Peeves had finally got bored of his "Oh, Potter, you rotter" song, Ernie Macmillan asked Harry quite politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day, and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three. This made Professor Sprout very happy.
皮皮鬼终于唱腻了他那首“哦,波特,你这个讨厌鬼”。一天在上草药课时,厄尼礼貌地请哈利把一小桶跳动的伞菌递给他。三月里,几株曼德拉草在第三温室开了一个热热闹闹、吵吵嚷嚷的舞会,这使斯普劳特教授非常高兴。
The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature, she told Harry. "Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing."
“等它们想移到别人的花盆里时,我们就知道它们完全成熟了。”她对哈利说,“然后我们就能使医院病房里那些可怜的人都活过来。”
The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that Hermione, at least, took very seriously.
在复活节假日期间,二年级学生又有了新的事情要考虑。他们应该选择三年级的课程了,这件事,至少在赫敏看来,是需要慎重对待的。
It could affect our whole future, she told Harry and Ron as they pored over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks.
“这会影响到我们的整个未来。”她对哈利和罗恩说。这时他们都在仔细研究新课程名单,在上面做着记号。
I just want to give up Potions, said Harry.
“我只想放弃魔药课。”哈利说。
We can't, said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defense Against the Dark Arts."
“不可能,”罗恩情绪低落地说,“原来的科目都得上,不然我早就扔掉黑魔法防御术课了。”
But that's very important! said Hermione, shocked.
“但那门课是很重要的!”赫敏吃惊地说。
Not the way Lockhart teaches it, said Ron. "I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose."
“像洛哈特那种教法,我看未必。”罗恩说,“除了不要把小精灵放出来,我没有从他那里学到任何东西。”
Neville Longbottom had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what to choose. Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether they thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes.
纳威·隆巴顿家里的那些男巫、女巫们纷纷给他来信,在选课的问题上对他提出许多不同的建议。纳威无所适从,心里很紧张。他坐在那里看课程名单,舌头伸在外面,问别人是不是觉得算术占卜听上去比古代魔文更加难学。