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哈利·波特与密室
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 英文 中文 双语对照 双语交替 首页 目录 上一章 下一章 | |
| CHAPTER NINE THE WRITING ON THE WALL
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| 第九章 墙上的字
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| What’s going on here? What’s going on?”
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| “这里出了什么事？出了什么事？”
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| Attracted no doubt by Malfoy’s shout, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.
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| 费尔奇无疑是被马尔福的喊声吸引过来的，他用肩膀挤过人群。接着，他看见了洛丽丝夫人，他跌跌撞撞地后退几步，惊恐地用手抓住自己的脸。
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| “My cat! My cat! What’s happened to Mrs. Norris?” he shrieked.
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| “我的猫！我的猫！洛丽丝夫人怎么了？”他尖叫道。
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| And his popping eyes fell on Harry.
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| 这时，他突起的眼睛看见了哈利。
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| “You!” he screeched. “You! You’ve murdered my cat! You’ve killed her! I’ll kill you! I’ll —”
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| “你！”他尖声嚷道，“你！你杀死了我的猫！你杀死了它！我要杀死你！我要——”
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| “Argus!”
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| “费尔奇！”
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| Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron, and Hermione and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.
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| 邓布利多赶到了现场，后面跟着许多其他老师。一眨眼的工夫，他就走过哈利、罗恩和赫敏身边，把洛丽丝夫人从火把支架上解了下来。
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| “Come with me, Argus,” he said to Filch. “You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger.”
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| “跟我来吧，费尔奇。”他对费尔奇说，“还有你们，波特先生、韦斯莱先生、格兰杰小姐。”
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| Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.
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| 洛哈特急煎煎地走上前来。
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| “My office is nearest, Headmaster — just upstairs — please feel free —”
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| “我的办公室离这儿最近，校长——就在楼上——你们可以——”
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| “Thank you, Gilderoy,” said Dumbledore.
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| “谢谢你，吉德罗。”邓布利多说。
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| The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.
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| 沉默的人群向两边分开，让他们通过。洛哈特非常兴奋，一副神气活现的样子，匆匆跟在邓布利多身后；麦格教授和斯内普也跟了上来。
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| As they entered Lockhart’s darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore laid Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching.
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| 当他们走进洛哈特昏暗的办公室时，墙上突然起了一阵骚动。哈利看见几张照片上的洛哈特慌慌张张地躲了起来，他们的头发上还带着卷发筒。这时，真正的洛哈特点燃了桌上的蜡烛，退到后面。邓布利多把洛丽丝夫人放在光洁的桌面上，开始仔细检查。哈利、罗恩和赫敏紧张地交换了一下眼色，便坐到烛光照不到的几把椅子上，密切注视着。
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| The tip of Dumbledore’s long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris’s fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile. And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions.
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| 邓布利多长长的鹰钩鼻的鼻尖几乎碰到了洛丽丝夫人身上的毛。他透过半月形的眼镜片仔细端详着它，修长的手指轻轻地这里戳戳，那里捅捅。麦格教授弯着腰，脸也差不多碰到猫了，眯着眼睛细细地看着。斯内普站在他们后面，半个身子藏在阴影里，显得阴森森的。他脸上的表情十分古怪：就好像在拼命克制自己不要笑出来。洛哈特在他们周围徘徊，不停地出谋划策。
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| “It was definitely a curse that killed her — probably the Transmogrifian Torture — I’ve seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn’t there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her. . . .”
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| “肯定是一个魔咒害死了它——很有可能是变形拷打魔咒。我多次看见别人使用这种咒语，真遗憾我当时不在场，我恰好知道那个解咒法，本来可以救它的……”
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| Lockhart’s comments were punctuated by Filch’s dry, racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands. Much as he detested Filch, Harry couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself. If Dumbledore believed Filch, he would be expelled for sure.
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| 洛哈特的话被费尔奇无泪的伤心哭泣打断了。费尔奇瘫坐在桌旁的一张椅子上，用手捂着脸，不敢看洛丽丝夫人。哈利尽管不喜欢费尔奇，但此刻也忍不住对他产生了一些同情，不过他更同情的是他自己。如果邓布利多相信了费尔奇的话，他肯定会被开除。
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| Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened: She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed.
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| 这时，邓布利多低声念叨着一些奇怪的话，并且用他的魔杖敲了敲洛丽丝夫人，然而没有反应——洛丽丝夫人还是僵硬地躺在那里，如同一个刚刚做好的标本。
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| “. . . I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou,” said Lockhart, “a series of attacks, the full story’s in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once. . . .”
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| “……我记得在瓦加杜古①发生过十分类似的事情，”洛哈特说，“一系列的攻击事件，我的自传里有详细记载。当时，我给老百姓们提供了各种各样的护身符，一下子就解决了问题……”
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| The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hair net.
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| 他说话的时候，墙上那些洛哈特的照片都纷纷点头，表示同意。其中一个忘记了取下他的发网。
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| At last Dumbledore straightened up.
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| 最后，邓布利多直起身来。
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| “She’s not dead, Argus,” he said softly.
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| “它没有死，费尔奇。”他轻声说。
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| Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.
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| 洛哈特正在数他共阻止了多少次谋杀事件，这时突然停住了。
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| “Not dead?” choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. “But why’s she all — all stiff and frozen?”
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| “没有死？”费尔奇哽咽着说，从手指缝里看着洛丽丝夫人，“那它为什么全身——全身僵硬，像被冻住了一样？”
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| “She has been Petrified,” said Dumbledore (“Ah! I thought so!” said Lockhart). “But how, I cannot say. . . .”
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| “它被石化了，”邓布利多说（“啊！我也是这样认为的！”洛哈特说），“但究竟是怎么回事，我不清楚……”
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| “Ask him!” shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry.
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| “问他！”费尔奇尖叫道，把斑斑驳驳、沾满泪痕的脸转向哈利。
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| “No second year could have done this,” said Dumbledore firmly. “It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced —”
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| “二年级学生是不可能做到这点的，”邓布利多坚决地说，“这需要最高深的黑魔法——”
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| “He did it, he did it!” Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. “You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found — in my office — he knows I’m a — I’m a —” Filch’s face worked horribly. “He knows I’m a Squib!” he finished.
