HPMOR 第1章｜概率极低的一天（中英对照）
霍格沃茨来信闯进一个理性主义家庭。哈利决定用实验检验魔法是否存在。本篇按段中英对照，中文为重写白话。
Beneath the moonlight glints a tiny fragment of silver, a fraction of a line...
月光下，一小截银线微微闪亮，细得几乎看不见……
(black robes, falling)
（黑袍坠落）
...blood spills out in litres, and someone screams a word.
……鲜血足足涌出几升，有人尖叫出一个词。
Every inch of wall space is covered by a bookcase. Each bookcase has six shelves, going almost to the ceiling. Some bookshelves are stacked to the brim with hardback books: science, maths, history, and everything else. Other shelves have two layers of paperback science fiction, with the back layer of books propped up on old tissue boxes or lengths of wood, so that you can see the back layer of books above the books in front. And it still isn't enough. Books are overflowing onto the tables and the sofas and making little heaps under the windows.
每一寸墙面都被书架占满了。书架各有六层，一直伸到接近天花板的地方。有的塞满精装书，科学、数学、历史，什么都有。有的摆着两排平装科幻小说，后排的书用旧纸巾盒或木条垫高，这样越过前排还能看见后排。可还是放不下。书堆到了桌上、沙发上，窗下也摞起了一座座小山。
This is the living-room of the house occupied by the eminent Professor Michael Verres-Evans, and his wife, Mrs. Petunia Evans-Verres, and their adopted son, Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres.
这就是那栋房子的客厅。房子里住着声名卓著的迈克尔·维雷斯-埃文斯教授、他的妻子佩妮·伊万斯-维雷斯，以及他们收养的儿子哈利·詹姆斯·波特-埃文斯-维雷斯。
There is a letter lying on the living-room table, and an unstamped envelope of yellowish parchment, addressed to Mr. H. Potter in emerald-green ink.
客厅桌上放着一封信。淡黄色的羊皮纸信封没有贴邮票，上面用翠绿色墨水写着「H. 波特先生收」。
The Professor and his wife are speaking sharply at each other, but they are not shouting. The Professor considers shouting to be uncivilised.
教授和妻子正针锋相对，只是两个人都没抬高嗓门。教授认为大喊大叫很没教养。
"You're joking," Michael said to Petunia. His tone indicated that he was very much afraid that she was serious.
「你是在开玩笑吧，」迈克尔对佩妮说。他的语气说明，他最怕的就是她没有在开玩笑。
"My sister was a witch," Petunia repeated. She looked frightened, but stood her ground. "Her husband was a wizard."
「我妹妹是个女巫，」佩妮又说了一遍。她看上去很害怕，却没有让步。「她丈夫是个男巫。」
"This is absurd!" Michael said sharply. "They were at our wedding - they visited for Christmas -"
「荒唐！」迈克尔厉声说。「他们参加过我们的婚礼，圣诞节也来过……」
"I told them you weren't to know," Petunia whispered. "But it's true. I've seen things -"
「我叫他们别让你知道，」佩妮低声说。「可这是真的。我亲眼见过……」
The Professor rolled his eyes. "Dear, I understand that you're not familiar with the sceptical literature. You may not realise how easy it is for a trained magician to fake the seemingly impossible. Remember how I taught Harry to bend spoons? If it seemed like they could always guess what you were thinking, that's called cold reading -"
教授翻了个白眼。「亲爱的，你没读过多少怀疑主义和识破骗局方面的书，可能不知道受过训练的魔术师有多容易做出乍看绝不可能的事。还记得我是怎么教哈利弯勺子的吗？要是他们看起来总能猜中你在想什么，那叫冷读术……」
"It wasn't bending spoons -"
「我说的跟弯勺子没关系……」
"What was it, then?"
「那是什么？」
Petunia bit her lip. "I can't just tell you. You'll think I'm -" She swallowed. "Listen. Michael. I wasn't - always like this -" She gestured at herself, as though to indicate her lithe form. "Lily did this. Because I - because I begged her. For years, I begged her. Lily had always been prettier than me, and I'd... been mean to her, because of that, and then she got magic, can you imagine how I felt? And I begged her to use some of that magic on me so that I could be pretty too, even if I couldn't have her magic, at least I could be pretty."
