4

CHAPTER FOUR: THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS

第4章 钥匙保管员

BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. "Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.

轰!又是捶门声。达力惊醒了。「什么地方打炮?」达力迷迷糊糊地说。

There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands -- now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.

他们背后又是哗啦一声响。弗农姨父抱着一支来福枪连滚带爬地跑进屋,这时他们才明白他那细长的包裹里原来是什么东西。

"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you -- I'm armed!"

「门外是什么人?」他喊道,「我警告你……我有枪!」

There was a pause. Then --

外面静了一会儿。然后……

SMASH! The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.

咔嚓!门从合页上脱落下来,震耳欲聋的哗啦一声,门摔在地板上。

A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

门口站着一个彪形大汉。他的脸几乎完全被蓬乱的长发和纠结的浓密胡须掩盖了,但你仍能看见他那对像黑甲虫似的眼睛在头发下面闪闪发光。

The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.

巨人好不容易才挤进屋来,他弓着腰,这样他的头刚刚擦着天花板。他弯腰拾起门板,轻而易举地就把门装到了门框上。外面的风暴声减弱了。他转身看着大家。

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."

「能给咱来杯热茶吗?走这么一趟可真不容易……」

He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.

他大步走到沙发跟前,达力坐在那里吓傻了。

"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.

「喂,让点儿地方吧,你这个傻大个儿。」巨人说。

Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

达力尖叫着跑过去躲到母亲身后,他母亲吓得蹲在弗农姨父背后。

"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.

「这就是哈利了!」巨人说。

Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.

哈利抬头看着他那张凶狠、粗野、面貌不清的脸,他那对甲壳虫似的眼睛眯起来,露出一丝笑容。

"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes."

「上次见到你,你还是个小毛毛。」巨人说,「你很像你爸爸。眼睛可像你妈妈。」

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.

弗农姨父发出一声刺耳的怪叫。

I demand that you leave at once, sit!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"

「我要你马上离开,先生!」他说,「你这是私闯民宅!」

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.

「哦,住嘴,德思礼,你这个大傻瓜。」巨人说。他隔着沙发把枪从德思礼手里抢过来,轻轻一撅,绾了一个结就把它扔到屋角里了,仿佛这支枪是用橡皮做的。

Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.

弗农姨父又发出一声怪叫,好像一只老鼠被人踩了。

"Anyway -- Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here -- I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."

「不管怎么说……哈利,」巨人转过身来,背对着弗农夫妇,「祝你生日非常愉快。我这里有一件东西要送给你……有的地方我可能压坏了,不过味道还是一样。」

From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.

他从黑外衣内袋里取出一只稍稍有些压扁的盒子。哈利用颤抖的手指将它打开,只见盒子里是一个黏糊糊的巧克力大蛋糕。上边用绿色糖汁写着:祝哈利生日快乐。

Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"

哈利抬眼看着这个巨人。他本来想向他致谢,可是话到嘴边却不见了,他脱口说:「你是谁?」

The giant chuckled. "True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

臣人咯咯地笑起来,「说真的,我还没向你作自我介绍呢。鲁伯海格,霍格沃茨的钥匙保管员和狩猎场看守。」

He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.

他伸出一只巨手握住哈利的整只胳膊。

"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."

「哦,茶怎么样了?」他搓着手说,「如果有茶,在遇到比你强的人面前就不要说没有,记住。」

His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.

他的目光落到空空的炉篦子上,那上边只有揉成了一团的包装袋。他哼了一声,朝壁炉弯下腰,谁也没看见他做什么,但是当他随即退回来的时候,那里已是炉火熊熊。潮湿的木屋里火光摇曳,哈利感到周身暖和,仿佛跳进了热水池。

The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."

巨人又坐到沙发上,沉重的身躯把沙发压得直往下塌。他开始从外衣口袋里掏出各式各样的东西:一把铜壶、一包压扁的香肠、一只拨火钳、一把茶壶、几只缺口的大杯子和一瓶琥珀色的液体。他先喝了一大口,然后开始泡茶。小屋里随即充满了烤香肠的香味和咝咝的声音。在巨人忙活的时候,谁也没有吱声。但是当他把第一批烤好的六根粗粗的、油汪汪的、烤得稍稍有点焦的香肠从拨火钳上拿下来时,达力有些坐不住了。弗农姨父厉声说:「达力,不准碰他给你的任何东西。」

The giant chuckled darkly. "Yet great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."

