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哈利·波特与混血王子
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 英文 中文 双语对照 双语交替 首页 目录 上一章 下一章 | |
| CHAPTER SIXTEEN A VERY FROSTY CHRISTMAS
| 第十六章 冰霜圣诞节
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| So Snape was offering to help him? He was definitely offering to help him?”
| “斯内普说要帮他？他真的说要帮他？”
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| “If you ask that once more,” said Harry, “I’m going to stick this sprout —”
| “如果你再问一遍，”哈利说，“我就把这甘蓝塞到——”
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| “I’m only checking!” said Ron. They were standing alone at the Burrow’s kitchen sink, peeling a mountain of sprouts for Mrs. Weasley. Snow was drifting past the window in front of them.
| “我只是核实一下！”罗恩说。他们站在陋居的厨房水池前，为韦斯莱夫人削一堆小山似的球芽甘蓝。雪花在他们前面的窗户外飘飘荡荡地飞舞。
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| “Yes, Snape was offering to help him!” said Harry. “He said he’d promised Malfoy’s mother to protect him, that he’d made an Unbreakable Oath or something —”
| “是，斯内普说要帮他！”哈利说，“他说答应过马尔福的妈妈要保护他，而且他还立过一个牢不可破的誓言什么的——”
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| “An Unbreakable Vow?” said Ron, looking stunned. “Nah, he can’t have. . . . Are you sure?”
| “牢不可破的誓言？”罗恩目瞪口呆，“不，他不可能……你确定？”
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| “Yes, I’m sure,” said Harry. “Why, what does it mean?”
| “是啊，我确定。”哈利说，“但是这意味着什么呢？”
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| “Well, you can’t break an Unbreakable Vow. . . .”
| “牢不可破的誓言是不能违背的……”
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| “I’d worked that much out for myself, funnily enough. What happens if you break it, then?”
| “这个我也估计出来了，很有趣。那么，要是违背了会怎么样呢？”
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| “You die,” said Ron simply. “Fred and George tried to get me to make one when I was about five. I nearly did too, I was holding hands with Fred and everything when Dad found us. He went mental,” said Ron, with a reminiscent gleam in his eyes. “Only time I’ve ever seen Dad as angry as Mum. Fred reckons his left buttock has never been the same since.”
| “死。”罗恩简单地说，“我五岁的时候，弗雷德和乔治想让我立一个，我差点儿就立了，已经跟弗雷德握手什么的，被爸爸发现了，他气疯了，”罗恩眼里闪动着回忆的光芒，“这是我惟一一次看到爸爸像妈妈那样发火。弗雷德说他左半拉屁股从此不一样了。”
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| “Yeah, well, passing over Fred’s left buttock —”
| “好了，先不说弗雷德的左半拉屁股——”
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| “I beg your pardon?” said Fred’s voice as the twins entered the kitchen.
| “说什么哪？”弗雷德的声音说，双胞胎兄弟走进了厨房。
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| “Aaah, George, look at this. They’re using knives and everything. Bless them.”
| “啊，乔治，看看，他们在用小刀呢。上帝保佑他们。”
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| “I’ll be seventeen in two and a bit months’ time,” said Ron grumpily, “and then I’ll be able to do it by magic!”
| “我还有两个月多一点儿就十七岁了，”罗恩暴躁地说，“到时候就能用魔法了！”
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| “But meanwhile,” said George, sitting down at the kitchen table and putting his feet up on it, “we can enjoy watching you demonstrate the correct use of a — whoops-a-daisy!”
| “但在此之前，”乔治说着坐到厨房的桌前，把脚跷到了桌上，“我们可以欣赏欣赏你示范怎样正确使用——哎哟。”
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| “You made me do that!” said Ron angrily, sucking his cut thumb. “You wait, when I’m seventeen —”
| “都是你搞的！”罗恩恼火地说，一边吮着割破的拇指，“你等着，我满了十七岁——”
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| “I’m sure you’ll dazzle us all with hitherto unsuspected magical skills,” yawned Fred.
| “我相信你会用迄今没人想到的魔法把我们镇住。”弗雷德打着哈欠说。
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| “And speaking of hitherto unsuspected skills, Ronald,” said George, “what is this we hear from Ginny about you and a young lady called — unless our information is faulty — Lavender Brown?”
| “说到迄今没人想到的魔法，罗恩，”乔治说，“我们听金妮说，你和一个小姑娘有情况，如果我们的情报没错的话，那小姑娘叫拉文德·布朗。这是怎么回事？”
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| Ron turned a little pink, but did not look displeased as he turned back to the sprouts. “Mind your own business.”
| 罗恩有点脸红，转身削起了甘蓝，但似乎并没有不高兴。
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| “What a snappy retort,” said Fred. “I really don’t know how you think of them. No, what we wanted to know was . . . how did it happen?”
| “别多管闲事。”
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| CHRISTMAS
| “好刺人的回答，”弗雷德说，“我真不知道你是怎么想的，我们想知道的是……怎么会呢？”
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| “What d’you mean?”
| “什么意思？”
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| “Did she have an accident or something?”
| “那女孩是不是出了车祸什么的？”
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| “What?”
| “什么？”
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| “Well, how did she sustain such extensive brain damage? Careful, now!”
| “她怎么会这样大面积脑损伤啊？小心！”
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| Mrs. Weasley entered the room just in time to see Ron throw the sprout knife at Fred, who had turned it into a paper airplane with one lazy flick of his wand.
| 韦斯莱夫人走进来时，刚好看到罗恩把削甘蓝的小刀向弗雷德掷了过去。弗雷德懒洋洋地一挥魔杖，把小刀变成了一架纸飞机。
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| “Ron!” she said furiously. “Don’t you ever let me see you throwing knives again!”
| “罗恩！”她勃然大怒，“别让我再看见你扔刀子！”
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| “I won’t,” said Ron, “let you see,” he added under his breath, as he turned back to the sprout mountain.
| “我不会，”罗恩说着，回身转向甘蓝山时，小声加了一句：“——让你看见的。”
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| “Fred, George, I’m sorry, dears, but Remus is arriving tonight, so Bill will have to squeeze in with you two.”
| “弗雷德，乔治，对不起，莱姆斯今天晚上来，比尔只能跟你们两个挤一挤了！”
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| “No problem,” said George.
| “没问题。”乔治说。
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| “Then, as Charlie isn’t coming home, that just leaves Harry and Ron in the attic, and if Fleur shares with Ginny —”
| “查理不回来，所以哈利和罗恩正好住阁楼，如果芙蓉跟金妮住——”
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| “— that’ll make Ginny’s Christmas —” muttered Fred.
| “——那金妮的圣诞节就——”弗雷德嘟囔道。
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| “— everyone should be comfortable. Well, they’ll have a bed, anyway,” said Mrs. Weasley, sounding slightly harassed.
| “——每个人应该都挺舒服，至少都有一张床。”韦斯莱夫人的语气有些烦躁。
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| “Percy definitely not showing his ugly face, then?” asked Fred.
| “珀西那张丑脸肯定不会出现吧？”弗雷德问。
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| Mrs. Weasley turned away before she answered. “No, he’s busy, I expect, at the Ministry.”
| 韦斯莱夫人转过身去，然后答道：“不会，我想他忙吧，在部里。”
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| “Or he’s the world’s biggest prat,” said Fred, as Mrs. Weasley left the kitchen. “One of the two. Well, let’s get going, then, George.”
| “或者他是世界上最大的蠢货，”韦斯莱夫人离开厨房时弗雷德说，“二者必居其一。我们走吧，乔治。”
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| “What are you two up to?” asked Ron. “Can’t you help us with these sprouts? You could just use your wand and then we’ll be free too!”
| “你们干什么去？”罗恩问道，“不能帮我们削甘蓝吗？你们可以用一下魔杖，我们就解放了。”
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| “No, I don’t think we can do that,” said Fred seriously. “It’s very character-building stuff, learning to peel sprouts without magic, makes you appreciate how difficult it is for Muggles and Squibs —”
| “我想不能，”弗雷德一本正经地说，“这是非常磨炼性格的，学习不用魔法削甘蓝，能让你体会到麻瓜和哑炮是多么不容易——”
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| “— and if you want people to help you, Ron,” added George, throwing the paper airplane at him, “I wouldn’t chuck knives at them. Just a little hint. We’re off to the village, there’s a very pretty girl working in the paper shop who thinks my card tricks are something marvelous . . . almost like real magic. . . .”
