第9章 午夜決鬥4919words第二部分1469words

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.

他猛地把掃帚調轉過來,對著空中的馬爾福。馬爾福顯然大喫一驚。

stunned /st?nd/ adj. 目瞪口呆的

「Give it here,」 Harry called, 「or I』ll knock you off that broom!」

「Oh, yeah?」 said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

「拿過來,」哈利喊道,「不然我就把你從掃帚上撞下去。

」哦,是嗎?」馬爾福說。他想發出嘲笑,但臉上的表情卻很緊張。

sneer vi. 嘲笑，冷笑

Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin.

哈利好像天生就知道該怎麼做。他將身體前傾,用雙手緊緊抓住掃帚,於是掃帚就像標槍一樣朝馬爾福射去。

javelin /d??vl?n/ n. 標槍

Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.

馬爾福勉強閃身躲過;哈利又猛地調轉回身,穩穩地抓住掃帚。下面有幾個人在鼓掌。

「No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy,」 Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

「這裡可沒有克拉布和高爾為你保駕,馬爾福。」哈利喊道。

馬爾福似乎也產生了同樣的想法。

「Catch it if you can, then!」 he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

「給,看你能不能接住!」他大叫一聲,把玻璃球高高地扔向空中,然後迅速朝地面降落。

streak vi. 飛跑，疾駛

Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall.

哈利看見球彷彿是以慢動作升上了天空,隨即開始墜落。

He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down — next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball — wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching — he stretched out his hand — a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

他前傾著身體,使飛天掃帚指向下面—眨眼的工夫,他就加速俯衝下去,追趕玻璃球——風在他耳邊呼嘯,混雜著下面同學們的尖叫聲—他伸出手去,在離地面一英尺的高度接住了球。他及時把掃帚把扳直,然後輕輕倒在草地上,手心裡穩穩地攥著那隻記憶球。

mingle with 和…混合;混雜著
topple /tɑpl/ vt. 推翻；顛覆；使倒塌

「HARRY POTTER!」

His heart sank faster than he』d just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.

「哈利·波特!」

他的心突然往下一沉,比他剛才俯衝的速度還快。麥格教授正向他們跑來。哈利從地上站起來,渾身發抖。

「Never — in all my time at Hogwarts —」

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, 「— how dare you — might have broken your neck —」

「我在霍格沃茨這麼多年—從來沒有…」

麥格教授簡直驚訝得說不出話來,她的眼鏡片閃爍著憤怒的光芒,

「—你怎麼敢—你會摔斷脖子的一」

「It wasn』t his fault, Professor —」

「Be quiet, Miss Patil —」

「But Malfoy —」

「That』s enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now.」

「不是他的錯,教授」

「住嘴,佩蒂爾小姐

「可是馬爾福—」

「別說了,韋斯萊先生。好了,波特,跟我來。」

Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle』s triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall』s wake as she strode toward the castle.

麥格教授大步朝城堡走去,哈利機械地跟在後面。他離開時發覺馬爾福、克拉布和高爾臉上露出了得意的神情。

triumphant /tra??mf?nt/ adj. 成功的；得意洋洋的
numbly adv. 麻木地；無知覺地
strode v. 大步走（stride的過去式）

He was going to be expelled, he just knew it. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up.

他只知道自己要被開除了,想說幾句話為自己辯護,但嗓子似乎出了毛病。麥格教授大步流星地朝前走著,看也不看他一眼;他必須小跑著才能跟得上。

expel vt. 驅逐；開除

Now he』d done it. He hadn』t even lasted two weeks. He』d be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?

現在完了。他來了還不到兩個星期,再過十分鐘,就要收拾東西滾蛋了。達力一家看見他出現在大門口,會說什麼呢?

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn』t say a word to him.

兩人登上大門前的臺階,登上裡面的大理石樓梯,麥格教授還是一言不發。

She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore.

她擰開一扇扇門,大步穿過一道道走廊,哈利可憐兮兮地跟在後面。教授大概是要帶他去見鄧布利多吧。

wrench vt. 猛拉；猛扭；猛擰
trot vi. （馬）小跑；（人）慢跑；快步走

He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid』s assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid』s bag.

他想起了海格,雖然被開除了,但還是獲準作為獵場看守繼續留在學校裏。也許他可以給海格當個助手。他彷彿看見自己拎著海格的口袋,拖著沉重的腳步在場地周圍走來走去,眼巴巴地看著羅恩和其他人成為巫師。他一想起這些,就覺得胃擰成了一團。

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

麥格教授在一間教室外面停住腳步。她推開門,把頭伸了進去。

「Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?」

Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?

「對不起,弗立維教授,可以讓伍德出來一會兒嗎?」

伍德?哈利迷惑地想,難道是木頭柺杖,麥格教授要用它來教訓他?

bewildered adj. 困惑的
cane /ke?n/ n. 手杖

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick』s class looking confused.