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| “是他干的，是他干的！”费尔奇唾沫四溅地说，肥胖松垂的脸变成了紫红色。“你们看见了他在墙上写的字！他发现了——在我的办公室——他知道我是个——我是个——”费尔奇的脸可怕地抽搐着。“他知道我是个哑炮！”
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| “I never touched Mrs. Norris!” Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him, including all the Lockharts on the walls. “And I don’t even know what a Squib is.”
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| “我根本就没碰洛丽丝夫人！”哈利大声说，他不安地意识到大家都在看着他，包括墙上所有的洛哈特。“我连哑炮是什么意思都不知道。”
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| “Rubbish!” snarled Filch. “He saw my Kwikspell letter!”
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| “胡说！”费尔奇咆哮着说，“他看见了我那封快速念咒的函授信！”
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| “If I might speak, Headmaster,” said Snape from the shadows, and Harry’s sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good.
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| “请允许我说一句，校长。”斯内普在阴影里说，哈利内心不祥的感觉更强烈了。他相信，斯内普说的话绝不会对自己有任何好处。
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| “Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. “But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn’t he at the Halloween feast?”
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| “也许，波特和他的朋友只是不该在那个时间出现在那个地方，”斯内普说道，嘴唇扭动着露出一丝讥笑，仿佛他对此深表怀疑，“但我们确实遇到了一系列的疑点。他们究竟为什么要到上面的走廊去呢？他们为什么没有参加万圣节的宴会？”
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| Harry, Ron and Hermione all launched into an explanation about the deathday party. “. . . there were hundreds of ghosts, they’ll tell you we were there —”
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| 哈利、罗恩和赫敏争先恐后地解释他们去参加忌辰晚会了。“……来了几百个幽灵，他们可以证明我们在那儿——”
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| “But why not join the feast afterward?” said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. “Why go up to that corridor?”
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| “可是在这之后呢，为什么不来参加宴会？”斯内普说，漆黑的眼睛在烛光里闪闪发光。“为什么到上面的走廊去？”
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| Ron and Hermione looked at Harry.
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| 罗恩和赫敏都看着哈利。
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| “Because — because —” Harry said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he could hear, “because we were tired and wanted to go to bed,” he said.
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| “因为——因为——”哈利说，他的心怦怦地狂跳着。他隐约觉得，如果他对他们说，他是被一个只有他自己能听见的、没有形体的声音领到那里去的，这听上去肯定站不住脚。“因为我们累了，想早点儿睡觉。”他说。
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| “Without any supper?” said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face. “I didn’t think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties.”
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| “不吃晚饭？”斯内普说，枯瘦的脸上闪过一个得意的笑容，“我认为，鬼魂在晚会上提供的食物大概不太适合活人吧。”
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| “We weren’t hungry,” said Ron loudly as his stomach gave a huge rumble.
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| “我们不饿。”罗恩大声说，同时他的肚子叽里咕噜地响了起来。
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| Snape’s nasty smile widened.
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| 斯内普难看的笑容更明显了。
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| “I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful,” he said. “It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest.”
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| “我的意见是，校长，波特没有完全说实话。”他说，“我们或许应该取消他的一些特权，直到他把事情原原本本地告诉我们。我个人认为，最好让他离开格兰芬多魁地奇队，等态度老实了再说。”
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| “Really, Severus,” said Professor McGonagall sharply, “I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn’t hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong.”
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| “说实在的，西弗勒斯，”麦格教授厉声说，“我看没有理由不让这孩子打球。这只猫又不是被扫帚打中了脑袋。而且没有证据显示波特做了任何错事。”
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| Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed.
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| 邓布利多用探究的目光看了哈利一眼。面对他炯炯发亮的蓝眼睛的凝视，哈利觉得自己被看透了。
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| “Innocent until proven guilty, Severus,” he said firmly.
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| “只要没被证明有罪，就是无辜的，西弗勒斯。”他坚定地说。
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| Snape looked furious. So did Filch.
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| 斯内普显得十分恼怒，费尔奇也是一样。“我的猫被石化了！”他尖叫着，眼球向外突起。“我希望看到有人受到一些惩罚！”
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| “My cat has been Petrified!” he shrieked, his eyes popping. “I want to see some punishment!”
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| “我们可以治好它的，费尔奇。”邓布利多耐心地说，“斯普劳特夫人最近弄到了一些曼德拉草。一旦它们长大成熟，我就有一种药可以使洛丽丝夫人起死回生了。”
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| “We will be able to cure her, Argus,” said Dumbledore patiently. “Professer Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris.”
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| “我来配制，”洛哈特插嘴说，“我配制了肯定有一百次了，我可以一边做梦一边配制曼德拉草复活药剂——”
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| “I’ll make it,” Lockhart butted in. “I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep —”
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| “请原谅，”斯内普冷冷地说，“我认为我才是这个学校的魔药课老师。”
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| “Excuse me,” said Snape icily. “But I believe I am the Potions master at this school.”
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| 一阵令人尴尬的沉默。
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| There was a very awkward pause.
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| “你们可以走了。”邓布利多对哈利、罗恩和赫敏说。
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| “You may go,” Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
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| 他们尽量加快脚步，差点跑了起来。来到洛哈特办公室的楼上时，他们钻进一间空教室，轻轻地关上门。哈利眯起眼睛看着黑暗中两个朋友的脸。
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| They went, as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart’s office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Harry squinted at his friends’ darkened faces.
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| “你们说，我是不是应该对他们说说我听见的那个声音？”
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| “D’you think I should have told them about that voice I heard?”
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| “别说，”罗恩不假思索地说，“听见别人听不见的声音，这不是一个好兆头，即使在魔法世界里也是这样。”
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| “No,” said Ron, without hesitation. “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the wizarding world.”
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| 哈利从罗恩的声音里听出了点儿什么，他问道：“你是相信我的，是吗？”
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| Something in Ron’s voice made Harry ask, “You do believe me, don’t you?”
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| “我当然相信，”罗恩很快地说，“可是——你必须承认这很离奇……”
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| “ ’Course I do,” said Ron quickly. “But — you must admit it’s weird. . . .”
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| “我知道这很离奇，”哈利说，“整个事件都很离奇。墙上的那些文字是怎么回事？密室曾经被打开过……这到底是什么意思呢？”
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| “I know it’s weird,” said Harry. “The whole thing’s weird. What was that writing on the wall about? ‘The Chamber Has Been Opened’. . . . What’s that supposed to mean?”