| “——如果你想要人帮忙，罗恩，”乔治接着说，一边把纸飞机掷回给他，“就不会朝他们扔刀子。一点儿忠告。我们到村里去，那儿的纸店有一个很漂亮的女孩，她觉得我的纸牌戏法神奇极了，几乎像真正的魔法……”
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| “Gits,” said Ron darkly, watching Fred and George setting off across the snowy yard. “Would’ve only taken them ten seconds and then we could’ve gone too.”
| “饭桶，”罗恩阴沉地说道，看着弗雷德和乔治从落满积雪的院子里走了出去，“只要花他们十秒钟，我们俩就也能去了。”
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| “I couldn’t,” said Harry. “I promised Dumbledore I wouldn’t wander off while I’m staying here.”
| “我不行，”哈利说，“我向邓布利多保证过在这儿不会跑出去。”
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| “Oh yeah,” said Ron. He peeled a few more sprouts and then said, “Are you going to tell Dumbledore what you heard Snape and Malfoy saying to each other?”
| “哦，对了。”罗恩又削了几个甘蓝，然后说，“你要把斯内普和马尔福的对话告诉邓布利多吗？”
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| “Yep,” said Harry. “I’m going to tell anyone who can put a stop to it, and Dumbledore’s top of the list. I might have another word with your dad too.”
| “嗯，我要告诉所有能制止他们的人，邓布利多是第一位。我也许还要跟你爸爸谈谈。”
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| “Pity you didn’t hear what Malfoy’s actually doing, though.”
| “可惜你没听到马尔福到底在干什么。”
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| “I couldn’t have done, could I? That was the whole point, he was refusing to tell Snape.”
| “我没法听到，是不是？这是关键的地方，他都不肯告诉斯内普。”
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| There was silence for a moment or two, then Ron said, “ ’Course, you know what they’ll all say? Dad and Dumbledore and all of them? They’ll say Snape isn’t really trying to help Malfoy, he was just trying to find out what Malfoy’s up to.”
| 沉默了一会儿，罗恩说：“当然，你知道他们会怎么说。我爸爸、邓布利多和所有的人，他们会说斯内普不是真的想帮助马尔福，他只是为了探出马尔福在干什么。”
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| “They didn’t hear him,” said Harry flatly. “No one’s that good an actor, not even Snape.”
| “他们没听到他的口气，”哈利断然说道，“没人能演得那么像，即使是斯内普。”
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| “Yeah . . . I’m just saying, though,” said Ron.
| “是啊……我只是说说。”罗恩说。
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| CHRISTMAS
| 哈利转身看着他，皱起了眉头。
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| Harry turned to face him, frowning. “You think I’m right, though?”
| “你相信我吧？”
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| “Yeah, I do!” said Ron hastily. “Seriously, I do! But they’re all convinced Snape’s in the Order, aren’t they?”
| “我相信！”罗恩忙说，“真的，我相信！可是他们都相信斯内普是凤凰社的，对不对？”
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| Harry said nothing. It had already occurred to him that this would be the most likely objection to his new evidence; he could hear Hermione now: Obviously, Harry, he was pretending to offer help so he could trick Malfoy into telling him what he’s doing. . . .
| 哈利没说话，他已经想到这将是他的新证据最可能遭到的反驳。他甚至都能听见赫敏在说：“显然，哈利，他是在假装帮忙，骗马尔福对他说实话……”
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| This was pure imagination, however, as he had had no opportunity to tell Hermione what he had overheard. She had disappeared from Slughorn’s parry before he returned to it, or so he had been informed by an irate McLaggen, and she had already gone to bed by the time he returned to the common room. As he and Ron had left for the Burrow early the next day, he had barely had time to wish her a happy Christmas and to tell her that he had some very important news when they got back from the holidays. He was not entirely sure that she had heard him, though; Ron and Lavender had been saying a thoroughly nonverbal good-bye just behind him at the time.
| 但这只是想象，因为他还没找到机会跟赫敏说他听到的事情。他回去之前她就从斯拉格霍恩的晚会上消失了，至少气愤的麦克拉根是这么说的。等他回到公共休息室，她已经睡觉去了。他第二天一大早就跟罗恩出发到陋居来了，只来得及说了句祝她圣诞快乐，并说放假回来后有非常重要的消息要告诉她。但他不太确定赫敏有没有听见，罗恩和拉文德正在他的后面用不说话的方式进行着告别。
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| Still, even Hermione would not be able to deny one thing: Malfoy was definitely up to something, and Snape knew it, so Harry felt fully justified in saying “I told you so,” which he had done several times to Ron already.
| 但是，就连赫敏也无法否认一个事实：马尔福肯定在干着什么勾当，并且斯内普是知道的。所以哈利觉得有充分理由说“我告诉过你”，这句话他已经跟罗恩说了好几遍。
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| Harry did not get the chance to speak to Mr. Weasley, who was working very long hours at the Ministry, until Christmas Eve night. The Weasleys and their guests were sitting in the living room, which Ginny had decorated so lavishly that it was rather like sitting in a paper-chain explosion. Fred, George, Harry, and Ron were the only ones who knew that the angel on top of the tree was actually a garden gnome that had bitten Fred on the ankle as he pulled up carrots for Christmas dinner. Stupefied, painted gold, stuffed into a miniature tutu and with small wings glued to its back, it glowered down at them all, the ugliest angel Harry had ever seen, with a large bald head like a potato and rather hairy feet.
| 哈利没找到机会跟韦斯莱先生谈，他每天都在部里工作得很晚，直到圣诞前夜。韦斯莱一家和客人们坐在客厅里，金妮把这间屋子装饰得五彩缤纷，花团锦簇，简直像发生过一场纸拉花的爆炸。只有弗雷德、乔治、哈利和罗恩知道圣诞树顶上的小天使其实是一个花园小地精。弗雷德在拔圣诞晚餐用的胡萝卜时被这个小地精咬了脚踝，于是它被施了昏迷咒，涂成金色，塞进了一件小芭蕾舞裙，背上粘了对小翅膀，在树顶上对他们怒目而视。这是哈利见过的最丑的天使，长着土豆似的大秃脑袋，脚上还有毛。
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| They were all supposed to be listening to a Christmas broadcast by Mrs. Weasley’s favorite singer, Celestina Warbeck, whose voice was warbling out of the large wooden wireless set. Fleur, who seemed to find Celestina very dull, was talking so loudly in the corner that a scowling Mrs. Weasley kept pointing her wand at the volume control, so that Celestina grew louder and louder. Under cover of a particularly jazzy number called “A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love,” Fred and George started a game of Exploding Snap with Ginny. Ron kept shooting Bill and Fleur covert looks, as though hoping to pick up tips. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin, who was thinner and more ragged-looking than ever, was sitting beside the fire, staring into its depths as though he could not hear Celestina’s voice.
| 他们都得听韦斯莱夫人最喜欢的歌手塞蒂娜·沃贝克的圣诞广播，她的歌声从木头的大收音机中婉转流出。芙蓉似乎觉得塞蒂娜非常乏味，她在角落里大声说着话，韦斯莱夫人皱着眉头不停地用魔杖调整音量开关，使塞蒂娜唱得越来越响。在一首爵士味特别浓的曲子《一锅火热的爱》的掩护下，弗雷德、乔治跟金妮玩起了噼啪爆炸牌。罗恩的眼睛老是向比尔和芙蓉偷瞟，好像想学点儿什么技巧。卢平显得特别憔悴，他坐在壁炉边，盯着炉火深处，仿佛听不见塞蒂娜的声音。
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| Oh, come and stir my cauldron,
| 哦，来搅搅我的这锅汤，
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| And if you do it right,
| 如果你做得很恰当，
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| I’ll boil you up some hot strong love
| 我会熬出火热的爱，
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| To keep you warm tonight.
| 陪伴你今夜暖洋洋。
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| “We danced to this when we were eighteen!” said Mrs. Weasley, wiping her eyes on her knitting. “Do you remember, Arthur?”
| “我们十八岁时跟着这音乐跳过舞！”韦斯莱夫人用手里织的毛线擦了擦眼睛，“你还记得吗，亚瑟？”
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| “Mphf?” said Mr. Weasley, whose head had been nodding over the satsuma he was peeling. “Oh yes . . . marvelous tune . . .”
| “唔？”剥着小蜜橘打起了瞌睡的韦斯莱先生说，“哦，是啊……多棒的曲子……”
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| With an effort, he sat up a little straighter and looked around at Harry, who was sitting next to him.
