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哈利·波特与阿兹卡班的囚徒
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

英文中文双语对照双语交替

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CHAPTER THREE THE KNIGHT BUS

第三章　骑士公共汽车

Harry was several streets away before he collapsed onto a low wall in Magnolia Crescent, panting from the effort of dragging his trunk. He sat quite still, anger still surging through him, listening to the frantic thumping of his heart.

哈利瘫坐在木兰花新月街的一道矮墙上的时候，他已经离家有几条街了，由于拖着箱子，累得气喘吁吁。他很安静地坐着，满腔怒气仍然没有平息，心脏还在猛烈地跳动。

But after ten minutes alone in the dark street, a new emotion overtook him: panic. Whichever way he looked at it, he had never been in a worse fix. He was stranded, quite alone, in the dark Muggle world, with absolutely nowhere to go. And the worst of it was, he had just done serious magic, which meant that he was almost certainly expelled from Hogwarts. He had broken the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry so badly, he was surprised Ministry of Magic representatives weren't swooping down on him where he sat.

但是，在这条黑暗的街上独自坐了十分钟以后，一种新的感觉突然侵袭到他心中，那就是：恐慌。不管怎么样，他从来没有遇到过比现在更坏的情况。他很孤独地搁浅在黑暗的麻瓜世界里，没有任何地方可以去。最糟的是，他刚才已经施展了魔法，这意味着他几乎肯定要被霍格沃茨学校开除了。他严重破坏了《限制未成年人使用魔法的法令》，魔法部的代表竟然没有到他现在坐着的地方对他进行突击，这让他诧异不已。

Harry shivered and looked up and down Magnolia Crescent.

哈利全身颤抖，往木兰花新月街左右看着。他会遇到什么事呢？他会被捕或是干脆被逐出魔法界吗？他想到了罗恩和赫敏，情绪更低落了。哈利可以肯定，不管他是不是罪犯，罗恩和赫敏都会想法帮助他的，不过现在他们两个人都在国外，而且海德薇又飞走了，他没法和他们俩取得联络。

What, was going to happen to him? Would he be arrested, or would he simply be outlawed from the wizarding world? He thought of Ron and Hermione, and his heart sank even lower. Harry was sure that, criminal or not, Ron and Hermione would want to help him now, but they were both abroad, and with Hedwig gone, he had no means of contacting them.

他身上也没有麻瓜通用的钱。在他的衣箱底的钱袋里，有一点儿魔法界的黄金，但他父母留给他的其余财产都在古灵阁魔法银行的地下金库里。他可不能一路拖着衣箱上伦敦啊。除非……他低头看看魔杖，魔杖还被他抓在手里。如果他已经被开除了（想到这一点，他的心脏就痛苦地快速跳动），再施展一点魔法也不妨事。他有爸爸留给他的隐形衣——如果他对衣箱施展魔法，让衣箱变得轻如鸿毛，把衣箱捆在飞天扫帚上，自己再穿上隐形衣飞到伦敦去，那又怎么样？然后他可以从地下金库里取出其余的钱，然后他去流浪。这样的前景非常可怕，但他总不能老是坐在这道矮墙上啊，要不然他就不得不向麻瓜的警察解释他为什么深更半夜还待在大街上，带着一个箱子、咒语书和一把飞天扫帚。

He didn't have any Muggle money, either. There was a little wizard gold in the money bag at the bottom of his trunk, but the rest of the fortune his parents had left him was stored in a vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in London. He'd never be able to drag his trunk all the way to London. Unless...

哈利又打开了衣箱，把里面的东西拨拉到一边，他要找的是那件隐形衣——但在他找到以前，他突然直起了身子，再次向四面张望着。

He looked down at his wand, which he was still clutching in his hand. If he was already expelled (his heart was. now thumping painfully fast), a bit more magic couldn't hurt. He had the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father -- what if he bewitched the trunk to make it feather-light, tied it to his broomstick, covered himself in the cloak, and flew to London? Then he could get the rest of his money out of his vault and... begin his life as an outcast. It was a horrible prospect, but he couldn't sit on this wall forever, or he'd find himself trying to explain to Muggle police why he was out in the dead of night with a trunkful of spellbooks and a broomstick.

哈利脖子上突然有一种针刺般的奇异感觉，让他感到有人在监视他，但这条街上似乎没有人啊，那些方方正正的大房子里也没有露出什么灯光的地方。

Harry opened his trunk again and pushed the contents aside, looking for the Invisibility Cloak - but before he had found it, he straightened up suddenly, looking around him once more.

哈利又俯身向着衣箱，但他几乎又马上站直了身子，他的手抓紧了魔杖。与其说他听到了什么，还不如说他感觉到了什么：有什么人或什么东西站在他身后的篱笆和车库之间的狭小空间里。哈利斜眼看看那条黑暗的胡同。只要那东西会动，哈利就会知道这只不过是一头迷路的猫还是——别的什么。

A funny prickling on the back of his neck had made Harry feel he was being watched, but the street appeared to be deserted, and no lights shone from any of the large square houses.

“荧光闪烁，”哈利轻声低语道，于是他的魔杖末端发出一道光来，他几乎感到眩晕了。他把魔杖高举过头，布满砾石的二号墙体忽然闪烁着亮光；车库的门发出微光，在这两者之间，哈利清楚地看到，一个很大的、有着发微光大眼睛的什么东西的庞大轮廓。

He bent over his trunk again, but almost immediately stood up once more, his hand clenched on his wand. He had sensed rather than heard it: someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind him. Harry squinted at the black alleyway. If only it would move, then he'd know whether it was just a stray cat or -- something else.

