All this speculation is naturally based upon the perception that the Mayan calendar will be running out of days after that projected date. Already, I can envision many alarmed people committing some serious crimes as that date begins to approach. It is highly likely that from acts of compassion, some people may slaughter their families in an effort to spare them the pain and expected suffering that they may expected as the end approaches. Some of the more violent individuals may possibly consider it the perfect opportunity to complete all those paybacks to their enemies that they have waited for so many long years to accomplish.
There is no doubt that people all around the globe are terrified at this prospect and for no reason what-so-ever. School children are becoming alarmed at an increased rate as they feel they are much too young to die. Parents are becoming apprehensive for the safety of their family in the upcoming days. Human nature as it may be will justify people doing things which they would normally not even consider. It is unfortunate that in times such as this people often fabricate excuses not to continue their lives in a responsible fashion.
The truth of the matter is rather simple in all reality since the world is not in any way, shape or form going to end. It is unlikely that we will play witness to a fiery display of meteorites flaming towards earth intent upon burning it and its inhabitants completely out of existence. In fact, in all likelihood, December 21 of 2012 will actually be just like any other day in our lives.
It seems like a gross lack of Mayan knowledge is the culprit in generating this unfounded fear of 2012. The Mayan civilization has never in any way predicted the end of the world in the year 2012. The fact is that it is merely a strange coincidence that some of the astrological alignments happen to fall on that specific timeframe. The predicted apocalypse which is suppose to occur on that date is nothing more then a figment of western, Christian beliefs that had been projected into the Mayan culture.
Some of these misunderstandings for the 2012 phenomena may perhaps originate upon the discovery of some clay tablets in southern Mexico in the early 60’s. These tablets happened to casually mention the year 2012 as a time for something special to occur. As luck would have it erosion created a crack in the stone tablet making the end of the passage unreadable. Imaginations quickly got carried away creating the 2012 doomsday scenario.
Completely disregarded were the inscriptions often found at many Mayan digs that describe dates long past the memorable 2012 deadline. One such comment even concerns the year 4772.
The Mayan had a knack for astronomy and its calendar was developed to begin at 3,114 BC. These doomsday rumors failed to take into account that this calendar used by the Mayans began on the date listed and used a basis of 394 year periods. These periods were known as Baktuns in the Mayan language. Since the number thirteen held a particular significance to the Mayan philosophers, it just so happens that the 13th Baktun ends on none other then December 21, 2012. At this time it does not indicate the end of the world but merely the final time for that Mayan Baktun and their current calendar.
This date is actually representative of a special occasion for the Mayan people. It is a celebration for the creation of their world and not a death notice for all humanity. Mankind has continually tried to manipulate astrological occurrences to comfortably fit into the scheme of their 2012 projections.
So if you have been worrying about the end of life occurring in 2012 you can put that fiction to rest. On December 22, 2012 you will wake up and go about your business as you did on December 20, 2012.
（Word Count: 659）
译文:
世界末日真的会如我们所知的在2012年来临吗？{Translated by Shermee}
当你向任何人询问2012年的事情时，一定会以异常的焦虑和疑惑的眼神恳求得到一个答案。似乎每个人都在密切关注着玛雅历法中宣称的世界末日——2012年12月21日。
所有这些推测均源于玛雅历法将在这个预测的日期之后结束。我已经可以想象到随着那个日期的临近，无数惊恐的人会犯下严重的罪行。更有可能的是，一些人可能会为了免去末日带来的痛苦及伤害而屠杀他们的家人。一些更残暴的人则可能认为这正是一个血债血偿的绝佳时机，他们已经为此等待太长时间了。
毫无疑问，全世界的人都在毫无理由地在畏惧这个预言。学生的恐惧持续增长，害怕自己年纪轻轻就要辞世。父母惴惴不安，怕即将到来的末日会威胁到他们的家庭安全。人类的潜在本性将驱使他们去做一些平常连想都不会想的事情。不幸的是这样的人通常会编造借口不负责的继续他们的人生。
很明显，从任何方面来看，这个世界的任何方式、形态或构造都没有迹象正走向毁灭。我们不太可能有机会目睹一颗燃烧的陨石飞向地球引起爆炸，而它的全部居民也都随之毁于一旦。事实上最有可能的是，2012年12月21日将与我们生活中其他的日子没什么两样。
毫无根据地捏造2012年恐慌的肇事者似乎严重缺乏玛雅知识。玛雅文化从未以任何方式预言2012年是世界末日。事实上仅仅只有一点奇怪的巧合，占星学轴线恰巧符合那个特殊的时间表。2012世界末日的预言启示只不过是一些将西方基督教义加入到玛雅文化里的虚构的东西。
一些关于2012年现象的误解可能起源于在60年代早期于南墨西哥发现的一些泥板。这些泥板碰巧不经意地提及到2012年有一些特别的事情将要发生。更巧的是腐蚀在泥板上造成一个缺口，使得这篇文字的结尾无法阅读。2012年世界末日的推测便由此迅速产生了，全然忽视在玛雅坑墓中常见的碑铭上所记载的伟大的2012年末日之后的漫长时光，其中一个甚至提到了4772年。
玛雅人精通天文学，他们的历法始于公元前3，114年。这些末日谣言未能考虑到玛雅人使用的历法起始于上述日期并以394年为一个纪元。这些纪元在玛雅语中被称为伯克顿（Baktu）。由于13这个数字对玛雅学者来说有特殊的涵义，而第13个伯克顿恰好截止于2012年12月21日。这並不意味着世界末日，而仅仅是玛雅伯克顿及目前历法的截止日期。
事实上，这个日期代表了玛雅人的一个特别的庆典——为了庆祝世界的诞生而不是宣告全人类的死亡。人类继续尝试利用占星学的现象丰富了他们的2012年计划表。
所以，如果你还在担心2012年世界末日的到来，那么就是在庸人自扰了。在2012年12月21日，你会一觉醒来，继续你12月20日的人生。
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