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| “噢，这倒使我想起了什么，”罗恩慢慢地说，“好像有一次什么人跟我说过霍格沃茨的密室……大概是比尔吧……”
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| “You know, it rings a sort of bell,” said Ron slowly. “I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once . . . might’ve been Bill. . . .”
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| “哑炮又是什么玩艺儿？”哈利问。
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| “And what on earth’s a Squib?” said Harry.
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| 使他吃惊的是，罗恩居然捂住嘴咯咯笑了起来。“是这样——实际上并不可笑——但放在费尔奇身上……”他说，“哑炮是指一个人生在巫师家庭，却没有一点神奇的能力。哑炮和麻瓜出身的巫师正好相反，不过哑炮是很少见的。如果费尔奇想通过快速念咒函授课程来学习魔法，那他肯定是个哑炮。这就能说明很多问题了，比如他为什么那么仇恨学生，”罗恩露出一个满意的微笑，“他嫉妒啊。”
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| To his surprise, Ron stifled a snigger.
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| 什么地方敲响了钟声。
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| “Well — it’s not funny really — but as it’s Filch,” he said. “A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn’t got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch’s trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much.” Ron gave a satisfied smile. “He’s bitter.”
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| “十二点了，”哈利说，“我们赶紧上床睡觉吧，可别等斯内普又过来找我们的茬儿，诬陷我们。”
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| A clock chimed somewhere.
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| 接连好几天，学生们都不谈别的，整天议论洛丽丝夫人遭到攻击的事。费尔奇的表现使大家时时刻刻忘不了这件事。他经常在洛丽丝夫人遇害的地方踱来踱去，似乎以为攻击者还会再来。哈利看见他用“斯科尔夫人牌万能神奇去污剂”擦洗墙上的文字，但是白费力气，那些文字仍然那么明亮地在石墙上闪烁。费尔奇如果不在犯罪现场巡逻，便瞪着两只红通通的眼睛，偷偷隐蔽在走廊里，然后突然扑向毫无防备的学生，千方百计找借口关他们禁闭，比如说他们“喘气声太大”，或“嘻皮笑脸”。
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| “Midnight,” said Harry. “We’d better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else.”
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| 金妮韦斯莱似乎为洛丽丝夫人的遭遇感到非常不安。据罗恩说，她一向是非常喜欢猫的。
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| *** For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone’s minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back. Harry had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower’s All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone. When Filch wasn’t guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like “breathing loudly” and “looking happy.”
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| “实际上你并不认识洛丽丝夫人呀。”罗恩想使她振作起来，“说句实话，没有它我们更加自在。”金妮的嘴唇开始颤抖。“这种事霍格沃茨不会经常发生的，”罗恩安慰她，“他们很快就会抓住那个肇事的疯子，把他从这里赶出去。我只希望他在被开除前，还来得及把费尔奇也给石化了。我只是开个玩笑——”罗恩看到金妮的脸刷地变白了，赶紧又说了一句。
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| Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris’s fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat lover.
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| 攻击事件对赫敏也产生了影响。赫敏平常总是花很多时间看书，现在却整天几乎什么事也不干。哈利和罗恩问她在做什么，她也爱理不理的，一直到第二个星期三，他们才揭开了这个谜底。
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| “But you haven’t really got to know Mrs. Norris,” Ron told her bracingly. “Honestly, we’re much better off without her.” Ginny’s lip trembled. “Stuff like this doesn’t often happen at Hogwarts,” Ron assured her. “They’ll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he’s got time to Petrify Filch before he’s expelled. I’m only joking —” Ron added hastily as Ginny blanched.
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| 哈利在魔药课上被留了堂，斯内普叫他留下来擦去桌上的多毛虫。哈利匆匆吃过午饭，就上楼到图书馆来找罗恩。路上，他看见一起上草药课的赫奇帕奇男孩贾斯廷·芬列里迎面走来。哈利正要张嘴打招呼，可是贾斯廷一看见他，却突然转身，往相反方向逃走了。
|
| The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else. Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from her when they asked what she was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out.
|
| 哈利在图书馆后面找到了罗恩，他正在用尺子量他魔法史课的作业。宾斯教授要求学生写一篇三英尺长的“中世纪欧洲巫师大全”的作文。
|
| Harry had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks. After a hurried lunch, he went upstairs to meet Ron in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology, coming toward him. Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of him, turned abruptly, and sped off in the opposite direction.
|
| “我真没法相信，还差八英寸……”罗恩气愤地说，一松手，羊皮纸立刻又卷了起来，“赫敏写了四英尺七英寸，而且她的字写得很小很小。”
|
| Harry found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three-foot-long composition on “The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards.”
|
| “她在哪儿？”哈利问道，一边抓过卷尺，摊开他自己的家庭作业。
|
| “I don’t believe it, I’m still eight inches short. . . .” said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll. “And Hermione’s done four feet seven inches and her writing’s tiny.”
|
| “就在那儿，”罗恩指着那一排排书架说，“又在找书呢。她大概想在圣诞节之前读完所有的藏书。”
|
| “Where is she?” asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework.
|
| 哈利告诉罗恩，刚才贾斯廷芬列里一看见自己就跑。
|
| “Somewhere over there,” said Ron, pointing along the shelves. “Looking for another book. I think she’s trying to read the whole library before Christmas.”
|
| “你在乎他做什么，我一直认为他有点呆头呆脑。”罗愚一边说，一边潦潦草草地写着，尽量把字写得很大。“都是些废话，说洛哈特多么多么伟大——”
|
| Harry told Ron about Justin Finch-Fletchley running away from him.
|
| 赫敏从书架间走了出来。她显得非常恼火，但是终于愿意跟他们说话了。
|
| “Dunno why you care. I thought he was a bit of an idiot,” said Ron, scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. “All that junk about Lockhart being so great —”
|
| “几本《霍格沃茨（一段校史）》都被人借走了，”她说着，在哈利和罗恩身边坐了下来，“登记要借的人已经排到两星期之后了。唉，真希望我没有把我的那本留在家里，可是箱子里装了洛哈特的那么多厚书，再也塞不下它了。”
|
| Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them.
