诗翁彼豆故事集 第21期:兔子巴比蒂和她的呱呱树桩(5)

 　　Albus Dumbledore on “Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump” 阿不思·邓布利多评《兔子巴比蒂和她的呱呱树桩》

　　The story of “Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump” is, in many ways, the most “real” of Beedle's tales, in that the magic described in the story conforms, almost entirely¹, to known magical laws. 在许多方面，《兔子巴比蒂和她的呱呱树桩》都是彼豆故事中最“真实”的，因为故事中的魔法几乎完全遵循了已知的魔法规则。

　　It was through this story that many of us first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead –and a great disappointment and shock it was, convinced as we had been, as young children, that our parents would be able to awaken² our dead rats and cats with one wave of their wands. 正是通过这个故事，我们许多人第一次发现魔法不能起死回生——这是一种莫大的失望和震惊，因为作为孩子，我们一直相信父母只要一挥魔杖，就会让那些死去的老鼠和猫苏醒过来。

　　Though some six centuries have elapsed since Beedle wrote this tale, and while we have devised innumerable ways of maintaining the illusion of our loved ones' continuing presence, (Note. 1: Wizarding photographs and portraits move and (in the case of the latter) talk just like their subjects. 尽管从彼豆写这个故事起已经过了六个多世纪，我们仍一直在想发明各种办法保持那种我们所爱的人还会继续存在的幻想。（注释一：魔法照片和肖像会动，而且（在肖像中）还会像真人一样说话。

　　Other rare objects, such as the Mirror of Erised, may also reveal more than a static image of a lost loved one. 其他稀罕物品，如厄里斯魔镜，跟静态图片比起来，也能透露已故亲人更多的情况。

　　Ghosts are transparent³, moving, talking and thinking versions of wizards and witches who wished, for whatever reason, to remain on earth. JKR) wizards still have not found a way of reuniting body and soul once death has occurred. 幽灵是某些巫师的透明的、活动的、会说话会思想的翻版，这些巫师出于某种原因希望继续留在世界上。——J.K。罗琳注但是，巫师们仍然没有找到一种在死亡发生之后，把身体和灵魂重新连接在一起的办法。

　　As the eminent⁴ wizarding philosopher Bertrand de Pensées-Profondes writes in his celebrated⁵ work A Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintegration of Essence and Matter: “Give it up. It's never going to happen.” 正如著名的魔法哲学家伯特兰·德·潘西-普罗方德斯在他的名著《对自然死亡之实际及抽象结果的研究，特别是对精神与物质的再度统一的研究》中所写的：“放弃吧。这种事永远不会发生。”

　　The tale of Babbitty Rabbitty does, however, give us one of the earliest literary mentions of an Animagus, for Babbitty the washerwoman is possessed⁶ of the rare magical ability to transform into an animal at will. 不过，兔子巴比蒂的故事倒是首次在文学作品中提到了阿尼马格斯，因为洗衣妇巴比蒂拥有罕见的法术，能够随心所欲地变形为一只动物。

　　Animagi make up a small fraction of the wizarding population. 阿尼马格斯只占巫师人口中的很少一部分。

　　Achieving perfect, spontaneous human to animal transformation⁷ requires much study and practice, and many witches and wizards consider that their time might be better employed in other ways. 要熟练而自然地由人转变为动物，需要大量的钻研和练习，许多巫师认为把时间用在别的方面更有价值。

　　Certainly, the application of such a talent is limited unless one has a great need of disguise or concealment⁸. 当然，对这种才能的利用是非常有限的，除非此人特别需要伪装或隐藏自己。

　　It is for this reason that the Ministry⁹ of Magic has insisted upon a register of Animagi, for there can be no doubt that this kind of magic is of greatest use to those engaged in surreptitious, covert¹⁰ or even criminal activity. 正是由于这个原因，魔法部坚持把所有的阿尼马格斯登记在案，因为对于那些从事鬼鬼祟祟、不可告人的勾当，甚至从事犯罪活动的人来说，这类魔法无疑是十分有用的。

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 awaken   

vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起

参考例句：

• Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
• Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。

3 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

4 eminent   

adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的

参考例句：

• We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
• He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

7 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

8 concealment   

n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒

参考例句：

• the concealment of crime 对罪行的隐瞒
• Stay in concealment until the danger has passed. 把自己藏起来，待危险过去后再出来。

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。