哈利向后退去。他的腿碰到了衣箱，绊了一下。他伸出一条手臂以保持身体平衡，这时，魔杖从他手里飞了出去，他摔到了街沟里。

"Lumos," Harry muttered, and a light appeared at the end of his wand, almost dazzling him. He held it high over his head, and the pebble-dashed walls of number two suddenly sparkled; the garage door gleamed, and between them Harry saw, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.

震耳欲聋的砰的一声，哈利举起双手掩住眼睛以抵御一道突然袭来、令人眼花的强光。

Harry stepped backward. His legs hit his trunk and he tripped. His wand flew out of his hand as he flung out an arm to break his fall, and he landed, hard, in the gutter --

哈利大叫一声，滚回到人行遭上，非常及时。一秒钟以后，一对巨大的车轮和车灯尖叫着恰恰在哈利刚才躺着的地方刹住了。哈利抬起头来，发现这车轮和车灯属于一辆三层的公共汽车，这辆汽车是从稀薄的空气里出现的。汽车挡风玻璃上的金色字母组成了这样几个字：骑士公共汽车。

There was a deafening BANG, and Harry threw up his hands to shield his eyes against a sudden blinding light --

“欢迎乘坐骑士公共汽车，这是为处于困境的女巫或男巫开设的应急客运。只要伸出你的魔杖并且走上车来，我们就可将你带到你想去的任何地方。我的名字是斯坦桑帕克，今晚我是你们的售票员——”

With a yell, he rolled back onto the pavement, just in time. A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where Harry had just been lying. They belonged, as Harry saw when he raised his head, to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus.

这位售票员突然住了嘴。他刚刚看到哈利，其时哈利还坐在地上。哈利又抓起了魔杖，努力站起身来。走近了，他发现桑帕克比他大不了几岁；十八岁，最多十九岁，长着一双大大的扇风耳，脸上还有几个小丘疹。

For a Split second, Harry wondered if he had been knocked silly by his fall. Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night.

“你在那里干吗？”桑帕克问道，放下了他那副职业劲头。

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. just stick out your wand hand, step on board) and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve --"

“我摔在那儿了。”哈利说。

The conductor stopped abruptly. He had just caught sight of "Harry, who was still sitting on the ground. Harry snatched up his wand again and scrambled to his feet. Close up, he saw that Stan Shunpike was only a few years older than he was, eighteen or nineteen at most, with large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples.

“特地摔在那里的吗？”桑帕克窃笑着说。

"What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner.

“我不是故意要摔的。”哈利说，不觉着恼了。他的牛仔裤有一条裤腿撕破了，他伸出去以保持身体平衡的那只手在流血。他突然记起他为什么会摔倒，于是他转过身去，瞪着汽车库与篱笆之间的那条胡同。骑士公共汽车的头灯将那里照亮了，那里空荡荡的。

"Fell over," said Harry.

“愿意往那儿看吗？”斯坦问。

"'Choo fall over for?" sniggered Stan.

“刚才那里有一个大的黑东西，”哈利说，不肯定地指着那块空地，“好像是条狗……但是大得……”他回过头来看斯坦，斯坦的嘴张开了一点。哈利带着一种不安的心情，看到斯坦的眼睛转到哈利前额上的那个疤上了。

"I didn't do it on purpose," said Harry, annoyed. One of the knees in his jeans was torn, and the hand he had thrown out to break his fall was bleeding. He suddenly remembered why he had fallen over and turned around quickly to stare at the alleyway between the garage and fence. The Knight Bus's headlamps were flooding it with light, and it was empty.

“你头上那是什么？”斯坦突然问道。

"'Choo lookin' at?" said Stan.

“没什么。”哈利迅速地说，一面用头发盖住那块疤。如果魔法部在找他，他可不想让他们太轻易就找到了。

"There was a big black thing," said Harry, pointing uncertainly into the gap. "Like a dog... but massive..."

“你叫什么名字？”斯坦继续问道。

He looked a-round at Stan, whose mouth was slightly open. With a feeling of unease, Harry saw Stan's eyes move to the scar on Harry's forehead.

“纳威隆巴顿，”哈利说道，这是他首先想起来的一个名字，“那——那么说，这辆公共汽车，”他迅速地说下去，希望分散斯坦的注意力，“你刚才是说它什么地方都能去，是吗？”

"Woss that on your 'ead?" said Stan abruptly.

“是啊，”斯坦骄傲地说，“你想去的任何地方，只要是在陆地上的地方都行。水底下可去不了。咦，”他说，看上去又怀疑起来了，“你不是打信号要我们停车的吗？你伸出你的魔杖，不是吗？”

"Nothing," said Harry quickly, flattening his hair over his scar. If the Ministry of Magic was looking for him, he didn't want to make it too easy for them.

“对呀，”哈利赶快说，“听着，到伦敦去要多少钱？”

"Woss your name?" Stan persisted.

“十一个银西可，”斯坦说道，“不过要是你付十四个，你就可以得到巧克力，付十五个，就可以拿到一个热水瓶和一把牙刷，颜色由你挑。”

"Neville Longbottom," said Harry, saying the first name that came into his head. "So -- so this bus," he went on quickly, hoping to distract Stan, "did you say it goes anywhere?"

哈利又在他的衣箱里仔细寻找，扯出他的钱袋。把一些银币倒在斯坦手里。然后他和斯坦举起他的衣箱，箱子上放着海德薇的笼子，两人就这样走上了公共汽车。

"Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, long's it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater. 'Ere," he said, looking suspicious again, ,You did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand 'and, dincha?"

