哈利波特與魔法石中文和英文全文（雙語閱讀-哈利波特與魔法石第2章）

2023-04-12 07:42:14

Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls.

自從杜斯利夫婦在他們臺階上發現了他們的侄子以來，十年已經過去了，但是普裡懷特街幾乎一點都沒有改變。太陽照舊從整潔的前花園升起來，照亮了前門上那印有"四號" 的銅牌，接著又悄悄地鑽進他們的臥室，十年前的一夜正是在這間屋子裡杜斯利先生聽到那則關於貓頭鷹的駭人聽聞的新聞。

Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets -- but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.

只有壁爐架上的照片還可以證明時光在流逝著。十年前，有很多照片看起來像一個巨大的粉色沙灘球，戴著不同顏色的帽子。達德裡.杜斯利已經不再是個小孩了。現在照片上的男孩結實強壯，要麼在騎自行車，要麼在遊樂場的旋轉木馬上，再不就是與爸爸一同玩電腦遊戲，與媽媽親吻擁抱。這些照片沒有一點關於另一個男孩也住在同一棟屋子裡的跡象。

Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.

但是哈利.波特確確實實住在那兒的。他現在正在睡覺，可惜睡不了多久了。他的姨媽帕尤妮亞已經醒來，並且用她的聲音製造出當天的第一聲噪音。

"Up! Get up! Now!"

"起床了！快起來！"

Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. "Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.

哈利猛地驚醒。他的姨媽又在敲他的門了。"起床！"她叫道。接著哈利聽到她走向廚房的聲音，接著是鍋子放到爐子上的聲音。他打了一個滾，開始回憶昨天晚上做的夢。是個好夢。夢中有一隻會飛的摩託車。他有一種奇怪的感覺——他一定做過同樣的夢。

His aunt was back outside the door."Are you up yet?" she demanded.

他的姨媽又來到了門外，"你起來了嗎？"她問。

"Nearly," said Harry. "

差不多了。"哈利說。

"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."

"再快一點，我要你去看著烤肉，如果它要是糊了我可要你好看。今天是達德裡的生日，我希望一切都是最好的。"

Harry groaned.

哈利哼了一下。

"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.

"你說什麼？"他的姨媽透過門問。

"Nothing, nothing..."

"沒有，沒有„„"

Dudley's birthday -- how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.

達德裡的生日——他怎麼可能忘記呢？哈利慢吞吞地下了床去找襪子。他在床下找到了一隻，從裡面拉出一隻蜘蛛後，又穿到腳上。哈利已經對蜘蛛習慣了。因為樓下的櫃櫥以及他自己的房間都多的是蜘蛛。

<<>

When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise -- unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.

他穿好衣服後便走向了廚房，飯桌上全部都是達德裡的生日禮物，其中好像有達德裡想要的新電腦，更不用提第二臺電視機及賽車。為什麼達德裡會想要一輛賽車，哈利一直想不通。達德裡那麼肥又不喜歡運動——當然打人除外。達德裡最喜歡的拳擊對象就是哈利，但是他不能經常抓到哈利，哈利跑得比他快。

Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.

可能跟長期住在黑黑的櫥櫃裡有關係，哈利就他這樣年紀的小孩來說，實在是又小又瘦。他經常穿達德裡的舊衣服，這使他看上之顯得更小更瘦——要知道達德裡要比他大四倍啊。哈利長著一張瘦瘦的疙瘩臉，黑黑的頭髮，亮藍色的眼睛。

He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.

他的那幅圓眼鏡是用很多膠布粘在一塊的，因為達德裡總是喜歡打他的鼻子。哈利對自己長相最滿意的地方要算前額上那道閃電形狀的疤痕了。他從自己記事時開始就已經有這道疤了，他還記得自己問帕尤妮亞的第一個問題就是自己是怎樣得到這個疤的。

"In the car crash when your parents died," she had said. "And don't ask questions." Don't ask questions -- that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.

"在你父母死去的那場車禍中。"她是這樣回答的。"不要再問任何問題了。"不要問任何問題——這是在杜斯利家平靜生活的第一條法則。

<<>>整理

Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. "Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.

當哈利翻動烤肉的時候，維能姨丈進了廚房。"梳好你的頭髮！"他吼叫著，算是早上打招呼的方式。

About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way -- all over the place。

幾乎每個星期，維能姨丈都會從報紙中探出頭來叫哈利去剪頭髮。哈利剪頭髮的次數比他班上所有其他男孩子加起來的還要多。但是無濟於事，他的頭髮還是一如既往地瘋長著。

Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face,not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel -- Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.