佩妮咬住嘴唇。「我没法直接告诉你。你会觉得我……」她咽了口唾沫。「听我说，迈克尔。我以前……不是现在这个样子……」她朝自己的身体比画了一下，指的是如今纤细的身材。「是莉莉把我变成这样的。因为我……因为我求过她。我求了她好多年。莉莉一直比我漂亮，我也因为这件事……一直对她很刻薄。后来她又有了魔法，你能想象我是什么感觉吗？我求她用一点点魔法帮我变漂亮。就算我不能拥有她的魔法，至少还能变漂亮。」
Tears were gathering in Petunia's eyes.
佩妮眼里已经聚起泪水。
"And Lily would tell me no, and make up the most ridiculous excuses, like the world would end if she were nice to her sister, or a centaur told her not to - the most ridiculous things, and I hated her for it. And when I had just graduated from university, I was going out with this boy, Vernon Dursley, he was fat and he was the only boy who would talk to me. And he said he wanted children, and that his first son would be named Dudley. And I thought to myself, what kind of parent names their child Dudley Dursley? It was like I saw my whole future life stretching out in front of me, and I couldn't stand it. And I wrote to my sister and told her that if she didn't help me I'd rather just -"
「莉莉总是不肯，还编出最离谱的借口。她说，要是她对姐姐好一点，世界就会完蛋；又说有个马人不许她帮我。全是疯话。我为这件事恨她。大学毕业后，我和一个叫弗农·德思礼的男人约会。他很胖，那时候也只有他肯理我。他说自己想要孩子，还打算把长子取名叫达力。我当时就想，*谁会给孩子起名叫达力·德思礼？*那一刻，我像是突然看见了自己往后的一辈子。我受不了。我给妹妹写信，说她要是还不肯帮我，我宁愿……」
Petunia stopped.
佩妮停住了。
"Anyway," Petunia said, her voice small, "she gave in. She told me it was dangerous, and I said I didn't care any more, and I drank this potion and I was sick for weeks, but when I got better my skin cleared up and I finally filled out and... I was beautiful, people were nice to me," her voice broke, "and after that I couldn't hate my sister any more, especially when I learned what her magic brought her in the end -"
「总之，」佩妮轻声说，「她最后答应了。她说这很危险，我说我不在乎。我喝下那瓶魔药，病了好几个星期。等我好起来，皮肤变好了，身上也有了曲线……我变漂亮了，别人开始对我好。」她说到这里哽咽了。「从那以后，我再也恨不了妹妹。后来我知道，她的魔法最终给她带来了什么，就更不可能恨她了……」
"Darling," Michael said gently, "you got sick, you gained some weight while resting in bed, and your skin cleared up on its own. Or being sick made you change your diet -"
「亲爱的，」迈克尔温和地说，「你只是生了一场病。你躺在床上养病时胖了一点，皮肤也自己好了。也可能是那场病改变了你的饮食习惯……」
"She was a witch," Petunia repeated. "I saw it."
「她是女巫，」佩妮重复道。「我看见了。」
"Petunia," Michael said. The annoyance was creeping into his voice. "You know that can't be true. Do I really have to explain why?"
「佩妮，」迈克尔说。声音里已经带上恼火。「你知道那不可能是真的。难道我还得解释为什么吗？」
Petunia wrung her hands. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. "My love, I know I can't win arguments with you, but please, you have to trust me on this -"
佩妮把两只手绞在一起，眼看就要哭了。「亲爱的，我知道我说不过你。可求你了，就这一次，你得相信我……」
"Dad! Mum! "
「爸！妈！」
The two of them stopped and looked at Harry as though they'd forgotten there was a third person in the room.
两个人都停下来，看着哈利，仿佛这才想起房间里还有第三个人。
Harry took a deep breath. "Mum, your parents didn't have magic, did they?"
哈利深吸一口气。「妈，你的父母没有魔法，对吧？」
"No," Petunia said, looking puzzled.
「没有，」佩妮说，一脸困惑。
"Then no one in your family knew about magic when Lily got her letter. How did they get convinced?"