誰知,伍德原來是一個人,一個高大結實的五年級男生,他一臉茫然地走出弗立維的教室。

turn out to be 結果是；原來是
burly adj. 結實的,魁梧的

「Follow me, you two,」 said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.

「你們兩個,跟我走。」麥格教授說。三個人一起在走廊裏大步前進,伍德好奇地打量著哈利。

「In here.」

Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

「進去。」

麥格教授指著一間教室叫他們進去,裡面只有皮皮鬼,正忙著在黑板上寫罵人的話。

「Out, Peeves!」 she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.

「出去,皮皮鬼!」她大吼一聲。皮皮鬼把粉筆噹啷一聲扔進垃圾箱,罵罵咧咧地衝出教室。麥格教授把門重重地關上,轉過身來,面對兩個男孩。

clang /kl??/ vi. 發鏗鏘聲
cursing v. 詛咒；咒罵（curse 的現在分詞）

「Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood — I』ve found you a Seeker.」

Wood』s expression changed from puzzlement to delight.

「Are you serious, Professor?」

「波特,這是奧利弗·伍德。伍德我替你發現了一個找球手。」

伍德臉上的表情從困惑轉為喜悅。

「你當真嗎,教授?」

puzzlement n. 迷惑；費解

「Absolutely,」 said Professor McGonagall crisply. 「The boy』s a natural. I』ve never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?」

「絕對當真。」麥格教授乾脆地說,「這孩子是個天才。我從來沒見過這樣的事情。波特,你是第一次騎飛天掃帚嗎?

crisply adv. 清楚地，清晰的，乾脆利落的

Harry nodded silently. He didn』t have a clue what was going on, but he didn』t seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.

哈利默默地點點頭,完全不明白是怎麼回事,但看來他不會被開除了,他的雙腿又開始慢慢恢復了知覺。

「He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive,」 Professor McGonagall told Wood. 「Didn』t even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn』t have done it.」

「他俯衝五十英尺,伸手抓住了那東西,」麥格教授對伍德說,「一點兒皮肉擦傷都沒有。查理·韋斯萊也做不到這點。」

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.

「Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?」 he asked excitedly.

伍德現在的表情,就好像他所有的夢想一下子全變成了現實。

「看過魁地奇比賽嗎,波特?」他激動地問。

「Wood』s captain of the Gryffindor team,」 Professor McGonagall explained.

「He』s just the build for a Seeker, too,」 said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him.

「伍德是格蘭芬多魁地奇球隊的隊長。」麥格教授解釋說。

「他的體型正適合當一個找球手,」伍德說,在哈利周圍繞著圈子打量他,

「Light — speedy — we』ll have to get him a decent broom, Professor — a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I』d say.」

「輕盈—敏捷—我們必須給他弄一把像樣的掃帚,教授我看,就來一把光輪200或橫掃七星吧。」

decent adj. 正派的；得體的；相當好的

「I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can』t bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year.

我要去跟鄧布利多教授談談,看能不能破格使用一年級新生。確實,我們需要一支比去年更棒的魁地奇球隊。

Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn』t look Severus Snape in the face for weeks. …」Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.

上次比賽被斯萊特林隊打得慘敗,我幾個星期都不敢和西弗勒斯·斯內普照面

麥格教授從眼鏡上方嚴厲地瞅著哈利。

flatten vt. 擊敗，摧毀

「I want to hear you』re training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you.」

Then she suddenly smiled.

」我希望聽到你在刻苦訓練,波特,不然我就改變主意,要懲罰你了

接著,她又突然綻開笑容。

「Your father would have been proud,」 she said. 「He was an excellent Quidditch player himself.」

「You』re joking.」

「你父親會為你驕傲的,」她說,「他以前就是一個出色的魁地奇球員」

「你在開玩笑吧。」

It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he』d left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he』d forgotten all about it.

這是喫晚飯的時間,哈利對羅恩講了他和麥格教授離開場地後發生的事情。羅恩正要把一塊牛排腰子餡餅往嘴裡送,送到一半忘記了。

kidney /k?dni/ n. 腎臟；腰子

「Seeker?」 he said. 「But first years never — you must be the youngest House player in about —」

「找球手?」他說,「可是一年級學生從不—你一定是許多年來年齡最小的院隊選手了。」

「— a century,」 said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. 「Wood told me.」

「是一個世紀以來。」哈利說著,用手撮起餡餅塞進嘴裡,經過下午這場驚心動魄的遭遇,他覺得特別餓,「伍德告訴我的。」

shovel /??vl/ vt.用鏟挖；把…胡亂塞入

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry.

「I start training next week,」 said Harry. 「Only don』t tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret.」

羅恩太詫異、太震驚了。他只是坐在那裡,獃獃地望著哈利。

「我下星期開始訓練。」哈利說,「千萬別跟任何人說,伍德想保密呢。」

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.