| 他努力坐直了一点儿，扭头看着坐在旁边的哈利。
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| CHRISTMAS
| “对不起啊，”他把脑袋朝收音机那边一摆，塞蒂娜已经唱起了叠句，“就快完了。”
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| “Sorry about this,” he said, jerking his head toward the wireless as Celestina broke into the chorus. “Be over soon.”
| “没事的。”哈利咧嘴一笑，说道，“部里忙吗？”
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| “No problem,” said Harry, grinning. “Has it been busy at the Ministry?”
| “非常忙，要是有进展也就罢了，可是这两个月逮捕的三个人里，我怀疑没有一个是真正的食死徒——不过别说出去，哈利。”他马上加了一句，看上去一下子清醒了许多。
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| “Very,” said Mr. Weasley. “I wouldn’t mind if we were getting anywhere, but of the three arrests we’ve made in the last couple of months, I doubt that one of them is a genuine Death Eater — only don’t repeat that, Harry,” he added quickly, looking much more awake all of a sudden.
| “他们不会还关着桑帕克吧？”哈利问。
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| “They’re not still holding Stan Shunpike, are they?” asked Harry.
| “恐怕还关着，我知道邓布利多曾想为桑帕克直接向斯克林杰上诉……所有跟他谈过话的人都认为他像这小蜜橘一样不可能是食死徒……可是上面想显得有进展，‘逮捕三人’听起来比‘误捕三人后释放’好听多了……不过，这都是高度机密。”
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| “I’m afraid so,” said Mr. Weasley. “I know Dumbledore’s tried appealing directly to Scrimgeour about Stan. . . . I mean, anybody who has actually interviewed him agrees that he’s about as much a Death Eater as this satsuma . . . but the top levels want to look as though they’re making some progress, and ‘three arrests’ sounds better than ‘three mistaken arrests and releases’. . . but again, this is all top secret. . . .”
| “我不会说的。”哈利说。他犹豫了一下，不知道怎么切入他想讲的话题。当他整理思绪时，塞蒂娜已开始唱一首《你用魔法钩走了我的心》。
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| “I won’t say anything,” said Harry. He hesitated for a moment, wondering how best to embark on what he wanted to say; as he marshaled his thoughts, Celestina Warbeck began a ballad called “You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me.”
| “韦斯莱先生，你还记得我去学校之前在车站告诉你的事吗？”
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| “Mr. Weasley, you know what I told you at the station when we were setting off for school?”
| “我查过了，哈利。”韦斯莱先生马上说，“我去搜查了马尔福的家，没发现不该有的东西，无论是碎的还是整的。”
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| “I checked, Harry,” said Mr. Weasley at once. “I went and searched the Malfoys’ house. There was nothing, either broken or whole, that shouldn’t have been there.”
| “嗯，我知道，我在《预言家日报》看到你去搜查了……可这次不一样……更加……”
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| “Yeah, I know, I saw in the Prophet that you’d looked . . . but this is something different. . . . Well, something more . . .”
| 他对韦斯莱先生讲了马尔福与斯内普的密谈。在他们说话的时候，他看到卢平的脑袋稍稍偏向了他们，聆听着每一句话。他说完后一片沉默，只听到塞蒂娜的低吟：
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| And he told Mr. Weasley everything he had overheard between Malfoy and Snape. As Harry spoke, he saw Lupin’s head turn a little toward him, taking in every word. When he had finished, there was silence, except for Celestina’s crooning.
| 哦，我可怜的心，它去了哪里？
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| Oh, my poor heart, where has it gone?
| 它离开了我，被魔法钩去……
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| It’s left me for a spell . . .
| “你有没有想过，哈利，”韦斯莱先生说，“斯内普只是假装——”
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| “Has it occurred to you, Harry,” said Mr. Weasley, “that Snape was simply pretending — ?”
| “假装要帮忙，以便发现马尔福在干什么？”哈利立刻说，“是啊，我想你会这么说的，可是我们怎么知道呢？”
|
| “Pretending to offer help, so that he could find out what Malfoy’s up to?” said Harry quickly. “Yeah, I thought you’d say that. But how do we know?”
| “这不是我们的事。”卢平出人意料地说。他现在背对着炉火，隔着韦斯莱先生面对着哈利。“是邓布利多的事。邓布利多信任西弗勒斯，对我们来说这应该就够了。”
|
| “It isn’t our business to know,” said Lupin unexpectedly. He had turned his back on the fire now and faced Harry across Mr. Weasley. “It’s Dumbledore’s business. Dumbledore trusts Severus, and that ought to be good enough for all of us.”
| “可是，”哈利说，“假如——假如邓布利多看错了斯内普——”
|
| “But,” said Harry, “just say — just say Dumbledore’s wrong about Snape —”
| “有人曾这么说过，许多次了。说到底是你相不相信邓布利多的判断。我相信，所以，我信任西弗勒斯。”
|
| “People have said it, many times. It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore’s judgment. I do; therefore, I trust Severus.”
| “可是邓布利多也会犯错，”哈利争辩道，“他自己说过。你——”
|
| “But Dumbledore can make mistakes,” argued Harry. “He says it himself. And you” — he looked Lupin straight in the eye — “do you honestly like Snape?”
| 他盯着卢平的眼睛。
|
| “I neither like nor dislike Severus,” said Lupin. “No, Harry, I am speaking the truth,” he added, as Harry pulled a skeptical expression. “We shall never be bosom friends, perhaps; after all that happened between James and Sirius and Severus, there is too much bitterness there. But I do not forget that during the year I taught at
| “——你真喜欢斯内普？”
|
| CHRISTMAS Hogwarts, Severus made the Wolfsbane Potion for me every month, made it perfectly, so that I did not have to suffer as I usually do at the full moon.”
| “我既不喜欢也不讨厌西弗勒斯。”卢平答道，见哈利显出怀疑的表情，他又说，“哈利，我说的是真话。也许我们永远不会成为知心好友；在詹姆、小天狼星和西弗勒斯之间的那些事情以后，积怨太多。但我不会忘记我在霍格沃茨任教的那年，斯内普每个月帮我配狼毒药剂，配得非常好，使我在满月时不用像过去那么痛苦。”
|
| “But he ‘accidentally’ let it slip that you’re a werewolf, so you had to leave!” said Harry angrily.
| “可是他‘无意中’走漏了你是狼人的消息，结果你只好离开！”哈利愤然道。
|
| Lupin shrugged. “The news would have leaked out anyway. We both know he wanted my job, but he could have wreaked much worse damage on me by tampering with the potion. He kept me healthy. I must be grateful.”
| 卢平耸了耸肩膀。
|
| “Maybe he didn’t dare mess with the potion with Dumbledore watching him!” said Harry.
| “这件事总会泄漏的。我们都知道他想要我的职位，但他只要在药里做点手脚，就可以把我害得更惨。他让我保持健康，我应该感激。”
|
| “You are determined to hate him, Harry,” said Lupin with a faint smile. “And I understand; with James as your father, with Sirius as your godfather, you have inherited an old prejudice. By all means tell Dumbledore what you have told Arthur and me, but do not expect him to share your view of the matter; do not even expect him to be surprised by what you tell him. It might have been on Dumbledore’s orders that Severus questioned Draco.”
| “也许有邓布利多监视，他不敢在药里下手？”
|
| . . . and now you’ve torn it quite apart
| “你是决心要恨他，哈利，”卢平无力地一笑，“我理解，詹姆是你父亲，小天狼星是你教父，你继承了一种成见。你当然可以把你对亚瑟和我说的话告诉邓布利多，但别指望他跟你看法一致，甚至别指望他会吃惊。也许西弗勒斯是奉了邓布利多的命令去问德拉科的。”
|
| I’ll thank you to give back my heart!
| ……而今你已把它撕破
|
| Celestina ended her song on a very long, high-pitched note and loud applause issued out of the wireless, which Mrs. Weasley joined in with enthusiastically.
| 请把我的心还给我！
|
| “Eez eet over?” said Fleur loudly. “Thank goodness, what an ’orrible —”
| 塞蒂娜以一个长长的高音结束了她的演唱，收音机里传出响亮的掌声，韦斯莱夫人也兴奋地鼓着掌。
|
| “Shall we have a nightcap, then?” asked Mr. Weasley loudly, leaping to his feet. “Who wants eggnog?”
