12
CHAPTER TWELVE: THE MIRROR OF ERISED
第12章 厄里斯魔镜
Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.
圣诞节即将来临。十二月中旬的一天早晨，霍格沃茨学校从梦中醒来，发现四下里覆盖着好几尺厚的积雪，湖面结着硬邦邦的冰。韦斯莱孪生兄弟受到了惩罚，因为他们给几只雪球施了魔法，让它们追着奇洛到处跑，砸在他的缠头巾后面。几只猫头鹰飞过风雪交加的天空递送邮件，经历了于辛万苦，它们必须在海格的照料下恢复体力，才能继续起飞。
No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.
大家都迫不及待地盼着放假。虽然格兰芬多公共休息室和礼堂里燃着熊熊旺火，但刮着穿堂风的走廊却变得寒冷刺骨，教室的窗户玻璃也被凛冽的寒风吹得咔哒作响。最糟糕的是，斯内普教授的课都是在地下教室上的，他们一哈气面前就形成一团白雾，只好尽量靠近他们热腾腾的坩埚。
"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."
「我真的很替那些人感到难过，」在一次魔药课上，德拉科·马尔福说道，「他们不得不留在霍格沃茨过圣诞节，因为家里人不要他们。」
He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them.
他说话的时候眼睛看着哈利。克拉布和高尔在一旁窃笑。哈利正在称出研成粉末的狮子鱼脊椎骨，没有理睬他们。
Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family.
自从魁地奇比赛之后，马尔福比以前更加阴沉了。他为斯莱特林队的失败而愤慨，说下次比赛将由一只大嘴巴树蛙代替哈利充当找球手。他本想把大家都逗得哈哈大笑，却发现并没有人觉得他的话可笑，因为大家都很佩服哈利居然能够牢牢地待在他那横冲直撞的飞天扫帚上。马尔福又嫉妒又气愤，只好转过来嘲笑哈利没有一个像样的家庭。
It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie.
确实，哈利不想回女贞路过圣诞节。上个星期，麦格教授过来登记留校过节的学生名单，哈利立刻就在上面签了名。他一点儿也不为自己感到难过。这很可能是他这辈子度过的最好的圣诞节了。罗恩和他的两个孪生哥哥也准备留下来，因为韦斯莱夫妇要到罗马尼亚去看望查理。
When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.
他们上完魔药课离开地下教室时，发现前面的走廊被一棵很大的冷杉树挡得严严实实。看见树底下伸出来的那两只大脚，又听见那响亮的呼哧呼哧声，他们知道树后面的一定是海袼。
"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.
「嘿，海格，需要帮助吗？」罗恩问道，把头从那些枝技桠桠间伸了过去。
"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."
「不用，我能行，谢谢你，罗恩。」
"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoys cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose -- that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."
「你能不能闪开，别挡着道？」他们身后传来马尔福冷冰冰的、拖着长腔的声音。「你是不是想挣几个零花钱哪，韦斯莱？我猜想，你大概希望自己从霍格沃茨毕业后也去看守狩猎场吧——海格的小屋和你原先那个家比起来，一定是像个宫殿吧！」
Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.
罗恩一头朝马尔福冲去，恰恰就在这时，斯内普在楼梯上出现了。
"WEASLEY!"
「韦斯莱！」
Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.
罗恩松开马尔福胸前的衣服。
"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."
「是有人先惹他的，斯内普教授。」海格从树后面伸出他那毛发蓬乱的大脑袋，说道，「马尔福刚才侮辱他的家庭。」
"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."
「不管怎么样，动手打人都是违反霍格沃茨校规的，海格。」斯内普用圆滑的声音说，「格兰芬多被扣去五分，韦斯莱，你应该感到庆幸，没有扣得更多。好了，快走吧，你们大家。」
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.
马尔福、克拉布和高尔粗鲁地从树旁边挤过，把针叶碰落得到处都是。一边还得意地笑着。
"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him --"
「我要教训他，」罗恩看着马尔福的背影，咬牙切齿地说，「总有一天，我要狠狠地教训……」
"I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape."
「我真讨厌他们两个人，」哈利说，「马尔福和斯内普。」
"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."
「好了，高兴一点吧，快要过圣诞节了。」海格说，「你们猜怎么着，快跟我到餐厅去看看吧，真是妙不可言。」
So the three of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to -the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.
于是，哈利、罗恩和赫敏跟着海格和他的冷杉树，一起来到礼堂里，麦格教授和弗立维教授都在那里，忙着布置圣诞节的装饰品。
"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree -- put it in the far corner, would you?"
「啊，海格，最后一棵树也拿进来了——放在那边的角落里，行吗？」
The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.
礼堂显得美丽壮观。墙上挂满了冬青和槲寄生组成的垂花彩带，房间里各处竖着整整十二棵高耸的圣诞树，有些树上挂着亮晶晶的小冰柱，有些树上闪烁着几百支蜡烛。
"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.
