苹果498元手机壳“指蟒为龙”？网友吵翻……

11月前

近日，苹果手机壳被质疑“指蟒为龙”登上微博热搜。

据苹果官网介绍，这款“龙年特别版”手机壳是为了庆祝中国农历龙年春节而特别定制的，由插画师“Yulong Lli”设计和绘制，售价498元。但手机壳上龙的画法引发了网友热议……

苹果官网上出售的“龙年特别款”手机壳。图片来源：苹果官网

A Year of the Dragon iPhone case being sold on Apple's website has sparked a backlash.

Netizens say it's not a dragon, because of the number of claws based on Chinese culture and history.

The OtterBox Lumen Series Case for iPhone 15, priced at 498 yuan (US$70.1), was illustrated by artist Yulong Lli.

The topic "iPhone case dragon is actually a python" soon trended on the platform, with 130 million views thousands of forwards, and many comments.

“五爪为龙四爪为蟒”？

该产品概述称，该手机壳以绚烂的牡丹烟火图案、卷曲流动的线条和明亮的色彩，生动展现龙的勇猛精神，寓意喜庆吉祥。

It "brings to life the Dragon's bold personality through bursts of peony-shaped fireworks, swirling lines, and bright colors," according to Apple's description on the website.

随后有不少网友指出，该手机壳上龙的爪子只有四只，而中国传统文化里“五爪为龙四爪为蟒”，实为“指蟒为龙”。

有网友直接调侃：“所以你不是苹果，而是蟒果。”还有网友将重点放在了价格上：“画错就画错吧，还要498。”

有“五爪龙”的安卓款手机壳。图片来源：上海日报SHINE

但也有观点表示，在不同的历史时期，龙的爪子数量与象征意义都有所变化，中国传统文化中的龙并非一开始就有五爪，而是从三爪、四爪到五爪发展过来的。

In Chinese culture, dragons are signs of good fortune, power, and health. Stories tell of these creatures helping people by filling them with courage or bringing rain for a farmer's crops.

But netizens say Apple's dragon has only four claws on each foot, not the five claws representing dragons in China.

The four-claw dragon-like animal is "a python or a big snake," rather than a dragon representing the lunar year of 2024 in China, or a noble and divine image in tradition, many netizens said on Weibo.

These are two totally different animals (in China) and show Apple's ignorance of Chinese tradition and culture, they said.

对此，苹果方面回应称，官方对手机壳产品有介绍，是以明亮色彩展现龙的勇猛精神寓意的保护壳。对于图案是“蟒”还是“龙”的疑问，苹果方面未作出正面回应，仅表示以官网页面显示的信息为准。

Apple hasn't commented on the issue directly. The iPhone case was still available online on Tuesday. However, Apple released new free wallpapers for the Year of the Dragon on its official WeChat account, with all dragons featuring five claws.