|
| “你为什么想看它？”哈利问。
|
| “All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out,” she said, sitting down next to Harry and Ron. “And there’s a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn’t left my copy at home, but I couldn’t fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books.”
|
| “和别人想看它的理由一样，”赫敏说，“查一查关于密室的传说。”
|
| “Why do you want it?” said Harry.
|
| “密室是什么？”哈利紧跟着问道。
|
| “The same reason everyone else wants it,” said Hermione, “to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets.”
|
| “问题就在这里，我记不清了，”赫敏咬着嘴唇，说道，“而且我在别处查不到这个故事——”
|
| “What’s that?” said Harry quickly.
|
| “赫敏，让我看看你的作文吧。”罗恩看了看手表，心急火燎地说。
|
| “That’s just it. I can’t remember,” said Hermione, biting her lip. “And I can’t find the story anywhere else —”
|
| “不，不行，”赫敏说，突然严肃起来，“你本来有十天时间，完全来得及写完。”
|
| “Hermione, let me read your composition,” said Ron desperately, checking his watch.
|
| “我只差两英寸了，再……”
|
| “No, I won’t,” said Hermione, suddenly severe. “You’ve had ten days to finish it —”
|
| 上课铃响了。罗恩和赫敏一路争吵着，朝魔法史课的课堂走去。
|
| “I only need another two inches, come on —”
|
| 魔法史是他们课程表上最枯燥的课程。在他们的所有老师中，只有教这门课的宾斯教授是一个鬼。在他的课上，最令人兴奋的事情是他穿过黑板进入教室。他年纪非常老了，皮肉皱缩得很厉害，许多人都说他并没有留意自己已经死了。他活着的时候，有一天站起来去上课，不小心把身体留在了教工休息室炉火前的一张扶手椅里。从那以后，他每天的一切活动照旧，没有丝毫变化。
|
| The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.
|
| 今天，课堂上仍旧和平常一样乏味。宾斯教授打开他的笔记，用干巴巴、低沉单调的声音念着，就像一台老掉牙的吸尘器，最后全班同学都昏昏沉沉的，偶尔回过神来，抄下一个姓名或日期，然后又陷入半睡眠状态。他说了半小时后，发生了一件以前从未发生过的事。赫敏把手举了起来。
|
| History of Magic was the dullest subject on their schedule. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard. Ancient and shriveled, many people said he hadn’t noticed he was dead. He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staffroom fire; his routine had not varied in the slightest since.
|
| 宾斯教授正在非常枯燥地讲解一二八九年的国际巫师大会，他抬起头来，显得非常吃惊。“你是——”
|
| Today was as boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming to long enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that had never happened before. Hermione put up her hand.
|
| “我是格兰杰，教授。不知道您能不能告诉我们密室是怎么回事。”赫敏声音清亮地说。
|
| Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed.
|
| 迪安刚才一直张着嘴，呆呆地望着窗外，这时突然从恍惚状态中清醒过来；拉文德·布朗的脑袋从胳膊里抬了起来；纳威的臂肘从桌上放了下去。
|
| “Miss — er — ?”
|
| 宾斯教授眨了眨眼睛。“我这门课是魔法史，”他用那干巴巴、气喘吁吁的声音说，“我研究事实，格兰杰小姐，而不是神话和传说。”他清了清嗓子，发出轻轻一声像粉笔折断的声音，继续说道：“就在那年十月，一个由撒丁岛魔法师组成的专门小组——”
|
| “Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets,” said Hermione in a clear voice.
|
| 他结结巴巴地停了下来。赫敏又把手举在半空中挥动着。
|
| Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown’s head came up off her arms and Neville Longbottom’s elbow slipped off his desk.
|
| “格兰杰小姐？”
|
| Professor Binns blinked.
|
| “我想请教一下，先生，传说都是有一定的事实基础的，不是吗？”
|
| “My subject is History of Magic,” he said in his dry, wheezy voice. “I deal with, facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends.” He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk snapping and continued, “In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers —”
|
| 宾斯教授看着她，惊讶极了。哈利相信，宾斯教授不管是活着还是死后，都没有哪个学生这样打断过他。
|
| He stuttered to a halt. Hermione’s hand was waving in the air again.
|
| “好吧，”宾斯教授慢吞吞地说，“是啊，我想，你可以这样说。”他使劲地看着赫敏，就好像他以前从未好好打量过一个学生。“可是，你所说的传说是一个非常耸人听闻，甚至滑稽可笑的故事……”
|
| “Miss Grant?”
|
| 现在，全班同学都在全神贯注地听着宾斯教授讲的每一个字了。他老眼昏花地看着他们，只见每一张脸都转向了他。哈利看得出来，大家表现出这样不同寻常的浓厚兴趣，实在使宾斯先生太为难了。
|
| “Please, sir, don’t legends always have a basis in fact?”
|
| “哦，那么好吧，”他慢慢地说，“让我想想……密室……
|
| Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Harry was sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.
|
| “你们大家肯定都知道，霍格沃茨学校是一千多年前创办的，具体日期不太确定——创办者是当时最伟大的四个男女巫师。四个学院就是以他们的名字命名的：戈德里克格兰芬多，赫尔加赫奇帕奇，罗伊纳拉文克劳和萨拉查斯莱特林。他们共同建造了这座城堡，远离麻瓜们窥视的目光，因为在当时那个年代，老百姓们害怕魔法，男女巫师遭到很多迫害。”
|
| “Well,” said Professor Binns slowly, “yes, one could argue that, I suppose.” He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before. “However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale —”
|
| 宾斯教授停顿下来，用模糊不清的视线环顾一下教室，继续说道：“开头几年，几个创办者一起和谐地工作，四处寻找显露出魔法苗头的年轻人，把他们带到城堡里好好培养。可是，慢慢地他们之间就有了分歧。斯莱特林和其他人之间的裂痕越来越大。斯莱特林希望霍格沃茨招收学生时更挑剔一些。他认为魔法教育只应局限于纯魔法家庭。他不愿意接收麻瓜生的孩子，认为他们是靠不住的。过了一些日子，斯莱特林和格兰芬多因为这个问题发生了一场激烈的争吵，然后斯莱特林便离开了学校。”
|
| But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns’s every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.