「还有几天才放假啊？」海格问。
"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me -Harry, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."
「只有一天啦。」赫敏说，「噢，这倒提醒了我——哈利，罗恩，还有半个小时才吃饭呢，我们应该到图书馆去。」
"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.
「噢，是啊，你说得对。」罗恩说着，恋恋不舍地把目光从弗立维教授身上移开。教授正在用他的魔杖喷出一串串金色的泡泡，并把它们挂在新搬来的那棵树的枝子上。
"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"
「图书馆？」海格说，一边跟着他们走出礼堂，「要放假了还看书？未免太用功了吧，啊？」
"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."
「噢，我们不是复习功课。」哈利愉快地对他说，「自从你提到尼可勒梅之后，我们就一直在设法弄清他是谁。」
"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here -- I've told yeh -- drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."
「什么？」海格显得很惊恐。「听我说——我告诉过你们——罢手吧。那条大狗看守的东西，与你们毫无关系。」
"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.
「我们只想知道尼可勒梅是谁，没别的。」赫敏说。
"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere -- just give us a hint -- I know I've read his name somewhere."
「莫非你愿意告诉我们，免得我们那么费事？」哈利又说道，「我们翻了至少有一百本书了，却连他的影子也没有发现——你就给我们一点提示吧——我知道我曾经在什么地方看到过他的名字。」
"I'm sayin' nothin, said Hagrid flatly.
「我什么也不会说的。」海格干巴巴地说。
"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.
「那么我们只好自己去找了。」罗恩说。他们匆匆往图书馆赶去，留下海格一个人站在那里，一脸怒气。
They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.
确实，自从海格说漏嘴以后，他们一直在书里寻找勒梅的名字，除此之外，他们还有什么办法可以弄清斯内普想偷的是什么东西呢？麻烦的是，他们很难知道从何处入手，不知道勒梅有什么突出成就，能够被写进书里。他不在《二十世纪的大巫师》里，也不在《当代著名魔法家名录》里。另外，《现代魔法的重大发现》和《近代巫术发展研究》中也找不到他的名字。还有，当然啦，单是馆内藏书的规模就令人望而却步，那里有成千上万本书，几千个书架，几百条狭窄的通道。
Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.
赫敏从口袋里掏出一张清单，上面列着她决定要查找的主题和书名。与此同时，罗恩在一排图书前溜达着，漫无目标地把一些书从书架上面抽出来。哈利不知不觉来到禁书区。不幸的是，要查找任何一本禁书都必须有某位老师亲笔签名的纸条，哈利知道他是不可能弄到这种纸条的。在这些书里，包含着从不在霍格沃茨课堂上讲授的很厉害的黑魔法，只有高年级学生在研究高深的「黑魔法防御术」时才能读到。
"What are you looking for, boy?"
「你想找什么，孩子？」
"Nothing," said Harry.
「没什么。」哈利回答。
Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him.
图书馆管理员平斯夫人朝他挥舞着一把鸡毛掸。
"You'd better get out, then. Go on -- out!"
「那么你最好出去。走吧——出去！」
Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library. He, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to.
哈利离开了图书馆，真希望刚才他脑子灵活一点，能信口编出几句谎话。他和罗恩、赫敏一致认为，最好别向平斯夫人打听在什么地方能找到勒梅。他们知道她肯定能够告诉他们，但他们不能冒险让斯内普探听到他们想做什么。
Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after A, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.
哈利在外面的走廊里等着，看另外两个人是否能有所发现，但他并不抱很大的希望。他们已经找了两个星期，但只是利用了功课之余的时间，所以一无所获也并不奇怪。他们最需要的是痛痛快快地好好搜寻一番，别让平斯夫人在后面盯着，把呼吸喷在他们的后脖颈上。
Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.
五分钟后，罗恩和赫敏回到他身边，失望地摇了摇头。他们一起去吃午饭。
"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."
「我不在的时侯，你们还要继续查找，好吗？」赫敏说，「一旦有了什么发现，就派一只猫头鹰告诉我。」
"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."
「你也可以问问你的父母，他们是不是知道勒梅这个人。」罗恩说，「问问他们是很安全的。」
"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.
「非常安全，因为他们俩都是牙医。」赫敏说。
Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork -- bread, English muffins, marshmallows -- and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.
放假以后，罗恩和哈利玩得太开心了，没有多少心思去想勒梅。宿舍完全归他们支配，公共休息室里的人也比平常少了许多，他们能够占领炉火边几把更舒服的扶手椅了。这会儿，他们就坐在那里，吃着所有能用烤叉戳起的食物——面包、面饼、蘑菇，一边设计着能使马尔福被开除的方案，尽管这些方案都不可能付诸实施，但是谈谈总是令人开心的。
Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family -- in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.