汽车里没有座位，在拉上窗帘的窗子后面，放有六张带黄铜柱的床。每张床旁边的托架上都点着蜡烛，照亮了有护壁板的墙。一个小个子男巫，戴着睡帽，在汽车后部咕哝道：“现在可不要，多谢了，我在腌鼻涕虫呢。”一面在睡梦中翻了个身。

"Yes," said Harry quickly. "Listen, how much would it be to get to London?"

“你睡这张。”斯坦耳语道，把哈利的箱子塞到司机后面的那张床底下，司机坐在方向盘前面的一张扶手椅上。“这是我们的司机，厄恩普兰。厄恩，这是纳威隆巴顿。”

"Eleven Sickles," said Stan, "but for fifteen you get 'or chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'ot water bottle an' a toofbrush in the color of your choice."

厄恩普兰是一位年长的男巫，戴着镜片很厚的眼镜。他向哈利点点头，哈利慌张地再次抚平他的额发，坐在了他的床上。“开车吧，厄恩。”斯坦说，坐在厄恩旁边的扶手椅上。

Harry rummaged once more in his trunk, extracted his money bag, and shoved some gold into Stan's hand. He and Stan then lifted his trunk, with Hedwig's cage balanced on top, up the steps of the bus.

又是巨大的砰的一声，哈利不由得倒在了床上，是骑士公共汽车的速度把他向后抛去的结果。哈利振作起来，向黑暗的窗外看去，看到他们现在正沿着一条完全不同的街道稳而快地行驶着。斯坦正饶有兴趣地看着哈利那张惊讶的脸。

There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows. Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-paneled walls. A tiny wizard in a nightcap at the rear of the bus muttered, "Not now, thanks, I'm pickling some slugs" and rolled over in his sleep.

“这就是你打信号要我们下来的地方。”他说，“我们现在在哪里，厄恩？是在威尔士的什么地方吗？”

"You 'ave this one," Stan whispered, shoving Harry's trunk under the bed right behind the driver, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the steering wheel. "This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This ,is Neville Longbottom, Ern. "

“唔。”厄恩说。

Ernie Prang, an elderly wizard wearing very thick glasses, nodded to Harry, who nervously flattened his bangs again and sat down on his bed.

“麻瓜为什么听不见这车？”哈利问。

"Take 'er away, Ern," said Stan, sitting down in the armchair next to Ernie's.

“他们！”斯坦轻蔑地说，“不好好儿听，是这样吗？也不好好儿看。他们什么也不注意。”

There was another tremendous BANG, and the next moment Harry found himself flat on his bed, thrown backward by the speed of the Knight Bus. Pulling himself up, Harry stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street. Stan was watching Harry's stunned face with great enjoyment.

“最好现在把马什女士叫醒，斯坦，”厄恩说，“我们马上就要到阿伯加文尼①了。”

"This is where we was before you flagged us down," he said. "Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?"

斯坦走过哈利身旁，消失在一道狭窄的楼梯上。哈利仍旧在看着窗外，越来越感到紧张。厄恩似乎对掌握方向盘并不熟练。这辆骑士公共汽车总是往人行道上撞，但倒是什么也撞不着；一行行的灯柱、信箱和垃圾桶在这辆车开过来的时候都跳让着避开，等它开过去了，就又回到原来的位置。

"Ar," said Ernie.

斯坦回到楼下来了，身后跟着一位身穿浅绿色旅行外套的女巫。

"How come the Muggles don't hear the bus?" said Harry.

“你慢走，马什女士。”斯坦快乐地说。

"Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."

这时厄恩踩了刹车，车上的床都向车的前方滑行了大约一英尺。马什女士将一块手帕掩在嘴上，然后蹒跚地走下车去。斯坦把她的袋子扔给她，砰的一声关上车门；又是响亮的砰的一声，汽车轰隆隆地沿着一条狭窄的乡间道路行驶，两旁的树都跳开让路。

"Best go wake up Madam Marsh, Stan," said Ern. "We'll be in Abergavenny in a minute."

哈利即使坐的不是一辆砰砰作响、一下子就向前跳一百英里的公共汽车，也不会睡得着。他重新想到下一步自己会遇到什么事，德思礼家是不是设法把玛姬姑妈从天花板上弄下来了，一想到这些，他胃里就翻腾。

Stan passed Harry's bed and disappeared up a narrow wooden staircase. Harry was still looking out of the window, feeling increasingly nervous. Ernie didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel. The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn't hit anything; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.

斯坦打开了一份《预言家日报》，他在读着报，舌头放在两排牙齿之间。头版大照片上有一个人，脸庞凹陷，长头发纠结在一起，他缓慢地向哈利眨眼。他看上去令人眼熟得奇怪。

Stan came back downstairs, followed by a faintly green witch wrapped in a traveling cloak.

“那个人！”哈利说，暂时忘了他自己的麻烦事。麻瓜的报纸也登了他！”

"'Ere you go, Madam Marsh," said Stan happily as Ern stamped on the brake and the beds slid a foot or so toward the front of the bus. Madam Marsh clamped a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered down the steps. Stan threw her bag out after her and rammed the doors shut; there was another loud BANG, and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, trees leaping out of the way.

斯坦重新翻到了第一版，咯咯地笑起来。

Harry wouldn't have been able to sleep even if he had been traveling on a bus that didn't keep banging loudly and jumping a hundred miles at a time. His stomach churned as he fell back to wondering what was going to happen to him, and whether the Dursleys had managed to get Aunt Marge off the ceiling yet.