「那莉莉收到来信的时候，你家里谁也不懂魔法。他们后来是怎么被说服的？」
"Ah..." Petunia said. "They didn't just send a letter. They sent a professor from Hogwarts. He -" Petunia's eyes flicked to Michael. "He showed us some magic."
「哦……」佩妮说。「他们不只寄了信，还派来一位霍格沃茨教授。他……」佩妮飞快地瞥了迈克尔一眼。「他给我们看了一点魔法。」
"Then you don't have to fight over this," Harry said firmly. Hoping against hope that this time, just this once, they would listen to him. "If it's true, we can just get a Hogwarts professor here and see the magic for ourselves, and Dad will admit that it's true. And if not, then Mum will admit that it's false. That's what the experimental method is for, so that we don't have to resolve things just by arguing."
「那就不用吵了，」哈利斩钉截铁地说。他明知希望不大，仍盼着这一次，就这一次，父母愿意听他的。「请一位霍格沃茨教授过来，当面让我们看看。如果教授能展示魔法，爸爸就得承认；如果展示不了，妈妈也得承认自己错了。实验就是用来解决这种问题的。把答案交给实验，我们就不用靠吵架决定谁对谁错。」
The Professor turned and looked down at him, dismissive as usual. "Oh, come now, Harry. Really, magic? I thought you'd know better than to take this seriously, son, even if you're only ten. Magic is just about the most unscientific thing there is!"
教授转过身，低头看着他，脸上还是那副熟悉的不以为然。「得了吧，哈利。说真的，魔法？我还以为你该更懂事，儿子，哪怕你才十岁。世界上还有什么比魔法更不科学？」
Harry's mouth twisted bitterly. He was treated well, probably better than most genetic fathers treated their own children. Harry had been sent to the best primary schools - and when that didn't work out, he was provided with tutors from the endless pool of starving students. Always Harry had been encouraged to study whatever caught his attention, bought all the books that caught his fancy, sponsored in whatever maths or science competitions he entered. He was given anything reasonable that he wanted, except, maybe, the slightest shred of respect. A Doctor teaching biochemistry at Oxford could hardly be expected to listen to the advice of a little boy. You would listen to Show Interest, of course; that's what a Good Parent would do, and so, if you conceived of yourself as a Good Parent, you would do it. But take a ten-year-old seriously? Hardly.
哈利的嘴角苦涩地抽了一下。父亲对他很好，大概比多数亲生父亲对孩子还要好。父母先把他送进最好的小学；学校那套没能教好他，又从一大群穷得揭不开锅的大学生里给他找家教。无论什么东西，只要引起哈利的兴趣，父母都鼓励他去学。想看的书有人买，想参加的数学或科学竞赛也有人出钱。只要要求还算合理，他几乎想要什么就有什么。唯独得不到的，也许是真正的尊重，哪怕只有一点点。一个在牛津教生物化学的博士，怎么可能屈尊听取一个小男孩的意见？当然，他还是会「表现出兴趣」。称职的家长就该这么做，所以一个人只要把自己当成称职的家长，就会照着做。可要他认真考虑一个十岁孩子的意见？想都别想。
Sometimes Harry wanted to scream at his father.
有时候哈利真想对着父亲大喊。
"Mum," Harry said. "If you want to win this argument with Dad, look in chapter two of the first book of the Feynman Lectures on Physics. There's a quote there about how philosophers say a great deal about what science absolutely requires, and it is all wrong, because the only rule in science is that the final arbiter is observation - that you just have to look at the world and report what you see. Um... off the top of my head I can't think of where to find something about how it's an ideal of science to settle things by experiment instead of arguments -"
「妈，」哈利说，「你要是想赢过爸，就去读费曼《物理学讲义》第一卷第二章。里面有段话说，哲学家总爱断言科学必须这样、必须那样，可他们全都错了，因为科学只有一条规矩，观察结果说了算。你能做的就是看这个世界，然后如实说出你看见了什么。呃……我记不清另一句话是在哪儿读到的了。大意是，科学应该用实验解决问题，别靠争论……」
His mother looked down at him and smiled. "Thank you, Harry. But -" her head rose back up to stare at her husband. "I don't want to win an argument with your father. I want my husband to, to listen to his wife who loves him, and trust her just this once -"
母亲低头看着他，笑了。「谢谢你，哈利。可是……」她又抬起头，瞪着丈夫。「我不想赢过你爸爸。我只是希望，我的丈夫偶尔肯听听这个爱他的妻子，哪怕只在一件事上相信她……」
Harry closed his eyes briefly. Hopeless. Both of his parents were just hopeless.