達德裡和他媽媽走進廚房時，哈利正在煎蛋，達德裡簡直和他父親生得一模一樣。他有一張大大的，粉紅色的臉龐，幾乎沒有頸根，小小的眼睛，濃密的金色頭髮柔順地貼在他肥肥的腦門上。帕尤妮亞姨媽總是說達德裡像一個天使——哈利覺得他像一隻戴著假髮的豬。

Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents.His face fell. "Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."

哈利把煎蛋和烤肉放在幾乎沒有位置了的飯桌上。此時達德裡正在數自己的禮物。他的臉色突然一沉。"三十六件，"他看著他爸爸媽媽說，"比去年少了兩件。"

"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy."

"寶貝，你忘了數瑪各姑姑的禮物了，喏，就在爸爸媽媽送的那件大禮物的下面。"

"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.

"好吧，就算三十七件！"達德裡說，他的臉都漲紅了。哈利覺得達德裡馬上要大發雷霆了，於是趕在達德裡把桌子掀翻之前狼吞虎咽地吃著盤裡的烤肉。

Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right''

帕尤妮亞姨媽顯然也覺得氣氛不對，馬上說："我們等一下出去給你多買兩件禮物，你說好不好？兩件哦，應該可以了吧？"

<<>>整理

Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty ... thirty..."

達德裡想了一會，好像想得很辛苦，最後他慢吞吞地說，"那麼我會有三十„三十„"

"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia. " Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."

"三十九件，寶貝。"帕尤妮亞姨媽說。"哦，"達德裡往後一靠，抓住最近的那件禮物把弄，"那麼好吧。"

Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.

維能姨丈笑了。"小傢伙就像他爸爸那樣懂得欣賞錢的價值。好樣的！"他撫弄著達德裡的頭髮。

At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried. "Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.

正在這時電話鈴響了，帕尤妮亞姨媽去聽電話。哈利和維能姨丈則在一旁看著達德裡一件件拆禮物：一輛賽車，一架遙控飛機，一臺電影攝影機，幾盤新的電腦遊戲碟和一臺錄像機。他正在拆一塊金色的腕錶時，帕尤妮亞姨媽怒氣衝衝地從電話旁走過來了。"壞消息，維能。"她說。"費格太太的腿摔壞了。她不能帶他了。"她把頭轉向哈利的方向。

Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.

達德裡恐懼地張大了嘴巴，哈利心裡卻樂開了花。每年達德裡生日的時候，爸爸媽媽就會帶著他和他的朋友出去冒險樂園，吃漢堡包或者看電影。而每年這個時候，哈利就會被送到兩條街之外的費格太太那裡去。哈利痛恨這一點。她的房子全是捲心菜的氣味，而且費格太太總愛叫他看她養過的貓的照片。

"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.

"那我們現在怎麼辦？"帕尤妮亞姨媽說，一邊狠狠地瞪著哈利，好像一切都是他策劃出來的。哈利知道他應該為費格太太感到傷心才是，但他提醒自己要整整一年後才會看到白雪、爪子（貓名）它們，這是一件多麼不容易的事啊！

"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.

"我們打電話問問瑪各。"維能姨丈提議。

"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."

"不要傻了，維能，她討厭哈利。"

The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them,like a slug.

杜斯利一家總是這樣說哈利，好像他不在場一樣——或者他們當他是一隻聽不懂他們說話的噁心的小蟲子。

"What about what's-her-name, your friend -- Yvonne?"

"那麼你的朋友怎麼樣？她叫什麼名字來看，帕尤妮亞？"

"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.

"她在馬約卡度假呢。"帕尤妮亞姨媽說道。

"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer). Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.

"你們可以把我留在這裡。"哈利滿懷著希望地說。這樣就可以看他喜歡的電視節目了， 說不定還可以去達德裡的電腦上去玩一玩。帕尤妮亞姨媽的表情好像剛剛吞下一隻檸檬。

"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.

"回來後發現房子被洗劫一空？"她喝道。

"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.

"我不會在房子裡翻天的。"哈利說，但是他們聽不進去。

"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "...and leave him in the car...."

"我們可以帶他去動物園。"帕尤妮亞姨媽慢吞吞地說，"然後把他留在車裡…."

"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone...."

"車是新的，不能讓他單獨坐在車裡…."

Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying -- it had been years since he'd really cried -- but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.

達德裡開始嚎啕大哭起來。實際上，他沒有真哭，已經很久他都沒有真哭過了，但是他知道一旦他苦著臉大哭大鬧，他的媽媽就會給他任何想要的東西。

"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.

"我親愛的寶貝，不要哭，螞咪不會讓他破壞你的生日的"她用手臂環住他，心痛地說。

"I... don't... want... him... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp- spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.

"我„„不想„„他„„去！"達德裡假裝大聲抽噎地說。"他總是搞„„搞亂所有事。

"他邊說邊在他媽媽的手臂間衝哈利邪邪地笑。

Just then, the doorbell rang -- "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically -- and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.

這時，門鈴響了。"天哪，他們到了！"帕尤妮亞姨媽慌慌張張地說。不一會兒，達德裡最好的朋友，皮爾斯。波各斯和他媽媽一塊走了進來。皮爾斯是一個皮包骨的、長著一張像老鼠的面孔一樣的男孩。在達德裡打人的時候，他總是那個把被打的人的手板到背後的那個幫兇。達德裡立刻停止了哭泣。

Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.

半個小時後，不敢相信自己運氣的哈利，已經和達德裡及皮爾斯一道坐在車的後座， 行駛在他有生以來第一次去動物園的路卜了。他的姨丈姨媽想不到其它辦法來對付他。但是他們離開之前，維能把哈利拉到一邊。

"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy -- any funny business,anything at all -- and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."

"我警告你，"他把自己那張巨大的紫色面龐貼近哈利說，"我在警告你，小子——如果有任何差錯，任何——我會把你關在柜子裡直到聖誕節。"

"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly.. But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did. The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.

"我不會搗亂的。"哈利說，"我發誓。"維能並不相信他，從來沒有人相信過他。問題在於，總有奇怪的事情圍繞著哈利發生，就算哈利並沒有刻意去製造它們。

Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.

有一次，帕尤妮亞姨媽厭倦了哈利從剪髮店那裡回來之後的樣子，因為看上去簡直像沒剪～樣。於是她從廚房裡拿出一把剪子把他弄得像個禿子。只有前額上的流海沒剪，她說要留下來"遮住那難看的疤痕。"達德裡嗤笑哈利居然因為想著第二天要上學而失眠—— 在學校裡，達德裡已經取笑過哈利大得出奇的衣服以及纏滿膠布的眼鏡。

Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.

第二天早上，哈利起床後發現他的頭髮又長得像沒剪前那麼長。他因此被關在柜子裡一個禮拜。儘管如此，他自己也解釋不到為什麼他的頭髮會這麼快就長出來。

<<>>整理

Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls) -- The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.

還有一次，帕尤妮亞姨媽強迫他把達德裡的一件有著橙色絨球的花色毛衣穿在身上， 誰知她越大力把毛衣往哈利頭上套，那件毛衣就變得越小。直到最後小到只夠一隻手掌大的狗穿，哈利是肯定穿不下的了。帕尤妮亞姨媽固執地認為一定是洗過之後毛衣縮水了， 多虧了她這樣想，哈利才免受懲罰。

On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings.

另一方面，哈利又因為被人發現在學校廚房的屋頂上而苦惱不已。達德裡和他的一幫走狗像往常一樣追他，可是超出所有人包括哈利本人的意料的是，他坐到了煙囪頂上。達德裡夫婦收到哈利的老師一封怒氣衝衝的信，告他爬學校的建築物。

But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid- jump.

可是他當時想的只是跳過廚房門外放著的易拉罐（他向弗農姨父喊道，他的碗櫃門是鎖著的）。哈利猜想一定是風把他帶到那上面去的。

But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.

但是今天什麼差錯都不能出。只要是能去除了學校、他住的柜子以及費格太太充滿捲心菜的房間以外的地方，哪怕是同達德裡和皮爾斯呆在一起也是值得的。

While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.

開車時，維能姨丈向帕尤妮亞姨媽抱怨個不停。他喜歡抱怨一起工作的同事。議會、銀行和哈利也是他最喜歡抱怨的對象之一。但今天早上，他抱怨的對象是摩託車。

"... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.

"這些年輕人，開摩託車開得像瘋子一樣。"正當他說這話時，一輛摩託車飛馳而過。

I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."

"我曾經做過一個關於摩託車的夢，"哈利突然間記起來，"它還會飛呢。"

Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!" Dudley and Piers sniggered.

