HPMOR 第21章｜合理化（中英对照）
赫敏把自己「太享受碾压哈利」说成谈恋爱，哈利输掉读书比赛还赔上一笔赌债；地下一间废弃教室里，德拉科答应跟哈利学「科学」，两人替这个秘密结社起了名字——而这一周还没过完。
英文原文取自 HPMOR 官方第 21 章。下文保留章首题记，并严格按官方故事正文的自然段与分隔线逐段排列；每组英文在上、中文在下；中文为依据英文独立校订的非官方译文。hpmor.xyz 对应章 仅用于核对理解、专名、术语与遗漏，未原样转载。
Rowling is whoever does Rowling's job.
谁干罗琳那份活儿，谁就是罗琳。
Hermione Granger had worried she was turning Bad.
赫敏·格兰杰一度担心自己正在变「坏」。
The difference between Good and Bad was usually easy to grasp, she'd never understood why other people had so much trouble. At Hogwarts, "Good" was Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout. "Bad" was Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell and Draco Malfoy. Harry Potter... was one of those unusual cases where you couldn't tell just by looking. She was still trying to figure out where he belonged.
「好」与「坏」的分界，平时一眼就能看明白，她从来不懂别人怎么会在这种事上费那么大的劲。在霍格沃茨，「好」是弗立维教授、麦格教授和斯普劳特教授。「坏」是斯内普教授、奇洛教授和德拉科·马尔福。哈利·波特……属于那种少见的例外：光凭外表，你分不清他算哪一边。她到现在还没弄清楚该把他归到哪里。
But when it came to herself...
可轮到她本人的时候……
Hermione was having too much fun crushing Harry Potter.
赫敏碾压哈利·波特，碾得太开心了。
She'd done better than him in every single class they'd taken. (Except for broomstick riding which was like gym class, it didn't count.) She'd gotten real House points almost every day of their first week, not for weird heroic things, but smart things like learning spells quickly and helping other students. She knew those kinds of House points were better, and the best part was, Harry Potter knew it too. She could see it in his eyes every time she won another real House point.
两人一起上的每一门课，她都比他学得好。（扫帚飞行课除外——那跟体育课差不多，不作数。）开学头一个星期，她几乎天天都能拿到真正的学院分，靠的不是什么古怪的英雄行径，而是聪明的事，比如很快学会一个魔咒、顺手帮别的同学一把。她知道这样挣来的学院分，比靠英雄事迹挣来的那种更值钱，而最妙的是，哈利·波特也明白这一点。每次她又挣到一个真正的学院分，都能从他眼神里看出来。
If you were Good, you weren't supposed to enjoy winning this much.
你要是站在「好」这一边，就不该这么享受赢的滋味。
It had started on the day of the train ride, though it had taken a while for the whirlwind to sink in. It wasn't until later that night that Hermione had begun to realize just how much she'd let that boy walk all over her.
这件事从坐火车那天就开始了，只是那股旋风过了些时候才平息。直到当天夜里，赫敏才慢慢意识到，自己多么放任那个男孩把她踩在脚下。
Before she'd met Harry Potter she hadn't had anyone she'd wanted to crush. If someone wasn't doing as well as her in class, it was her job to help them, not rub it in. That was what it meant to be Good.
认识哈利·波特以前，她从来没有过想碾压谁。谁功课不如她，她的职责就是帮他，而不是拿这事戳他痛处。「好」就是这个意思。
And now...
而现在……
...now she was winning, Harry Potter was flinching every time she got another House point, and it was so much fun, her parents had warned her against drugs and she suspected this was more fun than that.
……如今她在赢，她每多拿一个学院分，哈利·波特就会缩一下，这太好玩了；她父母告诫过她要远离毒品，她怀疑这件事比那还更好玩。
She'd always liked the smiles that teachers gave her when she did something right. She'd always liked seeing the long row of check-marks on a perfectly answered test. But now when she did well in class she would casually glance around and catch a glimpse of Harry Potter gritting his teeth, and it made her want to burst into song like a Disney movie.
她一向喜欢自己做对事时老师给的那个笑。她也一向喜欢看一份满分卷子上那长长一串对勾。可如今她在课堂上表现出彩，就会装作无意地往四周一扫，恰好瞥见哈利·波特咬紧牙关的样子，那一刻她恨不得像迪士尼动画里那样放声唱起来。
That was Bad, wasn't it?
这是「坏」的，对吧？
Hermione had worried she was turning Bad.
赫敏也曾担心过自己在变「坏」。
And then a thought had come to her which wiped away all her fears.
后来她心里冒出一个念头，把她的恐惧一扫而光。
She and Harry were getting into a Romance! Of course! Everyone knew what it meant when a boy and a girl started fighting all the time. They were courting one another! There was nothing Bad about that.
她和哈利是在谈恋爱！当然是这样！一个男孩和一个女孩开始成天斗嘴，谁都知道那意味着什么。他们是在互相追求呢！这件事根本不算「坏」。
It couldn't be that she just enjoyed beating the living scholastic daylights out of the most famous student in the school, someone who was in books and talked like books, the boy who had somehow vanquished the Dark Lord and even smushed Professor Snape like a sad little bug, the boy who was, as Professor Quirrell would have put it, dominant, over everyone else in first-year Ravenclaw except for Hermione Granger who was utterly squishing the Boy-Who-Lived in all his classes besides broomstick riding.
总不能是因为，她只是享受在学业上把全校最出名的学生打得落花流水吧——那个人被写进了书里，说起话来也像一本书；那个男孩不知用什么法子消灭了黑魔王，连斯内普教授都被他碾成了一只可怜巴巴的小虫子；那个男孩，按奇洛教授的说法，在一年级拉文克劳里压倒了所有人，只有赫敏·格兰杰除外——而赫敏·格兰杰除了扫帚飞行课，每一门课都把大难不死的男孩碾得死死的。
Because that would have been Bad.
因为那样就算「坏」了。
No. It was Romance. That was it. That was why they were fighting.
不。这是爱情。这才是答案。他们斗嘴，为的就是这个。
Hermione was glad she had figured this out in time for today, when Harry would lose their book-reading contest, which the whole school knew about, and she wanted to start dancing with the sheer overflowing joy of it.
赫敏很高兴自己在今天之前及时想通了这件事——今天哈利会输掉他们的读书比赛，全校都知道这场比赛；一想到这儿，她满心欢喜都快溢出来，恨不得当场跳起舞来。
It was 2:45pm on Saturday and Harry Potter had half of Bathilda Bagshot's A History of Magic left to read and she was staring at her pocket watch as it ticked with dreadful slowness toward 2:47pm.
星期六下午两点四十五分，哈利·波特手里那本巴希达·巴沙特的《魔法史》还剩半本没读完，她则盯着自己的怀表，看它慢得可怕地一格一格走向两点四十七分。
And the entire Ravenclaw common room was watching.
整个拉文克劳公共休息室的人都在看。
It wasn't just the first-years, news had spread like spilled milk and fully half of Ravenclaw was crowded into the room, squeezed into sofas and leaning on bookcases and sitting on the arms of chairs. All six prefects were there including the Head Girl of Hogwarts. Someone had needed to cast an Air-Freshening Charm just so that there would be enough oxygen. And the din of conversation had died into whispers which had now faded into utter silence.
来的人不止一年级：消息像打翻的牛奶一样淌得到处都是，拉文克劳足足有一半人涌进了这间屋子，挤在沙发里的、倚着书架的、坐在椅子扶手上的，哪儿都是。六位级长全到了，连霍格沃茨的女生学生会主席也在场。有人不得不施展空气清新咒，好让屋里的氧气够用。先前嗡嗡的谈话声先降成窃窃私语，这会儿已经彻底安静下来。
2:46pm.
下午两点四十六分。
The tension was unbearable. If it had been anyone else, anyone else, his defeat would have been a foregone conclusion.
气氛紧张得让人受不了。若换成别的什么人，任何一个人，他的败局早已注定。
But this was Harry Potter, and you couldn't rule out the possibility that he would, sometime in the next few seconds, raise a hand and snap his fingers.
可这是哈利·波特，你没法排除这种可能：接下来这几秒里，他会抬手打个响指。
With sudden terror she realized how Harry Potter might be able to do exactly that. It would be just like him to have already finished reading the second half of the book earlier...
一阵突如其来的恐惧涌上来，她意识到哈利·波特真有可能就这么干。这太像他干得出来的事：他早就把下半本读完了……
Hermione's vision began to swim. She tried to make herself breathe, and found that she simply couldn't.