哈利闭了一下眼睛。*没救了。*他的父母都没救了。
Now his parents were getting into one of those arguments again, one where his mother tried to make his father feel guilty, and his father tried to make his mother feel stupid.
父母又陷进了那套老一套的争吵。母亲想让父亲内疚，父亲想让母亲觉得自己很蠢。
"I'm going to go to my room," Harry announced. His voice trembled a little. "Please try not to fight too much about this, Mum, Dad, we'll know soon enough how it comes out, right?"
「我回房间了，」哈利说，声音微微发抖。「妈，爸，求你们别一直吵。反正我们很快就会知道答案，对吧？」
"Of course, Harry," said his father, and his mother gave him a reassuring kiss, and then they went on fighting while Harry climbed the stairs to his bedroom.
「当然，哈利，」父亲说。母亲也亲了亲他，叫他别担心。可哈利还在上楼，他们就又吵了起来。
He shut the door behind him and tried to think.
他把门关上，开始想。
The funny thing was, he should have agreed with Dad. No one had ever seen any evidence of magic, and according to Mum, there was a whole magical world out there. How could anyone keep something like that a secret? More magic? That seemed like a rather suspicious sort of excuse.
奇怪的是，他本来应该站在爸爸那边。没有人见过魔法存在的证据，可按妈妈的说法，外面竟然藏着一整个魔法世界。这种事怎么可能一直不为人知？靠更多魔法？这借口听着就很可疑。
It should have been a clean case for Mum joking, lying or being insane, in ascending order of awfulness. If Mum had sent the letter herself, that would explain how it arrived at the letterbox without a stamp. A little insanity was far, far less improbable than the universe really working like that.
这件事本来应该很好判断。把几种解释按糟糕程度排开，无非三种。妈妈在开玩笑、在撒谎，或者精神出了问题。如果信是妈妈自己寄的，也就能解释为什么一个没贴邮票的信封会出现在他们家的信箱里。一个人稍微有点精神失常，总比宇宙真的按那种方式运转更有可能，而且可能性要大得多。
Except that some part of Harry was utterly convinced that magic was real, and had been since the instant he saw the putative letter from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
可哈利心里有一部分却无比确信，魔法是真的。从他看见那封自称来自霍格沃茨魔法学校的信起，这股确信就已经在那里了。
Harry rubbed his forehead, grimacing. Don't believe everything you think, one of his books had said.
哈利揉了揉额头，做了个苦脸。*别相信脑子里冒出来的每一个念头。*他在一本书里读到过这句话。
But this bizarre certainty... Harry was finding himself just expecting that, yes, a Hogwarts professor would show up and wave a wand and magic would come out. The strange certainty was making no effort to guard itself against falsification - wasn't making excuses in advance for why there wouldn't be a professor, or the professor would only be able to bend spoons.
可这股古怪的确信……哈利发现，自己竟然把接下来的事当成理所当然。没错，霍格沃茨会派来一位教授。教授会挥动魔杖，魔法就会出现。更奇怪的是，这股确信没有提前替失败找借口。它没有说教授也许不会来，也没有说来人只要会弯勺子就算证明了魔法。它把自己摆在了一个真会被事实推翻的位置上。
Where do you come from, strange little prediction? Harry directed the thought at his brain. Why do I believe what I believe?
*你到底是从哪儿冒出来的，古怪的小预测？*哈利在心里问自己的大脑。我为什么会相信我现在相信的事？
Usually Harry was pretty good at answering that question, but in this particular case, he had no clue what his brain was thinking.
平时哈利很会回答这个问题。可这一次，他完全不知道自己的大脑在搞什么。
Harry mentally shrugged. A flat metal plate on a door affords pushing, and a handle on a door affords pulling, and the thing to do with a testable hypothesis is to go and test it.
哈利在心里耸了耸肩。门上装一块平板，就是叫人推；装一只把手，就是叫人拉。眼前的假设既然能检验，那就去检验。
He took a piece of lined paper from his desk, and started writing.
