“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.”Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.
　　"分配仪式几分钟后就会在全校师生面前开始，我建议你们利用这段等待的时间里，把自己打扮得漂亮些。"她的目光在尼维尔那固定于左耳下方的帽绳和罗恩那脏脏的鼻子上停留了好一会儿。哈利见状，连忙摸了模自己的头发，想把它弄平整些。
““I shall return when we are ready for you,” said Professor McGonagall. “Please wait quietly.”he left the chamber. Harry swallowed.
　　"我们准备好了就会来叫你们，你们先在这里安静地等会儿吧。"她终于离开了那间小房间，哈利紧张地咽了咽口水。
“How exactly do they sort us into houses?” he asked Ron.
　　"他们根据什么标准将我们分配到不同的学院呢？"他问罗恩。

“Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking.”
　　"可能是通过考试吧。弗来德曾说分配时会很痛，不过我想他只是在开玩笑罢了。
Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet — what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue. He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.
　　哈利的心情顿时沉重了下来。考试？还要在全校师生面前？但他现在甚至连最简单的魔法都还不会呀，他该怎么办呢？刚到这儿的时候他可从没想到会有这样的事情发生。他焦急地四周张望了一下，发现其他人也像他一样害怕极了。人群中只有荷米恩。格林佐在七嘴八舌地小声向旁边的人罗列她所会的魔法，还说不知道哪些能派上用场。哈利真想塞住自己的耳朵，他从来没有如此紧张过，即使是那次不明不白地将老师的假发变蓝后拿着学校的告状信回杜斯利家里，也没有现在这么紧张。那个麦康娜教授随时都会回来把他带到决定他命运的地方。