赫敏眼前开始发花。她想让自己呼吸，却发现根本吸不进气。
Ten seconds left, and he still hadn't raised his hand.
只剩十秒，他仍然没有举手。
Five seconds left.
还剩五秒。
2:47pm.
下午两点四十七分。
Harry Potter carefully placed a bookmark into his book, closed it, and laid it aside.
哈利·波特不紧不慢地把书签夹进书里，合上书，搁到一旁。
"I would like to note for the benefit of posterity," said the Boy-Who-Lived in a clear voice, "that I had only half a book left, and that I ran into a number of unexpected delays -"
「我想给后世留个记录，」大难不死的男孩用清亮的嗓音说，「我剩下的只有半本书，而且我碰上了一连串意料之外的耽搁——」
"You lost! " shrieked Hermione. "You did! You lost our contest! "
「你输了！」赫敏尖声叫道，「你就是输了！你把我们的比赛输掉了！」
There was a collective exhalation as everyone started breathing again.
全场齐齐吐出一口气，大家这才重新呼吸起来。
Harry Potter shot her a Look of Flaming Fire, but she was floating in a halo of pure white happiness and nothing could touch her.
哈利·波特朝她投来一记烈焰腾腾的眼神，可她正漂在一圈纯白幸福的光晕里，什么都碰不到她。
"Do you realize what kind of week I've had? " said Harry Potter. "Any lesser being would have been hard-pressed to read eight Dr. Seuss books!"
「你知道我这星期过的是什么日子吗？」哈利·波特说，「换个差一点的人，要读八本苏斯博士的书，早就撑不住了！」
"You set the time limit."
「期限是你自己定的。」
Harry's Look of Flaming Fire grew even hotter. "I did not have any logical way of knowing I'd have to save the entire school from Professor Snape, or get beaten up in Defense class, and if I told you how I lost all the time between 5pm and dinner on Thursday you would think I was insane -"
哈利那记烈焰般的眼神更烫了。「我哪有什么合乎逻辑的办法，能事先知道自己非得从斯内普教授手底下把全校人救出来，或者知道自己会在黑魔法防御术课上挨一顿揍；要是我告诉你，星期四下午五点以后到吃晚饭那段时间我是怎么丢掉的，你准以为我疯了——」
"Awww, it sounds like someone fell prey to the planning fallacy."
「哎呀，听这口气，某人是栽在规划谬误上头了。」
Raw shock showed on Harry Potter's face.
哈利·波特脸上明明白白写着震惊。
"Oh that reminds me, I finished reading the first batch of books you lent me," Hermione said with her best innocent look. A couple of them had been hard books, too. She wondered how long it had taken him to finish reading them.
「哦，这倒提醒我了：你借给我的第一批书，我已经读完了。」赫敏摆出她最无辜的表情说。其中有两三本还是相当难的书。她很好奇，他读完那些书用了多久。
"Someday," said the Boy-Who-Lived, "when the distant descendants of Homo sapiens are looking back over the history of the galaxy and wondering how it all went so wrong, they will conclude that the original mistake was when someone taught Hermione Granger how to read."
「总有一天，」大难不死的男孩说，「当智人的遥远后裔回望银河系的历史，琢磨这一切究竟是怎么走歪的时候，他们会得出结论：最初的错误，是有人教会了赫敏·格兰杰认字。」
"But you still lose," said Hermione. She held a hand to her chin and looked contemplative. "Now what exactly should you lose, I wonder?"
「可你还是输了，」赫敏说。她一只手托着下巴，做出沉思的样子。「让我想想，究竟该让你输掉点什么呢？」
"What? "
「什么？」哈利问。
"You lost the bet," Hermione explained, "so you have to pay a forfeit."
「你输了这个赌，」赫敏解释说，「那就得认罚。」
"I don't remember agreeing to this!"
「我不记得我答应过这回事！」
"Really?" said Hermione Granger. She put a thoughtful look on her face. Then, as if the idea had only just then occurred to her, "We'll take a vote, then. Everyone in Ravenclaw who thinks Harry Potter has to pay up, raise your hand!"
「真的？」赫敏·格兰杰说。她做出一副深思的表情。接着，仿佛这个主意才刚刚冒出来，她说：「那我们就投票吧。拉文克劳里认为哈利·波特该付账的，请举手！」
"What? " shrieked Harry Potter again.
「什么？」哈利·波特又尖叫了一声。
He spun around and saw that he was surrounded by a sea of raised hands.
他猛地转过身，只见四周是一片高高举起的手。
And if Harry Potter had looked more carefully, he would have noticed that an awful lot of the onlookers seemed to be girls and that practically every female in the room had their hand raised.
假如哈利·波特看得再仔细一点，他就会发现围观的人里有相当大一部分是女生，而且屋里几乎每一个女生都举了手。
"Stop!" wailed Harry Potter. "You don't know what she's going to ask! Don't you realize what she's doing? She's getting you to make an advance commitment now, and then the pressure of consistency will make you agree with whatever she says afterward!"
「住手！」哈利·波特哀号道，「你们根本不知道她会提什么要求！你们难道看不出她在干什么吗？她是要你们现在就预先表态，等一致性的压力一上来，她之后说什么，你们都会跟着点头！」
"Don't worry," said the prefect Penelope Clearwater. "If she asks for something unreasonable, we can just change our minds. Right, everyone?"
「别担心，」级长佩内洛普·克利尔沃特说，「她要是提出什么不合理的要求，我们改主意就是了。大家说是不是？」
And there were eager nods from all the girls whom Penelope Clearwater had told about Hermione's plan.
那些从佩内洛普·克利尔沃特嘴里听说过赫敏计划的女孩子，个个都急着点头。
A silent figure quietly slipped through the chilled halls of the Hogwarts dungeons. He was to be present in a certain room at 6:00pm to meet a certain someone, and if at all possible it was best to be early, to show respect.
一个不声不响的身影，悄悄穿过霍格沃茨地下城那一带阴冷的走廊。他得在傍晚六点整到某个房间去见某个人，而只要办得到，最好是早点到，以示敬意。
But when his hand turned the doorknob and opened the door into that dark, silent, unused classroom, there was a silhouette already standing there amid the rows of dusty old desks. A silhouette which held a small green glowing rod, casting a pale light which hardly illuminated even he who held it, let alone the surrounding room.
可他转动门把、推开那间又黑又静、早已弃用的教室的门时，一排排落满灰尘的旧课桌之间已经站着一个剪影。剪影手里握着一根泛着绿光的小棒，光线很淡，连握着它的人自己都照不清，更别提照亮四周的房间了。
The light of the hallway died as the door closed and shut behind him, and Draco's eyes began the process of adjusting to the dim glow.
门在他背后合拢，走廊里的光随之被挡在外面，德拉科的眼睛开始慢慢适应那点暗弱的绿辉。
The silhouette slowly turned to behold him, revealing a shadowed face only partially lit by the eerie green light.
那剪影缓缓转过身来看他，露出一张罩在阴影里的脸，只有一部分被这诡异的绿光照到。
Draco liked this meeting already. Keep the chill green light, make them both taller, give them hoods and masks, move them from a classroom to a graveyard, and it would be just like the start of half the stories his father's friends told about the Death Eaters.
德拉科已经喜欢上这场会面了。留着这道清冷的绿光，把两个人都拔高几寸，给他们罩上兜帽和面具，再把教室换成坟场——父亲那些朋友讲食死徒的故事，一半就是这么开头的。
"I want you to know, Draco Malfoy," said the silhouette in tones of deadly calm, "that I do not blame you for my recent defeat."
「德拉科·马尔福，我要你知道，」剪影用平静得可怕的语调说，「我近来输掉的那一场，我并不怪你。」
Draco opened his mouth in unthinking protest, there was no possible reason why he should be blamed -
德拉科想都没想就张开口，要替自己抗辩——这件事怎么算，都不该怪到他头上——
"It was due, more than anything else, to my own stupidity," continued that shadowy figure. "There were many other things I could have done, at any step along the way. You did not ask me to do exactly what I did. You only asked for help. I was the one who unwisely chose that particular method. But the fact remains that I lost the contest by half a book. The actions of your pet idiot, and the favor you asked for, and, yes, my own foolishness in going about it, caused me to lose time. More time than you know. Time which, in the end, proved critical. The fact remains, Draco Malfoy, that if you had not asked that favor, I would have won. And not... instead... lost."