|
| 宾斯教授又停顿了一下，噘起嘴唇，活像一只皱巴巴的老乌龟。
|
| “Oh, very well,” he said slowly. “Let me see . . . the Chamber of Secrets . . .
|
| “可靠的历史资料就告诉我们这些，”他说，“但是，这些纯粹的事实却被关于密室的古怪传说掩盖了。那个故事说，斯莱特林在城堡里建了一个秘密的房间，其他创办者对此一无所知。
|
| “You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago — the precise date is uncertain — by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution.”
|
| “根据这个传说的说法，斯莱特林封闭了密室，这样便没有人能够打开它，直到他真正的继承人来到学校。只有那个继承人能够开启密室，把里面的恐怖东西放出来，让它净化学校，清除所有不配学习魔法的人。”
|
| He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued.
|
| 故事讲完了，全班一片寂静，但不是平常宾斯教授课堂上的那种睡意昏沉的寂静。每个人都继续盯着他，希望他再讲下去，气氛令人不安，宾斯教授显得微微有些恼火。
|
| “For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school.”
|
| “当然啦，整个这件事都是一派胡言，”他说道，“学校里自然调查过到底有没有这样一间密室，调查了许多次，请的都是最有学问的男女巫师。密室不存在。这只是一个故事，专门吓唬头脑简单的人。”
|
| Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.
|
| 赫敏的手又举在半空中了。“先生，您刚才说密室‘里面的恐怖东西’，指的是什么？”
|
| “Reliable historical sources tell us this much,” he said. “But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing.
|
| “人们认为是某种怪兽，只有斯莱特林的继承人才能控制。”宾斯教授用他干涩的、细弱的声音说。
|
| “Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic.”
|
| 同学们交换了一下紧张的目光。
|
| There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn’t the usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns’s classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed.
|
| “告诉你们，那东两根本就不存在。”宾斯教授笨手笨脚地整理着笔记，说道，“没有密室，也没有怪兽。”
|
| “The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course,” he said. “Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible.”
|
| “可是，先生，”西莫斐尼甘说，“这密室既然只有斯莱特林的真正继承人才能打开，别人可能就根本发现不了，是不是？”
|
| Hermione’s hand was back in the air.
|
| “胡说八道，奥弗莱②，”宾斯教授用恼火的腔调说，“既然这么多的历届男女校长都没有发现那东西——”
|
| “Sir — what exactly do you mean by the ‘horror within’ the Chamber?”
|
| “可是，教授，”帕尔提佩蒂尔尖声说话了，“大概必须用黑魔法才能打开它——”
|
| “That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control,” said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.
|
| “一个巫师没有使用黑魔法，并不意味着他不会使用，彭妮费瑟小姐③。”宾斯教授厉声地说，“我再重复一遍，既然邓布利多那佯的人——”
|
| The class exchanged nervous looks.
|
| “说不定，必须和斯莱特林有关系的人才能打开，所以邓布利多不能——”迪安托马斯还没说完，宾斯先生就不耐烦了。
|
| “I tell you, the thing does not exist,” said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. “There is no Chamber and no monster.”
|
| “够了，”他严厉地说，“这是一个神话！根本不存在！没有丝毫证据说明斯莱特林曾经建过这样一个秘密扫帚棚之类的东西。我真后悔告诉了你们这个荒唐的故事！如果你们愿意的话，让我们再回到历史，回到实实在在的、可信、可靠的事实上来吧！”
|
| “But, sir,” said Seamus Finnigan, “if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin’s true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?”
|
| 不出五分钟，同学们又陷入了那种昏昏沉沉的睡意中。
|
| “Nonsense, O’Flaherty,” said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. “If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven’t found the thing —”
|
| “我早就知道萨拉查斯莱特林是个变态的老疯子。”罗恩对哈利和赫敏说，“但我不知道是他想出了这套纯血统的鬼话。即使白给我钱，我也不会进他的学院。说句实话，如果当初分院帽把我放进斯莱特林，我二话不说，直接就乘火车回家……”
|
| “But, Professor,” piped up Parvati Patil, “you’d probably have to use Dark Magic to open it —”
|
| 这时已经下课了，他们费力地穿过拥挤的走廊，准备把书包放下去吃午饭。
|
| “Just because a wizard doesn’t use Dark Magic doesn’t mean he can’t, Miss Pennyfeather,” snapped Professor Binns. “I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore —”
|
| 赫敏很热切地点头，可是哈利什么也没说。他的心突然很别扭地往下一沉。
|
| “But maybe you’ve got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn’t —” began Dean Thomas, but Professor Binns had had enough.
|
| 哈利一直没有告诉罗恩和赫敏，当初分院帽曾非常认真地考虑要把他放在斯莱特林。他清楚地记得一年前他把帽子戴到头上时，那个在他耳边说话的小声音，这一切就像发生在昨天一样。
|
| “That will do,” he said sharply. “It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!”
|
| “你会非常成功的，你知道吗，都在你脑袋里藏着呢，斯莱特林会帮助你获得成功，这是毫无疑问的……”
|
| And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor. “I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony,” Ron told Harry and Hermione as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. “But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn’t be in his House if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I’d’ve got the train straight back home. . . .”
|
| 但是，哈利事先已经听说斯莱特林学院是培养黑巫师的，名声不好，所以他不顾一切地在脑子里说：“不要去斯莱特林！”于是那帽子说：“哦，好吧，既然你这么确定……那就不妨去格兰芬多……”
|
| Hermione nodded fervently, but Harry didn’t say anything. His stomach had just dropped unpleasantly.
|
| 三个人被拥过来的人群挤到了一边，这时，科林克里维从他们身边走过。
|
| Harry had never told Ron and Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered putting him in Slytherin. He could remember, as though it were yesterday, the small voice that had spoken in his ear when he’d placed the hat on his head a year before: You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that. . . .
|
| “你好，哈利！”
|
| But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin House’s reputation for turning out Dark wizards, had thought desperately, Not Slytherin! and the hat had said, Oh, well, if you’re sure . . . better be Gryffindor. . . .
|
| “你好，科林。”哈利随口答道。
|
| As they were shunted along in the throng, Colin Creevey went past.
|
| “哈利——哈利——我们班上的一个男生最近一直说你是——”
|
| “Hiya, Harry!”