他从书桌上拿了一张横格纸，开始写。
Dear Deputy Headmistress
尊敬的副校长：
Harry paused, reflecting; then discarded the paper for another, tapping another millimetre of graphite from his mechanical pencil. This called for careful calligraphy.
哈利停下来想了想，把这张纸丢到一旁，换了一张新的，又从自动铅笔里按出一毫米笔芯。这封信得一笔一画，写得端端正正。
Dear Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall,
尊敬的米勒娃·麦格副校长：
Or Whomsoever It May Concern:
或任何相关人士敬启：
I recently received your letter of acceptance to Hogwarts, addressed to Mr. H. Potter. You may not be aware that my genetic parents, James Potter and Lily Potter (formerly Lily Evans) are dead. I was adopted by Lily's sister, Petunia Evans-Verres, and her husband, Michael Verres-Evans.
我最近收到了霍格沃茨寄给 H. 波特先生的录取信。你们可能不知道，我的亲生父母詹姆·波特和莉莉·波特（原姓伊万斯）都已去世。后来收养我的是莉莉的姐姐佩妮·伊万斯-维雷斯，以及她的丈夫迈克尔·维雷斯-埃文斯。
I am extremely interested in attending Hogwarts, conditional on such a place actually existing. Only my mother Petunia says she knows about magic, and she can't use it herself. My father is highly sceptical. I myself am uncertain. I also don't know where to obtain any of the books or equipment listed in your acceptance letter.
我很想去霍格沃茨上学，前提是这个地方确实存在。家里只有我母亲佩妮说自己知道魔法，可她本人不会施法。我父亲完全不信，我自己也不能确定。另外，我不知道该去哪里购买录取信所列的书籍和用品。
Mother mentioned that you sent a Hogwarts representative to Lily Potter (then Lily Evans) in order to demonstrate to her family that magic was real, and, I presume, help Lily obtain her school materials. If you could do this for my own family it would be extremely helpful.
母亲说，你们当年曾派一位霍格沃茨代表拜访莉莉·波特（当时还是莉莉·伊万斯），向她的家人证明魔法确实存在。我想，那位代表大概也帮助莉莉买齐了入学用品。如果你们也能派人来向我们说明情况，并帮助我准备入学用品，我将不胜感激。
Sincerely,
谨致问候
Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres.
哈利·詹姆斯·波特-埃文斯-维雷斯
Harry added their current address, then folded up the letter and put it in an envelope, which he addressed to Hogwarts. Further consideration led him to obtain a candle and drip wax onto the flap of the envelope, into which, using a penknife's tip, he impressed the initials H.J.P.E.V. If he was going to descend into this madness, he was going to do it with style.
哈利又写上了现在的住址，把信折好装进信封，写上霍格沃茨的地址。想了想，他找来一根蜡烛，把蜡油滴在封口处，再用小折刀的刀尖压出 H.J.P.E.V. 几个首字母。既然他准备顺着这场疯狂一路走下去，至少得有点派头。
Then he opened his door and went back downstairs. His father was sitting in the living-room and reading a book of higher maths to show how smart he was; and his mother was in the kitchen preparing one of his father's favourite meals to show how loving she was. It didn't look like they were talking to one another at all. As scary as arguments could be, not arguing was somehow much worse.
他打开房门，回到楼下。父亲坐在客厅里看一本高等数学书，仿佛这样就能证明自己有多聪明；母亲在厨房里做父亲最爱吃的菜，仿佛这样就能证明自己有多爱他。两个人似乎谁也不跟谁说话。吵架很可怕，可不吵架不知为什么更糟。
"Mum," Harry said into the unnerving silence, "I'm going to test the hypothesis. According to your theory, how do I send an owl to Hogwarts?"
「妈，」哈利朝那片令人不安的寂静开口，「我要检验这个假设。照你的说法，我怎样才能叫一只猫头鹰把信送到霍格沃茨？」
His mother turned from the kitchen sink to stare at him, looking shocked. "I - I don't know, I think you just have to own a magic owl."