「要说起来，这件事头一条得怪我自己蠢，」那个身影接着说，「一路上每一步，我本来都还有别的做法。你并没有要求我恰好按我做过的那样去做。你只求我帮个忙。是我自己不长脑子，偏挑了那个法子。可有一点摆在那里：我输了那场较量，输在区区半本书上。你养的那个白痴的举动，你求我的那件事，还有——对——我自己办事时的糊涂，让我损失了时间。比你以为的多得多的时间。而这些时间到头来恰恰是关键。事实就是，德拉科·马尔福，你要是没求我帮那个忙，我本来会赢。而不是……像现在这样……输。」
Draco had already heard about Harry's loss, and the forfeit Granger had claimed from him. The news had spread faster than owls could have carried it.
德拉科早就听说哈利输掉了比赛，也听说了格兰杰向他讨走的那笔赌债。这消息传得比猫头鹰送信还快。
"I understand," Draco said. "I'm sorry." There was nothing else he could say if he wanted Harry Potter to be friends with him.
「我明白，」德拉科说，「我很抱歉。」只要他还想让哈利·波特跟自己做朋友，除了这一句，他没有别的话可说。
"I am not asking for understanding or sorrow," said the dark silhouette, still with that deadly calm. "But I have just spent two full hours in the presence of Hermione Granger, dressed in such clothing as was provided me, visiting such fascinating places in Hogwarts as a tiny burbling waterfall of what looked to me like snot, accompanied by a number of other girls who insisted on such helpful activities as strewing our path with Transfigured rose petals. I have been on a date, scion of Malfoy. My first date. And when I call that favor due, you will pay it."
「我不要你的理解，也不要你的难过，」暗处的剪影说，语调依旧平静得可怕，「可我刚刚跟赫敏·格兰杰一起待了整整两个钟头，穿着别人给我备下的那身衣服，在霍格沃茨参观了好些有意思的地方，比方一道汩汩冒泡的小瀑布，那玩意儿在我看来像鼻涕。旁边还有一群女生陪着，非要帮些很有用的忙，比如往我们走的路上撒满变形出来的玫瑰花瓣。马尔福家的继承人，我去约会了。我第一次约会。等我开口讨要那笔人情的时候，你必须还。」
Draco nodded solemnly. Before arriving he had taken the wise precaution of learning every available detail of Harry's date, so that he could get all of his hysterical laughing done before their appointed meeting time, and would not commit a faux pas by giggling continuously until he lost consciousness.
德拉科郑重地点了点头。动身之前，他做了一件很明智的防备：把哈利那场约会能打听到的每个细节都摸了个遍，好赶在约定见面的时刻之前把该笑的笑够，免得到时候一直笑、笑到自己昏过去，那可就失礼了。
"Do you think," Draco said, "that something sad ought to happen to the Granger girl -"
「你说，」德拉科开口道，「要不要让格兰杰那个丫头碰上点倒霉事——」
"Spread the word in Slytherin that the Granger girl is mine and anyone who meddles in my affairs will have their remains scattered over an area wide enough to include twelve different spoken languages. And since I am not in Gryffindor and I use cunning rather than immediate frontal attacks, they should not panic if I am seen smiling at her."
「在斯莱特林放话出去：格兰杰那个女孩是我的，谁敢插手我的事，我就把他的残骸撒遍一大片地方，大到那里头说着十二种不同的语言。还有，我不在格兰芬多，靠的是计谋，不会一上来就正面强攻，所以就算有人看见我对她笑，也不必惊慌。」
"Or if you're seen on a second date?" Draco said, allowing just a tiny note of skepticism into his voice.
「又或者，有人看见你去第二次约会呢？」德拉科说，声音里只掺进一丝极轻的怀疑。
"There will be no second date," said the green-lit silhouette in a voice so fearsome that it sounded, not only like a Death Eater, but like Amycus Carrow that one time just before Father told him to stop it, he wasn't the Dark Lord.
「绝不会有第二次约会，」绿光中的剪影说。那声音凶得吓人，不只是像食死徒，更像阿米库斯·卡罗有那么一回的口气——紧接着父亲就叫他别再那样了，他又不是黑魔王。
Of course it was still a young boy's high unbroken voice and when you combined that with the actual words, well, it just didn't work. If Harry Potter did become the next Dark Lord someday, Draco would use a Pensieve to store a copy of this memory somewhere safe, and Harry Potter would never dare betray him.
可那毕竟还是个小男孩没变声的尖嗓子，再配上他真正说出口的那些词，哎，这威慑就彻底垮了。哪天哈利·波特真当上了下一任黑魔王，德拉科就要用冥想盆把这段记忆拷一份存到稳妥的地方，让哈利·波特这辈子都不敢背叛他。
"But let us talk of happier matters," said the green-shadowed figure. "Let us talk of knowledge and of power. Draco Malfoy, let us talk of Science."
「不过，我们说点更愉快的事吧，」绿色的身影说，「说说知识与力量。德拉科·马尔福，接下来讲讲科学。」
"Yes," said Draco. "Let us speak."
「好，」德拉科说，「那就谈吧。」
Draco wondered how much of his own face could be seen, and how much was in shadow, in that eerie green light.
德拉科心里琢磨：在这道诡异的绿光里，他自己的脸有多少看得清，又有多少隐在暗处。
And though Draco kept his face serious, there was a smile in his heart.
德拉科脸上绷得一本正经，心里却在笑。
He was finally having a real grownup conversation.
他总算跟人进行了一场真正的大人之间的谈话。
"I offer you power," said the shadowy figure, "and I will tell you of that power and its price. The power comes from knowing the shape of reality and so gaining control over it. What you understand, you can command, and that is power enough to walk upon the Moon. The price of that power is that you must learn to ask questions of Nature, and far more difficult, accept Nature's answers. You will do experiments, perform tests and see what happens. And you must accept the meaning of those results when they tell you that you are mistaken. You will have to learn how to lose, not to me, but to Nature. When you find yourself arguing with reality, you will have to let reality win. You will find this painful, Draco Malfoy, and I do not know if you are strong in that way. Knowing the price, is it still your wish to learn the human power?"
「我要给你力量，」那个身影说，「我也会告诉你这力量是什么，代价又是什么。这种力量来自看清现实的形状，从而把它握在手里。你懂了的东西，你就能号令它——这样的力量，足够让人走到月亮上去。代价是：你得学会向大自然提问，而比这难得多的是，接受大自然的回答。你要做实验，做测试，看看结果如何。当结果告诉你你错了，你必须接受它意味着什么。你得学会怎么输——不是输给我，而是输给大自然。当你发现自己跟现实较上了劲，就得让现实赢。德拉科·马尔福，你会发现这很痛苦，而我不知道你在这方面够不够硬。知道了代价，你还想学这门人类的力量吗？」
Draco took a deep breath. He'd thought about this. And it was hard to see how he could answer any other way. He'd been instructed to take every avenue of friendship with Harry Potter. It was just learning, he wasn't promising to do anything. He could always stop the lessons at any time...
德拉科深深吸了一口气。这件事他想过。他实在想不出自己还能怎么答。父亲那边交代过，要抓住一切机会去跟哈利·波特交好。反正这也就是上课，他可没答应要去做什么。课不想上了，他随时都能停……
There were certainly any number of things about the situation which made it look like a trap, but in all honesty, Draco didn't see how this could go wrong.
这局面的确有不少地方都像个圈套，可说老实话，德拉科看不出它哪里会出岔子。
Plus Draco did kind of want to rule the world.
再说，德拉科也确实挺想统治世界的。
"Yes," said Draco.
「愿意。」德拉科说。
"Excellent," said the shadowy figure. "I have had something of a crowded week, and it will take time to plan your curriculum -"
「太好了，」那个身影说，「我这星期事情排得太满，而且给你排课程也得花些时间——」
"I've got a lot of things I need to do myself to consolidate my power in Slytherin," said Draco, "not to mention homework. Maybe we should just start in October?"
「我自己也有一堆事要办，好把在斯莱特林的势力扎稳，」德拉科说，「更别提还有作业。要不，我们干脆十月再开始？」
"Sounds sensible," said the shadowy figure, "but what I meant to say is that to plan your curriculum, I need to know what I will be teaching you. Three thoughts come to me. The first is that I teach you of the human mind and brain. The second option is that I teach you of the physical universe, those arts which lie on the pathway to visiting the Moon. This involves a great deal of numbers, but to a certain kind of mind those numbers are more beautiful than anything else Science has to teach. Do you like numbers, Draco?"