“小天狼星布莱克，”他说道，点着头，“他当然会在麻瓜的报纸上了，纳威。你原来在哪里？”

Stan had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet and was now reading with his tongue between his teeth. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page. He looked strangely familiar.

哈利脸上一片空白。斯坦看了，咯咯的笑了起来，露出了优越感。他撕下第一版，把它递给哈利。“你应该多读读报，纳威。”

"That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news!"

哈利把报纸凑近蜡烛光读起来：

Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.

布莱克仍然在逃

"Sirius Black," he said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Neville, where you been?"

魔法部今天证实：被认为是阿兹卡班城堡中待过的囚犯中最臭名昭著的小天狼星布莱克，现在仍然未被捉拿归案。“我们正在努力重新捉拿布莱克，”魔法部长康奈利福吉今天早晨说，“我们请求魔法界保持镇静。”国际巫师联合会的某些成员曾批评福吉不该将布莱克在逃这件事通知麻瓜的首相。

He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Harry.

容易激怒的福吉说道：“噢，我不得不这样做，难道你们不知道吗？布莱克疯了。谁遇到他都会有危险，不管你是魔法界的人还是麻瓜。我得到了首相的保证，他说在布莱克的真实身分方面，不向任何人吐露一个字。让我们来面对这个现实——如果他说出去了，谁还会相信他？”

"You oughta read the papers more, Neville."

麻瓜们被告知布莱克带着枪（一种金属魔杖，麻瓜们用来自相残杀的），而魔法界人士时刻担心一年前的大屠杀会再现，当年布莱克曾经用一句魔咒就杀死了十三条人命。

Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:

哈利盯着布莱克那双模糊不清的眼睛，在那张凹陷的脸上，只有这双眼睛似乎有些生气。哈利还从来没有遇到过吸血鬼，但是他在黑魔法防御术课上看到过他们的照片，而布莱克有着蜡一样的白色皮肤，看上去就像是吸血鬼。

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

“他看上去很吓人，是不是？”斯坦说道。哈利读报的时候他一直在观察哈利。

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.

“他杀死过十三个人吗？”哈利说，把报纸还给了斯坦。“用一句咒语就杀了？”

"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."

“对啊，”斯坦说，“当着目击者的面，在光天化日之下，引起了好大的麻烦，厄恩，是不是？”

Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.

“唔。”厄恩阴郁地说。

"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it-who'd believe him if he did?"

斯坦在扶手椅里转了一圈，把手放在椅背上，以便更好地看着哈利。“布莱克是竭力支持神秘人的。”

While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.

“什么？伏地魔吗？”哈利想也没想就这样说了。

Harry looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one.

就连斯坦的丘疹也发白了；厄恩急速地转着方向盘，整个农庄都不得不跳到一边以便避让这辆车。

"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Harry read.

“你疯啦？”斯坦嚷道，“故意提他的名字干吗？”

"He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan, "with one curse?"

“对不起，”哈利即刻道歉地说，“对不起，我——我忘了——”

"Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"

“忘了！”斯坦软弱无力地说，“哎呀，我的心跳得那个快啊……”

"Ar," said Ern darkly.

“那么——那么说，布莱克是神秘人的支持者了？”哈利急忙说。

Stan swiveled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Harry.

“对啦，”斯坦说，仍旧抚摸着他的心口，“对啦，说得对。和神秘人的关系非常密切，人们是这么说的……不管怎么说，当年小哈利波特要被神秘人杀死的时候——”哈利不安地将前额的头发又拉了下来。“神秘人的所有支持者都受到了追捕，对不对，厄恩？这些人多数都知道，既然神秘人已经逃走了，他们也就完了，所以他们都老实了。小天狼星布莱克可不这样。我听说他认为有一天神秘人会当权，那他就是第二号人物了。”

"Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said.

“不管怎么说，他们在大街上把布莱克逼得走投无路，街上还满是麻瓜，布莱克拿出他的魔杖，炸了半条街，一个男巫被杀死了，十二个麻瓜也没命了。可怕，是不是？你知道布莱克接下来干什么了吗？”斯坦夸张地耳语道。

"What, Voldemort?" said Harry, without thinking.

“什么？”哈利说。

Even Stan's pimples went white; Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.

“大笑，”斯坦说，“就是站在那里大笑。等魔法部增援的人赶到的时候，他安静地跟着他们走了，一路上还在大笑。当然他是疯了，厄恩，是不是？他疯了吧？”

"You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "'Choo say 'is name for?"

“要是他到阿兹卡班时还没有疯，他现在也疯了。”厄恩慢慢地说，“要是我，到那种地方以前自己就先爆炸了。他这是活该，想想看……他都干了些什么……”

"Sorry," said Harry hastily. "Sorry, I -- I forgot --"

“他们费了好大劲才把这件事瞒了起来，是不是啊，厄恩？”斯坦问，“整条街都挨炸了，所有的麻瓜都死了。厄恩，关于这件事，他们是怎么说的？”

"Forgot!" said Stan weakly. "Blimey, my 'eart's goin' that fast ..."

“煤气爆炸。”厄恩咕哝道。

"So -- so Black was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Harry prompted apologetically.

“可是现在他出来了，”斯坦说着，又去看报纸上那张布莱克面容憔悴的照片，“阿兹卡班以前可从来没人逃出来，是不是，厄恩？真弄不懂他是怎么出来的。真吓人，是不是？我认为阿兹卡班的守卫是没法反抗的，是不是，厄恩？”

"Yeah," said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to You-Know-'Oo, they say. Anyway, when little 'Arry Potter got the better of You-Know-'Oo --"

厄恩突然颤抖起来。“你说点别的什么吧，斯坦，听话。提到阿兹卡班的守卫，我就起鸡皮疙瘩。”

Harry nervously flattened his bangs down again.

