美国国家公共电台 NPR--A memorial to Dobby can stay on a Welsh beach, but fans have to stop leaving socks

A memorial to Dobby can stay on a Welsh beach, but fans have to stop leaving socks

Transcript¹

For years, Harry² Potter fans have paid their respects to the franchise's beloved house elf Dobby by leaving tributes at the Welsh beach where his movie death was filmed.

As a result, that infamous³ stretch of Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire has become a depository for trinkets, painted rocks and all sorts of socks.

A quick recap for non-Potterheads: House elves can only be freed when their master gives them an article of clothing, and early in the series Potter helps Dobby by tricking his evil master into handing him a book with a sock between its pages (cue the iconic scene: "Master has given Dobby a sock ... Dobby is free").

Dobby's ensuing loyal friendship with Potter takes a haunting turn in the final book (and penultimate movie) when the elf is killed while shielding him from a Death Eater's knife — and buried on the beach with a headstone reading "Here lies Dobby, a Free Elf." His death so devastated⁴ fans that author J.K. Rowling apologized for it in 2018.

So devotees as well as locals had strong opinions back in May, when the U.K. conservation organization National Trust released a survey asking for opinions on whether the memorial should remain on the beach.

It was part of a broader questionnaire soliciting⁵ public input⁶ on sustainability initiatives for the beach, which is a legally protected conservation area and increasingly popular tourist attraction (both for its connection to movies like Harry Potter and 2010's Robin⁷ Hood⁸, as well as its great surfing).

The proposal to relocate the gravesite to a "suitable publicly accessible location" elicited⁹ mixed responses at the time, with some people saying it would be pointless to move the memorial and others questioning the need for having one for a fictional¹⁰ character at all.

National Trust Cymru ("Wales" in Welsh) announced its decision in a press release last week: The memorial can stay, for now, with one important caveat¹¹.

"Based on the consultation¹² results, the memorial to Dobby will remain at Freshwater West in the immediate¹³ term for people to enjoy," said Jonathan Hughes, National Trust Cymru's assistant director of operations for South Wales. "The Trust is asking visitors to only take photos when visiting the memorial to help protect the wider landscape. Items like socks, trinkets, and paint chips from painted pebbles¹⁴ could enter the marine¹⁵ environment and food chain and put wildlife at risk."

Freshwater West is part of a legally protected conservation area that's home to many creatures, including lizards¹⁶, orchids¹⁷, seabirds, rare ground-nesting birds, gray seals and harbor porpoises¹⁸.

It's also a popular destination for humans. Hughes says its parking area welcomes some 75,000 people each year, and visitor numbers regularly exceed capacity.

"While we're delighted that so many want to visit, we have to balance the popularity of the site with impacts on the sensitive nature of the beach and wider environment, and pressure on the facilities and surrounding roads," he explains.

National Trust Cymru says almost 5,000 people filled out two online surveys, and also attended in-person events and discussions. Their feedback has helped inform key priorities, with the most popular proposals focused on improving car parking arrangements and visitor facilities.

The proposal also says that management of Dobby's grave "requires further liaison¹⁹ between relevant stakeholders to reach a 'middle-ground' which allows access but provides a more sensitive solution for the local environment." It suggests involving one or more local charities or groups in overseeing the site.

The charity will now get to work on an action plan, subject to permission and funding, for specific next steps. And it says nothing — not even the memorial — is set in stone.

"Sand dune²⁰ habitats constantly change and shift, and so the situation will be reviewed as work continues towards a long-term plan for managing the site, and the whole of Freshwater West," it concludes.

There are early signs that Potter fans will cooperate with the request to "leave no trace."

The official Wizarding World Instagram account announced the request Wednesday in a post, which saw many commenters voicing their agreement. Some even suggested other ways to help, like donating socks to people in need or supporting conservation efforts in Dobby's name.

One commenter summed it up this way: "Don't kill real creatures to memorialize an imaginary one."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

4 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

5 soliciting   

v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求

参考例句：

• A prostitute was soliciting on the street. 一名妓女正在街上拉客。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• China Daily is soliciting subscriptions. 《中国日报》正在征求订户。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

7 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

8 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

9 elicited   

引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Threats to reinstate the tax elicited jeer from the Opposition. 恢复此项征税的威胁引起了反对党的嘲笑。
• The comedian's joke elicited applause and laughter from the audience. 那位滑稽演员的笑话博得观众的掌声和笑声。

10 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

11 caveat   

n.警告； 防止误解的说明

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling.为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。
• As I have written before,that's quite a caveat.正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。

12 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

14 pebbles   

[复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pebbles of the drive crunched under his feet. 汽车道上的小石子在他脚底下喀嚓作响。
• Line the pots with pebbles to ensure good drainage. 在罐子里铺一层鹅卵石，以确保排水良好。

15 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

16 lizards   

n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
• Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

17 orchids   

n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Wild flowers such as orchids and primroses are becoming rare. 兰花和报春花这类野花越来越稀少了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She breeds orchids in her greenhouse. 她在温室里培育兰花。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 porpoises   

n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A shoal of porpoises are well on the feed. 一群海豚正在吞食。 来自辞典例句
• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。 来自辞典例句

19 liaison   

n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通

参考例句：

• She acts as a liaison between patients and staff.她在病人与医护人员间充当沟通的桥梁。
• She is responsible for liaison with researchers at other universities.她负责与其他大学的研究人员联系。

20 dune   

n.(由风吹积而成的)沙丘

参考例句：

• The sand massed to form a dune.沙积集起来成了沙丘。
• Cute Jim sat on the dune eating a prune in June.可爱的吉姆在六月天坐在沙丘上吃着话梅。