这版英汉对照的《魔法石》,最勾住读者的其实不是魔杖与飞天扫帚,而是它如何悄悄改变了人与文字的关系。许多读者重读时特意对照原文:一句“对名称的恐惧会强化对事物本身的恐惧”,英文里一句“Proper name for things”,让熟悉英文的人重新看见被译文磨钝的棱角;也有人因发现错译而惊觉,当年那个相信魔法的孩子,原来也会被印刷的粗心糊弄。它适合两类人:一类是想借母语重温童年的人,另一类是想借原文重新学习“如何阅读”的人。当邓布利多说出“死亡不过是另一场伟大的冒险”,你忽然明白,真正被录取的从来不是哈利,而是每个愿意再读一遍的大人。
"The roadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth."
"‘Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, oh please’ ‘You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn’t something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?’ ‘Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there-like lightning’ ‘Poor dear-no wonder he was alone. I wondered. He w"