斯坦不情愿地放下报纸。哈利靠在骑士公共汽车的车窗上，心情比什么时候都糟。他情不自禁地想象几天之后斯坦会对乘客说些什么。

"-- all You-Know-'Oo's supporters was tracked down, wasn't they, Ern? Most of 'em knew it was all over, wiv You-Know-'Oo gone, and they came quiet. But not Sirius Black. I 'eard he thought 'e'd be second-in-command once You-Know-'Oo 'ad taken over.

“听说过那个哈利波特吗？他把他的姑妈吹胀了！他来乘过我们这辆公共汽车，是不是，厄恩？他还努力跑着赶我们的车呢……”

"Anyway, they cornered Black in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Black took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper.

他，哈利，已经破坏了魔法界的法律，就和小天狼星布莱克一样。把玛姬姑妈吹胀了，这件事够得上让他到阿兹卡班去吗？哈利对魔法界的监狱一无所知，不过他听到任何人提起那个地方都是战战兢兢的。霍格沃茨的狩猎场看守海格去年就在那里待过两个月。哈利不会马上忘记，当人家告诉海格他要到那里去的时候，他脸上那种恐怖的表情，而且海格是哈利认识的最勇敢的人之一。

"What?" said Harry.

骑士公共汽车在黑暗里前进着，一路冲散灌木、行人安全岛顶端的护柱、电话亭和树木，哈利躺在他的羽毛床上，躁动不安，悲惨可怜。过了一会儿，斯坦想起哈利付过巧克力的钱，但是当这辆汽车突然从阿恩格利西驶往阿伯丁②的时候，他把巧克力全洒在了哈利的枕头上。穿着晨衣和拖鞋的男巫和女巫们一个个地从汽车上层下来，离开了汽车。他们好像都很乐意离开。

"Laughed," said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, I 'e went wiv em quiet as anyfink, still laughing 'is 'ead off. 'Cos 'e's mad, inee, Ern? Inee mad?"

最后，哈利成了惟一的乘客。

"If he weren't when he went to Azkaban, he will be now," said Ern in his slow voice. "I'd blow meself up before I set foot in that place. Serves him right, mind you ... after what he did...."

“那么好吧，纳威，”斯坦说，拍着手，“到伦敦去什么地方呀？”

"They 'ad a job coverin' it up, din' they, Ern?" Stan said. "'Ole street blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said ad 'appened, Ern?"

“对角巷。”

"Gas explosion," grunted Ernie.

“好，”斯坦说，“那么，抓紧……”

"An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Black's gaunt face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern? Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"

砰。

Ernie suddenly shivered.

他们沿着查林十字路隆隆前进。哈利坐起来，看着房子和长凳挤在一边，给骑士公共汽车让道。天空比以前亮了一些。他还要躲躲藏藏两个小时，古灵阁银行一开门就进去，然后出发——到哪里去，他不知道。

"Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."

厄恩猛踩一下刹车，骑士公共汽车就滑行着停了下来，停在一家破破烂烂的小酒吧前面。这家小酒吧的名字叫做破釜酒吧，它后面就是通往魔法世界的对角巷的入口。

Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and Harry leaned against the window of the Knight Bus, feeling worse than ever. He couldn't help imagining what Stan might be telling his passengers in a few nights' time.

“多谢。”哈利对厄恩说。他跳下汽车的台阶，帮斯坦把他的衣箱和海德薇的笼子放在人行道上。“那么，”哈利说，“再见了。”

"'Ear about that 'Arry Potter? Blew up 'is aunt! We 'ad 'im 'ere on the Knight Bus, di'n't we, Ern? 'E was tryin' I to run for it...."

但是斯坦并没注意他。他仍然站在公共汽车的门道里，对着通往破釜酒吧的阴暗入口傻笑。

He, Harry, had broken wizard law just like Sirius Black. Was inflating Aunt Marge bad enough to land him in Azkaban? Harry didn't know anything about the wizard prison, though everyone he'd ever heard speak of it did so in the same fearful tone. Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had spent two months there only last year. Harry wouldn't soon forget the look of terror on Hagrid's face when he had been told where he was going, and Hagrid was one of the bravest people Harry knew.

“你到了，哈利。”一个声音说。哈利还来不及转身，就觉得有一只手放在了他的肩上。同时，只听斯坦叫道：“哎呀！厄恩，你来看！你来看！”

The Knight Bus rolled through the darkness, scattering bushes and wastebaskets, telephone booths and trees, and Harry lay, restless and miserable, on his feather bed. After a while, Stan remembered that Harry had paid for hot chocolate, but poured it all over Harry's pillow when the bus moved abruptly from Anglesea to Aberdeen. One by one, wizards and witches in dressing gowns and slippers descended from the upper floors to leave the bus. They all looked very pleased to go.

哈利抬头看见了那只手的主人，马上觉得胃里给倒上了一大桶冰——他正好撞上了魔法部部长康奈利福吉本人。

Finally, Harry was the only passenger left.

斯坦跳到人行道上站在哈利旁边。

"Right then, Neville," said Stan, clapping his hands, where abouts in London?"

“部长，你叫纳威什么？”他兴奋地问。

"Diagon Alley," said Harry.