巨人拉下脸轻蔑地一笑,「你这个呆瓜儿子用不着再长膘了,德思礼,你放心吧。」

He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."

他把香肠递给哈利。哈利早就饿极了,他这辈子也没吃过这么好吃的东西,但他始终无法将目光从巨人身上移开。最后,他看不会有人出来作任何解释,于是问:「对不起,可我真的还是不知道您是谁?」

The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

巨人喝下一大口茶,用手背揩了揩嘴。

"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts -- yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course.

「就叫我海格吧,」他说,「大伙都这么叫我。我刚才对你说过,我是霍格沃茨的钥匙保管员……当然,霍格沃茨你总该知道吧?」

"Er -- no," said Harry.

「唔……我不知道。」哈利说。

Hagrid looked shocked.

海格显得震惊。

"Sorry," Harry said quickly.

「对不起。」哈利连忙说。

"Sony?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows.

「对不起?」海格吼起来,调过头瞪着德思礼夫妇,他们俩吓得躲到暗处去了。

"It' s them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yet parents learned it all?"

「说对不起的应当是他们!我知道你没有收到那些信,但是我万万没有想到你竟然不知道霍格沃茨,我的天哪!难道你从来没想过你父母是在哪里学会那一切的吗?」

"All what?" asked Harry.

「一切什么?」

"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"

「一切什么?」海格大喝道。「你等等!」

He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.

他一跃而起,火冒三丈,似乎整个小屋都被他庞大的身躯填满了。德思礼夫妇吓得贴着墙瑟瑟发抖。

"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy -- this boy! -- knows nothin' abou' -- about ANYTHING?"

「你们的意思是要告诉我,」他朝德思礼夫妇咆哮道,「这孩子……这孩子……对……什么都不知道吗?」

Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.

哈利觉得这么说也未免太过分了。他毕竟还上过学,而且成绩也不坏。「有些事情,我懂,」哈利说,「比如,我会做算术之类的功课。」

"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff." But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."

可是海格朝他一摆手,说:「我是说,知道我们的世界。你的世界。我的世界。你父母的世界。」

"What world?"

「什么世界?」

Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.

海格看起来简直要爆炸了。「德思礼!」他大吼一声。

"DURSLEY!" he boomed.

弗农姨父面色煞白,嘀嘀咕咕不知小声说着什么。

Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry. "But yeh must know about yet mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."

海格怒冲冲地瞪着哈利。「你总该知道你父母的事吧,」他说,「我是说,他们很有名气,你也很有名气。」

"What? My -- my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"

「什么?我的……我爸妈没有名气,不是吗?」

"Yeh don' know... yeh don' know..." Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare. "Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.

「哦,你不知道……你不知道……」他用手指拢了拢头发,用困惑不解的目光盯着哈利,「你不知道你是什么人吗?」他终于问。

Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.

弗农姨父突然能开口说话了。

"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sit! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"

「住嘴!」他命令说,「不要再说了,先生!我不准你对这孩子讲任何事!」

A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.

即使比弗农姨父更勇敢的人,在海格暴跳如雷、对他怒目而视的时候也会不寒而栗。海格说话时,他说的每一个字都因愤怒而颤抖。

"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"

「你就从来没有告诉过他?没有告诉他邓布利多留给他的那封信的内容?我当时在场!我亲眼看见他留下了那封信。德思礼!这么多年你就一直瞒着不告诉他?」

"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.

「瞒着什么不让我知道?」哈利急不可耐地问。

"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.

「住嘴!我不准你说!」弗农姨父惊慌失措,大喊大叫起来。

Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.

佩妮姨妈吓得上气不接下气。

"Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry -- yet a wizard."

「哦,气死你们,把你们两个统统活活气死。」海格说,「哈利。你是一名巫师。」

There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.

