你知道什么是“麻瓜”吗？如果你的回答是“不知道”，这篇文章就是为你而写！
With the release of the last but one1) Harry Potter film, do you know your Hedwig from your Hogwarts, the Malfoys2) from the Weasleys and a Hufflepuff from a Slytherin? Here is our essential guide to leading your way around the magical world of author J.K.Rowling.
倒数第二部《哈利·波特》系列电影已经上映，你知道海德薇和霍格沃茨分别是什么吗？马尔福家族和韦斯莱家族都是些什么样的人呢？赫奇帕奇和斯莱特林学院又各有什么特点？在此我们向大家提供一份必备指南，带你走进作者J.K.罗琳的魔法世界。
Main Character 主要人物介绍
●Harry Potter ●哈利·波特
Harry Potter is an orphan who has to live with his horrible aunt and uncle—Petunia and Vernon Dursley—since his parents were killed when he was barely one year old. The infant Harry survived the attack with a lightning-bolt3)-shaped scar on his forehead. At the age of 11, he discovers he has special wizard skills. He goes off to the wizard school where he gets caught up in4) murderous mysteries.
哈利·波特是个孤儿，无奈之下他一直和凶恶的姨妈佩妮·德思礼和姨父弗农·德思礼生活在一起，因为他的父母在他仅仅一岁大的时候便被杀害。当时还是婴儿的哈利逃过一劫，但额头上却留下了一道闪电形的伤疤。11岁时，哈利发现自己身怀魔法绝技。他进入魔法学校学习，在那里被卷进了诸多谋杀谜团。
●Lord Voldemort ●伏地魔
Dark wizard Voldemort (so feared that he is referred to only as "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named") is the scariest character in the Potter saga5), driven by his lust for power into a life of evil. He killed Harry's parents and is determined to finish off6) their son too.
黑巫师伏地魔(人们都不敢直呼其名，而称其为“那个连名字都不能提的人”)是《哈利·波特》故事里最可怕的角色，由于权欲熏心，他变得无比邪恶。他杀害了哈利的父母，并决心连他们的儿子也一并除掉。
● Hermione Granger ●赫敏·格兰杰
Hermione is one of Harry's closest pals. She is hardworking, angst-ridden7) and swotty8) but also kind and courageous. She has bushy brown hair, large front teeth and memorises the course books by heart.
赫敏是哈利最要好的伙伴之一，她勤奋、易焦虑、有些死读书，但也善良、勇敢。她有一头浓密蓬乱的褐发，长着大板牙，对课本上的内容烂熟于心。
● Ron Weasley ●罗恩·韦斯莱
Ron is another best friend of Harry's who accompanies him on many dangerous and thrilling journeys. Ron is not too good at magic but is loyal and brave. He comes from a poor but loving family of seven kids.
罗恩是哈利的另一位挚友，多次与哈利一同出生入死。罗恩魔法学得不好，但他忠诚且勇敢。罗恩家里有七个孩子，虽然家境贫寒，但一家人相亲相爱。
Spellbinding School
令人着迷的魔法学校
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a co-educational, non-fee-paying boarding school for pupils aging 11 to 17. It is housed in a big castle next to a lake and forest and is run by Albus Dumbledore.
霍格沃茨魔法学校是一所男女同校的免费寄宿制学校，在校学生的年龄段为11〜17岁。学校位于一座大城堡之中，毗邻湖泊森林，由阿不思·邓布利多掌管。
The school uniform consists of robes10), cloaks11) and pointed hats. Pupils are also allowed a "familiar" such as a rat or toad12). (Harry's creature is an owl called Hedwig.)
学校校服由长袍、斗篷和尖顶帽组成。学生亦可饲养老鼠、蟾蜍之类的“宠物”。(哈利的宠物是一只名叫海德薇的猫头鹰。)
Hogwarts is divided into 4 houses, rather like a public school. They include Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor—each with its own ghost. Pupils are divided up between the houses—by the talking Sorting Hat—depending on their characters. Pleasant, easy-going types go into Hufflepuff. Those with a more than average inclination13) for study go to Ravenclaw. Bright and pleasant pupils, like Harry, go to Gryffindor. Pupils who are ambitious are welcomed by Slytherin.
霍格沃茨分为四个学院，这一点和公立中学很像。四个学院分别是：斯莱特林、拉文克劳、赫奇帕奇和格兰芬多。每个学院都有一只自己的幽灵。学生入学时由一顶会说话的分院帽根据学生的性格把他们分配到各个学院去。和蔼可亲、性格随和的学生去赫奇帕奇；比较好学的学生则去拉文克劳；像哈利这种聪明而讨人喜欢的学生去格兰芬多；而斯莱特林则欢迎雄心勃勃的学生。
Students undergo a tough regime14) including classes in Herbology15), Charms16), Magic Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts, etc.
学校管理制度严格，开设的课程有草药课、魔咒课、魔药课和黑魔法防御术课等。
Quidditch is the school's traditional game. The Quidditch season starts in November and sees teams of seven competing on broomsticks, divided up into Chasers, Beaters, Keepers and Seekers. The Quaffle17) and Bludgers18) are the balls and catching a Golden Snitch19) earns a team extra points.
魁地奇球赛是学校的传统体育项目。赛季始于每年11月，每个队伍由七名球员组成，他们都骑在飞天扫帚上比赛。球员分为追球手、击球手、守门员和找球手。鬼飞球和游走球是比赛用球，而抓住金色飞贼能为球队赢得额外的分数。
The Books 系列图书
Each book charted a year's progress through Hogwarts School for Harry and his friends.