「听着有道理，」那个身影说，「不过我的意思是，要排你的课，我得先定下到底教你什么。我眼前有三个想法。第一，我教你人的心智和大脑。第二，我教你物理世界——那些能通往月球的学问。这里头要用到大量数字，可对某一种脑子来说，这些数字比科学能教的其他任何东西都更美。德拉科，你喜欢数字吗？」
Draco shook his head.
德拉科摇了摇头。
"Then so much for that. You will learn your mathematics eventually, but not right away, I think. The third option is that I teach you of genetics and evolution and inheritance, what you would call blood -"
「那这个先放下。数学你迟早得学，不过我看不用马上就学。第三个想法：我教你基因、进化，还有遗传——你们管这个叫血统——」
"That one," said Draco.
「就这个。」德拉科说。
The figure nodded. "I thought you might say as much. But I think it will be the most painful path for you, Draco. What if your family and friends, the blood purists, say one thing, and you find that the experimental test says another?"
那身影点了点头。「我猜到你多半会这么说。可我觉得，对你来说这条路会最疼，德拉科。要是你的家人和朋友——那些血统论者——说的是一回事，而你做实验做出来的结论却是另一回事，你怎么办？」
"Then I'll figure out how to make the experimental test say the right answer!"
「那我就想办法，让实验结果说出正确的答案！」
There was a pause, as the shadowy figure stood there with its mouth open for a short while.
一时间谁也没说话。那个身影就那样站在原地，张着嘴，愣了一小会儿。
"Um," said the shadowy figure. "It doesn't really work like that. That's what I was trying to warn you about here, Draco. You can't make the answer come out to be anything you like."
「嗯……」那个身影开口了。「这事不是这么办的。我刚才想提醒你的就是这个，德拉科。答案不会因为你想要它就变成那个样子。」
"You can always make the answer come out your way," said Draco. That had been practically the first thing his tutors had taught him. "It's just a matter of finding the right arguments."
「可答案永远能变成你想要的样子，」德拉科说。这几乎是他家庭教师教给他的头一件事。「无非是找对论据而已。」
"No," said the shadowy figure, voice rising in frustration, "no, no, no! Then you get the wrong answer and you can't go to the Moon that way! Nature isn't a person, you can't trick them into believing something else, if you try to tell the Moon it's made of cheese you can argue for days and it won't change the Moon! What you're talking about is rationalization, like starting with a sheet of paper, moving straight down to the bottom line, using ink to write 'and therefore, the Moon is made of cheese', and then moving back up to write all sorts of clever arguments above. But either the Moon is made of cheese or it isn't. The moment you wrote the bottom line, it was already true or already false. Whether or not the whole sheet of paper ends up with the right conclusion or the wrong conclusion is fixed the instant you write down the bottom line. If you're trying to pick between two expensive trunks, and you like the shiny one, it doesn't matter what clever arguments you come up with for buying it, the real rule you used to choose which trunk to argue for was 'pick the shiny one', and however effective that rule is at picking good trunks, that's the kind of trunk you'll get. Rationality can't be used to argue for a fixed side, its only possible use is deciding which side to argue. Science isn't for convincing anyone that the blood purists are right. That's politics! The power of science comes from finding out the way Nature really is that can't be changed by arguing! What science can do is tell us how blood really works, how wizards really inherit their powers from their parents, and whether Muggleborns are really weaker or stronger -"
「不对，」那个身影说，声音因为挫败感拔高了，「不对，不对，不对！照这么办，你只会拿到错误的答案，这个法子去不了月球！大自然不是一个人，你没法哄它改主意——你要是想跟月亮讲它是奶酪做的，你可以争上好几天，月亮也不会变！你说的这一套叫合理化：先摊开一张纸，笔直往最下面那行去，用墨水写下一句『所以，月亮是奶酪做的』，然后再折回上面，把各式各样聪明的论证补在前面。可月亮只有两种可能：是奶酪做的，或者不是。你写下最后一行的那一瞬，这件事就已经定下真假了。整张纸最后是落到对的结论还是错的结论，在你写下最后一行的时候就锁死了。你要是在两只很贵的箱子之间挑，而你偏偏喜欢亮的那只，那你为了买它想出多少聪明理由都没用：你真正用来决定为哪只箱子找理由的规则，是『挑亮的那只』；这条规则挑好箱子的本事有多大，你最后拿到手的箱子就有多好。理性不能用来替某一方站台，它唯一可能的用途，是决定该站哪一边。科学不是用来说服别人『血统论者说得对』的。那是政治！科学的力量，来自把大自然真正的样子找出来——那个样子没法靠争论改变！科学能做的，是告诉我们血统到底是怎么起作用的，巫师究竟是怎样从父母那里继承魔力的，还有麻瓜出身者究竟更弱，还是更强——」
"Stronger! " said Draco. He had been trying to follow this, a puzzled frown on his face, he could see how it sort of made sense but it certainly wasn't like anything he'd ever heard before. And then Harry Potter had said something Draco couldn't possibly let pass. "You think mudbloods are stronger? "
「更强！」德拉科脱口而出。他一直试图跟上这套说法，眉头拧着，一脸困惑；他能看出它好像有点道理，可他以前肯定没听过这样的东西。接着哈利·波特说了一句话，德拉科绝不可能放过：「你觉得泥巴种更强？」
"I think nothing," said the shadowy figure. "I know nothing. I believe nothing. My bottom line is not yet written. I will figure out how to test the magical strength of Muggleborns, and the magical strength of purebloods. If my tests tell me that Muggleborns are weaker, I will believe they are weaker. If my tests tell me that Muggleborns are stronger, I will believe they are stronger. Knowing this and other truths, I will gain some measure of power -"
「我什么都不认为，」那个身影说。「我什么都不知道。我什么都不信。我那张纸的最后一行，到现在还空着。我会去想办法验一验麻瓜出身者的魔力，也验一验纯血的魔力。要是测出来麻瓜出身者更弱，我就信他们更弱。要是测出来麻瓜出身者更强，我就信他们更强。等我弄清了这件事，再加上别的真相，我就能拿到一定分量的力量——」
"And you expect me to believe whatever you say?" Draco demanded hotly.
「那你还指望我相信你说的每一句话？」德拉科气愤地质问。
"I expect you to perform the tests personally," said the shadowy figure quietly. "Are you afraid of what you will find?"
「我是要你亲自去把这些实验做一遍，」那个身影轻声说。「你怕自己会查出什么吗？」
Draco stared at the shadowy figure for a while, his eyes narrowed. "Nice trap, Harry," he said. "I'll have to remember that one, it's new."
德拉科眯着眼，盯着那个身影看了一会儿。「好一个陷阱，哈利，」他说。「这一招我得记住，是新招。」
The shadowy figure shook his head. "It's not a trap, Draco. Remember - I don't know what we'll find. But you do not understand the universe by arguing with it or telling it to come back with a different answer next time. When you put on the robes of a scientist you must forget all your politics and arguments and factions and sides, silence the desperate clingings of your mind, and wish only to hear the answer of Nature." The shadowy figure paused. "Most people can't do it. That's why this is difficult. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just learn about the brain?"
「这不是陷阱，德拉科。记住——我们会查出什么，我并不知道。可你没法靠跟宇宙争辩、或者叫它下次换个答案回来，就把宇宙弄懂。等你披上科学家的袍子，就得把政治、理念、派系、立场统统忘掉，还得让脑子里那些死死抓着不肯放的念头安静下来，只留下一件事：想听大自然的回答。」那个身影顿了顿。「大多数人做不到。所以它才难。你确定你不想干脆去学大脑那部分？」
"And if I tell you I'd rather learn about the brain," Draco said, his voice now hard, "you'll go around telling people that I was afraid of what I'd find."
「那要是我说我想去学大脑，」德拉科说，声音硬了起来，「你就会到处跟人讲，说我是怕查出什么来。」
"No," said the shadowy figure. "I will do no such thing."
「不会，」那个身影说。「这种事我不会做。」
"But you might do the same sort of tests yourself, and if you got the wrong answer, I wouldn't be there to say anything before you showed it to someone else." Draco's voice was still hard.
