【哈利波特】斯莱特林欢迎信（中英对照）

斯莱特林欢迎信

【中文】

        祝贺你们！我是级长杰玛·法利，欢迎来到斯莱特林学院。我们的徽章动物是蛇，最聪明的生物。我们学院颜色是翠绿色和银色，我们的公共休息室位于地牢的一个隐秘入口后面。正如大家所看到的，休息室的窗户外就是霍格沃茨湖水的深处。我们经常可以看见巨大的水生生物游过，通常是很有意思的生物。我们喜欢这里有一种神秘的，水底轮船失事的氛围。

        现在，关于斯莱特林的一些事你们需要知道，一些你们则应该忘记。

        首先，让我先解释一些迷。你们可能已经听到过一些关于斯莱特林学院的谣言，即我们都是黑巫师，而且只会与有着显赫家世或类似之类的人相交。好吧，你们不会想听这些来自于竞争学院的闲话吧。我不否认，我们学院的确产生过黑巫师，但是其他学院也是这样，他们只是不愿意承认这点。还有，是的，我们有招收来自巫师世家学生的传统，但是现在你们会发现在斯莱特林有很多学生，他们的父母至少有一方是麻瓜。

        这有一件事是其他三个学院很少提及的：梅林就是毕业于斯莱特林的。是的，梅林他自己，这位巫师历史上最著名的巫师！他就在这个古老的学院里学到了一切。你们想跟随梅林的脚步吗？或者你们更愿意坐在前赫奇帕奇，Eglantine Puffett，杰出的可自清洗抹布的发明者的旧桌子前？

        我可不这么想。

        说完了这些，我们来谈一谈我们的优点，我们是这所学校中最酷最厉害的学院。我们的目标就是赢，因为我们在乎斯莱特林的荣誉和传统。

        我们也得到了来自别院的尊敬。尽管其中一些是来自于对我们在黑魔法取得的成就的畏惧。不过你们知道吗，处于黑暗边缘的名誉也可以变得很有趣儿。暗示一下他们我们掌握了图书馆所有的咒语，然后看看谁还敢刮坏你的铅笔盒。

        但是我们并不邪恶。我们只是喜欢我们的象征物——蛇：圆滑，强大，却总是被误解。

        打个比方，我们斯莱特林只关心自己，这一点比拉文克劳有过之而无不及。拉文克劳不仅是你们遇见过的最刻苦的，而且以学生之间为得高分而互相攀比踩踏扬名。而我们斯莱特林不同，我们彼此间是兄弟姐妹。霍格沃茨的走廊里大意的学生总是被欺负，而你们会很高兴有斯莱特林的蛇们伴你安然穿越学校。对我们而言，一旦你进入了斯莱特林，你就是我们的一员，精英中的一员。

        你们都知道萨拉查-斯莱特林挑选学生的原则吧，你们被斯莱特林选中，因为你们具有成为伟大巫师的潜质。也许，你会觉得在公共休息室碰到的一些人没有任何潜质，但是，请记住，如果分院帽把他们分在这里，他们定有特别之处，不要忘记这点。

        刚才谈论那些注定无法伟大的人，我没有提到格兰芬多。现在，很多人说斯莱特林和格兰芬多是对立的两面。就我来说，我认为格兰芬多们不比斯莱特林们野心少。请注意，有些人说萨拉查·斯莱特林和戈德里克·格兰芬多看重同种潜能类型的学生，所以也许我们彼此比我们愿意的要更相似。但是这不意味着我们在拉拢格兰芬多。他们只是没有像我们喜欢打败他们一样喜欢打败我们罢了。

        还有一些事你们需要了解：我们学院的幽灵是血人巴罗。如果你能讨他喜欢，说不定哪天他就会同意帮你吓唬别人。但是千万不要问他为什么浑身是血，带着链子，他不喜欢。

        公共休息室的口令每两周换一次。请注意公告牌。永远不要带其他院的同学来到这里也不要告诉他们我们的口令。非本院者已经有七个多世纪没有进入这里了。

        好吧，我觉得差不多就这些了。我敢保证你们会喜欢宿舍的。我们睡在挂有绿银条纹相间帘子的四柱床上，床罩绣有银线花边。墙上的中世纪挂毯讲述着伟大的斯莱特林们的探险故事，天花板中央悬挂的是银色的灯。夜晚，伴随着湖水轻拍窗户的声音，你们会安然入睡。

【英文】 

Congratulations! I’m Prefect Gemma Farley, and I’m delighted to welcome you to SLYTHERIN HOUSE. Our emblem is the serpent, the wisest of creatures; our house colours are emerald green and silver, and our common room lies behind a concealed entrance down in the dungeons. As you’ll see, its windows look out into the depths of the Hogwarts lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by – and sometimes more interesting creatures. We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck.

Now, there are a few things you should know about Slytherin – and a few you should forget.

Firstly, let’s dispel a few myths. You might have heard rumours about Slytherin house – that we’re all into the Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous wizard, and rubbish like that. Well, you don’t want to believe everything you hear from competing houses. I’m not denying that we’ve produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three houses – they just don’t like admitting it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you’ll find plenty of people in Slytherin house who have at least one Muggle parent.

Here’s a little-known fact that the other three houses don’t bring up much: Merlin was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at the old desk of thatillustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett, inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth?

I didn’t think so.

But that’s enough about what we’re not. Let’s talk about what we are, which is the coolest and edgiest house in this school. We play to win, because we care about the honour and traditions of Slytherin.

We also get respect from our fellow students. Yes, some of that respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but you know what? It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the wild side. Chuck out a few hints that you’ve got access to a whole library of curses, and see whether anyone feels like nicking your pencil case.

But we’re not bad people. We’re like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood.

For instance, we Slytherins look after our own – which is more than you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of swots you ever met, Ravenclaws are famous for clambering over each other to get good marks, whereas we Slytherins are brothers. The corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and you’ll be glad you’ve got the Serpents on your side as you move around the school. As far as we’re concerned, once you’ve become a snake, you’re one of ours – one of the elite.

Because you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen students? The seeds of greatness. You’ve been chosen by this house because you’ve got the potential to be great, in the true sense of the word. All right, you might see a couple of people hanging around the common room whom you might not think are destined for anything special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in here, there’s something great about them, and don’t you forget it.

And talking of people who aren’t destined for greatness, I haven’t mentioned the Gryffindors. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins and Gryffindors represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I think Gryffindors are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor prized the same kinds of students, so perhaps we are more similar than we like to think. But that doesn’t mean that we cosy up with Gryffindors. They like beating us only slightly less than we like beating them.

A few more things you might need to know: our house ghost is the Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him he’ll sometimes agree to frighten people for you. Just don’t ask him how he got bloodstained; he doesn’t like it.

The password to the common room changes every fortnight. Keep an eye on the noticeboard. Never bring anyone from another house into our common room or tell them our password. No outsider has entered it for more than seven centuries.

Well, I think that’s all for now. I’m sure you’ll like our dormitories. We sleep in ancient four-posters with green silk hangings, and bedspreads embroidered with silver thread. Medieval tapestries depicting the adventuresof famous Slytherins cover the walls, and silver lanterns hang from the ceilings. You’ll sleep well; it’s very soothing, listening to the lake water lapping against the windows at night.