母亲从厨房水槽边转过身，愣愣地看着他。「我……我不知道。我想，你得先有一只会送信的魔法猫头鹰。」
That should've sounded highly suspicious, oh, so there's no way to test your theory then, but the peculiar certainty in Harry seemed willing to stick its neck out even further.
这听上去本该非常可疑。*哦，也就是说，你的说法根本没法检验，对吧。*可哈利心里那股怪异的确信，似乎还敢继续下注。
"Well, the letter got here somehow," Harry said, "so I'll just wave it around outside and call 'letter for Hogwarts!' and see if an owl picks it up. Dad, do you want to come and watch?"
「好吧，这封信总有办法送到我们家，」哈利说，「那我就去外面举着它，大喊『有信要寄到霍格沃茨！』，看会不会有猫头鹰来取。爸，你要出来看看吗？」
His father shook his head minutely and kept on reading. Of course, Harry thought to himself. Magic was a disgraceful thing that only stupid people believed in; if his father went so far as to test the hypothesis, or even watch it being tested, that would feel like associating himself with that...
父亲轻轻摇了摇头，继续看书。果然。哈利心想。魔法是件丢人的事，只有蠢人才会信。要是父亲真的去检验这个说法，甚至只是看着别人检验，就好像他也跟那种东西沾上了边……
Only as Harry stumped out the back door, into the back garden, did it occur to him that if an owl did come down and snatch the letter, he was going to have some trouble telling Dad about it.
哈利跺着脚走出后门，来到后院。直到这时，他才突然想到，万一真有一只猫头鹰俯冲下来叼走信封，他要向父亲解释这件事，恐怕会有点麻烦。
But - well - that can't really happen, can it? No matter what my brain seems to believe. If an owl really comes down and grabs this envelope, I'm going to have worries a lot more important than what Dad thinks.
可是……呃……这种事总不会真的发生吧？不管我的大脑表现得多么相信。要是真有一只猫头鹰飞下来抢走信封，那我要操心的事可比爸爸怎么看我大多了。
Harry took a deep breath, and raised the envelope into the air.
哈利深吸一口气，把信封举到空中。
He swallowed.
他咽了口唾沫。
Calling out Letter for Hogwarts! while holding an envelope high in the air in the middle of your own back garden was... actually pretty embarrassing, now that he thought about it.
站在自家后院正中央，举着一个信封，扯开嗓子喊有信要寄到霍格沃茨！——现在才想起来，这事其实……相当丢脸。
No. I'm better than Dad. I will use the scientific method even if it makes me feel stupid.
不行。我得比爸爸强。哪怕看起来很傻，我也要按科学方法做。
"Letter -" Harry said, but it actually came out as more of a whispered croak.
「有信……」哈利开了口，声音却只是一声低哑的耳语。
Harry steeled his will, and shouted into the empty sky, "Letter for Hogwarts! Can I get an owl? "
哈利定了定神，朝空荡荡的天空大喊：「有信要寄到霍格沃茨！能来只猫头鹰吗？」
"Harry?" asked a bemused woman's voice, one of the neighbours.
「哈利？」隔壁传来一个女人困惑的声音。
Harry pulled down his hand like it was on fire and hid the envelope behind his back like it was drug money. His whole face was hot with shame.
哈利像被烫到一样猛地放下手，又像藏赃款似的把信封塞到背后。他羞得满脸发热。
An old woman's face peered out from above the neighbouring fence, grizzled grey hair escaping from her hairnet. Mrs. Figg, the occasional babysitter. "What are you doing, Harry?"
隔壁院墙上方探出一张老太太的脸，斑白的头发从发网里散了出来。是偶尔帮忙照看哈利的费格太太。「你在干什么呀，哈利？」
"Nothing," Harry said in a strangled voice. "Just - testing a really silly theory -"
「没什么，」哈利绷着嗓子说。「只是在试一个特别蠢的说法……」
"Did you get your acceptance letter from Hogwarts?"
「你收到霍格沃茨的录取信了？」
Harry froze in place_._
哈利僵在了原地。
"Yes," Harry's lips said a little while later. "I got a letter from Hogwarts. They say they want my owl by the 31st of July, but -"
「是，」过了一会儿，哈利的嘴才自己动起来。「我收到霍格沃茨的信了。信上说要我在七月三十一日前用猫头鹰回信，可是……」
"But you don't have an owl. Poor dear! I can't imagine what someone must have been thinking, sending you just the standard letter."