「可你说不定自己也会去做同样的实验。万一拿到的是个你不想听的结果，你把结果拿给别人看的时候，我不在场，什么也说不上。」德拉科的声音依然硬邦邦的。
"I would still ask you first, Draco," the shadowy figure said quietly.
「我还是会先问你，德拉科，」那个身影低声说。
Draco paused. He hadn't been expecting that, he'd thought he saw the trap but... "You would? "
德拉科顿住了。他本以为已经把陷阱看穿了，可……「你真会先问我？」
"Of course. How would I know who to blackmail or what we could ask from them? Draco, I say again that this is not a trap I set for you. At least not for you personally. If your politics were different, I would be saying, what if the test shows that purebloods are stronger."
「当然会。不然我怎么知道该去敲诈谁，或者能从他们那儿要出什么？德拉科，我重申一遍，这个陷阱不是我为你挖的。至少不是针对你一个人。假如你站的队反过来，我今天要说的就会是：要是实验查出纯血更强，又该怎么办。」
"Really."
「真的。」
"Yes! That's the price anyone has to pay to become a scientist!"
「没错！这是任何人想当科学家都得付的代价！」
Draco held up a hand. He had to think.
德拉科抬手示意。他得想一想。
The shadowy, green-lit figure waited.
那个影影绰绰、泛着绿光的身影等着他。
It didn't take long to think about, though. If you discarded all the confusing parts... then Harry Potter was planning to mess around with something that could cause a gigantic political explosion, and it would be insane to just walk away and let him do it on his own. "We'll study blood," said Draco.
不过，这件事并没有花他多久。要是把所有让人看不懂的地方都撇开……剩下的就是：哈利·波特正打算去碰一样东西，而那样东西可能引爆一场天大的政治风暴；自己要是转身走人、由着他一个人去干，那才是发疯。「我们研究血统，」德拉科说。
"Excellent," said the figure, and smiled. "Congratulations on being willing to ask the question."
「非常好，」那身影说道，笑了。「恭喜你愿意提出这个问题。」
"Thanks," Draco said, not quite managing to keep the irony out of his voice.
「多谢，」德拉科说，声音里的讽刺没能完全压住。
"Hey, did you think going to the Moon was easy? Be glad this just involves changing your mind sometimes, and not a human sacrifice!"
「喂，你以为上月球是轻轻松松的事？庆幸吧，这里顶多是有时候得改改自己的想法，不用献祭活人！」
"Human sacrifice would be way easier!"
「献祭活人可省事多了！」
There was a slight pause, and then the figure nodded. "Fair point."
短暂的停顿之后，那身影点了点头。「这话不假。」
"Look, Harry," said Draco without much hope, "I thought the idea was to take all the things that Muggles know, combine them with things that wizards know, and become masters of both worlds. Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just study all the things that Muggles already found out, like the Moon stuff, and use that power -"
「哈利，你听我说，」德拉科这话说得没多大底气，「我原以为你的主意，是把麻瓜知道的东西、巫师知道的东西合到一处，当两个世界的主宰。那我们要是一心去学麻瓜已经弄明白的东西——比如上月球那一套——直接用那份力量，不是省事得多——」
"No," said the figure with a sharp shake of his head, sending green shadows moving around his nose and eyes. His voice had turned very grim. "If you cannot learn the scientist's art of accepting reality, then I must not tell you what that acceptance has discovered. It would be like a powerful wizard telling you of those gates which must not be opened, and those seals which must not be broken, before you had proven your intelligence and discipline by surviving the lesser perils."
「不行，」那身影猛地一摇头，他鼻子和眼睛四周的绿影跟着晃动。他的声音变得极阴沉。「你要是学不会科学家接受现实的那门本事，我就绝不能把接受现实所发现的东西告诉你。那就好比一个强大的巫师，在你还没靠闯过那些小一点的凶险、证明自己够聪明也够自持之前，就把哪些门绝不能开、哪些封印绝不能破的规矩讲给你听。」
A chill went down Draco's spine and he shuddered involuntarily. He knew it had been visible even in the dim light. "All right," said Draco. "I understand." Father had told him that many times. When a more powerful wizard told you that you weren't ready to know, you didn't pry any further if you wanted to live.
一股凉气顺着德拉科的脊背往下走，他不自觉地抖了一下。他知道，哪怕在这么暗的光线下，这一抖也被看见了。「好，」德拉科说。「我明白了。」父亲跟他说过很多次这话。一个比你更强的巫师说你还没准备好知道某件事，你要是还想活命，就别再多问。
The figure inclined his head. "Indeed. But there is something else you should understand. The first scientists, being Muggles, lacked your traditions. In the beginning they simply did not comprehend the notion of dangerous knowledge, and thought that all things known should be spoken freely. When their searches turned dangerous, they told their politicians of things that should have stayed secret - don't look like that, Draco, it wasn't simple stupidity. They did have to be smart enough to uncover the secret in the first place. But they were Muggles, it was the first time they'd found anything really dangerous, and they didn't start out with a tradition of secrecy. There was a war going on, and the scientists on one side worried that if they didn't talk, the scientists of the enemy country would tell their politicians first..." The voice trailed off significantly. "They didn't destroy the world. But it was close. And we are not going to repeat that mistake."
那身影低头致意。「确实如此。不过还有一件事你该弄明白。最早那批科学家是麻瓜，没有你们这样的传统。一开始，他们根本不懂『危险的知识』这个概念，以为凡是被知道的事都该自由地说出来。等到他们的研究变得危险起来，他们把本该保密的事情告诉了自己的政客——别摆出那副表情，德拉科，这不是单纯的愚蠢。毕竟，他们得够聪明，才可能先把那个秘密挖出来。可他们是麻瓜，那是他们头一回碰上真正危险的东西，而且他们起步时并没有一个保密的传统。当时正在打仗，一边的科学家担心：要是他们不开口，敌国的科学家就会抢先把这件事告诉他们自己的政客……」那声音在这里意味深长地收住了。「他们没有毁掉世界。但也就差一点。而我们不会重犯那个错误。」
"Right," Draco said, his voice now very firm. "We won't. We're wizards, and studying science doesn't make us Muggles."
「说得对，」德拉科说，语气这会儿已经很坚决，「我们不会的。身为巫师，学点科学不会把我们变成麻瓜。」
"As you say," said the green-lit silhouette. "We will establish our own Science, a magical Science, and that Science will have smarter traditions from the very start." The voice grew hard. "The knowledge I share with you will be taught alongside the disciplines of accepting truth, the level of this knowledge will be keyed to your progress in those disciplines, and you will share that knowledge with no one else who has not learned those disciplines. Do you accept this?"
「就依你说的，」绿光里的剪影说，「我们要建立属于自己的科学，一门魔法科学，而它从一开始就会拥有更聪明的传统。」那声音变硬了。「我教给你的知识，会跟接受真相的修炼一起传授；你能拿到哪个层次的知识，要看你在这项修炼上走到哪一步；这些知识，你不能透露给任何一个没学过那些修炼的人。你接受吗？」
"Yes," said Draco. What was he supposed to do, say no?
「我接受。」德拉科说。他还能怎么办，说不接受吗？
"Good. And what you discover for yourself, you will keep to yourself unless you think that other scientists are ready to know it. What we do share among ourselves, we will not tell the world unless we agree it is safe for the world to know. And whatever our own politics and allegiances, we will all punish any of our number who reveal dangerous magics or give away dangerous weapons, no matter what sort of war is going on. From this day onward, that will be the tradition and the law of science among wizards. Are we agreed on that?"
「很好。你自己发现的东西，除非你认为别的科学家已经准备好知道，否则就自己留着。我们彼此分享的东西，除非大家一致认为让世界知道是安全的，否则就不告诉世界。还有，不论我们各自抱什么政治立场、效忠哪一方，只要有人泄露危险的魔法，或者把危险的武器交出去，我们所有人就要一起惩罚任何一个这样的同伴，不管外面正打着什么样的仗。自今日起，这便成为巫师之间科学的传统与法则。这一点大家都同意吗？」
"Yes," said Draco. Actually this was starting to sound pretty attractive. The Death Eaters had tried to take power by being scarier than everyone else, and they hadn't actually won yet. Maybe it was time to try ruling using secrets instead. "And our group stays hidden for as long as possible, and everyone in it has to agree to our rules."
「同意。」德拉科说。老实说，这套东西确实开始显得相当诱人。食死徒当年靠比谁都可怕来夺权，结果到现在也没真正赢下来。也许该换个法子，改用秘密来统治。「另外，我们这个团体要尽可能久地藏在暗处，里面每个人都要答应守这些规矩。」
"Of course. Definitely."