|
| 然而科林的个头太小了，挡不住把他推向礼堂的人流。他们只听见他尖声叫了一句：“再见，哈利！”就消失得无影无踪。
|
| “Hullo, Colin,” said Harry automatically.
|
| “他们班上的那个男生说你什么呢？”赫敏不解地问。
|
| “Harry — Harry — a boy in my class has been saying you’re —”
|
| “我想，大概说我是斯莱特林的继承人吧。”哈利说，他的心又往下沉了一点儿，因为他突然想起吃午饭时贾斯廷芬列里匆忙逃避他的样子。
|
| But Colin was so small he couldn’t fight against the tide of people bearing him toward the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, “See you, Harry!” and he was gone.
|
| “这里的人什么都相信。”罗恩厌恶地说。
|
| “What’s a boy in his class saying about you?” Hermione wondered.
|
| 人群渐渐稀疏了，他们终于能够毫不费力地登上楼梯。
|
| “That I’m Slytherin’s heir, I expect,” said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.
|
| “你真的认为有密室吗？”罗恩问赫敏。
|
| “People here’ll believe anything,” said Ron in disgust.
|
| “我不知道，”她说着，皱起了眉头，“邓布利多治不好洛丽丝夫人，这使我想到，攻击它的那个家伙恐怕不是——哦——不是人类。”
|
| The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty.
|
| 她说话的时候，他们拐过一个墙角，发现来到了发生攻击事件的那道走廊的顶端。眼前的场景和那天夜里一样，不过那只被石化的猫不再挂在火把的支架上了，而且在写着“密室被打开了”的文字的那面墙上，靠着一把空椅子。
|
| “D’you really think there’s a Chamber of Secrets?” Ron asked Hermione.
|
| “费尔奇一直在这里站岗。”罗恩小声说。
|
| “I don’t know,” she said, frowning. “Dumbledore couldn’t cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be — well — human.”
|
| 他们互相交换了一下眼色。走廊里没有人。
|
| As she spoke, they turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened. They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message “The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened.”
|
| “我们不妨找找看。”哈利说着，扔掉书包，四肢着地，在地上爬行着寻找线索。“烧焦的痕迹！”他说，“这里——还有这里——”
|
| “That’s where Filch has been keeping guard,” Ron muttered.
|
| “快过来看看这个！”赫敏说，“真有趣……”
|
| They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted.
|
| 哈利爬起身，走向墙上那些文字旁边的窗户。赫敏指着最上面的那块玻璃，那里大约有二十只蜘蛛正在慌慌张张地爬行，似乎急于从玻璃上的一道小缝中钻出去。一根长长的银丝像绳索一样挂下来，看样子它们就是通过这根丝匆匆爬上来，逃向窗外的。
|
| “Can’t hurt to have a poke around,” said Harry, dropping his bag and getting to his hands and knees so that he could crawl along, searching for clues.
|
| “你看见过蜘蛛这种样子吗？”赫敏纳闷地问。
|
| “Scorch marks!” he said. “Here — and here —”
|
| “没有，”哈利说，“你呢，罗恩？罗恩？”
|
| “Come and look at this!” said Hermione. “This is funny. . . .”
|
| 他扭过头来。罗恩远远地站在后面，似乎正强忍住想逃走的冲动。
|
| Harry got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack. A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside.
|
| “怎么啦？”哈利问。
|
| “Have you ever seen spiders act like that?” said Hermione wonderingly.
|
| “我——不喜——不喜欢——蜘蛛。”罗恩紧张地说。
|
| “No,” said Harry, “have you, Ron? Ron?”
|
| “这我倒没听说过，”赫敏说，惊讶地看着罗恩，“你在魔药课上那么多次使用蜘蛛……”
|
| He looked over his shoulder. Ron was standing well back and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run.
|
| “死蜘蛛我不在乎，”罗恩说，小心地将目光避开那扇窗户，“我只是不喜欢它们爬动的样子——”
|
| “What’s up?” said Harry.
|
| 赫敏咯咯地笑了。
|
| “I — don’t — like — spiders,” said Ron tensely.
|
| “有什么好笑的，”罗恩恼怒地说，“你要知道，我三岁的时候，弗雷德因为我弄坏了他的玩具扫帚，就把我的——我的玩具熊变成了一只丑陋的大蜘蛛。如果你有过我那样的经历，也不会喜欢它们的，如果你正抱着你的玩具熊，突然它冒出许多条腿来，而且……”
|
| “I never knew that,” said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. “You’ve used spiders in Potions loads of times. . . .”
|
| 他打了个冷战，说不下去了。赫敏显然还在忍着笑。哈利觉得他们最好别谈这个话题了，就说：“还记得当时地上的那摊水吗？是从哪儿来的？有人拖过地板。”
|
| “I don’t mind them dead,” said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window. “I just don’t like the way they move. . . .”
|
| “大概就在这里，”罗恩说，渐渐缓过劲来，几步走过费尔奇的椅子，指给他们看，“和这扇门平行。”他伸手去抓黄铜球形把手，却突然缩回手来，好像被火烫了一下似的。
|
| Hermione giggled.
|
| “怎么回事？”哈利问。
|
| “It’s not funny,” said Ron, fiercely. “If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my — my teddy bear into a great big filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick. . . . You wouldn’t like them either if you’d been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and . . .”
|
| “不能进去，”罗恩很不高兴地说，“是女生盥洗室。”
|
| He broke off, shuddering. Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh. Feeling they had better get off the subject, Harry said, “Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone’s mopped it up.”
|
| “哦，罗恩，里面不会有人的。”赫敏说。她站直身子，走了过来，“这是哭泣的桃金娘的地盘。来吧，我们进去看看。”她没有理睬那个写着“故障”字样的大招牌，推开了门。
|
| “It was about here,” said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch’s chair and pointing. “Level with this door.”
|
| 这是哈利到过的最阴暗、最沉闷的地方。在一面污渍斑驳的、裂了缝的大镜子下面，是一排表面已经剥落的、石砌的水池。地板上湿漉漉的，几根蜡烛头低低地在托架上燃烧着，发出昏暗的光，照得地板阴森森的。一个个单间的木门油漆剥落，布满划痕；有一扇门的铰链脱开了，摇摇晃晃地悬挂在那里。
|
| He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he’d been burned.