罗恩还开始教哈利下巫师棋。巫师棋和麻瓜棋一模一样，但它的棋子都是活的，所以使人感觉更像是在指挥军队作战。罗恩的那副棋已经很旧了，破破烂烂的。罗恩所有的东西原先都属于他家里的其他人，这副棋是他爷爷的。不过，棋子老一些丝毫没有妨碍。罗恩对它们非常熟悉，毫不费力就能让它们听从他的调遣。
Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him, and they didn't trust him at all. He wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing. "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him."
哈利用的是西莫斐尼甘留给他的那套棋子，它们根本不信任他。他的水平还不很高，棋子们东一句西一句地对他指手画脚，把人的脑袋都吵昏了：「不要把我派到那里，你没看见他的马吗？派他去吧，他牺牲了没有关系。」
On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all. When he woke early in the morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed.
圣诞节前夜，哈利上床睡觉的时候，只盼着第二天可以大吃一顿，开开心心地玩一场，他根本没有想到会收到礼物。然而，第二天一早醒来，他第一眼看见的就是他床脚边放着的一小堆包裹。
"Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.
「圣诞节快乐。」哈利摸索着下了床，套上晨衣，这时罗恩睡眼惺忪地说。
"You, too," said Harry. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"
「也祝你快乐。」哈利说，「你快来看看，我收到了几件礼物！」
"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's.
「那你以为会收到什么？卷心菜吗？」罗恩说，转向他自己的那堆包裹，它比哈利的那堆要大得多。
Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it -- it sounded a bit like an owl.
哈利拿起最顶上的那个纸包。它外面包着厚厚的牛皮纸，上面龙飞风舞地写着「海格致哈利」。里面是一只做工很粗糙的笛子，显然是海格自己动手做的。哈利吹了一下——声音有点像猫头鹰叫。
A second, very small parcel contained a note.
第二个很小的纸包里有一张纸条。
We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.
「我们收到了你的信，附上给你的圣诞礼物。弗农姨父和佩妮姨妈。」用透明胶带粘在纸条上的是一枚五十便士的硬币。
"That's friendly," said Harry.
「还算友好。」哈利说。
Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.
罗恩被那枚硬币迷住了。
"Weird!" he said, 'NMat a shape! This is money?"
「真古怪！」他说，「这样的形状！这就是麻瓜们的钱吗？」
"You can keep it," said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was. "Hagrid and my aunt and uncle -- so who sent these?"
「你留着吧。」哈利说，看到罗恩欣喜若狂的样子，不由大笑起来。「海格送的，姨妈姨父送的……那么这些是谁送的呢？」
"I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mom. I told her you didn't expect any presents and -- oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley sweater."
「我想我知道这份是谁送的。」罗恩说，微微地红了脸，指着一个鼓鼓囊囊的大纸包。「是我妈妈。我对她说，你以为自己不会收到礼物……哦，糟糕，」他呻吟了一声，「她给你织了一件韦斯莱家特有的那种毛衣。」
Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.
哈利扯开纸包，看见一件厚厚的鲜绿色的手编毛衣，还有一大盒自制的乳脂软糖。
"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."
「她每年都给我们织一件毛衣，」罗恩说着，打开他自己的那个纸包，「我的总是暗紫红色的。」
"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.
「她真是太好了。」哈利说着，尝了一块乳脂软糖，觉得味道非常甜美。
His next present also contained candy -- a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione.
接下来的一份礼物也是糖——是赫敏送的一大盒马蹄形巧克力。
This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it.
还剩最后一个纸包。哈利把它拿起来摸了摸，分量很轻。他把纸包拆开。
Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Ron gasped.
某种像液体一样的、银灰色的东西簌簌地滑落到地板上，聚成一堆，闪闪发亮。罗恩倒抽一口冷气。
"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is -- they're really rare, and really valuable."
「我听说过这东西。」他压低声音说，把赫敏送给他的那盒怪味豆扔到了一边。「如果我想得不错——这东西是非常希罕、非常宝贵的。」
"What is it?"
「是什么？」
Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.
哈利从地板上捡起那件银光闪闪的织物。它摸在手里怪怪的，仿佛是用水编织而成。
"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is -- try it on."
「是一件隐形衣。」罗恩说，脸上透着敬畏的神色，「我可以肯定——把它穿上试试。」
Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell.
哈利把隐形衣披在肩头，罗恩发出一声高喊。
"It is! Look down!"
「果然！你往下看！」
Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.
哈利低头看自己的脚，真奇怪，它们消失了。他三步两步冲到镜子前面。没错，镜子里的他只有脑袋悬在半空中，身体完全看不见了。他把隐形衣拉到头顶上，镜子里的他便完全隐去了。
"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"
「有一张纸条！」罗恩突然说道，「一张纸条从它里面掉出来了！」
Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words: Y
哈利脱掉长袍，一把抓过那封信。上面用一种他从未见过的细长的、圈圈套圈圈的字体，写着下面几行字：
our father left this in my possession before he died.
你父亲死前留下这件东西给我。
It is time it was returned to you.