「当然。那还用说。」
There was a very short pause.
两人沉默了一小会儿。
"We're going to need better robes," said the shadowy figure, "with hoods and so on -"
「我们得弄几件像样的袍子，」暗处的身影说，「要带兜帽的那一种——」
"I was just thinking that," said Draco. "We don't need whole new robes, though, just cowled cloaks to put on. I have a friend in Slytherin, she'll take your measurements -"
「我正这么想，」德拉科说，「不过不必做整件新袍子，在外面罩一件带兜帽的斗篷就够了。斯莱特林那边我有个朋友，量尺寸的事可以找她——」
"Don't tell her what it's for, though -"
「不过别告诉她这东西是干什么用的——」
"I'm not stupid! "
「我又不蠢！」
"And no masks for now, not when it's just you and me -" said the shadowy figure.
「至于面具，眼下不用，就你我两个人的时候用不着——」暗处的身影说。
"Right! But later on we should have some sort of special mark that all our servants have, the Mark of Science, like a snake eating the Moon on their right arms -"
「对！不过往后我们得有一种特殊的标记，让所有仆人都带着，就叫科学印记，像是右臂上纹一条吞掉月亮的蛇——」
"It's called a PhD and wouldn't that make it too easy to identify our people?"
「它叫 PhD——可这样一来，要认出我们的人岂不是太容易了？」
"Huh?"
「嗯？」
"I mean, what if someone is like 'okay, now everyone pull up their robes over their right arms' and our guy is like 'whoops, sorry, looks like I'm a spy' -"
「我是说，万一有人突然来一句『好，现在大家把右胳膊的袍袖都挽起来』，我们那位就只能说『呃，抱歉，看来我是间谍』——」
"Forget I said anything," said Draco, sweat suddenly springing out all over his body. He needed a distraction, fast - "And what do we call ourselves? The Science Eaters?"
「刚才的话当我没说，」德拉科说，汗一下子从全身冒了出来。他急需一个话题来打岔，越快越好——「我们该给自己起个什么名字？食科学徒？」
"No," said the shadowy figure slowly. "That doesn't sound right..."
「不好，」暗处的身影缓缓说道，「听起来不太对……」
Draco wiped his robed arm across his forehead, wiping away beads of moisture. What had the Dark Lord been thinking? Father had said the Dark Lord was smart!
德拉科抬起袍袖在额头上一抹，把渗出的细汗擦掉。黑魔王当初到底在想什么？父亲明明说过，黑魔王很聪明！
"I've got it!" said the shadowy figure suddenly. "You won't understand yet, but trust me, it fits."
「我想到了！」暗处的身影猛地开口，「你现在还听不懂，但相信我，这个名字合适。」
Right now Draco would have accepted 'Malfoy Munchers' as long as it changed the subject. "What is it?"
这会儿只要能把话题岔开，哪怕对方报出的名字叫「马尔福嚼嚼团」，德拉科也会点头认下。「是什么？」
And standing amid the dusty desks in an unused classroom in the dungeons of Hogwarts, the green-lit silhouette of Harry Potter spread his arms dramatically and said, "This day shall mark the dawn of... the Bayesian Conspiracy."
在霍格沃茨地下城一间废弃教室里积满灰尘的课桌之间，哈利·波特那道被绿光照亮的身影摆出戏剧性的架势，张开双臂，说：「这一天，将标志着……贝叶斯阴谋的黎明。」
A silent figure trudged wearily through the halls of Hogwarts in the direction of Ravenclaw.
一个沉默的身影拖着疲惫的脚步，沿着霍格沃茨的走廊朝拉文克劳走去。
Harry had gone straight from the meeting with Draco to dinner, and stayed at dinner barely long enough to choke down a few fast gulps of food before going off to bed.
哈利和德拉科谈完，直接去吃了晚饭；他在餐桌前只待到勉强吞下几口饭，就起身回宿舍睡觉了。
It wasn't even 7pm yet, but it was well past bedtime for Harry. He'd realized last night that he wouldn't be able to use the Time-Turner on Saturday until after the book-reading contest was already over. But he could still use the Time-Turner on Friday night, and gain time that way. So Harry had pushed himself to stay awake until 9pm on Friday, when the protective shell opened, and then used the four hours remaining on the Time-Turner to spin back to 5pm and collapse into sleep. He'd woken up around 2am on Saturday morning, just as planned, and read for the next twelve hours straight... and it still hadn't been enough. And now Harry would be going to sleep rather early for the next few days, until his sleep cycle caught up again.
当时还不到晚上七点，可对哈利来说早就过了该睡觉的时间。他昨天晚上才想明白：星期六那天，他要等到读书比赛全部结束之后，才能动用时间转换器。不过星期五晚上他还能用时间转换器，靠这个把时间赚回来。于是哈利硬撑到星期五晚上九点，等防护外壳打开，再把时间转换器上余下的四个小时额度用掉，转回下午五点，倒在床上睡过去。按计划，他在星期六凌晨两点醒来，接着一口气读了十二个小时的书……可时间依然不够。接下来这几天，哈利都得早早睡觉，直到他的睡眠周期重新追上来。
The portrait on the door asked Harry some dumb riddle meant for eleven-year-olds that he answered without the words even passing through his conscious mind, and then Harry staggered up the stairs to his dorm room, changed into his pajamas and collapsed into bed.
门上的画像问了他一个只有十一岁小孩才会出的蠢谜语，他连想都没想就答了出来，随后哈利摇摇晃晃地爬上楼梯回到宿舍，换上睡衣，整个人倒进床里。
And found that his pillow seemed rather lumpy.
结果发现枕头似乎有些硌人。
Harry groaned. He sat up reluctantly, twisted in bed, and lifted up his pillow.
哈利呻吟了一声，勉强撑起身子，在床上翻了个身，掀起了枕头。
This revealed a note, two golden Galleons, and a book titled Occlumency: The Hidden Arte.
枕头底下露出一张字条、两枚金加隆，另外还有一本书，封面写着《大脑封闭术：隐秘之术》。
Harry picked up the note and read:
哈利拿起字条，读了起来：
My, you do get yourself into trouble and quickly. Your father was no match for you.
哎呀，你给自己惹麻烦的本事真不小，而且动作还快。你父亲当年可比不过你。
You have made a powerful enemy. Snape commands the loyalty, admiration, and fear of all House Slytherin. You cannot trust any of that House now, whether they come to you in friendly guise or fearsome.
你已经给自己招来了一个厉害的敌人。斯莱特林整个学院都忠于斯内普，既崇敬他，又怕他。如今那个学院里没有一个人能让你放心，不管对方来找你时是友善的样子，还是凶狠的样子。
From now on you must not meet Snape's eyes. He is a Legilimens and can read your mind if you do. I have enclosed a book which may help you learn to protect yourself, though there is only so far you can get without a tutor. Still you may hope to at least detect intrusion.
从今往后，你绝不能和斯内普对上目光。他是个 Legilimens，也就是会读心术的人——只要你与他目光相接，他就能读到你的心思。我附了一本书，或许能帮你学着保护自己；不过没有老师带，你能走到的程度终究有限。即便如此，你至少还能指望察觉到有人侵入。
So that you may find some extra time in which to study Occlumency, I have enclosed 2 Galleons, which is the price of answer sheets and homework for the first-year History of Magic class (Professor Binns having given the same tests and same assignments every year since he died). Your newfound friends the Weasley twins should be able to sell you a copy. It goes without saying that you must not get caught with it in your possession.
为了让你多出一些时间学大脑封闭术，我附上两枚金加隆，正好够买一年级魔法史课的答案和作业（宾斯教授去世以来，每年的测验和作业都一模一样）。你刚交上的那对韦斯莱双胞胎朋友，应该能卖你一份。不用说，这东西拿在手里时，千万别让人抓到。
Of Professor Quirrell I know little. He is a Slytherin and a Defense Professor, and that is two marks against him. Consider carefully any advice he gives you, and tell him nothing you do not wish known.
奇洛教授我知道得不多。他既是斯莱特林，又是黑魔法防御术课教授，这两条都对他不利。他给你的任何建议都要仔细掂量；凡是你不愿被人知道的事，一句也别对他说。
Dumbledore only pretends to be insane. He is extremely intelligent, and if you continue to step into closets and vanish, he will certainly deduce your possession of an invisibility cloak if he has not done so already. Avoid him whenever possible, hide the Cloak of Invisibility somewhere safe (NOT your pouch) any time you cannot avoid him, and step with great care in his presence.