|
| 赫敏用手捂着嘴，朝最里面的那个单间走去。到了门口，她说：“喂，桃金娘。你好吗？”
|
| “What’s the matter?” said Harry.
|
| 哈利和罗恩也跟过去看。哭泣的桃金娘正在抽水马桶的水箱里飘浮着，揪着下巴上的一处地方。
|
| “Can’t go in there,” said Ron gruffly. “That’s a girls’ toilet.”
|
| “这是女生盥洗室，”她说，用怀疑的目光打量着罗恩和哈利，“他们不是女生。”
|
| “Oh, Ron, there won’t be anyone in there,” said Hermione, standing up and coming over. “That’s Moaning Myrtle’s place. Come on, let’s have a look.”
|
| “是的，”赫敏表示赞同，“我想带他们来看看，这里——这里——是多么漂亮。”
|
| And ignoring the large out of order sign, she opened the door.
|
| 她朝肮脏的旧镜子和潮湿的地板含糊地挥了挥手。
|
| It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Harry had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.
|
| “问她有没有看见什么。”哈利压低声音对赫敏说。
|
| Hermione put her fingers to her lips and set off toward the end stall. When she reached it she said, “Hello, Myrtle, how are you?”
|
| “你们在小声嘀咕什么？”桃金娘瞪着他们，问道。
|
| Harry and Ron went to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating above the tank of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.
|
| “没什么，”哈利赶紧说，“我们想问问你——”
|
| “This is a girls’ bathroom,” she said, eyeing Ron and Harry suspiciously. “They’re not girls.”
|
| “我希望人们不要在背后议论我！”桃金娘带着哭腔说道，“我也是有感情的，你们知道，尽管我已经死了。”
|
| “No,” Hermione agreed. “I just wanted to show them how — er — nice it is in here.”
|
| “桃金娘，没有人想使你难过，”赫敏说，“哈利只是——”
|
| She waved vaguely at the dirty old mirror and the damp floor.
|
| “没有人想使我难过！这真是一个大笑话！”桃金娘哭叫着说，“我在这里的生活没有欢乐，只有悲伤，现在我死了，人们还不放过我！”
|
| “Ask her if she saw anything,” Harry mouthed at Hermione.
|
| “我们只想问问你，最近有没有看见什么有趣的事情，”赫敏赶紧说，“因为万圣节那天，有一只猫就在你的大门外遭到了袭击。”
|
| “What are you whispering?” said Myrtle, staring at him.
|
| “那天夜里你在附近看见什么人没有？”哈利问。
|
| “Nothing,” said Harry quickly. “We wanted to ask —”
|
| “我没有注意，”桃金娘情绪夸张地说，“皮皮鬼那么厉害地折磨我，我跑到这里来想自杀。后来，当然啦，我想起来我已经——我已经——”
|
| “I wish people would stop talking behind my back!” said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. “I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead —”
|
| “已经死了。”罗恩帮她把话说完。
|
| “Myrtle, no one wants to upset you,” said Hermione. “Harry only —”
|
| 桃金娘悲痛地啜泣一声，升到空中，转了个身，头朝下栽进了抽水马桶，把水花溅到他们身上，然后就不见了。从她沉闷的抽泣声听来，她躲在了马桶圈里的什么地方。
|
| “No one wants to upset me! That’s a good one!” howled Myrtle. “My life was nothing but misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!”
|
| 哈利和罗恩目瞪口呆地站着，赫敏却懒洋洋地耸了耸肩膀，说道：“说实在的，这在桃金娘来说算是愉快的了……来，我们走吧。”
|
| “We wanted to ask you if you’ve seen anything funny lately,” said Hermione quickly. “Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween.”
|
| 哈利刚刚关上门，掩住桃金娘汩汩的哭泣声，突然一个人的说话声，把他们三个吓得跳了起来。
|
| “Did you see anyone near here that night?” said Harry.
|
| “罗恩！”珀西韦斯莱在楼梯口停住脚步，级长的徽章在他胸前闪闪发亮，他的脸上挂着一种极度惊讶的表情。
|
| “I wasn’t paying attention,” said Myrtle dramatically. “Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I’m — that I’m —”
|
| “那是女生盥洗室呀！”他喘着气说，“你们怎么——”
|
| “Already dead,” said Ron helpfully.
|
| “只是随便看看，”罗恩耸了耸肩，“寻找线索，你知道……”
|
| Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight, although from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U-bend.
|
| 珀西端起了架子，那模样一下子就使哈利想到了韦斯莱夫人。
|
| Harry and Ron stood with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, “Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle. . . . Come on, let’s go.”
|
| “赶——快——离——开——”他说着，朝他们走来，并且张开臂膀，催促他们快走。“这成什么样子，你们不在乎吗？别人都在吃饭，你们却跑到这儿来……”
|
| Harry had barely closed the door on Myrtle’s gurgling sobs when a loud voice made all three of them jump.
|
| “为什么我们不能来这儿？”罗恩气呼呼地说，猛地停下脚步，瞪着珀西，“听着，我们没有对那只猫动一根手指！”
|
| “RON!”
|
| “我对金妮也是这么说的，”珀西也毫不示弱，“但她似乎仍然认为你会被开除的。我从没见过她这么难过，整天痛哭流涕。你应该为她想想，一年级学生都被这件事弄得心神不宁——”
|
| Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.
|
| “你根本不关心金妮，”罗恩说，他的耳朵正在变红，“你只是担心我会破坏你当男生学生会主席的前途。”
|
| “That’s a girls’ bathroom!” he gasped. “What were you — ?”
|
| “格兰芬多扣掉五分！”珀西用手指拨弄着级长的徽章，生硬地说，“我希望这能给你一个教训！不要再搞什么侦探活动了，不然我写信告诉妈妈！”他迈着大步走开了，他脖子后面跟罗恩的耳朵一样红。
|
| “Just having a look around,” Ron shrugged. “Clues, you know —”
|
| 那天晚上在公共休息室里，哈利、罗恩和赫敏尽量坐得远离珀西。罗恩的情绪仍然很糟糕，在做魔法课作业时，他总是把墨水洒在纸上。当他心不在焉地拿出魔杖，想清除那些污点时，不料却把羊皮纸点着了。罗恩气得心里也蹿起了火苗，啪地合上了《标准咒语（二级）》。令哈利吃惊的是，赫敏也用力把书合上了。
|
| Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley.