现在应该归还给你。
Use it well.
好好使用。
A Very Merry Christmas to you.
衷心祝你圣诞快乐。
There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.
没有署名。哈利瞪着纸条发呆，罗恩则对着隐形衣赞叹不已。
"I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"
「如果能得到这样一件东西，我什么都可以不要，」他说，「什么都可以不要。你怎么啦？」
"Nothing," said Harry. He felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father?
「没什么。」哈利说。他觉得这件事非常蹊跷。隐形衣是谁送来的呢？它以前真的属于他父亲吗？
Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. He didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.
没等他再说什么或再想什么，宿舍的门猛地被推开了，弗雷德和乔治韦斯莱冲了进来。哈利赶紧把隐形衣藏起来。他还不想让别人知道。
"Merry Christmas!"
「圣诞快乐！」
"Hey, look -- Harry's got a Weasley sweater, too!"
「嘿，瞧——哈利也得到了一件韦斯莱毛衣！」
Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G.
弗雷德和乔治都穿着蓝色毛衣，一件上面有一个大大的、黄色的「Ｆ」，另一件上面有一个大大的、黄色的「Ｇ」。
"Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."
「哈利的比我们俩的好，」弗雷德说着，举起了哈利的毛衣，「显然，妈妈对不是自家的人更精心一些。」
"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."
「你为什么不穿上你的呢，罗恩？」乔治问道。「来吧，穿上吧，这毛衣可是又漂亮又暖和啊。」
"I hate maroon," Ron moaned halfheartedly as he pulled it over his head.
「我不喜欢暗紫红色。」罗恩半真半假地抱怨着，一边把毛衣套上脑袋。
"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid -- we know we're called Gred and Forge."
「你的毛衣上没有字母，」乔治评论道，「她大概认为你不会忘记自己的名字。我们也不傻——倒是她自己，经常管我们叫乔雷德和弗治。」
"What's all th is noise."
「这里吵吵什么呢？」
Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.
珀西韦斯莱从门缝里探进头来，一脸不满的神情。显然他也正在拆他的圣诞礼物，他胳膊上搭着一件鼓鼓囊囊的毛衣，弗雷德一把抓了过去。
"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry got one."
「『Ｐ』是级长的意思1！快穿上吧，珀西，快点儿，我们都穿上了，就连哈利也得到了一件呢。」
"I -- don't -- want said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.
「我……不想……穿……」他含糊不清地说道，双胞胎不管三七二十一，硬是把毛衣套进珀西的脑袋，把他的眼镜都撞歪了。
"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family."
「而且你今天不许和级长们坐在一起，」乔治说，「圣诞节是全家团圆的日子。」
They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater.
他们将珀西抬着推出房间。他的手臂被毛衣束缚着，动弹不得。
Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce -- and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.
哈利有生以来从未参加过这样的圣诞宴会。一百只胖墩墩的烤火鸡、堆成小山似的烤肉和煮土豆、一大盘一大盘的美味小香肠、一碗碗拌了黄油的豌豆、一碟碟又浓又稠的肉卤和越橘酱——顺着餐桌每走几步，就有大堆大堆的巫师彩包爆竹在等着你。这些奇妙的彩包爆竹可不像德思礼家通常买的那些寒酸的麻瓜爆竹，里面只有一些小塑料玩具和很不结实的纸帽子。哈利和弗雷德一起抽了一个彩包爆竹，它不是嘭的一声闷响，而是发出了像大炮轰炸那样的爆响，把他们都吞没在一股蓝色的烟雾中，同时从里面炸出一顶海军少将的帽子，以及几只活蹦乱跳的小白鼠。在主宾席上，邓布利多将他尖尖的巫师帽换成了一顶装点着鲜花的女帽，弗立维教授刚给他说了一段笑话，他开心地嗬嗬笑着。
Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice. Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.
火鸡之后是火红的圣诞布丁。珀西的那块布丁里裹着一个月牙形的银片，差点硌碎了他的牙齿。哈利看着海格一杯接一杯地要酒喝，脸膛越来越红，最后竟然在麦格教授的面颊上亲了一口。令哈利惊讶的是，麦格教授咯咯笑着，羞红了脸，她的高顶黑色大礼帽歪到了一边。
When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of nonexplodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner.
哈利离开餐桌时，怀里抱着一大堆从彩包爆竹里炸出来的东西，包括一袋不会爆炸的闪光气球、一个模仿肉瘤的小设备，还有一套属于他自己的巫师棋。那几只小白鼠不见了，哈利有一种很不舒服的感觉，他怀疑它们最后都成了洛丽丝夫人的圣诞晚餐。
Harry and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. He suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.
哈利和韦斯莱兄弟几个在操场上打雪仗，疯玩了一下午，过得非常愉快。然后，他们实在是冷得不行了，衣服湿漉漉的，气喘吁吁地回到公共休息室的炉火旁。哈利试了试他的新棋子，结果很惨地输给了罗恩。哈利心里嘀咕，如果没有珀西在一旁不停地瞎出主意，他还不会输得这样惨。
After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.