「Well done,」 said George in a low voice. 「Wood told us. We』re on the team too — Beaters.」

這時,弗雷德和喬治·韋斯萊走進飯廳。他們一眼看見哈利,快步走了過來。

「好樣的,」喬治低聲說,「伍德告訴我們了。我們也是學院隊的是擊球手。」

「I tell you, we』re going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year,」 said Fred. 「We haven』t won since Charlie left, but this year』s team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us.」

「告訴你們,我們今年一定能拿下魁地奇盃。」弗雷德說,「自從查理走後就沒有贏過,不過今年,我們球隊一定會大展輝煌的。你肯定很棒,哈利,伍德跟我們說這件事時,激動得簡直語無倫次了。」

「Anyway, we』ve got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he』s found a new secret passageway out of the school.」

「Bet it』s that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you.」

「不過,我們得走了,李·喬丹認為他發現了一條新的祕密通道,可以通到學校外面。」

「我猜就是馬屁精格雷戈裏雕像後面的那條通道,我們進校的第一個星期就發現了。再見。」

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

弗雷德和喬治剛剛離去,某個很不受歡迎的人就露面了:馬爾福。克拉布和高爾跟在他兩旁。

flank n. 側面；側翼；vt. 位於…的側面

「Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?」

「You』re a lot braver now that you』re back on the ground and you』ve got your little friends with you,」 said Harry coolly.

「在喫最後一頓飯嗎,波特?你什麼時候乘火車返回麻瓜那裡?」

「現在你回到地面上,又有你的小不點兒朋友陪伴左右,膽子就大多了。」哈利冷冷地說。

There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

當然啦,克拉布和高爾根本不能算小不點兒，但由於主賓席上坐滿了老師,他們倆不敢造次,只好陰沉著臉,把手指捏得叭叭響。

knuckle /n?kl/ n. 關節；指關節
scowl /ska?l/ v. 怒視（某人或某物）

「I』d take you on anytime on my own,」 said Malfoy. 「Tonight, if you want. Wizard』s duel. Wands only — no contact. What』s the matter? Never heard of a wizard』s duel before, I suppose?」

「我隨時願意跟你單挑,」馬爾福說,「如果你沒意見,就在今晚。巫師之間的決鬥。只用魔杖——不許肢體接觸。怎麼啦?我猜,你還沒聽說過巫師決鬥吧?」

duel /d??l/ n. 決鬥；鬥爭，抗爭 vi. 決鬥

「Of course he has,」 said Ron, wheeling around. 「I』m his second, who』s yours?」

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

「他當然聽說過。」羅恩說著,突然轉過身,「我是他的助手,你的助手是誰?」

馬爾福看著克拉布和高爾,把他們倆挨個兒掂量了一番。

「Crabbe,」 he said. 「Midnight all right? We』ll meet you in the trophy room; that』s always unlocked.」

When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.

「克拉布。」他說,「就在午夜,怎麼樣?我們在獎品陳列室和你們見面,那裡從來不鎖門。」

馬爾福走後,羅恩和哈利面面相覷。

trophy n. 獎品；戰利品；紀念品

「What is a wizard』s duel?」 said Harry. 「And what do you mean, you』re my second?」

「巫師決鬥是怎麼回事?」"哈利問,「你說做我的助手,這又是什麼意思?」

「Well, a second』s there to take over if you die,」 said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry』s face, he added quickly, 「But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards.

「噢,如果你死了,助手就接著上。」羅恩輕描淡寫地說,終於又開始喫他那已經冷卻的餡餅。他捕捉到哈利臉上的神情,便又急忙補充道:

「不過你知道,只有跟真正的巫師進行正規決鬥時才會死。

casually /k??j?rl?/ adv. 隨便地;隨意的

The most you and Malfoy』ll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway.」

你和馬爾福充其量只能向對方發射點兒火花。你們倆懂的魔法太少,不會真正傷著對方的。不過,我敢說他還以為你會拒絕呢。」

「And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?」

「Throw it away and punch him on the nose,」 Ron suggested.

「Excuse me.

They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

「如果我揮動魔杖,一點兒反應也沒有,怎麼辦呢?」

「那就扔掉魔杖,對準他的鼻子揍一拳。」羅恩建議道。

「對不起,打擾一下。」

他們倆抬頭一看,原來是赫敏·格蘭傑.

「Can』t a person eat in peace in this place?」 said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

「I couldn』t help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —」

「Bet you could,」 Ron muttered.

「能不能讓人在這裡消消停停地喫飯呢?」羅恩說。

赫敏沒有理他,卻對哈利說

「我忍不住偷聽了你和馬爾福說的—"

「我就知道你會這樣。」羅恩咕噥道。

overhear v. 無意中聽到；偷聽

「— and you mustn』t go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you』ll lose Gryffindor if you』re caught, and you』re bound to be. It』s really very selfish of you.」

「——夜裡你絕對不能在學校亂逛,想想吧,如果被抓住,會給格蘭芬多丟多少分啊,而且你肯定會被抓住的。你真的太自私了。」

bound to 一定會；必然

「And it』s really none of your business,」 said Harry.

「Good-bye,」 said Ron.

「這事真的與你無關。」哈利說。

「再見。」羅恩說.

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