| “完了？”芙蓉大声说，“谢天谢地，好难听——”
|
| “What have you been up to lately?” Harry asked Lupin, as Mr. Weasley bustled off to fetch the eggnog, and everybody else stretched and broke into conversation.
| “睡觉前喝点饮料怎么样？”韦斯莱先生跳起来高声问道，“谁要蛋酒？”
|
| “Oh, I’ve been underground,” said Lupin. “Almost literally. That’s why I haven’t been able to write, Harry; sending letters to you would have been something of a giveaway.”
| “你最近在干什么？”哈利问卢平，韦斯莱先生跑去拿蛋酒，其他人都舒展着身体，聊起了天。
|
| “What do you mean?”
| “哦，我在地下工作，”卢平说道，“几乎真是地下。所以我没能写信，哈利。寄信给你会暴露的。”
|
| “I’ve been living among my fellows, my equals,” said Lupin. “Werewolves,” he added, at Harry’s look of incomprehension. “Nearly all of them are on Voldemort’s side. Dumbledore wanted a spy and here I was . . . ready-made.”
| “你说什么？”
|
| He sounded a little bitter, and perhaps realized it, for he smiled more warmly as he went on, “I am not complaining; it is necessary work and who can do it better than I? However, it has been difficult gaining their trust. I bear the unmistakable signs of having tried to live among wizards, you see, whereas they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing — and sometimes killing — to eat.”
| “我生活在我的人当中，我的同类。”卢平说，“狼人，”他见哈利有些不解，又补充道，“他们几乎全都是伏地魔一边的。邓布利多需要一个间谍，我正好是……现成的。”
|
| “How come they like Voldemort?”
| 听起来他有点像发牢骚，可能他自己也察觉了，便又笑得更热情了一些，说道：“我不是抱怨，这是必要的工作，谁能比我更胜任这份工作呢？只不过，取得他们信任很难。我带着曾经在巫师中生活过的明显印记，而他们向来避开正常的社会，生活在边缘地带，偷东西吃——有时杀人。”
|
| “They think that, under his rule, they will have a better life,” said Lupin. “And it is hard to argue with Greyback out there. . . .”
| “他们怎么会喜欢伏地魔呢？”
|
| “Who’s Greyback?”
| “大概觉得在他的统治下，他们会过得更好。跟格雷伯克辩论是一件很困难……”
|
| “You haven’t heard of him?” Lupin’s hands closed convulsively in his lap. “Fenrir Greyback is, perhaps, the most savage werewolf alive today. He regards it as his mission in life to bite and to contaminate as many people as possible; he wants to create enough werewolves to overcome the wizards. Voldemort has promised him prey in return for his services. Greyback specializes in children. . . . Bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise
| “格雷伯克是谁？”
|
| CHRISTMAS them to hate normal wizards. Voldemort has threatened to unleash him upon people’s sons and daughters; it is a threat that usually produces good results.”
| “你没有听说过他吗？”卢平的双手在膝上痉挛地握紧了。“芬里尔·格雷伯克或许是当今世上最凶残的狼人。他以咬伤和传染尽可能多的人为己任，想造出大批狼人来打败巫师。伏地魔允诺给他一些猎物作为酬劳。格雷伯克专攻小孩……他说趁小时候咬，然后把他们从父母身边带走，培养他们仇恨巫师。伏地魔威胁要把格雷伯克放出去咬人家的小孩，这威胁通常很有效。”
|
| Lupin paused and then said, “It was Greyback who bit me.”
| 卢平停了一会儿，又说：“是格雷伯克咬的我。”
|
| “What?” said Harry, astonished. “When — when you were a kid, you mean?”
| “什么？”哈利吃了一惊，“你是说在——在你小时候？”
|
| “Yes. My father had offended him. I did not know, for a very long time, the identity of the werewolf who had attacked me; I even felt pity for him, thinking that he had had no control, knowing by then how it felt to transform. But Greyback is not like that. At the full moon, he positions himself close to victims, ensuring that he is near enough to strike. He plans it all. And this is the man Voldemort is using to marshal the werewolves. I cannot pretend that my particular brand of reasoned argument is making much headway against Greyback’s insistence that we werewolves deserve blood, that we ought to revenge ourselves on normal people.”
| “对。我父亲冒犯了他。我有很长时间一直不知道袭击我的狼人是谁。我甚至怜悯他，以为他是控制不住，那时我已经知道一个人变成狼是什么滋味。但格雷伯克并不是那样。满月时他靠近猎物，确保袭击得手。他完全是有预谋的。他就是伏地魔用来召集狼人的人。格雷伯克坚持认为我们狼人应该吸血，应该对正常人进行报复，我不敢说我那种理智的辩论对他有多少效果。”
|
| “But you are normal!” said Harry fiercely. “You’ve just got a — a problem —”
| “可你是正常的！”哈利激烈地说，“你只是有一个——一个问题——”
|
| Lupin burst out laughing. “Sometimes you remind me a lot of James. He called it my ‘furry little problem’ in company. Many people were under the impression that I owned a badly behaved rabbit.”
| 卢平笑了起来。
|
| He accepted a glass of eggnog from Mr. Weasley with a word of thanks, looking slightly more cheerful. Harry, meanwhile, felt a rush of excitement: This last mention of his father had reminded him that there was something he had been looking forward to asking Lupin.
| “有时你让我想起了詹姆的很多事。他当着人就说这是我的‘毛茸茸的小问题’。许多人以为我养了一只不听话的兔子。”
|
| “Have you ever heard of someone called the Half-Blood Prince?”
| 他从韦斯莱先生手里接过一杯蛋酒，道了一声谢，看上去稍稍快活了一些。哈利听卢平提到他父亲，感到一阵激动，想起了有件事一直想要问卢平。
|
| “The Half-Blood what?”
| “你听说过有个叫混血王子的人吗？”
|
| “Prince,” said Harry, watching him closely for signs of recognition.
| “混血什么？”
|
| “There are no Wizarding princes,” said Lupin, now smiling. “Is this a title you’re thinking of adopting? I should have thought being ‘the Chosen One’ would be enough.”
| “王子。”哈利密切注视着他有没有想起来的迹象。
|
| “It’s nothing to do with me!” said Harry indignantly. “The HalfBlood Prince is someone who used to go to Hogwarts, I’ve got his old Potions book. He wrote spells all over it, spells he invented. One of them was Levicorpus —”
| “巫师没有王子。”卢平微笑着说道，“你想用这个称号吗？我以为‘救世之星’已经够了。”
|
| “Oh, that one had a great vogue during my time at Hogwarts,” said Lupin reminiscently. “There were a few months in my fifth year when you couldn’t move for being hoisted into the air by your ankle.”
| “这跟我无关！”哈利抗议道，“混血王子是以前在霍格沃茨待过的人。我拿了他使用过的魔药课本。他在上面写满了咒语，他发明的咒语。有一个是倒挂金钟——”
|
| “My dad used it,” said Harry. “I saw him in the Pensieve, he used it on Snape.”
| “哦，这个咒语在我上霍格沃茨的时候很流行。”卢平怀旧地说，“我五年级的时候有几个月，经常有人被提着脚踝倒吊在空中，没法动弹。”
|
| He tried to sound casual, as though this was a throwaway comment of no real importance, but he was not sure he had achieved the right effect; Lupin’s smile was a little too understanding.
| “我爸爸用过它。”哈利说，“我在冥想盆里看到的，他对斯内普用过。”
|
| “Yes,” he said, “but he wasn’t the only one. As I say, it was very popular. . . . You know how these spells come and go. . . .”
| 他想用不经意的口气，好像只是随口提到，但不知是否取得了这种效果。卢平的笑容里包含着太多的理解。
|
| “But it sounds like it was invented while you were at school,” Harry persisted.
| “是啊，”他说，“但不只他一个人用过。我说过，它非常流行……你知道这些魔咒都是一阵一阵的……”
|
| “Not necessarily,” said Lupin. “Jinxes go in and out of fashion like everything else.”
| “可听起来像是在你上学的那个时候发明的。”哈利坚持道。
|
| He looked into Harry’s face and then said quietly, “James was a pureblood, Harry, and I promise you, he never asked us to call him ‘Prince.’ ”
| “不一定。魔咒和其他东西一样，都有流行和不流行的时候。”他注视着哈利的面孔，然后平静地说，“詹姆是纯血统，哈利，我向你保证，他从来没让我们叫过他‘王子’。”
|
| Abandoning pretense, Harry said, “And it wasn’t Sirius? Or you?”