吃过由火鸡三明治、烤面饼、酒浸果酱布丁和圣诞蛋糕组成的茶点，大家都感到肚子太饱，有点犯困了。他们睡觉前不想再做别的，只是看着珀西追着弗雷德和乔治在格兰芬多城堡里跑来跑去，因为双胞胎抢走了珀西的级长徽章。
It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not until he climbed into bed was he free to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.
这是哈利有生以来最愉快的一个圣诞节。然而，一整天来，总有一件事情萦绕在他的脑海里。直到上床以后，他才有了空闲想它：那件隐形衣，以及把隐形衣送给他的那个人。
Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster. Harry leaned over the side of his own bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.
罗恩肚里塞满了火鸡和蛋糕，又没有什么奇怪的事情困扰他，所以他几乎一放下床帷就睡着了。哈利从自己床边探出身去，从床底下抽出隐形衣。
His father's... this had been his father's. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.
他父亲的……它以前曾是他父亲的。他让织物从他的手上流过，比丝还要光滑，比光还要轻盈。好好使用，那张纸条上这么说。
He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.
他现在必须试一试了。他悄悄从床上滑下来，把隐形衣裹在身上。他低头看自己的腿，却只看见月光和黑影。这真是一种十分奇怪的感觉。
Use it well.
好好使用。
Suddenly, Harry felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark and silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.
突然，哈利一下子清醒了。穿上这件隐形衣，整个霍格沃茨就对他完全敞开了。他站在黑暗和寂静中，内心感到一阵兴奋。穿着这件隐形衣，他可以去任何地方。任何地方啊，费尔奇永远也不会知道。
Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Harry wake him? Something held him back -- his father's cloak -- he felt that this time -- the first time -- he wanted to use it alone.
罗恩在睡梦中嘟哝了几声。哈利想，要不要叫醒他呢？出于某种原因，哈利没有这么做——他父亲的隐形衣——他觉得这一次——这是第一次——他想独自使用。
He crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.
他蹑手蹑脚地出了宿舍，走下楼梯，穿过公共休息室，爬过那个肖像洞口。
"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady.
「是谁呀？」胖夫人声音粗哑地问。
Harry said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor.
哈利没有吭声。他飞快地在走廊里走着。
Where should he go? He stopped, his heart racing, and thought. And then it came to him. The Restricted Section in the library. He'd be able to read as long as he liked, as long as it took to find out who Flamel was. He set off, drawing the invisibility cloak tight around him as he walked.
他去哪儿呢？他停下脚步，想着，他的心怦怦乱跳。突然，他想起来了。图书馆的禁书区。他可以尽情地阅读，直到弄清勒梅是何许人。他把隐形衣紧紧裹在身上，向前走去。
The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps.
图书馆内漆黑一片，阴森可怖。哈利点亮一盏灯，端着它走过一排排书架。那灯看上去就像悬浮在半空中，哈利虽然感觉到自己甩手端着它，但这景象仍然使他毛骨悚然。
The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Step ping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up his lamp to read the titles.
禁书区在图书馆的后部。哈利小心翼翼地跨过把这些书与其他藏书隔开的绳子，举起灯照着，读着书名。
They didn't tell him much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck prickled. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe not, but he thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.
然而，他从书名上看不出头绪。那些剥落的、褪色的烫金字母，拼出的都是哈利无法理解的单词。有些书根本没有书名。有一本书上沾着一块暗色的印渍。很像血迹，看上去非常可怕。哈利脖子后面的汗毛都竖了起来。他觉得从书里传出了一阵阵若有若无的低语，似乎那些书知道有一个不该待在那里的人待在那里——这也许是他的幻觉，也许不是。
He had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, he looked along the bottom shelf for an interestinglooking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open.
他必须从什么地方入手。他把灯小心地放在地板上，顺着书架底部望去，想找一本看上去有点意思的书。他突然看见一本黑色和银色相间的大书。书很沉，他费力地把它抽了出来，放在膝盖上，让它自己打开来。
A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence -- the book was screaming! Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note. He stumbled backward and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, he heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside -- stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, he ran for it. He passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him, and Harry slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in his ears.
一阵凄厉的、令人毛骨悚然的尖叫划破了寂静——那本书在惨叫！哈利猛地把它合上，但是尖叫声没有停止，那是一种高亢的、持续不断的、震耳欲聋的声调。他踉跄着后退了几步，灯被撞翻了，立刻就熄灭了。在惊慌失措中，他听见外面的走廊上传来了脚步声。他赶紧把那本尖叫的书插回书架，撒腿就跑。几乎就在门口，他与费尔奇擦肩而过，费尔奇那双狂怒的浅色眼睛径直透过他的身体望出去。哈利从费尔奇张开的臂膀下溜过，沿着走廊狂奔，那本书的尖叫声仍然在他耳畔回荡。
He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armor near the kitchens, he knew, but he must be five floors above there.