小屋里鸦雀无声,只听见滚滚涛声和狂风呼号。

"-- a what?" gasped Harry.

「我是什么?」哈利喘着气说。

"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."

「一名巫师,当然。」海格说着,坐回到沙发上,沙发又嘎吱嘎吱响得更厉害了,「我相信,只要你经过一段时间培训,一定会成为一名优秀的巫师。你有那样的父母,你怎么可能不是巫师呢?我想现在该是你看那封信的时候了。」

Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read:

哈利终于伸手接过一只淡黄色的信封,上边用翠绿色的墨水写着:大海,礁石上的小屋,地板上,哈利波特先生收。他抽出信读起来:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

霍格沃茨魔法学校

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

校长:阿不思邓布利多。(国际魔法联合会会长、巫师协会会长、梅林爵士团一级魔法师)

Dear Mr. Potter,

亲爱的波特先生:

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

我们愉快地通知您,您已获准在霍格沃茨魔法学校就读。随信附上所需书籍及装备一览表。

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely,

学期定于九月一日开始。我们将于七月三十一日前静候您的猫头鹰带来您的回信。

Minerva McGonagall,

副校长(女)

Deputy Headmistress

米勒娃麦格谨上

Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"

哈利的问题像烟花一样在头脑里纷纷爆裂,他一时拿不定该先问什么。过了一会儿,他才结结巴巴地说:「他们静候我的猫头鹰是什么意思?」

"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl -- a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl -- a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:

「狂奔的戈耳工1,哟,我想起来了。」海格用足以推倒一匹壮马的力量拍了拍他的脑门,又从外衣的另一个内袋里掏出一只猫头鹰——一只真的、活蹦乱跳、多着毛的猫头鹰,还有一支长长的羽毛笔和一卷羊皮纸。他用牙齿咬着舌尖匆匆写了一张字条,哈利倒着看见字条上写道:

Dear Professor Dumbledore, Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. Hope you're Well.

亲爱的邓布利多先生: 已将信交给哈利。明天带他去购买他要用的东西。天气糟透了。祝您安好。

Hagrid

海格

Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.

海格将字条卷起来,让猫头鹰衔在嘴里,走到门口,把猫头鹰放飞到暴风雨里。随后他又回来坐下,仿佛这一切像打了一个电话一样平常。

Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.

哈利发现自己一直张着嘴,连忙把嘴闭上。

"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.

「我说到哪儿了?」海格说。这时弗农姨父突然移到火光照亮的地方,脸色依旧惨自,显得很生气。

"He's not going," he said.

「他不会去的。」他说。

Hagrid grunted.

海格哼了一声。

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.

「我倒要看看,你们麻瓜们,像你这样的大笨蛋用什么办法去阻拦他。」他说。

"A what?" said Harry, interested.

「你们什么?」哈利好奇地问。

"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like thern. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."

「麻瓜,」海格说,「这是我们对像他们这类不相信魔法的人的称呼。不幸的是你竟然在这么一个不相信魔法的家庭里长大。」

"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"

「我们收养他的时候就发过誓,要制止这类荒唐事,」弗农姨父说,「发誓要让这一切一刀两断!什么巫师,哼!」

"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a -- a wizard?"

「您早就知道了?」哈利说,「您早就知道我是一个……一个巫师?」

"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was -- a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"

「老早就知道,」佩妮姨妈突然尖着嗓子喊起来,「老早就知道!我们当然老早就知道!我那个该死的妹妹既然是,你怎么可能不是?哦,她就是收到了同样的一封信,然后就不见了……进了那所学校……每逢放假回来,口袋里装满了蟾蜍蛋,把茶杯都变成了老鼠。只有我一个人,算是把她看透了——十足一个怪物!可是我的父母却看不清,整天莉莉长、莉莉短,家里有个巫婆他们还美滋滋的!」

She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.