維能姨丈幾乎要撞到前面那部車。他從椅子上轉過身去大聲衝哈利嚷道，"摩託車是不能飛的！"他的臉看上去像一枝長滿了鬍鬚的巨大的甜菜根。達德裡和皮爾斯撲嗤一笑。

I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."

"我知道它們不能，"哈利說，"只不過是一個夢罷了。"

But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon -- they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.

這時他開始後悔自己說的話了。有件事是比問問題更讓杜斯利夫婦討厭的，那就是談一些不尋常的東西，不管它是一個夢或者是卡通漫畫。他們總是認為他腦子中有一些危險的想法。

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.

這是一個天氣晴朗的周末，動物園裡的人比比皆是。在入口處達德裡和皮爾斯買了好大一個朱克力冰淇淋，接著，又不得已給哈利買了另一支便宜的檸檬冰棍，因為在他們爭著趕他走之前，那個笑眯眯的推著小車的小販問哈利需要什麼。哈利覺得這還不壞，可以一邊吃冰棒一邊看大猩猩搔頭。那隻猩猩簡直同達德裡生得一模一樣，當然除了頭上的金髮。

Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.

哈利已經很久沒有過一個這麼開心的上午了。他小心地與杜斯利一家保持一定距離， 好讓從午餐時間就開始對這些動物厭煩的達德裡和皮爾斯不至於像平時一樣，一間就以打他來取樂。他們在動物園一家餐廳吃的飯。達德裡又發了一頓脾氣，因為他的冰激凌聖代上沒有足夠的冰激凌。於是維能姨丈趕緊又幫他買了一隻，而讓哈利吃掉他吃剩的那隻。

Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can -- but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.

過了一會兒，哈利覺得，他應該早就知道這種好景不會維持長久。午飯後他們去了爬蟲館。那兒又冷又黑，牆裡面鑲著有燈的玻璃窗架。玻璃後面，各種各樣的蛇在樹木和石頭上爬來爬去。達德裡和皮爾斯很快就發現了那條最大的蛇。這條蛇大得可以繞住維能姨丈的車兩圈，並把它拋進一隻垃圾桶——但是當時看上去它好像沒有這種心情。實際上， 它正在熟睡中。

Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils. "Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.

達德裡把他的鼻子貼在玻璃上盯著那些閃閃發光的捲成一圈圈的東西。 " 讓它動。" 達德裡哀求著他爸爸。維能姨丈敲了幾下玻璃，但是那蛇動也不動一下。

"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.

"再敲一次，"達德裡這回用的是命令的口氣。維能姨丈這回用指關節重重地又敲了一陣，可那蛇仍然不動一下。

"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.

"太沒意思了。"達德裡南咕著，沒趣地走開了。

Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself – no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.

哈利一邊在這些大玻璃窗前走著，一邊聚精會神地盯著蛇看。他覺得說這些蛇是悶死的話都沒有什麼可奇怪的——整天一個伴兒都沒有，卻不停地有無聊的人不厭其煩地用手指敲著玻璃。這甚至比睡在柜子裡還要糟糕——睡在柜子裡最多只會有帕尤妮亞姨媽過來敲門把你吵醒。

The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. It winked.

這時那隻蛇突然睜開了它的眼睛。並且慢慢地，非常緩慢地把頭抬到它的眼睛正好可以直視哈利的位置便停了下來。它朝哈利使了一下眼色。

Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.

哈利愣住了。然後他趕緊轉過身去看有沒有人在注意他。還好沒有。於是他也朝那隻蛇使了下眼色。

The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: "I get that all the time.

那隻蛇把頭指向維能姨文和達德裡的方向，然後眼睛朝向天花板望了望。哈利馬上明白了其中的意思："曖，我總是遭到人們這樣的對待。"

"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."

"我知道。"哈利透過玻璃小聲地說，雖然他並不能肯定那蛇能不能聽見他說話。"一定很討厭吧。"

The snake nodded vigorously.

那隻蛇重重地點了一下頭。

"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.

"你到底從哪裡來的？"哈利問道。

The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.Boa Constrictor, Brazil. "Was it nice there?"

那蛇用尾巴戳了一下玻璃旁邊的一塊小標籤。哈利馬上貼過去看。"巴西莽蛇" "巴西這地方怎麼樣？"

The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on:This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see -- so you've never been to Brazil?"