他在一套高高的盔甲前突然刹住脚步。他刚才急于逃离图书馆，根本没有注意他在往哪儿走。也许是因为四下里太黑了，他辨不清自己身在何处。他知道厨房附近有一套盔甲，但是他现在肯定要比厨房高出五层啊。
"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section."
「教授，你说过的，如果有人夜里到处乱逛，就立刻来向你汇报，刚才有人在图书馆，在禁书区。」
Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror, it was Snape who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."
哈利觉得自己脸上顿时失去了血色。不管他在哪里，费尔奇肯定知道一条捷径，因为他那黏糊糊的、发腻的声音离他越来越近，而且令他大为惊恐的是，他听见了斯内普的声音在回答。 「禁书区？那么他们不可能走远，我们一定能抓住他们。」
Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into him -- the cloak didn't stop him from being solid.
哈利像脚底生了根似的待在原地，费尔奇和斯内普从前面的墙角拐过来了。他们看不见他，但这条走廊很窄，如果他们再走近一些，就会撞到他身上——隐形衣并没有使他的实体也消失啊。
He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.
他一步步后退，尽量不发出声音。左边有一扇门开了一条缝。这是他惟一的希望。他侧身挤了进去，小心翼翼地不把门碰动。谢天谢地，他总算进了房间。他们什么也没有注意到，径直走了过去。哈利靠在墙上，深深地吸气，听着他们的脚步声渐渐远去。刚才真惊险啊，太惊险了。几秒钟后，他才开始留意他借以藏身的这个房间里的情景。
It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket -- but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.
它看上去像是一间废弃不用的教室。许多桌椅堆放在墙边，呈现出大团黑乎乎的影子，另外还有一只倒扣着的废纸篓——但是，在正对着他的那面墙上，却搁着一件似乎不属于这里的东西，仿佛是有人因为没有地方放，而临时把它搁在这里的。
It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.
这是一面非常气派的镜子，高度直达天花板，华丽的金色镜框，底下是两只爪子形的脚支撑着。顶部刻着一行字：厄里斯斯特拉厄赫鲁阿伊特乌比卡弗鲁阿伊特昂沃赫斯2。
His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it.
现在，费尔奇和斯内普的声音听不见了，哈利紧张的心情松弛下来。他慢慢走近镜子，想看一眼自己的形象，但镜子里空空如也。他又跨近几步，站到镜子前面。
He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed -- for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.
他不得不用手捂住嘴巴，才没有失声尖叫起来。他猛地转过身来。心跳得比刚才那本书尖叫时还要疯狂——因为他在镜子里不仅看见了他自己，还看见一大堆人站在他身后。
But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror.
但是房间里没有人啊。他急促地喘息着，慢慢转身看着镜子。
There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder -- but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?
没错，镜子里有他，脸色煞白，惊恐万分，同时镜子里还有至少十来个人，站在他的身后。哈利扭头朝后看去——还是一个人也没有。难道他们也都隐形了？难道他实际上是在一间有许多隐形人的房间里，而这面镜子的法术就是把他们都照出来，不管隐形的还是没有隐形的？
He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air -- she and the others existed only in the mirror.
他又仔细看着镜子。在镜子里，一个站在他身后的女人正在对他微笑和招手。他伸出手去，在身后摸索着。如果那女人真的存在，哈利应该能碰到她，他们两人在镜子里挨得多么近啊，可是哈利触摸到的只有空气——那女人和其他人只存在于镜子里。
She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes -- her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green -- exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry's did.
她是一个非常美丽的女人，有着深红色的头发，她的眼睛——她的眼睛长得和我一模一样，哈利想道。接着他发现她在哭泣，她面带微笑，同时又在哭泣。站在她身边的那个黑头发的高大、消瘦的男人用手搂住她。那男人戴着眼镜，头发乱蓬蓬的，后脑勺儿的一撮头发很不听话地竖着，正和哈利的一样。
Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.
哈利现在离镜子很近很近了，鼻子几乎碰到了镜子中自己的鼻子。
"Mom?" he whispered. "Dad?"
「妈妈？」他低声唤道，「爸爸？」
They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees -- Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.
他们都看着他，亲切地微笑着。哈利慢慢地挨个儿打量镜子里其他人的脸，发现他们都有着和他一模一样的绿眼睛、一模一样的鼻子，一个小老头儿甚至还有着和哈利一模一样的凹凸不平的膝盖——哈利正在望着他的家人，这是他有生以来的第一次。
The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.
波特一家人笑眯眯地朝哈利挥手。他如饥似渴地凝视着他们，双手紧紧按在镜子玻璃上，就好像他希望能够扑进去和他们待在一起。他内心感到一阵强烈的剧痛，一半是因为喜悦，一半是因为深切的忧伤。
How long he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.
