8 The Deathday Party

CHAPTER EIGHT THE DEATHDAY PARTY ctober arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden

十月来了，一股潮湿的寒气弥漫在场地上，弥漫在城堡里。 护士庞弗雷夫人突然忙得不可开交

spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup Potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire. Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds. Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened, which was why Harry was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Gryffindor Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud. Even aside from the rain and wind it hadn't been a happy practice session. Fred and George, who had been spying on the Slytherin team, had

教职员工和学生纷纷感冒。 她的提神药水立竿见影，不过喝了之后，他的耳朵会冒烟好几个小时。 本来脸色苍白的金妮·韦斯莱被珀西逼着吃了一些。 蒸气从她鲜艳的头发下喷涌而出，给人的印象是她的整个脑袋都着火了。 子弹大小的雨点连续几天在城堡的窗户上轰鸣；湖水涨了，花坛变成了泥泞的小溪，海格种的南瓜膨胀得有花园棚那么大。 然而，奥利弗·伍德对定期训练的热情并没有减弱，所以在万圣节前几天的一个狂风暴雨的星期六下午，哈利回到格兰芬多塔楼，浑身湿透，溅满了泥巴。 即使抛开风雨不说，这也不是一个愉快的练习环节。 弗雷德和乔治一直在监视斯莱特林队

seen for themselves the speed of those new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. They reported that the Slytherin team was no more than seven greenish blurs, shooting through the air like missiles. As Harry squelched along the deserted corridor he came across somebody who looked just as preoccupied as he was. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor Tower, was staring morosely out of a window, muttering under his breath, don't fulfill their requirements half an inch, if that "Hello, Nick," said Harry. "Hello, hello," said Nearly Headless Nick, starting and looking round. He wore a dashing, plumed hat on his long curly hair, and a tunic with a ruff, which concealed the fact that his neck was almost completely severed. He was pale as smoke, and Harry could see right through him to the dark sky and torrential rain outside.

亲眼看到了那些新的光轮2001的速度。 他们报告说，斯莱特林队不过是七个绿色的模糊物，像导弹一样在空中飞来飞去。 哈利在空无一人的走廊上吃力地走着，碰到一个人和他一样心事重重。 差点没头的尼克，格兰芬多塔楼的幽灵，正愁眉苦脸地盯着窗外，低声嘟囔着，“半点也不能满足他们的要求，如果……”哈利说。 “你好，你好。”差点没头的尼克说，吓了一跳，四处张望。 他长长的卷发上戴着一顶时髦的饰有羽毛的帽子，穿着一件束腰外衣，上面系着皱褶，掩盖了他的脖子几乎完全被割断的事实。 他脸色苍白，哈利可以透过他看到外面漆黑的天空和倾盆大雨。

"You look troubled, young Potter," said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet. "So do you," said Harry. "Ah," Nearly Headless Nick waved an elegant hand, "a matter of no importance. It's not as though I really wanted to join. Thought I'd apply, but apparently I 'don't fulfill requirements' In spite of his airy tone, there was a look of great bitterness on his face. "But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?" "Oh yes," said Harry, who was obviously supposed to agree. ikcjeo. "I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head had

“你看上去很烦恼，小波特。”尼克说着，折起了一封透明的信，塞进了他的紧身上衣。 “你也是。”哈利说。“啊，”差点没头的尼克优雅地挥了挥手，“一件无关紧要的事。 我又不是真的想加入。 我想我应该申请，但显然我“不符合条件”。尽管他的语气轻快，但他脸上却流露出极大的痛苦。 “但你会认为，”他突然爆发了，把信从口袋里抽出来，“脖子被钝斧头砍了四十五下，就有资格参加无头猎人活动了吗？”“哦，是的。”哈利说，显然他应该表示同意。 “我的意思是，没有人比我更希望这一切能迅速、干净，我的脑袋也希望如此

come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule. However Nearly Headless Nick shook his letter open and read furiously: "'We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have parted company with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in hunt activities such as Horseback Head-Juggling and Head Polo. It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfill our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.'" Fuming, Nearly Headless Nick stuffed the letter away. "Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Harry! Most people would think that's

我的意思是，如果能好好地脱下来，我就不会遭受很多痛苦和嘲笑了。 然而差点没头的尼克摇着信打开，愤怒地读道：“我们只接受头和身体分离的猎人。 你会明白，否则会员将不可能参加狩猎活动，如马背头杂耍和头马球。 因此，我必须非常遗憾地通知你，你不符合我们的要求。 致以最良好的祝愿，帕特里克·德莱尼·波德莫尔爵士。差点没头的尼克气得把信塞到一边。 “半英寸的皮和筋支撑着我的脖子，哈利！”大多数人会认为

good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore." Nearly Headless Nick took several deep breaths and then said, in a far calmer tone, "So what's bothering you? Anything I can do?" "No," said Harry. "Not unless you know where we can get seven free Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones for our match against Sly The rest of Harry's sentence was drowned out by a high-pitched mewling from somewhere near his ankles. He looked down and found himself gazing into a pair of lamp-like yellow eyes. It was Mrs. Norris, the skeletal gray cat who was used by the caretaker, Argus Filch, as a sort of deputy in his endless battle against students. "You'd better get out of here, Harry," said Nick quickly. "Filch isn't in a good mood he's got the flu and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five.

不错，而且被砍头了，但是，哦，不，对被砍头的波德摩爵士来说，这还不够。” 差点没头的尼克深深吸了几口气，然后用平静得多的语气说：“你在烦恼什么？ 我能帮什么忙吗？”“没有。”哈利说。 “除非你知道我们在哪里可以弄到七支免费的光轮2001来参加我们对斯莱的比赛。”哈利的话被脚踝附近的一声尖厉的呜咽声淹没了。 他低下头，发现自己正凝视着一双灯一般的黄眼睛。 是洛丽丝夫人，那只骨瘦如柴的灰猫，被看门人阿格斯·费尔奇利用，在他与学生无休止的斗争中充当代理人。 “你最好离开这里，哈利。”尼克赶紧说。 “费尔奇心情不太好，他感冒了，还有几个三年级学生不小心把青蛙脑涂满了第五地下教室的天花板。