邓布利多的疯只是装出来的。他聪明至极：你要是继续钻进壁橱里凭空消失，他准能看出你手上有件隐形衣，说不定他早就看出来了。能躲开他就躲开；实在躲不开，就把隐形衣藏到一个安全的地方（千万别放进你的莫克皮袋），在他面前一举一动都要格外当心。
Please be more careful in the future, Harry Potter.
以后请多加小心，哈利·波特。
- Santa Claus
——圣诞老人
Harry stared at the note.
哈利盯着那张字条。
It did seem to be pretty good advice. Of course Harry wasn't going to cheat in History class even if they gave him a dead monkey for a professor. But Severus's Legilimency... whoever'd sent this note knew a lot of important, secret things and was willing to tell Harry about them. The note was still warning him against Dumbledore stealing the Cloak but at this point Harry honestly had no clue if that was a bad sign, it could just be an understandable mistake.
这些提醒确实挺在理。当然，就算学校派一只死猴子来教他们的魔法史课，哈利也不会作弊。可西弗勒斯的读心术……字条的主人知道很多紧要的、隐秘的事，还愿意把它们讲给哈利听。字条到现在还在提醒他，要提防邓布利多把隐形衣偷走；事到如今，哈利真的说不准这算不算一个坏信号——也许它只是一个情有可原的误会。
There seemed to be some sort of intrigue going on inside Hogwarts. Maybe if Harry compared stories between Dumbledore and the note-sender, he could work out a combined picture that would be accurate? Like if they both agreed on something, then...
霍格沃茨内部似乎正上演着某种暗中的角力。也许哈利把邓布利多和字条主人的说辞对照一番，就能拼出一幅合起来看才准确的图景？比如两人都承认同一件事，那么……
...whatever...
……随便吧……
Harry stuffed everything into his pouch and turned up the Quieter and pulled the cover over his head and died.
哈利把所有东西一股脑塞进莫克皮袋，把静音器调大，拉过被子蒙住脑袋，睡死过去。
It was Sunday morning and Harry was eating pancakes in the Great Hall, sharp quick bites, glancing nervously at his watch every few seconds.
星期天早上，哈利在大礼堂里吃煎饼，一口一口又快又急，每过几秒就紧张地瞄一眼手表。
It was 8:02am, and in precisely two hours and one minute, it would be exactly one week since he'd seen the Weasleys and crossed over onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
现在是上午八点零二分，而再过整整两个小时零一分钟，距离他见到韦斯莱一家、跨上九又四分之三站台，就刚好满一个星期了。
And the thought had occurred to him... Harry didn't know if this was a valid way to think about the universe, he didn't know anything any more, but it seemed possible...
接着有个念头冒了出来……哈利不知道这样看待宇宙算不算一种站得住脚的想法，他如今什么都不确定了，可是这个念头似乎有可能……
That...
那就是……
Not enough interesting things had happened to him over the last week.
过去这一星期里，发生在他身上的有意思的事还不够多。
When he was done eating breakfast, Harry planned to go straight up to his room and hide in the bottom level of his trunk and not talk to anyone until 10:03am.
哈利打算吃完早饭就直接上楼回宿舍，钻进箱子最底下那一层躲起来，在上午 10:03 之前不跟任何人说一句话。
And that was when Harry saw the Weasley twins walking toward him. One of them was carrying something concealed behind his back.
也就在这个时候，哈利瞧见韦斯莱家那对双胞胎朝他走来。其中一个手里拿着什么东西，藏在背后。
He should scream and run away.
他应该尖叫一声，掉头就跑。
He should scream and run away.
他应该尖叫一声，掉头就跑。
Whatever this was... it could very well be...
不管那是什么……那都很可能……
...the grand finale...
……是最后的压轴大戏……
He really should just scream and run away.
他真的应该干脆尖叫一声，掉头就跑。
With a resigned feeling that the universe would come and get him anyway, Harry continued slicing at the pancake with his fork and knife. He couldn't muster the energy. That was the sad truth. Harry knew now how people felt when they were tired of running, tired of trying to escape fate, and they just fell to the ground and let the horrifically befanged and tentacled demons of the darkest abyss drag them off to their unspeakable destiny.
哈利抱着认命的心情继续用刀叉切那块煎饼，反正这个宇宙总会找上他的。他实在提不起劲来。这就是可悲的真相。哈利如今明白了，人在跑累了的时候是什么感觉：既不想再跑，也不想再试着逃开命运，索性往地上一倒，任凭最幽暗的深渊里那些长着骇人獠牙和触手的妖怪，把自己拖向说不出口的归宿。
The Weasley twins drew closer.
韦斯莱家的双胞胎越走越近。
And yet closer.
然后又近了一点。
Harry ate another bite of pancake.
哈利又往嘴里送了一口煎饼。
The Weasley twins arrived, grinning brightly.
韦斯莱家的双胞胎来到他面前，笑得一脸灿烂。
"Hello, Fred," Harry said dully. One of the twins nodded. "Hello, George." The other twin nodded.
「你好，弗雷德。」哈利无精打采地说。双胞胎里的一个点了点头。「你好，乔治。」另一个也点了点头。
"You sound tired," said George.
「你的声音听着就很累。」乔治说。
"You should cheer up," said Fred.
「你该高兴点儿。」弗雷德说。
"Look what we got you!"
「看看我们给你带了什么！」
And George took, from behind Fred's back -
于是乔治从弗雷德背后拿出了——
A cake with twelve flaming candles.
一个蛋糕，上面插着十二根点燃的蜡烛。
There was a pause, as the Ravenclaw table stared at them.
一时间没人出声，整张拉文克劳餐桌的人都盯着他们看。
"That's not right," said someone. "Harry Potter was born on the thirty-first of Jul-"
「这不对吧，」有人说。「哈利·波特是七月三十一号出生的——」
"HE IS COMING," said a huge hollow voice that cut through all conversation like a sword of ice. "THE ONE WHO WILL TEAR APART THE VERY -"
「他来了，」一个巨大而空茫的声音说，那声音像一把冰做的剑，把所有的谈话齐齐劈断。「那个人将撕裂这——」
Dumbledore had leapt out of his throne and run straight over the Head Table and seized hold of the woman speaking those awful words, Fawkes had appeared in a flash, and all three of them vanished in a crack of fire.
邓布利多从他的宝座上跳起来，径直从教工餐桌上冲过去，一把抓住正说出这些可怕字眼的女人；福克斯在一道闪光中现身，随即他们三个在一声火焰的爆响里消失了。
There was a shocked pause...
一阵震惊，所有人都僵住了……
...followed by heads turning in the direction of Harry Potter.
……接着，一颗颗脑袋都转向了哈利·波特。
"I didn't do it," Harry said in a tired voice.
「不是我干的。」哈利的声音里透着疲惫。
"That was a prophecy! " someone at the table hissed. "And I bet it's about you! "
「那是预言啊！」桌上有人压着嗓子说。「我敢打赌，说的就是你！」
Harry sighed.
哈利叹了口气。
He stood up from his seat, raised his voice, and said very loudly over the conversations that were starting up, "It's not about me! Obviously! I'm not coming here, I'm already here! "
他从座位上站起来，提高嗓门，盖过四周刚刚响起的议论，大声说：「说的不是我！明摆着的！我又不是正往这儿赶，我早就在这儿了！」
Harry sat back down again.
哈利又坐了回去。
The people who had been looking at him turned away again.
刚才盯着他看的人又把目光收了回去。
Someone else at the table said, "Then who is it about?"
桌上另一个人说：「那到底说的是谁呢？」
And with a dull, leaden sensation, Harry realized who wasn't already at Hogwarts.
带着一种迟钝而沉重的心情，哈利想明白了还有谁没在霍格沃茨。
Call it a wild guess, but Harry had a feeling the undead Dark Lord would be showing up one of these days.
就当是胡乱猜的吧，可哈利有种感觉：那个不死不灭的黑魔王，这些天里迟早会露面。
The conversation continued on around him.
谈话在他四周继续下去。
"Not to mention, tear apart the very what? "
「再说了，撕裂这什么玩意儿啊？」
"I thought I heard Trelawney start to say something with an 'S' just before the Headmaster grabbed her."