她停下来喘了一大口气,接着又喋喋不休地讲起来。看来这些话她已经憋在心里很多年,一直想一吐为快呢。

"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as -- as -- abnormal -- and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"

「然后她就在学校里遇到了那个波特,毕业后他们结了婚,有了你。当然,我也知道你会跟他们一样,一样古怪,一样……一样……不正常……后来,对不起。她走了,自我爆炸了,我们只好收养你!」

Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"

哈利的脸色变得煞白。等他能够说出话来时,他立刻说:「爆炸?您对我说过,他们是遇到车祸丧生的!」

"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"

「车祸!」海格咆哮起来,他一跃而起,火冒三丈,吓得德思礼夫妇又躲到他们的角落里去了。「车祸怎么会伤害莉莉和詹姆波特?这是诬蔑!是诽谤!我们世界里的每个孩子都知道哈利的名字,而他却不知道自己的身世!」

"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.

「可这是为什么?出了什么事?」哈利急不可耐地问。

The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.

海格脸上的怒气消了,他突然显得焦虑不安。

"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh -- but someone 3 s gotta -- yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."

「我从来没有料到会是这样。」他用低沉而焦虑的声调说,「邓布利多对我说过找你可能会遇到麻烦,因为有许多事你不知道。哦,哈利,我不知道由我来告诉你是不是合适——不过总得有人告诉你——你不能一无所知就去霍格沃茨上学呀。」

He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.

他鄙夷地朝德思礼夫妇扫了一眼。

"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh -- mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it...."

「好,我把我所知道的一切都告诉你……不过,我不能告诉你事情的全部,因为很多事情还是一个谜……」

He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with -- with a person called -- but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows --"

他坐下来,朝炉火看了一会儿,然后说:「我想,我从一个叫……不过你不会不知道他的名字,真叫人不能相信,我们的世界里人人都知道……」

"Who? "

「谁?」

"Well -- I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

「好,除非万不得已,我不想提他的名字。没有人愿意提。」

"Why not?"

「为什么不愿意提?」

"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was..."

「对那些狂奔的戈耳工们,哈利,人们到现在还心有余悸。哎呀,难哪。当时有一名巫师,他后来……变坏了,变得坏透了,坏得不能再坏了。他的名字叫……」

Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.

海格咽了一口唾沫,可还是说不出一个字来。

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.

「你能写出来吗?」哈利提醒说。

"Nah -can't spell it. All right -- Voldemort. " Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this -- this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too -- some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him -- an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.

「不行,这个字我不会拼。好吧……他叫伏地魔。」海格打了个寒噤,「别再逼我重复他的名字了。总之,这个……这个巫师,大概二十年前吧,他开始为自己找门徒。他也找到了一些人……他们有些是因为怕他,有些是想从他那里学到些功法,因为他法力高强。好了,那段日子可真是黑暗啊。哈利,你不知道应该相信谁,也不敢跟陌生的男女巫师交朋友……还发生了许多可怕的事情。他接管了我们这个世界。当然有些人反对他,他就把他们都杀掉了。太可怕了。当时惟一安全的地方就只有霍格沃茨。那个神秘人最害怕的就是邓布利多。横竖不敢动那所学校,至少当时是这样。

"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.

「现在来说说你的父母,他们是我知道的最优秀的男女巫师了。他们当年在霍格沃茨还分别担任男女学生会的主席呢!叫人弄不明白的是当初那个神秘人为什么没有把他们拉到他那边去……也许他知道他们和邓布利多很接近,不想与黑势力有关系吧。

"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' -- an' --"

「也许他认为他可以说服他们,也许想干脆把他们干掉。大家都知道,十年前万圣节2前夕,他来到你们住的村庄,当时你只有一岁。他来到你们家就……就……」

Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.

海格突然掏出一块污渍斑斑的、脏得要命的手帕擤鼻涕,那声音响得像在吹晨号。

"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad -- knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find -- anyway..."

「对不起,」他说,「这是一个不幸的消息。我认识你的父母,再也找不到比他们再好的人了。」

"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then -- an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing -- he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a Powerful, evil curse touches yeh -- took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even -- but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age -- the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts -- an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."