|
| “可是，这会是谁呢？”她小声地说，似乎在继续他们刚才的对话，“谁希望把哑炮和麻瓜出身的人都赶出霍格沃茨呢？”
|
| “Get — away — from — there —” Percy said, striding toward them and starting to bustle them along, flapping his arms. “Don’t you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone’s at dinner —”
|
| “我们来考虑一下，”罗恩装出一副感到费解的样子，说，“据我们所知，谁认为麻瓜出身的人都是垃圾废物呢？”
|
| “Why shouldn’t we be here?” said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring at Percy. “Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!”
|
| 他看着赫敏，赫敏也看着他，脸上是将信将疑的神情。
|
| “That’s what I told Ginny,” said Percy fiercely, “but she still seems to think you’re going to be expelled, I’ve never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out, you might think of her, all the first years are thoroughly overexcited by this business —”
|
| “如果你说的是马尔福——”
|
| “You don’t care about Ginny,” said Ron, whose ears were now reddening. “You’re just worried I’m going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy —”
|
| “当然是他！”罗恩说，“你听见他说的：‘下一个就是你们，泥巴种！’其实，你只要看看他那张丑陋的老鼠脸，就知道是他——”
|
| “Five points from Gryffindor!” Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge. “And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work, or I’ll write to Mum!”
|
| “马尔福是斯莱特林的继承人？”赫敏怀疑地说。
|
| And he strode off, the back of his neck as red as Ron’s ears. Harry, Ron, and Hermione chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night. Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove the smudges, it ignited the parchment. Fuming almost as much as his homework, Ron slammed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 shut. To Harry’s surprise, Hermione followed suit.
|
| “看看他们那家人吧，”哈利也合上了书，“他们全家都在斯莱特林，他经常拿这个向人炫耀。他们很可能是斯莱特林的后代。他父亲就够邪恶的。”
|
| “Who can it be, though?” she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having. “Who’d want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?”
|
| “他们也许拿着密室的钥匙，拿了好几个世纪！”罗恩说道，“一代代往下传，父亲传给儿子……”
|
| “Let’s think,” said Ron in mock puzzlement. “Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?”
|
| “是啊，”赫敏谨慎地说，“我认为这是可能的……”
|
| He looked at Hermione. Hermione looked back, unconvinced.
|
| “我们怎么证明呢？”哈利悲观地说。
|
| “If you’re talking about Malfoy —”
|
| “也许有一个办法，”赫敏慢慢地说，匆匆扫了一眼房间那头的珀西，把声音放得更低了，“当然啦，做起来不太容易，而且危险，非常危险。我们大概要违犯五十条校规。”
|
| “Of course I am!” said Ron. “You heard him — ‘You’ll be next, Mudbloods!’ — come on, you’ve only got to look at his foul rat face to know it’s him —”
|
| “再过一个月左右，如果你愿意对我们说了，才会告诉我们，是吗？”罗恩不耐烦地说。
|
| “Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?” said Hermione skeptically.
|
| “好吧，现在告诉你们也无妨。”赫敏冷静地说，“我们需要做的事情就是进入斯莱特林的公共休息室，向马尔福问几个问题，同时不让他认出我们。”
|
| “Look at his family,” said Harry, closing his books, too. “The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he’s always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin’s descendants. His father’s definitely evil enough.”
|
| “这是不可能的。”哈利说，罗恩笑出了声。
|
| “They could’ve had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!” said Ron. “Handing it down, father to son. . . .”
|
| “不，有可能，”赫敏说，“我们只需要一些复方汤剂。”
|
| “Well,” said Hermione cautiously, “I suppose it’s possible. . . .”
|
| “那是什么东西？”罗恩和哈利异口同声地问。
|
| “But how do we prove it?” said Harry darkly.
|
| “几个星期前，斯内普在课堂上提到过——”
|
| “There might be a way,” said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. “Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We’d be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect —”
|
| “在魔药课上，你除了听斯内普讲课，就没有别的更有趣的事情可做吗？”罗恩嘟囔着。
|
| “If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won’t you?” said Ron irritably.
|
| “这种汤剂能把你变成另外一个人。想想吧！我们可以变成三个斯莱特林的学生。谁也不会知道是我们。马尔福可能会把一切都告诉我们的。眼下他大概就在斯莱特林的公共休息室里吹牛呢，只可惜我们听不见。”
|
| “All right,” said Hermione coldly. “What we’d need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it’s us.”
|
| “我觉得这种复方什么的东西有点儿悬，”罗恩说着，皱起了眉头，“如果我们变成了三个斯莱特林，永远变不回来了怎么办？”
|
| “But that’s impossible,” Harry said as Ron laughed.
|
| “药效过一阵就会消失的，”赫敏不耐烦地挥了挥手，说道，“可是很难弄到配方。斯内普说是在一本名叫《强力药剂》的书里，它肯定在图书馆的禁书区内。”
|
| “No, it’s not,” said Hermione. “All we’d need would be some Polyjuice Potion.”
|
| 要从禁书区内借书，只有一个办法：弄到一位老师亲笔签名的批条。
|
| “What’s that?” said Ron and Harry together.
|
| “我们没有理由要借那本书，”罗恩说道，“因为我们都不会去调制那些药剂。”
|
| “Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago —”
|
| “我认为，”赫敏说，“如果我们假装说对这套理论感兴趣，也许会有点希望……”
|
| “D’you think we’ve got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?” muttered Ron.
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| “哦，得了，老师们不会这样轻易上当的，”罗恩说，“除非他们笨到了极点……”
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| “It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He’s probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him.”
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| ①瓦加杜古，非洲上沃尔特的首都。
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| “This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me,” said Ron, frowning. “What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins forever?”
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| ②③宾斯教授糊里糊涂，把学生的名字全搞混了。
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| “It wears off after a while,” said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently. “But getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it’s bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library.”
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| There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: You needed a signed note of permission from a teacher.
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| “Hard to see why we’d want the book, really,” said Ron, “if we weren’t going to try and make one of the potions.”
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| “I think,” said Hermione, “that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance. . . .”
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| “Oh, come on, no teacher’s going to fall for that,” said Ron. “They’d have to be really thick. . . .”
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