福吉是个粗壮的小个子，身穿一件细条纹的长袍，看上去冷淡而疲惫。“纳威？”他重复道，皱着眉头，“这是哈利波特。”

"Righto," said Stan. "'Old tight, then."

“我早就知道啦！”斯坦高兴地叫道，“厄恩！厄恩！你猜猜纳威是谁，厄恩！他是哈利波特！我能看见他的伤疤！”

BANG.

“对，”福吉烦躁地说，“好吧，骑士公共汽车把哈利接到了这里，我很高兴，但我和他现在一定要到破釜酒吧里去……”

They were thundering along Charing Cross Road. Harry sat up and watched buildings and benches squeezing themselves out of the Knight Bus's way. The sky was getting a little lighter. He would lie low for a couple of hours, go to Gringotts the. moment it opened, then set off -- where, he didn't know.

福吉加大了哈利肩上的压力，哈利发现自己被推着进入了这家小酒吧。一个弯着背、手拿灯笼的人在吧台后面的门道里出现了。这是汤姆，一个满脸皱纹、没有牙齿的老板。

Ern slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of a small and shabby- looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley.

“你找到他了，部长！”汤姆说，“您要喝什么？啤酒？白兰地？”

"Thanks," Harry said to Ern.

“也许来一罐茶吧。”福吉说，仍旧没有放开哈利。

He jumped down the steps and helped Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto the pavement.

他们身后传来一阵拖拖拉拉和一阵阵吹气的声音，斯坦和厄恩出现了，带着哈利的衣箱和海德薇的笼子，他们向四周兴奋地张望着。

"Well," said Harry. "'Bye then!"

“你怎么竟然不告诉我们你就是哈利波特呢，纳威？”斯坦说，满脸是笑地对着哈利。

But Stan wasn't paying attention. Still standing in the doorway to the bus) he was goggling at the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. "There you are, Harry," said a voice.

此时厄恩那张像猫头鹰一样的脸在斯坦的肩头上饶有兴趣地凝视着。“要一个包间，汤姆。”福吉直截了当地说。

Before Harry could turn, he felt a hand on his shoulder. At the same time, Stan shouted, "Blimey! Ern, come 'ere! Come 'ere I"

“再见。”哈利可怜巴巴地对斯坦和厄恩说，这时汤姆向福吉示意要他离开吧台到那条走道去。

Harry looked up at the owner of the hand on his shoulder and felt a bucketful of ice cascade into his stomach -- he had walked right into Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.

“再见，纳威！”斯坦叫道。

Stan leapt onto the pavement beside them.

福吉迫使哈利跟着汤姆的提灯沿着狭窄的通道往前走，然后他们走进了一个小雅座。汤姆弹了一下手指，壁炉里就生起了火；他鞠了一躬，离开了。

"What didja call Neville, Minister?" he said excitedly.

“坐下，哈利。”福吉说，指着火炉旁的一把椅子。

Fudge, a portly little man in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked cold and exhausted.

哈利坐下了。尽管有火，他还是觉得手臂上起了鸡皮疙瘩。福吉脱下他的细条纹长袍，把它扔在了一旁，然后急速拉起他那套深绿色西装的裤子，在哈利对面坐下来。“我是康奈利福吉，哈利。魔法部部长。”哈利当然早巳知道，以前他见过福吉一次，但那时他穿着他爸爸的隐形衣，可不能让福吉知道这件事。

"Neville?" he repeated, frowning. "This is Harry Potter."

酒吧老板汤姆又出现了，在睡衣外面加了一条围裙，用托盘拿来了茶和烤面饼。他把托盘放在福吉和哈利之间的桌子上，离开雅座，随手带上了门。

"I knew it!" Stan shouted gleefully. "Ern! Ern! Guess 'oo Neville is, Ern! 'E's 'Arry Potter! I can see 'is scar!"

“好吧，哈利，”福吉说，一面把茶倒出来，“我不怕你知道，你让我们慌作一团了。从你姨妈和姨父家这样跑出来！我原来以为……不过你没出事，要紧的是这一点。”福吉给自己的烤面饼抹上黄油，然后把盘子向哈利推过去。

"Yes," said Fudge testily, "well, I'm very glad the Knight Bus picked Harry up, but he and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now..."

“吃，哈利，你看上去死气沉沉的。现在……你会高兴地听到我们是怎样解决玛姬小姐不幸被吹胀这件事的。几个钟点以前，偶发事件逆转部的两名成员奉命到了女贞路。玛姬小姐恢复过来了，她的记忆也被调整过了。她不记得这件事了。事情就是这样。没有造成任何伤害。”福吉从他的茶杯边上对着哈利微笑，倒像是一位叔叔在看心爱的侄子。哈利不相信自己的耳朵，张开嘴要说话，又想不出来该说什么，只好闭上了嘴巴。

Fudge increased the pressure on Harry's shoulder, and Harry found himself being steered inside the pub. A stooping figure bearing a lantern appeared through the door behind the bar. It was Tom, the wizened, toothless landlord.

“啊，你在担心你的姨妈和姨父的反应吧？”福吉说，“好吧，我不否认他们极其生气，哈利，不过，只要你圣诞节和复活节都留在霍格沃茨，他们是准备明年夏天让你回去的。”

"You've got him, Minister!" said Tom. "Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?"

哈利的嗓子眼儿不再堵得慌了。

"Perhaps a pot of tea," said Fudge, who still hadn't let go of Harry.

“我永远在霍格沃茨过圣诞节和复活节的，”他说道，“我不想再回女贞路了。”

There was a loud scraping and puffing from behind them, and Stan and Ern appeared, carrying Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage and looking around excitedly.