那隻蛇又用尾巴指了一下那塊標籤，哈利才發現後面還有字——此動物是在動物園裡培育的。"哦，我明白了，原來你從來沒有去過巴西？"

As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"

那蛇搖了搖頭。正在這時一陣恐怖的叫聲嚇得哈利一跳："達德裡！杜斯利先生！快來看這隻蛇！你肯定不會相信它在幹什麼！"

Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.

達德裡飛快地跑了起來。

"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened -- one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.

"滾開，小子。"達德裡一邊說一邊一拳打在哈利的肋骨上。哈利在毫無防備的情況下重重的摔在水泥地上。接下來發生的事來得太突然以至於沒有人看清楚了它是如何發生的——前一秒鐘，皮爾斯和達德裡還緊緊地趴在玻璃上；後一秒鐘，他們就大呼小叫地拼命地往後跑。

Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.

哈利爬起來，被眼前的情景驚呆了。擋住那條巴西蛇的玻璃窗轉眼間消失了。那隻巨大的蛇正迅速地舒展開身體，爬到了地上——整個爬蟲館內的人群尖叫著往出口處飛奔。

As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come.... Thanks, amigo."

當那條蛇緩緩地滑過哈利腳邊時，哈利聽到一個低低的，嘶嘶的聲音說："我從巴西來的，謝謝你親愛的。"

The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. "But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"

爬蟲館的管理員頓時嚇呆了。"那塊玻璃。"他喃喃自語，"那塊玻璃哪裡去了？"

The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"

動物園園長親自給帕尤妮亞姨媽送來一杯濃茶，並且一遍又一遍地賠禮道歉。皮爾斯和達德裡說話都給巴了。其實就哈利看來，那條蛇除了戲弄他從他們腳邊爬了過去以外， 其它什麼也沒做。不過那時已經是在維能姨丈的車裡了。達德裡哭訴道那條蛇幾乎咬下了他的腿，而皮爾斯則說那蛇想纏住他使他憋氣而死。最糟糕的是，皮爾斯居然冷靜下來， 並且問哈利："你當時跟蛇說了話，是吧，哈利？"

Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go – cupboard -- stay -- no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.

維能姨丈等到皮爾斯安全地離開後才開始對哈利發火。他氣得連話都快說不出來了。他因為說了幾個單詞："去——柜子裡——呆著——沒有飯吃。"接著，他便癱倒在沙發裡了，帕尤妮亞姨媽趕緊跑去給他倒了一大杯白蘭地。

Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.

哈利在黑漆漆的柜子裡不知呆了多久。他突然很想要只手錶好看看時間，來確定達德裡一家到底睡了沒有。只是當他們都睡著了，他才可能潛進廚房找一些東西填肚子。

He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.

哈利已經跟杜斯利一家住在一起有十年了。從他記事開始，從他還是一個嬰兒，父母在一場車禍中雙雙死去開始，他就一直悽慘地活著，他已經記不起來導致父母雙亡的那場車禍了。有時，當他在柜子裡長時間地拼命回憶時，他就會有一種奇怪的反應：眼前突然閃過一道綠光，而且前額上像火燒一樣痛。他猜想這些都是車禍帶來的後遺症，雖然他搞不明白那些綠光到底是從哪裡來的。他記不住爸爸媽媽的樣子。他的姨丈和姨媽從來沒有提過他們，當然他們也不許他問問題。房間裡更連他們的照片都沒有。

When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley.

在哈利小一點的時候，他多麼希望一些不認識的人來把他帶走，但是從來沒有人這樣做過，杜斯利家成了他唯一可呆的地方。有時候他會想（可能也是希望）路上的陌生人可能認識他。這些陌生人真是非常奇怪。有一次他同帕尤妮亞姨媽和達德裡出去買東西時， 一個帶著紫色帽子的小人向他鞠了一躬。

After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.

在問過哈利他是不是認識這個小人以後，他們什麼東西都沒買就衝出了商店。還有一次，一個穿著綠色衣服長相奇特的老婦人在公共汽車上高興地衝他揮手。更有一次，一個穿著長長的紫色外套的禿子居然走上前來跟他握手，然後一言不發地走開了。關於這些人最古怪的地方就是每當哈利想好好地把他們看清楚時，他們眨眼間就消失了。

At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.

在學校，哈利一個朋友都沒有。每個人都知道達德裡和他的那一幫朋友都討厭穿著肥大衣服，戴著破爛眼鏡的哈利，而他們又不敢得罪達德裡和他的一幫朋友。