「不管怎么说……神秘人把他们杀了,可是叫人弄不明白的是他也要去杀你。也许是想斩尽杀绝吧。可他没有杀成。你就从来没有想过你脑门上那道伤疤是怎么来的吗?那不是一般的刀疤。那是一道很厉害的魔咒,它杀了你的父母,毁了你的家,可是碰到你身上却没有起作用。于是你也就因为这出名了,哈利。只要他决定要杀的人,没有一个能躲过劫难,只有你大难不死。他杀掉了当时一些优秀的男女巫师,比如麦金农夫妇、彭斯夫妇、普成特夫妇。你是惟一大难不死,活下来的人。」

Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before -- and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.

哈利的脑海里出现了一些非常悲惨的景象。当海格的故事就要讲完的时候,那道耀眼的绿光突然闪现,比他记忆中的任何一次都更加清晰,他又想起另外一些事,他生平第一次听到一阵响亮、阴冷、凶残的笑声。

Hagrid was watching him sadly. "Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."

海格难过地看着他,「我奉邓布利多之命亲自把你从那拣被毁的房子里抱了出来,送到这里……」

"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon.

「胡说八道。」弗农姨父说。

Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there.

哈利跳了起来,他差点儿忘了德思礼夫妇还在这里。

Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.

弗农姨父显然恢复了勇气,他紧握双拳,对海格怒目而视。

"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured -- and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion -- asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types -- just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end --"

「小子,现在听我说,」他咆哮起来,「我承认你身上是有些奇怪的地方,就是好好揍你一顿也治不了。至于你父母,我只能说,他们都是怪物,这是不可否认的。我是说,这世界上没有他们会更好,看看他们都干了些什么,整天跟男女巫师混在一起,我早就知道他们迟早要吃苦头……」

But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you -- one more word... "

正说话时,海格突然从沙发上跳起来,从外衣内袋里掏出一把粉红色的破伞来。他像拿着一把剑那样用伞指着弗农姨父说:「我警告你,德思礼,我警告你……敢再说一个字……」

In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.

弗农姨父怕被这个大胡子巨人的伞头戳伤,又泄气了,紧贴着墙不敢再说话了。

"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.

「这样才好。」海格说着,大口喘气,坐到沙发上,这回沙发整个塌到地板上了。

Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.

这时哈利还有许多问题,成百上千的问题要问。

"But what happened to Vol--, sorry -- I mean, You-Know-Who?"

「可是伏……对不起,我是说,那个神秘人后来怎么样了?」

"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... he was gettin' more an' more powerful -- why'd he go?

「问得好,哈利。他不见了,失踪了,就在要杀你的当天夜里。这一来就让你的名气更大了。这也是最让人弄不明白的地方,你看……他的法力越来越强,他为什么要走掉呢?」

"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don~ reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.

「有人说他死了。我认为这纯粹是胡说八道。他身上恐怕已经没有多少人性了,所以也就不可能死去。有人说他还在这一带,等待时机,可能吧,但我不相信。原来支持他的人都回到我们这边来了。有些人已经从噩梦中清醒。如果他还会东山再起,他们是不可能这么做的。」

"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on -- I dunno what it was, no one does -- but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."

「我们大多数人都认为他还在这一带,不过已经失去了法力,已经虚弱得成不了气候了。因为你身上具有的某种力量把他毁了,哈利。那天晚上肯定发生了一件他没有预料到的事……我不知道会是什么,没有人知道……不过你身上具有的某种力量使他受挫了,就是这样。」

Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?

海格用热切而崇敬的目光注视着哈利,但哈利并没有感觉到高兴和自豪,相反,他认为这肯定是一个可怕的错误。一个巫师?他?他怎么可能是一个巫师?他一直在达力的殴打和佩妮姨妈、弗农姨父的凌辱下偷生。如果他真的是一名巫师,那么当他们要把他锁进碗柜的时候,他们为什么没有变成疙疙瘩瘩的癞蛤蟆呢?如果他曾经打败过世界上最大的魔法师,那么达力为什么能像踢足球那样把他踢得到处乱跑呢?

"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."

「海格,」他轻声说,「我想您一定搞错了,我想,我不可能是一个巫师。」

To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled. "Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"

哈利很吃惊,海格居然咯咯地笑起来,「不是巫师,你害怕或生气的时候就从来没有事情发生吗?」

Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it... every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry... chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach... dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back... and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?