| 哈利放弃了掩饰，问道：“也不是小天狼星？或者你？”
|
| CHRISTMAS
| “肯定不是。”
|
| “Definitely not.”
| “哦，”哈利望着炉火，“我还以为——他在魔药课上帮了我很大的忙，那个王子。”
|
| “Oh.” Harry stared into the fire. “I just thought — well, he’s helped me out a lot in Potions classes, the Prince has.”
| “那本书是什么时候的，哈利？”
|
| “How old is this book, Harry?”
| “不知道，我从来没查过。”
|
| “I dunno, I’ve never checked.”
| “也许这能帮助你了解到王子在霍格沃茨的时间。”卢平说。
|
| “Well, perhaps that will give you some clue as to when the Prince was at Hogwarts,” said Lupin.
| 没过多久，芙蓉决定模仿塞蒂娜唱《一锅火热的爱》，看到韦斯莱夫人的表情之后，大家都把这当做了上床睡觉的信号。哈利和罗恩一直爬到阁楼上罗恩的卧室里，那儿为哈利搭了一张行军床。
|
| Shortly after this, Fleur decided to imitate Celestina singing “A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love,” which was taken by everyone, once they had glimpsed Mrs. Weasley’s expression, to be the cue to go to bed. Harry and Ron climbed all the way up to Ron’s attic bedroom, where a camp bed had been added for Harry.
| 罗恩几乎一沾枕头就睡着了。哈利上床前从旅行箱里找出《高级魔药制作》翻了翻，终于在前面找到了出版时间。将近五十年了。五十年前他父亲及其朋友们都不在霍格沃茨。哈利失望地把书扔回了箱子里，关上灯，翻了一个身，想着狼人和斯内普，桑帕克和混血王子，终于迷迷糊糊地睡着了，梦里尽是鬼魅的阴影和被咬孩子的哭声……
|
| Ron fell asleep almost immediately, but Harry delved into his trunk and pulled out his copy of Advanced Potion-Making before getting into bed. There he turned its pages, searching, until he finally found, at the front of the book, the date that it had been published. It was nearly fifty years old. Neither his father, nor his father’s friends, had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago. Feeling disappointed, Harry threw the book back into his trunk, turned off the lamp, and rolled over, thinking of werewolves and Snape, Stan Shunpike and the Half-Blood Prince, and finally falling into an uneasy sleep full of creeping shadows and the cries of bitten children. . . .
| “她一定是在开玩笑……”
|
| “She’s got to be joking. . . .”
| 哈利一下子惊醒了，发现床脚放着一只鼓鼓囊囊的长袜。他戴上眼镜环顾着四周，小窗几乎完全被雪遮住了，罗恩笔直地坐在窗前的床上，在看一个东西，好像是一条挺粗的金链子。
|
| Harry woke with a start to find a bulging stocking lying over the end of his bed. He put on his glasses and looked around; the tiny window was almost completely obscured with snow and, in front of it, Ron was sitting bolt upright in bed and examining what appeared to be a thick gold chain.
| “那是什么？”哈利问。
|
| “What’s that?” asked Harry.
| “拉文德送的，”罗恩厌恶地说，“她不会真的以为我会戴吧……”
|
| “It’s from Lavender,” said Ron, sounding revolted. “She can’t honestly think I’d wear . . .”
| 哈利凑近些一看，哑然失笑，链子上挂着几个大大的金字：
|
| Harry looked more closely and let out a shout of laughter. Dangling from the chain in large gold letters were the words:
| 我的甜心
|
| My Sweet heart
| “不错，漂亮。你一定要在弗雷德和乔治面前戴上。”
|
| “Nice,” he said. “Classy. You should definitely wear it in front of Fred and George.”
| “如果你告诉他们，”罗恩说着把项链塞到了枕头底下，“我——我——我就——”
|
| “If you tell them,” said Ron, shoving the necklace out of sight under his pillow, “I — I — I’ll —”
| “跟我结巴上了？”哈利笑着说，“行了吧，我会吗？”
|
| “Stutter at me?” said Harry, grinning. “Come on, would I?”
| “她怎么会以为我喜欢这种东西呢？”罗恩对着空气问道，一副很震惊的样子。
|
| “How could she think I’d like something like that, though?” Ron demanded of thin air, looking rather shocked.
| “回想一下，”哈利说，“你有没有流露过喜欢脖子上挂着‘我的甜心’出去招摇的想法？”
|
| “Well, think back,” said Harry. “Have you ever let it slip that you’d like to go out in public with the words ‘My Sweetheart’ round your neck?”
| “嗯……我们没说多少话，”罗恩说，“主要是……”
|
| “Well . . . we don’t really talk much,” said Ron. “It’s mainly . . .”
| “亲嘴。”
|
| “Snogging,” said Harry.
| “是啊。”罗恩犹豫了一会儿，又说，“赫敏真的跟麦克拉根好上了？”
|
| “Well, yeah,” said Ron. He hesitated a moment, then said, “Is Hermione really going out with McLaggen?”
| “不知道，斯拉格霍恩的晚会上他们在一起来着，可是我看没有那么好。”
|
| “I dunno,” said Harry. “They were at Slughorn’s party together, but I don’t think it went that well.”
| 罗恩心情似乎稍微好了一些，又到袜子里头去掏礼物。
|
| Ron looked slightly more cheerful as he delved deeper into his stocking.
| 哈利的礼物包括一件胸前有金色飞贼的毛衣，是韦斯莱夫人亲手织的，双胞胎兄弟送的一大盒韦斯莱魔法把戏坊的产品，还有一个有点潮湿、带着霉味的包裹，标签上写着：
|
| Harry’s presents included a sweater with a large Golden Snitch worked onto the front, hand-knitted by Mrs. Weasley, a large box of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes products from the twins, and a
| 致主人，克利切。
|
| CHRISTMAS slightly damp, moldy-smelling package that came with a label reading To Master, From Kreacher.
| 哈利瞪着它。“你说打开它安全吗？”
|
| Harry stared at it. “D’you reckon this is safe to open?” he asked.
| “不可能是危险品，我们的邮件仍然都是经过魔法部检查的。”罗恩答道，尽管他怀疑地打量着那个包裹。
|
| “Can’t be anything dangerous, all our mail’s still being searched at the Ministry,” replied Ron, though he was eyeing the parcel suspiciously.
| “我没想到给克利切送东西！人们一般会给家养小精灵送圣诞礼物吗？”哈利问，一边小心地捅着包裹。
|
| “I didn’t think of giving Kreacher anything. Do people usually give their house-elves Christmas presents?” asked Harry, prodding the parcel cautiously.
| “赫敏会。还是先看看是什么再内疚吧。”
|
| “Hermione would,” said Ron. “But let’s wait and see what it is before you start feeling guilty.”
| 片刻之后，哈利大叫一声，从行军床上跳了下来，包裹里是一大堆蛆。
|
| A moment later, Harry had given a loud yell and leapt out of his camp bed; the package contained a large number of maggots.
| “不错，”罗恩哈哈大笑，“想得很周到。”
|
| “Nice,” said Ron, roaring with laughter. “Very thoughtful.”
| “我宁可要这个也不要那条项链。”哈利说，罗恩立刻冷静下来。
|
| “I’d rather have them than that necklace,” said Harry, which sobered Ron up at once.
| 坐下吃圣诞午餐时，每个人都穿着新毛衣，除了芙蓉（韦斯莱夫人似乎不愿在她身上浪费一件）和韦斯莱夫人自己。韦斯莱夫人戴着一顶崭新的女巫帽，夜空一样的深蓝色上闪烁着小星星般的钻石，还有一串夺目的金项链。
|
| Everybody was wearing new sweaters when they all sat down for Christmas lunch, everyone except Fleur (on whom, it appeared, Mrs. Weasley had not wanted to waste one) and Mrs. Weasley herself, who was sporting a brand-new midnight blue witch’s hat glittering with what looked like tiny starlike diamonds, and a spectacular golden necklace.
| “弗雷德和乔治送给我的！漂亮吧？”
|
| “Fred and George gave them to me! Aren’t they beautiful?”
| “我们越来越感激你了，妈妈，现在我们自己洗袜子了。”乔治说，一边潇洒地一挥手，“要防风草根吗，莱姆斯？”
|
| “Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now we’re washing our own socks,” said George, waving an airy hand. “Parsnips, Remus?”
