龙的儿子，它只进不出，被视作财富的象征，可以开运、辟邪、镇宅、化太岁、促姻缘。

　　而西方人却认为龙是邪恶的象征， 认为龙凶残肆虐， 应该被消灭。 在一些描写圣徒和英雄的传说中，常常有与恶龙作斗争的故事。

　　An evil dragon is often associated with a great hero who tries to slay it, and a good one is said to give wise advice.

　　西方龙的形象一般有对翅膀，而中国的龙没有翅膀。

　　The Chinese dragon is depicted as serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence, and is quadruped (four legs and wingless)，while European ones are depicted as reptilian creatures with animal-level intelligence, and are uniquely six-limbed (four legs and a separate set of wings).

　　从尼采那句“与恶龙缠斗过久，自身亦成为恶龙”便可知龙在西方文化的地位。

　　不过，西方文化对凤却没什么恶感，它与复活再生有关。