哈利看着炉火,开始思索这件事情——每件惹得他姨父姨妈对他大发雷霆的怪事都发生在他——哈利——情绪不好或生气的时候——被达力的一伙追打的时候,他总有办法让他们追不着……他正为剪成那样可笑的发型上学发愁,可又即刻想出办法让头发恢复了原样……而最近一次达力追打他的时候,他不是在不知不觉中就对他进行了报复吗?他不是放一条巨蟒去吓唬达力了吗?

Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.

哈利回过头来对海格报以一笑,发现海格也朝他露出了笑容。

"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard -- you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."

「明白了吧?」海格说,「哈利波特,不是巫师……你等着瞧吧,你会在霍格沃茨名声大噪的。」

But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.

但弗农姨父也不甘心就此罢休。

"Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish -- spell books and wands and --"

「难道我没有对你说过他不去吗?」他尖着嗓子说,「他要去上石墙中学,他会感激我的。我看过那些信,要他准备一大堆无用的东西……像咒语书,还有魔杖什么的……」

"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter' s son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled--"

「如果他真想去,像你这样不相信魔法的大傻瓜是拦不住他的,」海格咆哮说,「阻止莉莉和詹姆波特的儿子上霍格沃茨!你这是疯了。他从生下来,他的名字就已经入了霍格沃茨的名册了。他要进的是世界上最优秀的魔法学校。七年之后,他会面貌一新。他要和跟他一样的孩子在一起,换换环境,还要在霍格沃茨有史以来最伟大的校长阿不思邓布利多的教导下……」

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL To TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.

「我决不花钱让一个疯老头子,一个大傻瓜去教他变戏法!」弗农姨父大吼起来。

But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER," he thundered, "- INSULT- ALBUS- DUMBLEDORE- IN- FRONT- OF- ME!"

不过这次他确实太过分了。海格抓起他的伞在头顶上绕了几圈,怒喝:「永远——不准——在——我——面前——侮辱——阿不思——邓布利多!」

He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley -- there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.

他用伞嗖的一声在空中猛挥了一下,然后直指达力,忽的一道紫罗兰色的闪光、一声鞭炮似的响声、一声尖叫,接着达力就用双手捂着他肥胖的屁股,疼得直蹦,哇哇乱叫。当他把身子转过去、背朝他们时,哈利看见一根卷曲的猪尾巴从裤子的破洞里伸了出来。

Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.

弗农姨父一边吼叫,一边把佩妮姨妈和达力朝另一间屋拖。他最后用恫吓的目光瞪了海格一眼,砰的一声把门带上。

Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.

海格低头看了看伞,捋了捋胡须。

"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."

「我不该发火,」他懊恼地说,「不过,还是没有成功。我本来想把他变成一只猪,只是也许他已经太像猪了,所以用不着再去变什么了。」

He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.

他从浓密的眉毛下斜瞟了哈利一眼。

"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm -- er -- not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff -- one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job

「要是你对霍格沃茨的任何人都不提这件事,我就谢谢你了。」他说,「我……哦……严格地讲,我不能施用法术。只有在找你或给你送信的时候才准许我用一点儿——这也是我热心接下这个工作的原因之一。」

"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.

「为什么不准许您施用魔法呢?」哈利问。

"Oh, well -- I was at Hogwarts meself but I -- er -- got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."

「哦,是这样,我自己也在霍格沃茨上过学,但是,实话对你说,我……哦……被开除了。我当时三年级。他们撅断了我的魔杖,其他东西都没收了。可邓布利多让我留下看管狩猎场。他可真是个了不起的人啊。」

Why were you expelled?

「你为什么被开除?」

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."

「时间太晚了,明天我们还有许多事情要做,」海格大声说,「明天一早还要进城给你买书什么的。」

He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.

他脱下黑色的厚呢外衣,扔给哈利。

"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."

「你就盖着这个睡吧。」他说,「要是有什么东西乱动,没关系,我想,有个衣袋里好像还装着两只睡鼠。」

1 戈耳工,希腊神话中的三个蛇发女怪之一,面貌可怕,人见之立即化为顽石。

2 基督教万圣节为每年11月l日。