| “哈利，你头上有一条蛆。”金妮快活地说，隔着桌子欠身帮他拿掉了。哈利感到脖子上起了鸡皮疙瘩，但与那条蛆无关。
|
| “Harry, you’ve got a maggot in your hair,” said Ginny cheerfully, leaning across the table to pick it out; Harry felt goose bumps erupt up his neck that had nothing to do with the maggot.
| “哦，好恶心。”芙蓉说，做作地哆嗦了一下。
|
| “ ’Ow ’orrible,” said Fleur, with an affected little shudder.
| “可不，”罗恩说，“要肉卤吗，芙蓉？”
|
| “Yes, isn’t it?” said Ron. “Gravy, Fleur?”
| 他急于献殷勤，把肉卤盘碰飞了。比尔一挥魔杖，肉卤升到空中，顺从地落回到盘里。
|
| In his eagerness to help her, he knocked the gravy boat flying; Bill waved his wand and the gravy soared up in the air and returned meekly to the boat.
| “你跟那个唐克斯一样笨，”芙蓉亲了一下比尔之后对罗恩说，“她总是打翻——”
|
| “You are as bad as zat Tonks,” said Fleur to Ron, when she had finished kissing Bill in thanks. “She is always knocking —”
| “我邀请了亲爱的唐克斯，”韦斯莱夫人重重地放下胡萝卜，瞪着芙蓉说，“可她不肯来。你最近跟她谈过吗，莱姆斯？”
|
| “I invited dear Tonks to come along today,” said Mrs. Weasley, setting down the carrots with unnecessary force and glaring at Fleur. “But she wouldn’t come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?”
| “没有，我跟谁都没多少联系。但唐克斯要回她自己的家，是不是？”
|
| “No, I haven’t been in contact with anybody very much,” said Lupin. “But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn’t she?”
| “嗯，”韦斯莱夫人说，“也许吧。我感觉她是打算一个人过圣诞节。”
|
| “Hmmm,” said Mrs. Weasley. “Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually.”
| 她恼火地看了卢平一眼，好像她摊到芙蓉而不是唐克斯当儿媳妇全都是他的错。哈利望望正用她自己的叉子喂比尔吃火鸡的芙蓉，感到韦斯莱夫人早就输定了。但他想起了关于唐克斯的一个问题，问卢平不是最合适吗？他对守护神无所不知。
|
| She gave Lupin an annoyed look, as though it was all his fault she was getting Fleur for a daughter-in-law instead of Tonks, but Harry, glancing across at Fleur, who was now feeding Bill bits of turkey off her own fork, thought that Mrs. Weasley was fighting a long-lost battle. He was, however, reminded of a question he had with regard to Tonks, and who better to ask than Lupin, the man who knew all about Patronuses?
| “唐克斯的守护神变了，斯内普说的。我不知道会有这种事。守护神为什么会变呢？”
|
| “Tonks’s Patronus has changed its form,” he told him. “Snape said so anyway. I didn’t know that could happen. Why would your Patronus change?”
| 卢平不慌不忙地嚼着火鸡，咽下之后缓缓地说道：“有时……大的打击……感情剧变……”
|
| Lupin took his time chewing his turkey and swallowing before saying slowly, “Sometimes . . . a great shock . . . an emotional upheaval . . .”
| “它看上去很大，有四条腿，”哈利说，突然他闪过一个念头，压低声音说道，“嘿……不会是——？”
|
| “It looked big, and it had four legs,” said Harry, struck by a sudden thought and lowering his voice. “Hey . . . it couldn’t be — ?”
| “亚瑟！”韦斯莱夫人突然叫道。她从椅子上站了起来，手捂着心口，瞪着厨房窗外。“亚瑟——是珀西！”
|
| CHRISTMAS
| “什么？”
|
| “Arthur!” said Mrs. Weasley suddenly. She had risen from her chair; her hand was pressed over her heart and she was staring out of the kitchen window. “Arthur — it’s Percy!”
| 韦斯莱先生回过头，大家都立刻望着窗外，金妮站了起来看着外面。果然是珀西·韦斯莱，他正踏着院中的积雪大步走来，玳瑁框的眼镜在阳光下一闪一闪的。然而他并不是一个人。
|
| “What?”
| “亚瑟，他——他是跟部长一起来的！”
|
| Mr. Weasley looked around. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up for a better look. There, sure enough, was Percy Weasley, striding across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight. He was not, however, alone.
| 果然不错，哈利在《预言家日报》上见过的那人正跟在珀西后面，他有一点儿跛，长而厚密的灰发和黑斗篷上落了片片白雪。大家谁也没来得及说话，韦斯莱夫妇刚交换了一个吃惊的眼神，后门就开了，珀西站在了门口。
|
| “Arthur, he’s — he’s with the Minister!”
| 一阵难堪的沉默，珀西生硬地说：“圣诞快乐，妈妈。”
|
| And sure enough, the man Harry had seen in the Daily Prophet was following along in Percy’s wake, limping slightly, his mane of graying hair and his black cloak flecked with snow. Before any of them could say anything, before Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could do more than exchange stunned looks, the back door opened and there stood Percy.
| “哦，珀西！”韦斯莱夫人叫着扑到了他的怀里。
|
| There was a moment’s painful silence. Then Percy said rather stiffly, “Merry Christmas, Mother.”
| 鲁弗斯·斯克林杰在门口停下来，他拄着拐杖，微笑地看着这感人的一幕。
|
| “Oh, Percy!” said Mrs. Weasley, and she threw herself into his arms.
| “打扰了，请原谅，”他说道，这时韦斯莱夫人已转向他，笑吟吟地擦着眼睛。“珀西和我在附近——办事，您知道——他忍不住要来看看你们。”
|
| Rufus Scrimgeour paused in the doorway, leaning on his walking stick and smiling as he observed this affecting scene.
| 但珀西并没有想跟其他人打招呼的意思。他直挺挺地站在那儿，显得很不自然，目光越过众人的头顶。韦斯莱先生、弗雷德和乔治都板着面孔看着他。
|
| “You must forgive this intrusion,” he said, when Mrs. Weasley looked around at him, beaming and wiping her eyes. “Percy and I were in the vicinity — working, you know — and he couldn’t resist dropping in and seeing you all.”
| “请进，坐吧，部长！”韦斯莱夫人慌乱地说着，一边扶正了自己的帽子，“吃一点窝鸡，或补丁①……我是说——”
|
| But Percy showed no sign of wanting to greet any of the rest of the family. He stood, poker-straight and awkward-looking, and stared over everybody else’s heads. Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George were all observing him, stony-faced.
| “不用，不用，亲爱的莫丽。”斯克林杰说。哈利猜想他在进屋前向珀西打听了她的名字。“我不想打扰，要不是珀西这么想见你们，我也不会来……”
|
| “Please, come in, sit down, Minister!” fluttered Mrs. Weasley, straightening her hat. “Have a little purkey, or some tooding. . . . I mean —”
| “哦，珀西！”韦斯莱夫人含泪叫道，踮起脚尖去亲他。
|
| “No, no, my dear Molly,” said Scrimgeour. Harry guessed that he had checked her name with Percy before they entered the house. “I don’t want to intrude, wouldn’t be here at all if Percy hadn’t wanted to see you all so badly. . . .”
| “……我们刚来了五分钟，我到院子里去走走，你们跟珀西多聊一会儿。不不，我真的不想打扰你们！嗯，如果有人愿意带我参观一下你们可爱的花园……啊，那个小伙子吃完了，你陪我散散步可以吗？”
|
| “Oh, Perce!” said Mrs. Weasley tearfully, reaching up to kiss him.
| 餐桌旁的气氛明显变了，大家的目光从斯克林杰转移到了哈利身上。似乎没人相信斯克林杰不知道哈利的名字，也没人觉得他被选中陪部长到花园散步很自然，因为金妮、芙蓉和乔治的盘子也都空了。
|
| “. . . We’ve only looked in for five minutes, so I’ll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don’t want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden . . . Ah, that young man’s finished, why doesn’t he take a stroll with me?”
| “好啊。”哈利打破沉默，说道。
|
| The atmosphere around the table changed perceptibly. Everybody looked from Scrimgeour to Harry. Nobody seemed to find Scrimgeour s pretense that he did not know Harry’s name convincing, or find it natural that he should be chosen to accompany the Minister around the garden when Ginny, Fleur, and George also had clean plates.
| 他没有上当，尽管斯克林杰说是在附近办事，珀西想来看看家人，但这才是他们来的真正原因：为了斯克林杰能跟哈利单独谈话。
|
| “Yeah, all right,” said Harry into the silence.