每本书讲述哈利和朋友们在霍格沃茨一学年的生活。
We were introduced to them in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in the U.S.) in 1997.
1997年出版的《哈利·波特与魔法石》第一次将我们带进这个魔法世界。
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets followed in 1998 and charted Harry, Hermione and Ron's second year at Hogwarts. This time around, though, the mood was darker as evil voices and messages pointed Harry towards an unsolved mystery.
紧接着，《哈利·波特与密室》于1998年出版，故事记录了哈利、赫敏和罗恩在霍格沃茨第二年的生活。但这一回，故事开始变得更灰暗，邪恶的声音和信息将哈利引向了一个未解之谜。
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban emerged in 1999. It told the story of Sirius Black, who escaped from the high security wizard prison of Azkaban and then tried to kill 13-year-old Harry.
《哈利·波特与阿兹卡班的囚徒》于1999年问市。该书讲述了小天狼星布莱克的故事，他从戒备森严的阿兹卡班巫师监狱出逃，试图杀掉13岁的哈利。
2000's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire involved a Triwizard Tournament that saw Hogwarts face two other schools of wizardry, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.
2000年出版的《哈利·波特与火焰杯》讲述了一场三强争霸赛，霍格沃茨面对另外两所魔法学校——德姆斯特朗和布斯巴顿的挑战。
2003 saw the eagerly-awaited publication of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Phoenix saw Harry face expulsion20) from Hogwarts and the destruction of his wand.
在读者的翘首企盼下，《哈利·波特与凤凰社》于2003年出版。在这部书里，哈利面临了双重危机：被霍格沃茨开除、魔杖被毁坏。
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince came out in 2005. In this book both Muggle and wizarding worlds were under attack from dastardly21) Death Eaters22). London was in peril23)as the boundaries between human and magical grew more precarious24).
2005年《哈利·波特与混血王子》出版。这部书里，麻瓜世界和魔法世界都遭到了卑鄙的食死徒的攻击。人类世界和魔法世界的界线变得模糊，伦敦因此陷入危险之中。
Finally, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows disclosed all secrets in 2007. After fierce battles, good prevailed over25) evil. "The scar has not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well."
终于，2007年出版的《哈利·波特与死亡圣器》揭晓了所有的谜底。经过殊死的搏斗，正义战胜了邪恶。“19年来，哈利的伤疤再也没有疼过。一切都很好。”(译者注：这是小说的最后一句话。)
Prototypes of Main Character
主要人物原型
Author J.K.Rowling took the name Potter from a family who lived four doors down from her when she was a young girl in Winterbourne, south Gloucestershire.
“波特”取自作者J.K.罗琳以前的一户邻居家的姓，两家仅四户之遥。那时罗琳还是个小女孩，住在格洛斯特郡南部的温特本。
The swotty Hermione is based on Rowling herself as a schoolgirl. Ron is based on her old friend, Sean.
刻苦读书的赫敏的原型是学生时代的罗琳，而罗恩则是基于她的老朋友肖恩而塑造的。
Harry is partly imaginary, but Rowling says there is a lot of herself in him.
哈利的角色部分是作者虚构的，但罗琳也称哈利身上有很多自己的影子。
Then the Dementors (The Dementors are prison guards who track people by sensing their emotions. They disable their victims by sucking out all positive thoughts, and with a kiss they can take a soul—leaving the body alive but emotionless.) are drawn from Rowling's own experience of suffering from depression.
而摄魂怪的灵感来自罗琳自己的抑郁症经历。摄魂怪是监狱的守卫，通过感觉人们的情感来进行追踪。它们通过吸走人的所有积极思想而使其丧失行动能力。它们的一吻就能带走人的灵魂，让人虽然活着，但却毫无感情，如同行尸走肉。
1. the last but one: 倒数第二
2. Malfoy: 德拉科·马尔福(Draco Malfoy)，哈利在学校的死对头，斯莱特林学院的学生。其父母也都是小说中的反面角色。
3. bolt [bEult] n. 闪电
4. get caught up in: 陷入
5. saga [5sB:^E] n. <口> 长篇记叙；长篇故事
6. finish off: 毁灭
7. angst-ridden: 焦虑的；angst [B:Nst] n. (尤指对时世的)忧虑；ridden [常用以构成复合词]全是……的
8. swotty [swCtI] adj. 苦读的
9. spellbinding [5spel5baIndIN] adj. 使人入迷的，迷人的；引人入胜的
10. robe [rEub] n. 长袍
11. cloak [klEuk] n. 斗篷
12. toad [tEud] n. 【动】蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆
13. inclination [7InklI5neIFEn] n. 爱好，癖好(for, to)
14. regime [reI5Vi:m] n. 管理制度；体制，体系
15. Herbology [5h\:bClIEdVI] n. 药草学
16. charm [tFB:m] n. 咒文，符咒；Charms: 魔咒课
17. Quaffle: 鬼飞球，是一种鲜红色的球，速度较慢，把它射进球门中便可得十分。
18. Bludger [5blQdVE(r)] n. 游走球，是一种沉重的黑色铁球，共两颗，会在球场中飞来飞去，试图把球员撞下扫帚。
19. Golden Snitch: 金色飞贼，是一颗亮金色的球，来无影去无踪，只有胡桃般大，球身上有一对银色的小翅膀，抓住它可以获得150分，球赛也同时结束。
20. expulsion [Ik5spQlFEn] n. 开除
21. dastardly [5dAstEdlI] adj. 卑怯的；卑鄙的
22. Death Eater: 食死徒(伏地魔的拥护者)
23. in peril: 冒着危险
24. precarious [prI5keErIEs] adj. 危险的
25. prevail over: 胜过