「我记得校长抓住她之前，特里劳妮正要说出一个带『S』的词。」
"Like... soul? Sun?"
「比如……soul？sun？」
"If someone's going to tear apart the Sun we're really in trouble!"
「要是有人真要把太阳撕了，那我们真要倒霉了！」
That seemed rather unlikely to Harry, unless the world contained scary things which had heard of David Criswell's ideas about star lifting.
这话在哈利看来相当不可能，除非这个世界上真有些吓人的东西，听说过大卫·克里斯韦尔关于恒星开采的主张。
"So," Harry said in tired tones, "this happens every Sunday breakfast, does it?"
「这么说，」哈利有气无力地说，「每个星期天的早饭都会出这种事，是吗？」
"No," said a student who might have been in his seventh year, frowning grimly. "It doesn't."
「不会，」一个看上去像是七年级的学生说，眉头拧得死紧。「不会的。」
Harry shrugged. "Whatever. Anyone want some birthday cake?"
哈利耸了耸肩。「随便吧。有人想吃生日蛋糕吗？」
"But it's not your birthday!" said the same student who'd objected last time.
「可今天不是你的生日！」刚才抗议过的那名学生又说了一遍。
That was the cue for Fred and George to start laughing, of course.
这当然就是弗雷德和乔治放声大笑的信号。
Even Harry managed a weary smile.
连哈利也勉强挤出了一个疲惫的笑。
As the first slice was served to him, Harry said, "I've had a really long week."
第一块蛋糕递到他面前时，哈利说：「我这一周过得可真够长的。」
And Harry was sitting in the cavern level of his trunk, slid shut and locked so no one could get in, a blanket pulled over his head, waiting for the week to be over.
哈利坐在箱子的洞穴那一层里，把箱盖拉上锁好，谁也进不来，又用毯子蒙住头，等着这一周过完。
10:01.
10:01。
10:02.
10:02。
10:03, but just to be sure...
10:03，不过为了保险起见……
10:04 and the first week was done.
10:04，第一个星期结束了。
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and gingerly pulled the blanket off of his head.
哈利松了一口气，小心翼翼地掀开头上的毯子。
A few moments later, he had emerged into the bright sunlit air of his dorm.
片刻之后，他已经置身于宿舍里明亮的阳光之中。
Shortly after, and he was in the Ravenclaw common room. A few people looked at him, but no one said anything or tried to talk to him.
又过了没多久，他人已经站在拉文克劳公共休息室里。几个人朝他瞄了一眼，但谁也没作声，也没人过来同他搭话。
Harry found a nice wide writing desk, pulled back a comfortable chair, and sat down. From his pouch he drew a sheet of paper and a pencil.
哈利找了一张宽大的写字桌，拉出一把舒服的椅子坐下。他从莫克皮袋里抽出一张纸和一支铅笔。
Mum and Dad had told Harry in no uncertain terms that while they understood his enthusiasm for leaving home and getting away from his parents, he was to write them every week without fail, just so that they knew he was alive, unharmed, and not in prison.
妈妈和爸爸跟哈利说得清清楚楚：虽说他们理解他离家、离开父母的那股兴奋劲，但他必须每周给他们写一封信，一次都不能少，好让他们知道他活着，没受伤，也没进监狱。
Harry stared down at the blank sheet of paper. Let's see...
哈利低头盯着那张空白的纸。让我想想……
After leaving his parents at the train station, he'd...
在火车站和父母分手之后，他……
...gotten acquainted with a boy raised by Darth Vader, become friends with the three most infamous pranksters in Hogwarts, met Hermione, then there'd been the Incident with the Sorting Hat... Monday he'd been given a time machine to treat his sleep disorder, gotten a legendary invisibility cloak from an unknown benefactor, rescued seven Hufflepuffs by staring down five scary older boys one of whom had threatened to break his finger, realized that he possessed a mysterious dark side, learned to cast Frigideiro in Charms class, and gotten started on his rivalry with Hermione... Tuesday had introduced Astronomy taught by Professor Aurora Sinistra who was nice, and History of Magic taught by a ghost who ought to be exorcised and replaced with a tape recorder... Wednesday, he'd been pronounced the Most Dangerous Student in the Classroom... Thursday, let's not even think about Thursday... Friday, the Incident in Potions Class, followed by his blackmailing the Headmaster, followed by the Defense Professor having him beaten up in class, followed by the Defense Professor turning out to be the most awesome human being who still walked the face of the Earth... Saturday he'd lost a bet and gone on his first date and started redeeming Draco... and then this morning Professor Trelawney's unheard prophecy might or might not indicate that an immortal Dark Lord was about to attack Hogwarts.
……认识了一个由达斯·维达养大的男孩，跟霍格沃茨名声最坏的三个捣蛋鬼交上了朋友，遇见了赫敏，接着又出了分院帽那桩事件……星期一，有人给他一台时间机器来治他的睡眠障碍，一个不知名的恩人送了他一件传说中的隐形衣，他瞪着五个吓人的高年级男生——其中一个还威胁过要弄断他的手指——硬是把他们瞪得让了步，救下七个赫奇帕奇的学生；他察觉自己身上带着一个神秘的黑暗面，又在魔咒课上学会了念Frigideiro，还开始和赫敏较起劲来……到了星期二，天文学课登场了，讲课的是奥罗拉·辛尼斯塔教授，她人很好；还有魔法史，教这门课的鬼魂早该被赶走，换成一台录音机……星期三，他被评为教室里最危险的那个学生……至于星期四，星期四的事还是别提了……星期五，魔药课上的事件，接着是他敲诈校长，接着是黑魔法防御术教授让他在课堂上挨了一顿揍，接着是这位教授原来竟是地球上还活着的、最了不起的人……星期六，他赌输了，平生头一回赴了约会，还着手把德拉科拉回正道……再往下就是今天早上，特里劳妮教授说的那句话谁也没听全，也许它意思是某个永生不死的黑魔王要打上门来，也许它什么也说明不了。
Harry mentally organized his material, and started writing.
哈利在脑子里把这些材料理了理，开始动笔。
Dear Mum and Dad:
亲爱的妈妈和爸爸：
Hogwarts is lots of fun. I learned how to violate the Second Law of Thermodynamics in Charms class, and I met a girl named Hermione Granger who reads faster than I do.
霍格沃茨可有意思了。我在魔咒课上学到了违反热力学第二定律的法子，另外还碰上一个叫赫敏·格兰杰的姑娘，她读书读得比我快。
I'd better leave it at that.
还是就写到这里吧。
Your loving son, Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres.
爱你们的儿子，哈利·詹姆斯·波特-伊万斯-维雷斯。
梗与典故
- 读八本苏斯博士的书算是很轻松的事：苏斯博士（1904–1991）是美国儿童绘本作家，一生自写自画六十多本书，文字是给刚开始认字的孩子准备的20。哈利说这句话是在替自己辩解——连读八本那么简单的书都会把人累垮；赫敏一句「期限是你自己定的」就把话堵了回去。
References
- 1Wikiquote: Mort
en.wikiquote.org
- 2r/HPMOR 的章题引语整理帖（2016）
reddit.com
- 3HPMOR 第18章（hpmor.com）
hpmor.com
- 4HPMOR 第20章（hpmor.com）
hpmor.com
- 5Kahneman & Tversky, Intuitive Prediction（1977 报告影印本）
rqa.squarespace.com
- 6
- 7HPMOR 第6章（hpmor.com）
hpmor.com
- 8
- 9r/HPMOR：Bayesian Conspiracy 是什么意思
reddit.com
- 10Wikipedia: Star lifting
en.wikipedia.org
- 11Wikipedia: David Criswell
en.wikipedia.org
- 12The Prophecy（Harry Potter Lexicon）
hp-lexicon.org
- 13Sybill Trelawney（Harry Potter Lexicon）
hp-lexicon.org
- 14Dark Mark（Harry Potter Lexicon）
hp-lexicon.org
- 15Dark Mark（Harry Potter Wiki）
harrypotter.fandom.com
- 16Amycus Carrow（Harry Potter Lexicon）
hp-lexicon.org
- 17Amycus Carrow（Harry Potter Wiki）
harrypotter.fandom.com
- 18Freezing Charm（Harry Potter Lexicon）
hp-lexicon.org
- 19Spells from the Films and Games（Harry Potter Lexicon）
hp-lexicon.org
- 20Wikipedia: Dr. Seuss
en.wikipedia.org
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