| “没事。”经过卢平身边时他小声说道，因为他看到卢平正要从椅子上站起来。“没事。”看到韦斯莱先生张嘴要说话，他又加了一句。
|
| He was not fooled; for all Scrimgeour’s talk that they had just been in the area, that Percy wanted to look up his family, this must be the real reason that they had come, so that Scrimgeour could speak to Harry alone.
| “太好了！”斯克林杰向后退去，让哈利先走出门外，“我们就在花园里转转，然后珀西和我就走。继续吧，各位！”
|
| “It’s fine,” he said quietly, as he passed Lupin, who had half risen from his chair. “Fine,” he added, as Mr. Weasley opened his mouth to speak.
| 哈利穿过院子朝杂草丛生、覆盖着白雪的韦斯莱家的花园走去，斯克林杰一跛一跛地走在旁边。哈利知道他曾是傲罗办公室主任。他看上去很结实，带着战伤，跟戴着圆礼帽、大腹便便的福吉大不一样。
|
| “Wonderful!” said Scrimgeour, standing back to let Harry pass
| “很漂亮，”斯克林杰说，他在花园篱笆前停了下来，望着落满积雪的草坪和辨认不出的植物，“很漂亮。”
|
| CHRISTMAS through the door ahead of him. “We’ll just take a turn around the garden, and Percy and I’ll be off. Carry on, everyone!”
| 哈利没说话。他感觉到斯克林杰在观察他。
|
| Harry walked across the yard toward the Weasleys’ overgrown, snow-covered garden, Scrimgeour limping slightly at his side. He had, Harry knew, been Head of the Auror office; he looked tough and battle-scarred, very different from portly Fudge in his bowler hat.
| “我早就想见见你了，”过了一会儿斯克林杰说，“你知道吗？”
|
| “Charming,” said Scrimgeour, stopping at the garden fence and looking out over the snowy lawn and the indistinguishable plants. “Charming.”
| “不知道。”哈利诚实地说。
|
| Harry said nothing. He could tell that Scrimgeour was watching him.
| “哦，是的，早就想了。但邓布利多似乎很保护你。”斯克林杰说道，“当然，这很自然，很自然，在你经历了那些之后……尤其是部里发生的事……”
|
| “I’ve wanted to meet you for a very long time,” said Scrimgeour, after a few moments. “Did you know that?”
| 他想等哈利说些什么，但哈利没有理睬，于是他又说道：“我上任之后一直希望有机会跟你谈谈，但邓布利多阻止了。我说过——这是完全可以理解的。”
|
| “No,” said Harry truthfully.
| 哈利还是一言不发，等待着。
|
| “Oh yes, for a very long time. But Dumbledore has been very protective of you,” said Scrimgeour. “Natural, of course, natural, after what you’ve been through. . . . Especially what happened at the Ministry . . .”
| “传闻沸沸扬扬！”斯克林杰说，“当然，我们都知道这些故事是多么走样……传说有一个预言……说你是‘救世之星’……”
|
| He waited for Harry to say something, but Harry did not oblige, so he went on, “I have been hoping for an occasion to talk to you ever since I gained office, but Dumbledore has — most understandably, as I say — prevented this.”
| 哈利想，话题现在接近斯克林杰来的本意了。
|
| Still, Harry said nothing, waiting.
| “……我想邓布利多跟你谈过这些事情吧？”
|
| “The rumors that have flown around!” said Scrimgeour. “Well, of course, we both know how these stories get distorted . . . all these whispers of a prophecy . . . of you being ‘the Chosen One’. . .”
| 哈利犹豫着，不知道该不该说谎。他望着花坛四周的小地精脚印，还有那块翻开的地皮，就是弗雷德抓住那个现在穿着芭蕾舞裙站在圣诞树顶的小地精的地方。最后他决定说实话……或说一点儿实话。
|
| They were getting near it now, Harry thought, the reason Scrimgeour was here.
| “对，我们谈过。”
|
| “. . . I assume that Dumbledore has discussed these matters with you?”
| “你们有没有，有没有……”哈利用眼角余光看到斯克林杰正在注视着他，便假装对一个从结冰的杜鹃花丛下探出脑袋的小地精很感兴趣，“邓布利多跟你说了什么，哈利？”
|
| Harry deliberated, wondering whether he ought to lie or not. He looked at the little gnome prints all around the flowerbeds, and the scuffed-up patch that marked the spot where Fred had caught the gnome now wearing the tutu at the top of the Christmas tree. Finally, he decided on the truth . . . or a bit of it.
| “对不起，这是我们之间的事。”哈利说。
|
| “Yeah, we’ve discussed it.”
| 他尽可能地让声音听上去很愉快，斯克林杰的语气也轻松而友好：“哦，当然，如果是秘密，我不想让你泄露……不，不……再说，你是不是救世之星真的要紧吗？”
|
| “Have you, have you . . .” said Scrimgeour. Harry could see, out of the corner of his eye, Scrimgeour squinting at him, so he pretended to be very interested in a gnome that had just poked its head out from underneath a frozen rhododendron. “And what has Dumbledore told you, Harry?”
| 哈利琢磨了几秒钟后做出了回答。
|
| “Sorry, but that’s between us,” said Harry. He kept his voice as pleasant as he could, and Scrimgeour’s tone, too, was light and friendly as he said, “Oh, of course, if it’s a question of confidences, I wouldn’t want you to divulge . . . no, no . . . and in any case, does it really matter whether you are ‘the Chosen One’ or not?”
| “我不大懂您的意思，部长。”
|
| Harry had to mull that one over for a few seconds before responding. “I don’t really know what you mean, Minister.”
| “当然，对你很要紧，”斯克林杰说着大笑起来，“然而对巫师界……这都是观念，是不是？人们相信什么才是重要的。”
|
| “Well, of course, to you it will matter enormously,” said Scrimgeour with a laugh. “But to the Wizarding community at large . . . it’s all perception, isn’t it? It’s what people believe that’s important.”
| 哈利没答腔。他觉得隐约看到了谈话会导向哪里，但他不想帮斯克林杰达到目的。杜鹃花丛底下的小地精在树根附近挖起了虫子，哈利的眼睛一直盯着它。
|
| Harry said nothing. He thought he saw, dimly, where they were heading, but he was not going to help Scrimgeour get there. The gnome under the rhododendron was now digging for worms at its roots, and Harry kept his eyes fixed upon it.
| “人们相信你是救世之星。你知道，”斯克林杰说道，“他们认为你是英雄——你是的，哈利，不管是不是救世之星！你已多少次面对那个连名字都不能提的大魔头了？总之，”他不等哈利回答，继续说了下去，“要紧的是，你在许多人的心目中是希望的象征，哈利。知道有人能，甚至注定能摧毁那个大魔头——这很自然会让人们感到鼓舞。我不禁感到，一旦你认识到这一点，你也许就会觉得，你几乎有义务跟魔法部合作，给大家信心。”
|
| “People believe you are ‘the Chosen One,’ you see,” said Scrimgeour. “They think you quite the hero — which, of course, you
| 小地精刚刚捉住了一条虫子，正在使劲拉扯，想把它从冻硬的地里拽出来。哈利沉默了很久，斯克林杰看看他又看看小地精，说道：“有趣的小家伙，是不是？可是你怎么想呢，哈利？”
|
| CHRISTMAS are, Harry, chosen or not! How many times have you faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named now? Well, anyway,” he pressed on, without waiting for a reply, “the point is, you are a symbol of hope for many, Harry. The idea that there is somebody out there who might be able, who might even be destined, to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named — well, naturally, it gives people a lift. And I can’t help but feel that, once you realize this, you might consider it, well, almost a duty, to stand alongside the Ministry, and give everyone a boost.”
| “我不大明白你想要听什么。”哈利缓缓地说，“‘跟魔法部合作’……是什么意思？”
|
| The gnome had just managed to get hold of a worm. It was now tugging very hard on it, trying to get it out of the frozen ground. Harry was silent so long that Scrimgeour said, looking from Harry to the gnome, “Funny little chaps, aren’t they? But what say you, Harry?”
| “哦，一点也不麻烦，我向你保证。比方说——如果你能时不时地出入魔法部，那就会给人一个有利的印象。当然，在那儿的时候，你有许多机会和加德文·罗巴兹，即接替我的傲罗办公室主任多谈谈。多洛雷斯·乌姆里奇跟我说过你有志当一名傲罗。这很容易安排……”
|
| “I don’t exactly understand what you want,” said Harry slowly. “ ‘Stand alongside the Ministry’ . . . What does that mean?”