「可你根本没有猫头鹰。可怜的孩子！真不知道寄信的人怎么想的，居然只给你寄了一封标准录取信。」
A wrinkled arm stretched out over the fence, and opened an expectant hand. Hardly even thinking at this point, Harry gave over his envelope.
一条布满皱纹的胳膊越过院墙伸来，手掌摊开，等着接东西。哈利这时几乎没有思考，就把信封交了过去。
"Just leave it to me, dear," said Mrs. Figg, "and in a jiffy or two I'll have someone over."
「交给我吧，亲爱的，」费格太太说，「一会儿就会有人过来。」
And her face disappeared from over the fence.
她的脸从院墙上方消失了。
There was a long silence in the garden.
院子里沉默了很久。
Then a boy's voice said, calmly and quietly, "What."
随后，一个男孩平静而轻轻地说：「什么。」
梗与典故
- 「概率极低的一天」 按哈利原来的世界模型，母亲开玩笑、撒谎或精神出了问题，都比「宇宙真的允许魔法」更有可能。这一天出现的新证据，逼着他重新给几种解释排序。开场的银光、黑袍、鲜血和那声尖叫，本章没有解释，先把它当作留给后文的谜面就好。
- 实验方法 哈利没有继续帮父母找论据。他把争论改成一个能分出结果的实验：请霍格沃茨教授上门，当场展示魔法。哈利还把规则说在前面，展示成功，父亲要承认；展示不了，母亲也不能临时找借口。作者把 HPMOR 称为「理性主义小说」，主角需要靠思考和证据解决问题。2
- 一个愿意输掉的判断 哈利觉得「魔法是真的」，却发现这股确信至少没有作弊。它没说教授可能不来，也没把弯勺子这种普通魔术算成成功。哈利仍不知道这股确信从哪里来，但它愿意接受一次真正的检验。
- 门板和门把手 平板叫人推，把手叫人拉。哈利没有在这里给概念取名，只是借门的设计提醒自己：眼前既然有一个能检验的说法，下一步就该去检验。思考到这里变成了动作。
- 弯勺子与冷读术 迈克尔先把魔法归入舞台骗术。弯勺子是常见的「超能力」表演；冷读术则靠观察反应、试探和高概率猜测，制造出「我知道你在想什么」的感觉。作者自己的科学说明也把这两项列为本章背景。5
- 信念也会变成身份标签 迈克尔不肯去花园里看实验，因为认真观看都像是在和「相信魔法的蠢人」站到一起。作者借这一幕讽刺一种常见反应：人拿信念表示自己属于哪一群人，结果连检查事实都像是在背叛身份。5
- 达力·德思礼那条人生岔路 佩妮想到自己会嫁给弗农，再给孩子取名达力，突然看见了一整套她无法忍受的人生。她转身求莉莉用魔法改变自己，HPMOR 里的佩妮也从这里走上了与原作不同的生活。6
- 费格太太为什么秒懂 原作中的费格太太也照看过哈利，并且知道巫师世界。她一听见「霍格沃茨」和「猫头鹰」，立刻知道标准录取信哪里出了问题。熟悉原作的读者会比哈利早半步明白，教授真的要来了。7
- 七月三十一日 霍格沃茨要求在七月三十一日前收到回信，而这一天正是哈利的十一岁生日。费格太太抱怨标准信没有考虑到一个在麻瓜家庭长大的孩子根本没有猫头鹰。8
References
- 1HPMOR 第1章英文原文
hpmor.com
- 2HPMOR 作品与授权说明
hpmor.com
- 3《费曼物理学讲义》第一卷第二章
feynmanlectures.caltech.edu
- 4《费曼物理学讲义》第一卷第一章
feynmanlectures.caltech.edu
- 5HPMOR 第1章科学说明
hpmor.com
- 6达力·德思礼的正典角色资料
harrypotter.fandom.com
- 7阿拉贝拉·费格的正典角色资料
harrypotter.fandom.com
- 8《哈利·波特》官网生日专题
harrypotter.com
This story was produced automatically by a channel. One sentence is all it takes for Neodrop to keep producing for you.