他在那里站了多久，他不知道。镜子里的形象始终没有隐去，他看呀看呀，怎么也看不够，直到远处传来一些声音，才使他恢复了理智。他不能待在这里，他必须回去睡觉。他恋恋不舍地把目光从他母亲脸上挪开，低声说道：「我还会再来的。」便匆匆离开了房间。
"You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly.
「你应该把我叫醒的。」罗恩生气地说。
"You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror.
「今晚你可以来，我还要去的，我想让你看看那面镜子。」
"I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron said eagerly.
「我想看看你的爸爸妈妈。」罗恩急切地说。
"And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."
「我也想看看你的全家，看看韦斯莱的一大家人，你可以把你另外的几个兄弟和所有的亲戚都指给我看。」
"You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people. Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"
「你随时都能看到他们的，」罗恩说，「今年暑假到我们家来吧。不过，镜子里或许只能出现死人。唉，真惭愧，我们还没有找到勒梅的资料。你吃点熏咸肉或别的什么吧，你怎么什么也不吃？」
Harry couldn't eat. He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore. Who cared what the three headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really?
哈利吃不下去。他见到了他的父母，而且今晚还要与他们相见。他差不多把勒梅忘到了脑后。这件事似乎已经不再那么重要了。谁管那三头大狗在看守什么呢？即使斯内普把那东西偷走，又有什么关系呢？
"Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd."
What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again.
哈利最担心的是他找不到那个有镜子的房间。
With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.
第二天，因为罗恩也罩在隐形衣里，他们走得就慢多了。他们想找到哈利从图书馆出来的那条路线，在昏暗的过道里漫无目的地转了将近一个小时。
"I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back."
「我冻坏了，」罗恩说，「我们不找了，回去吧。」
"No!" Harry hissed. I know it's here somewhere."
「不行！」哈利嘶哑着声音说，「我知道就在附近的什么地方。」
They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armor.
他们与一个从对面游荡过来的高个子巫师的幽灵擦肩而过，但没有看见其他人。就在罗恩开始哼叫着说他的脚都要冻僵了时，哈利看见了那套盔甲。
"It's here -- just here -- yes!"
「是这里——是这里——没错！」
They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror.
他们推开门。哈利把隐形衣从肩头脱掉，飞奔到镜子前面。
There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him.
他们还在那里。他的妈妈和爸爸一看见他，顿时喜形于色。
"See?" Harry whispered.
「看见了吗？」哈利小声问。
"I can't see anything."
「我什么也看不见。」
"Look! Look at them all... there are loads of them...."
「看呀！看呀……他们都在……有一大堆人呢……」
"I can only see you."
「我只能看见你。」
"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."
「好好看看，过来，站在我这个位置。」
Harry stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pajamas.
哈利让到一边，然而罗恩一站到镜子前，哈利就再也看不见他的家人了，只看见罗恩穿着罗纹花呢睡衣站在那里。
Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.
罗恩目瞪口呆地看着镜子中的自己。
"Look at me!" he said.
「看我！」罗恩说。
"Can you see all your family standing around you?"
「你能看见你的家人都围在你身边吗？」
"No -- I'm alone -- but I'm different -- I look older -- and I'm head boy!"
「没有——只有我一个人——但是跟现在不一样——我好像大了一些——我还是男生学生会主席！」
"What?"
「什么？」
"I am -- I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to -- and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup -- I'm Quidditch captain, too.
「我——我戴着比尔以前的那种徽章——手里还举着学院杯和魁地奇杯——我还是魁地奇队的队长呢！」
Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Harry.
罗恩好不容易才使自己的目光离开了这副辉煌的景象，兴奋地看着哈利。
"Do you think this mirror shows the future?"
「你说，这面镜子是不是预示着未来？」
"How can it? All my family are dead -- let me have another look --"
「怎么可能？我家里的人都死了……让我再看看……」
"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time."
「你已经独自看了一晚上，就让给我一点儿时间吧。」
"You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents."
「你只是捧着魁地奇杯，这有什么好玩的？我想看看我的父母。」
"Don't push me --"
「你别推我……」
A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.
外面走廊里突然响起声音，结束了他们的争执。他们没有意识到刚才他们的说话声有多响。
"Quick!"
「快！」
Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron and Harry stood quite still, both thinking the same thing -- did the cloak work on cats? After what seemed an age, she turned and left.
罗恩刚把隐形衣披在两人身上，洛丽丝夫人那双亮晶晶的眼睛就拐进来了。罗恩和哈利一动不动地站着，心里想着同样的念头——隐形衣对猫有作用吗？过了大约有一个世纪，洛丽丝夫人终于转身离去了。
"This isn't safe -- she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on."
「还是不安全——它可能去找费尔奇了，我敢肯定它听见我们的声音了。走吧。」
And Ron pulled Harry out of the room.
罗恩拉着哈利，走出了房间。
The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.