“喏，喏，等你镇静下来以后，我肯定你就不会这样想了。”福吉说，带着担心的声调。“他们毕竟是你的家人，我肯定你们——哦——内心深处是彼此喜爱的。”哈利不想去纠正福吉的看法，他仍旧等着听怎样发落他。

"'Ow come you di'n't tell us 'oo you are, eh, Neville?" said Stan, beaming at Harry, while Ernie's owlish face peered interestedly over Stan's shoulder.

“那现在剩下的就是，”福吉说，又在给他第二块烤面饼涂黄油，“你剩下的两星期假期在哪里过。我建议你在破釜酒吧开一个房间，并且——”

"And a private parlor, please, Tom," said Fudge pointedly.

“等一等，”哈利急促地说，“给我的处分怎么说？”

`Bye," Harry said miserably to Stan and Ern as Tom beckoned Fudge toward the passage that led from the bar.

福吉眨了眨眼，“处分？”

"'Bye, Neville!" called Stan.

“我违法了！”哈利说，“限制未成年人使用魔法的法令！”

Fudge marched Harry along the narrow passage after Tom's lantern, and then into a small parlor. Tom clicked his fingers, a fire burst into life in the grate, and he bowed himself out of the room.

“哦，亲爱的孩子，我们不会为这样一点小事处分你的！”福吉叫道，不耐烦地挥舞着他的烤面饼。“那是个偶然事件！我们不会仅仅为了人们吹胀姑妈就把他们送到阿兹卡班去的！”但这些话和哈利过去与魔法部所打的交道完全合不上拍。

"Sit down, Harry," said Fudge, indicating a chair by the fire.

“去年，只不过因为我姨父家里的小妖精弄坏了一块布丁，我就受到了一次正式警告！”哈利皱着眉头说，“魔法部说，如果再在那里施展任何魔法，霍格沃茨就要开除我！”

Harry sat down, feeling goose bumps rising up his arms despite the glow of the fire. Fudge took off his pinstriped cloak and tossed it aside, then hitched up the trousers of his bottle-green suit and sat down opposite Harry.

除非哈利的眼睛骗了他，因为福吉突然显得尴尬起来。

"I am Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister of Magic."

“情况常常变化，哈利……在目前情况下……我们必须要考虑的是……你肯定不想被开除吧？”

Harry already knew this, of course; he had seen Fudge once before, but as he had been wearing his father's Invisibility Cloak at the time, Fudge wasn't to know that.

“当然不了。”哈利说。

Tom the innkeeper reappeared, wearing an apron over his nightshirt and bearing a tray of tea and crumpets. He placed the tray on a table between Fudge and Harry and left the parlor, closing the door behind him.

“那好，那你还慌张什么？”福吉轻松地大笑起来，“喏，来一片烤面饼，哈利，让我去找汤姆给你弄一间房子。”

"Well, Harry," said Fudge, pouring out tea, "you've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think... but you're safe, and that's what matters."

福吉走出雅座去了，哈利瞪眼看着他的背影。肯定正在发生着什么特别不寻常的事情。如果不是为了他做过的事惩罚他，福吉为什么在破釜酒吧等他呢？而且现在哈利想到了这一点：魔法部部长本人参与未成年人使用魔法的事情，这肯定是不寻常的。

Fudge buttered himself a crumpet and pushed the plate toward Harry.

福吉回来了，一起来的还有小酒吧的老板汤姆。

"Eat, Harry, you look dead on your feet. Now then... You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."

“第十一号房间空着，哈利，”福吉说，“我想你住在那里会是很舒服的。只有一件事，而且我想你会理解的：你不要到麻瓜的伦敦去乱逛，行吗？就待在对角巷不要出去，而且每天天黑以前必须回来。你肯定明白这是为什么。汤姆会替我留神你的。”

Fudge smiled at Harry over the rim of his teacup, rather like an uncle surveying a favorite nephew. Harry, who couldn't believe his ears, opened his mouth to speak, couldn't think of anything to say, and closed it again.

“好吧，”哈利慢慢地说，“但是，这为什么呢？”

"Ah, you're worrying about the reaction of your aunt and uncle?" said Fudge. "Well, I won't deny that they are extremely angry, Harry, but they are prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."

“不想再失去你，难道我们想吗？”福吉开怀大笑，“不，不……我们最好能知道你在哪里……我的意思是……”福吉大声清了清嗓子，拿起了他那件细条纹长袍。“好吧，我要走了，忙着呢，你知道的。”

Harry unstuck his throat.

“你们有小天狼星布莱克的消息吗？”

"I always stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays," he said, "and I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive."

福吉的手指在长袍的银扣上面滑了一下。“什么意思？哦，你听到了——好吧，没有，还没有呢，不过这只是时间问题。阿兹卡班的守卫还从来没有失败过……它们这次恼怒得不得了，比我知道的哪次都厉害。”福吉有一点儿颤抖。

"Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone. "They are your family, after all, and I'm sure you are fond of each other -- er -- very deep down."

“那我就说再见了。”他伸出手来，哈利和他握手，突然有了个主意。“啊——部长？可以问你几个问题吗？”

It didn't occur to Harry to put Fudge right. He was still waiting to hear what was going to happen to him now.

“当然可以。”福吉微笑着说。

"So all that remains," said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky Cauldron and

“好吧，三年级学生可以访问霍格莫德，但是，我的姨妈和姨父没有在我的同意表上签字。您能给我签吗？”

"Hang on," blurted Harry. "What about my punishment?"

