诗翁彼豆故事集 第5期:巫师和跳跳埚(5)

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　　In 1675, Brutus wrote: This we may state with certainty: any wizard who shows fondness for the society of Muggles is of low intelligence, with magic so feeble and pitiful that he can only feel himself superior if surrounded by Muggle pigmen. 布鲁图斯于一六七五年写到：我们可以肯定地说：任何一个对麻瓜社会表示喜欢的巫师，都是智力低下的人，其魔法微弱，只能在麻瓜废物中找到一点优越感。

　　Nothing is a surer sign of weak magic than a weakness for non-magical company. 看某人的魔法是否蹩脚最确切的一个迹象，就是看他对非魔法人群的喜好。

　　This prejudice eventually died out in the face of overwhelming evidence that some of the world's most brilliant wizards (Note 3. Such as myself)were, to use the common phrase, “Muggle-lovers”. 但是这种偏见最后都逐渐销声匿迹了，因为许多世界最杰出的巫师都是(注释三：比如说我)——通俗来讲——“喜欢麻瓜的人”。

　　The final objection to “The Wizard and the Hopping² Pot” remains³ alive in certain quarters today. 今天，某些地方仍然存在着对《巫师和跳跳埚》的异议。

　　It was summed up best, perhaps, by Beatrix Bloxam (1794-1910) , author of the infamous⁴ Toadstool Tales. 也许臭名昭著的《毒菌故事集》的作者——彼阿特丽克斯·布洛克萨姆女士（1794—1910）概括的最好。

　　Mrs Bloxam believed that The Tales of Beedle the Bard⁵ were damaging to children because of what she called “their unhealthy preoccupation with the most horrid⁶ subjects, such as death, disease, bloodshed, wicked magic, unwholesome characters and bodily effusions and eruptions⁷ of the most disgusting kind”. 她相信，《彼豆多翁故事集》对孩子有害无益，因为如她所说：“这些故事病态地专注于最为可怕的主题，如死亡、疾病、杀戮、邪恶的魔法、不健康的性格以及最为恶心的身体的胸腔积液和喷射。”

　　Mrs Bloxam took a variety of old stories, including several of Beedle's, and rewrote them according to her ideals, which she expressed as “filling the pure minds of our little angels with healthy, happy thoughts, keeping their sweet slumber⁸ free of wicked dreams and protecting the precious flower of their innocence”. 布洛克萨姆女士将各种各样的老故事，包括彼豆的几个故事，根据自己的想法加以改写。她声称她的理想是“用健康、快乐的念头充斥我们小天使纯洁的大脑，让他们甜蜜的睡眠不受噩梦的侵扰，保护珍贵鲜花的纯洁无暇”。

　　The final paragraph of Mrs Bloxam's pure and precious reworking of “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot” reads: 布洛克萨姆女士改写的纯洁而可贵的《巫师和跳跳埚》最后一段是这样的：

　　Then the little golden pot danced with delight – hoppitty hoppitty hop¹! – on its tiny rosy⁹ toes! 然后，小金锅儿高兴地跳着——蹦蹦跳跳，蹦蹦跳跳！——踮着玫瑰色的脚指尖儿！

　　Wee Willykins had cured all the dollies of their poorly tum-tums, and the little pot was so happy that it filled up with sweeties for Wee Willykins and the dollies! 小威利肯把所有的洋娃娃的小肚肚都治好了，小锅儿高兴极了，锅里满满的都是糖果，让小威利肯和洋娃娃们吃了个够！

　　“But don't forget to brush your teethy-pegs!” cried the pot. “别忘记刷刷你们的小牙牙！”小锅儿大声说。

　　And Wee Willykins kissed and hugged the hoppitty pot and promised always to help the dollies and never to be an old grumpy-wumpkins again. 小威利肯搂着跳跳埚亲了亲，保证要永远帮助洋娃娃们，再也不做一个坏脾气的倔老头了。

　　Mrs Bloxam's tale has met the same response from generations of wizarding children: uncontrollable retching, followed by an immediate¹⁰ demand to have the book taken from them and mashed¹¹ into pulp¹². 在一代又一代的巫师家庭的孩子们当中，布洛克萨姆女士的故事得到的反应都是一样的：不可遏制的干呕，接着是要求赶紧把书从他们身边拿走捣碎成纸浆。

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