| 哈利感到怒火中烧：这么说乌姆里奇还在魔法部？
|
| “Oh, well, nothing at all onerous, I assure you,” said Scrimgeour. “If you were to be seen popping in and out of the Ministry from time to time, for instance, that would give the right impression. And of course, while you were there, you would have ample opportunity to speak to Gawain Robards, my successor as Head of the Auror office. Dolores Umbridge has told me that you cherish an ambition to become an Auror. Well, that could be arranged very easily. . . .”
| “所以基本上，”他说，好像只想澄清几点事实，“你希望造成我为魔法部效力的印象？”
|
| Harry felt anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach: So Dolores Umbridge was still at the Ministry, was she?
| “看到有你更多地参与，大家会受到鼓舞的，哈利，”斯克林杰说，他似乎对哈利这么快就领悟了他的话感到很欣慰，“救世之星，你明白……就是要给人希望，让人感到激动人心的事情在发生……”
|
| “So basically,” he said, as though he just wanted to clarify a few points, “you’d like to give the impression that I’m working for the Ministry?”
| “可如果我出入魔法部，”哈利说，仍然努力保持友好的语气，“不会让人觉得我赞成部里的做法吗？”
|
| “It would give everyone a lift to think you were more involved, Harry,” said Scrimgeour, sounding relieved that Harry had cottoned on so quickly. “ ‘The Chosen One,’ you know . . . It’s all about giving people hope, the feeling that exciting things are happening. . . .”
| “呃，”斯克林杰说道，微微皱了皱眉头，“是的，也是因为这个，我们希望——”
|
| “But if I keep running in and out of the Ministry,” said Harry, still endeavoring to keep his voice friendly, “won’t that seem as though I approve of what the Ministry’s up to?”
| “不，我想不行，”哈利彬彬有礼地说，“您知道，我不喜欢魔法部做的某些事情，比如关押斯坦·桑帕克。”
|
| “Well,” said Scrimgeour, frowning slightly, “well, yes, that’s partly why we’d like —”
| 斯克林杰一时没说话，但脸色马上沉了下来。
|
| “No, I don’t think that’ll work,” said Harry pleasantly. “You see, I don’t like some of the things the Ministry’s doing. Locking up Stan Shunpike, for instance.”
| “我不指望你理解，”他说道，但没能像哈利那样做到话语中不流露怒气，“现在形势危险，某些措施是必要的。你才十六岁——”
|
| Scrimgeour did not speak for a moment but his expression hardened instantly. “I would not expect you to understand,” he said, and he was not as successful at keeping anger out of his voice as Harry had been. “These are dangerous times, and certain measures need to be taken. You are sixteen years old —”
| “邓布利多远远不止十六岁，他也不赞成把斯坦·桑帕克关在阿兹卡班。”哈利说，“你把斯坦·桑帕克当成替罪羊，就像你想把我当成福神一样。”
|
| “Dumbledore’s a lot older than sixteen, and he doesn’t think Stan should be in Azkaban either,” said Harry. “You’re making Stan a scapegoat, just like you want to make me a mascot.”
| 两人互相瞪视了许久，最后斯克林杰不再伪装友善了，说道：“我看得出，你希望——像你心目中的英雄邓布利多一样——脱离魔法部？”
|
| They looked at each other, long and hard. Finally Scrimgeour said, with no pretense at warmth, “I see. You prefer — like your hero, Dumbledore — to disassociate yourself from the Ministry?”
| “我不想被利用。”
|
| “I don’t want to be used,” said Harry.
| “有人会说为魔法部效力是你的义务！”
|
| “Some would say it’s your duty to be used by the Ministry!”
| “是，有人会说在把人关进监牢前先查明他是不是食死徒是你的义务。”哈利说道，他的火气上来了，“你所做的跟巴蒂·克劳奇一样。你们从来都没有做对过，是不是？要么是福吉，人在他眼皮底下被杀了还假装天下太平；要么就是你，关押无辜，还假装有救世之星在为你工作！”
|
| “Yeah, and others might say it’s your duty to check that people really are Death Eaters before you chuck them in prison,” said Harry, his temper rising now. “You’re doing what Barty Crouch
| “你不是救世之星？”斯克林杰问。
|
| CHRISTMAS did. You never get it right, you people, do you? Either we’ve got Fudge, pretending everything’s lovely while people get murdered right under his nose, or we’ve got you, chucking the wrong people into jail and trying to pretend you’ve got ‘the Chosen One’ working for you!”
| “你不是说这不重要吗？”哈利说道，讽刺地笑了一声，“至少是对你不重要。”
|
| “So you’re not ‘the Chosen One’?” said Scrimgeour.
| “我不该那么说，”斯克林杰立刻说，“措词不当——”
|
| “I thought you said it didn’t matter either way?” said Harry, with a bitter laugh. “Not to you anyway.”
| “不，这很诚实，”哈利说，“是你对我说过的少数实话之一。你不关心我的死活，但你关心要我帮你使大家相信你在战胜伏地魔。我没忘记，部长……”
|
| “I shouldn’t have said that,” said Scrimgeour quickly. “It was tactless —”
| 他举起右拳，冰冷的手背上那道伤痕发着白光，那是乌姆里奇逼他刻下的字迹：我不可以说谎。
|
| “No, it was honest,” said Harry. “One of the only honest things you’ve said to me. You don’t care whether I live or die, but you do care that I help you convince everyone you’re winning the war against Voldemort. I haven’t forgotten, Minister. . . .”
| “当我告诉大家伏地魔回来了的时候，并没看见你冲出来帮助我，魔法部去年可没这么热心交朋友。”
|
| He raised his right fist. There, shining white on the back of his cold hand, were the scars which Dolores Umbridge had forced him to carve into his own flesh: I must not tell lies.
| 两人僵立在那儿，气氛像他们脚下的土地一样冰冷。小地精终于把虫子拽了出来，靠在杜鹃花丛最低的枝条上开心地吮吸着。
|
| “I don’t remember you rushing to my defense when I was trying to tell everyone Voldemort was back. The Ministry wasn’t so keen to be pals last year.”
| “邓布利多在干什么？”斯克林杰唐突地问，“他不在霍格沃茨的时候会去哪儿？”
|
| They stood in silence as icy as the ground beneath their feet. The gnome had finally managed to extricate his worm and was now sucking on it happily, leaning against the bottommost branches of the rhododendron bush.
| “不知道。”
|
| “What is Dumbledore up to?” said Scrimgeour brusquely. “Where does he go when he is absent from Hogwarts?”
| “就是知道你也不会告诉我，是不是？”
|
| “No idea,” said Harry.
| “是，不会。”
|
| “And you wouldn’t tell me if you knew,” said Scrimgeour, “would you?”
| “好吧，我只有看看能不能用其他办法搞清楚了。”
|
| “No, I wouldn’t,” said Harry.
| “你可以试试，”哈利冷漠地说，“不过你看上去比福吉聪明，所以我以为你会吸取他的教训。他企图干涉霍格沃茨，你也许注意到他已不是部长了，但邓布利多还是校长。如果我是你，就不去干涉邓布利多。”
|
| “Well, then, I shall have to see whether I can’t find out by other means.”
| 一阵长时间的沉默。
|
| “You can try,” said Harry indifferently. “But you seem cleverer than Fudge, so I’d have thought you’d have learned from his mistakes. He tried interfering at Hogwarts. You might have noticed he’s not Minister anymore, but Dumbledore’s still headmaster. I’d leave Dumbledore alone, if I were you.”
| “我看出他在你身上做得很成功，”斯克林杰说，金丝边眼镜后的眼睛冷漠而严厉，“彻头彻尾是邓布利多的人，对不对？波特？”
|
| There was a long pause.
| “对，我是，”哈利说，“很高兴我们说清了这一点。”
|
| “Well, it is clear to me that he has done a very good job on you,” said Scrimgeour, his eyes cold and hard behind his wire-rimmed glasses. “Dumbledore’s man through and through, aren’t you, Potter?”
| 他转身丢下魔法部长，大步朝屋里走去。
|
| “Yeah, I am,” said Harry. “Glad we straightened that out.”
| ①韦斯莱夫人因为激动把“火鸡”和“布丁”都说得走了样。
|
| And turning his back on the Minister of Magic, he strode back toward the house.
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