福吉看上去一副不舒服的样子。

Fudge blinked. "Punishment?"

“啊，”他说，“不，不，我很抱歉，哈利，因为我不是你的家长，也不是你的监护人——”

"I broke the law!" Harry said. "The Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry!"

“可您是魔法部部长啊，”哈利急切地说，“如果您允许我——”

"Oh, my dear boy, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" cried Fudge, waving his crumpet impatiently. "It was an accident! We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!"

“不，抱歉，哈利，因为规定就是规定，”福吉断然说，“也许明年你可以访问霍格莫德。其实，我认为你最好是不……是……好吧，我要走了。在这里好好过。哈利。”福吉最后一次对哈利微微一笑，又握了一下手，就离开了房间。

But this didn't tally at all with Harry's past dealings with the Ministry of Magic.

于是汤姆走上前来，对哈利微笑着。“波特先生，请跟我来，”汤姆说道，“我已经把你的东西都搬上去了。”

"Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my uncle's house!" he told Fudge, frowning. "The Ministry of Magic said I'd be expelled from Hogwarts if there was any more magic there!"

哈利跟随汤姆走上一道漂亮的木楼梯，来到一间门口有一个黄铜牌子标明是十一号的房间，汤姆为哈利打开锁，开了房门。房间里面有一张看上去很舒服的床，几件很光亮的橡木家具，壁炉里的火烧得噼啪作响，衣橱顶上站立着——

Unless Harry's eyes were deceiving him, Fudge was suddenly looking awkward.

“海德薇！”哈利惊喜地叫道。这只雪白的猫头鹰的喙咔哒响了一下，然后就飞到了哈利的肩头上。

"Circumstances change, Harry... We have to take into account... in the present climate... Surely you don't want to be expelled?"

“你这只猫头鹰真神奇。”汤姆咯咯笑着说道，“你来到这里以后大约五分钟，它就飞来了。如果需要什么，波特先生，马上说好了。”他又鞠了一躬，离开了。

"Of course I don't," said Harry.

哈利在床上坐了很久，心不在焉地抚摸着海德薇。窗外的天空从深深的紫蓝色迅速变成冷冰冰的铁灰色，然后又慢慢地变成一道道的泛着粉红的金色。哈利简直不能相信自己离开女贞路才不过几个小时，他没有被开除，而且他还有整整两周可以摆脱德思礼一家的好日子。

"Well then, what's A the fuss about?" laughed Fudge. "Now, have a crumpet, Harry, while I go and see if Tom's got a room for you."

“这是个很古怪的夜晚，海德薇。”他打着哈欠说。

Fudge strode out of the parlor and Harry stared after him. There was something extremely odd going on. Why had Fudge been waiting for him at the Leaky Cauldron, if not to punish him for what he'd done? And now Harry came to think of it, surely it wasn't usual for the Minister of Magic himself to get involved in matters of underage magic?

他甚至没有拿掉眼镜，就倒在枕头上睡着了。

Fudge came back, accompanied by Tom the innkeeper.

①阿伯加文尼，英国一地名。

"Room eleven's free, Harry," said Fudge. "I think you'll be very comfortable. just one thing, and I'm sure you'll understand... I don't want you wandering off into Muggle London, all right? Keep to Diagon Alley. And you're to be back here before dark each night. Sure you'll understand. Tom will be keeping an eye on you for me."

②阿伯丁，英国一旧郡名。

"Okay," said Harry slowly, "but why?"

"Don't want to lose you again, do we?" said Fudge with a hearty laugh. "No, no... best we know where you are.... I mean..."

Fudge cleared his throat loudly and picked up his pinstriped cloak.

"Well, I'll be off, plenty to do, you know...

"Have you had any luck with Black yet?" Harry asked.

Fudge's finger slipped on the silver fastenings of his cloak.

"What's that? Oh, you've heard -- well, no, not yet, but it's only a matter of time. The Azkaban guards have never yet failed... and they are angrier than I've ever seen them."

Fudge shuddered slightly.

"So, I'll say good-bye."

He held out his hand and Harry, shaking it, had a sudden idea.

"Er -- Minister? Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.

"Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn't sign the permission form. D'you think you could --?"

Fudge was looking uncomfortable.

"Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Harry, but as I'm not your parent or guardian --"

"But you I re the Minister of Magic," said Harry eagerly. "If you gave me permission

"No, I'm sorry, Harry, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly.

'Perhaps You'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it's best if you don't... yes... well, I'll be off Enjoy your stay, Harry."

And with a last smile and shake of Harry's hand, Fudge left the room. Tom now moved forward, beaming at Harry.

"If you'll follow me, Mr. Potter," he said, "I've already taken your things up..."

Harry followed Tom up a handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for him.

Inside was a very comfortable-looking bed, some highly polished oak furniture, a cheerfully crackling fire and, perched on top of the wardrobe -

"Hedwig!" Harry gasped.

The snowy owl clicked her beak and fluttered down onto Harry's arm.

"Very smart owl you've got there, chuckled Tom. "Arrived about five minutes after you did. If there's anything you need, Mr. Potter, don't hesitate to ask."

He gave another bow and left.

Harry sat on his bed for a long time, absentmindedly stroking Hedwig. The sky outside the window was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue to cold, steely gray and then, slowly, to pink shot with gold. Harry could hardly believe that he'd left Privet Drive only a few hours ago, that he wasn't expelled, and that he was now facing two completely Dursley-free weeks.

"It's been a very weird night, Hedwig," he yawned.

And without even removing his glasses, he slumped back onto his pillows and fell asleep.