第二天早晨，雪还没有融化。
"Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron.
「想下棋吗？」罗恩问。
"No."
「不想。」
"Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"
「我们干吗不下去看看海格呢？」
"No... you go..."
「不去……你去吧……」
"I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. Don't go back tonight."
「我知道你在想什么，哈利，你在想那面镜子。今晚别再去了。」
"Why not?"
「为什么？」
"I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it -- and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"
「我不知道。我只是有一种很不好的感觉——而且，这么多次你都是侥幸脱险。费尔奇、斯内普和洛丽丝夫人正在到处转悠。如果他们看见你怎么办？如果他们撞到你身上怎么办？」
"You sound like Hermione."
「你说话的口气像赫敏。」
"I'm serious, Harry, don't go."
「我不是开玩笑，哈利，真的别去了。」
But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop him.
可是哈利脑海里只有一个念头，那就是回到镜子前面。罗恩是怎么也拦不住他的。
That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone.
第三个晚上，哈利已是轻车熟路。他一路走得飞快，没有意识到自己发出了很响的声音，但他并没有遇到什么人。
And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all. Except --
啊，他的妈妈和爸爸又在那里对着他微笑了，还有他的一个爷爷在愉快地点头。哈利一屁股坐在镜子前面的地板上。他要整晚待在这里，和自己的家人在一起，什么也不能阻拦他。什么也不能！除非——
"So -- back again, Harry?"
「这么说——你又来了，哈利？」
Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him.
哈利只觉得自己的五脏六腑一下子冻成了冰。他朝身后看去。坐在墙边一张桌子上的，不是别人，正是阿不思邓布利多。哈利刚才一定是径直从他身边走过的，他太急着去看镜子了，根本没有注意到他。
" -- I didn't see you, sir."
「我——我没有看见你，先生。」
"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.
「真奇怪，隐形以后你居然还变得近视了。」邓布利多说。 哈利看到他脸上带着微笑，不由得松了口气。
"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."
「这么说，」邓布利多说着，从桌子上滑下来，和哈利一起坐到地上，「你和你之前的千百个人一样，已经发现了厄里斯魔镜的乐趣。」
"I didn't know it was called that, Sir."
「我不知道它叫这个名字，先生。」
"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"
「不过我猜想你现在已经知道它的魔力了吧？」
"It -- well -- it shows me my family --"
「它——哦——使我看到我的家人——」
"And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy."
「还使你的朋友罗恩看到自己变成了男生学生会主席。」
"How did you know --?"
「你怎么知道——」
"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"
「我可不是非要隐形衣才能隐形。」邓布利多温和地说，「那么，你能不能想一想，厄里斯魔镜使我们大家看到了什么呢？」
Harry shook his head.
哈利摇了摇头。
"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"
「让我解释一下吧。世界上最幸福的人可以把厄里斯魔镜当成普通的镜子使用，也就是说，他在镜子里看见的就是他自己的模样。明白点什么了吗？」
Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want... whatever we want..."
哈利在思考。然后他慢慢地说：「镜子使我们看到我们想要的东西……不管我们想要什么……」
"Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.
「也对，也不对，」邓布利多轻轻地说道，「它使我们看到的只是我们内心深处最追切、最强烈的渴望。你从未见过你的家人，所以就看见他们站在你的周围。罗恩韦斯莱一直在他的几个哥哥面前相形见绌，所以他看见自己独自站着，是他们中间最出色的。然而，这面镜子既不能教给我们知识，也不能告诉我们实情。人们在它面前虚度时日，为他们所看见的东西而痴迷，甚至被逼得发疯，因为他们不知道镜子里的一切是否真实，是否可能实现。
"The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"
「明天镜子就要搬到一个新的地方了，哈利，我请你不要再去找它了。如果你哪天碰巧看见它，你要有心理准备。沉湎于虚幻的梦想，而忘记现实的生活，这是毫无益处的，千万记住。好了，为什么不穿上那件奇妙无比的隐形衣回去睡觉呢？」
Harry stood up.
哈利站了起来。
"Sir -- Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"
「先生……邓布利多教授……我可以问你一句话吗？」
"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."
「那还用说，你刚才就这么做了。」邓布利多笑了，「不过，你还可以再问我一个问题。」
"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"
「你照魔镜的时候，看见了什么？」
"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."
「我——我看见自己拿着一双厚厚的羊毛袜。」
Harry stared.
哈利睁大了眼睛。
"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."
「袜子永远不够穿，」邓布利多说，「圣诞节来了又去，我一双袜子也没有收到。人们坚持要送书给我。」
It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers off his pillow, it had been quite a personal question.
哈利直到回到床上以后，才突然想到邓布利多也许并没有说实话。可是，当他推开枕头上的斑斑时，又想：那是一个涉及隐私的问题啊。
1 在英语里，“珀西”和“级长”这两个词的第一个字母都是“Ｐ”。
2 这行字是厄里斯魔镜上的符。