诗翁彼豆故事集 第28期:三兄弟的传说(5)

 　　What is more, Beedle's story is quite explicit¹ about the fact that the second brother's lost love has not really returned from the dead. 而且，彼豆的故事说的很明确，老二失去的爱人并没有真正复活。

　　She has been sent by Death to lure² the second brother into Death's clutches, and is therefore cold, remote, tantalisingly both present and absent. 她是被死神派来，诱惑老二落入死神魔爪的，因此她冷漠、遥远，若即若离。

　　(Note 5: Many critics believe that Beedle was inspired by the Philosopher's Stone, which makes the immortality-inducing Elixir³ of Life, when creating this stone that can raise the dead. ) （注释五：许多评论家认为，彼豆是受魔法石的启发，才创造了这块能够起死回生的石头。魔法石能制造出使人永恒的长生不老药。）

　　This leaves us with the wand, and here the obstinate⁴ believers in Beedle's hidden message have at least some historical evidence to back up their wild claims. 最后只剩下那根魔杖了，那些固执地相信彼豆传递了隐晦信息的人们，至少有了一些历史证据来支持他们疯狂的信念。

　　For it is the case – whether because they liked to glorify⁵ themselves, or to intimidate⁶ possible attackers, or because they truly believed what they were saying – that wizards down the ages have claimed to possess a wand more powerful than the ordinary, even an “unbeatable” wand. 因为古往今来，许多巫师或是为了吹嘘炫耀，或是为了吓唬潜在的袭击者，或是真的相信自己的说法，都声称自己拥有一根威力无比的魔杖，甚至是“不可战胜的”魔杖。

　　Some of these wizards have gone so far as to claim that their wand is made of elder, like the wand supposedly made by Death. 有些巫师还宣称他们的魔杖像故事里死神的那根魔杖一样，也是接骨木做的。

　　Such wands have been given many names, among them “the Wand of Destiny” and “the Death stick”. 这样的魔杖有许多名字，如“命运杖”、“死亡棒”等。

　　It is hardly surprising that old superstitions⁷ have grown up around our wands, which are, after all, our most important magical tools and weapons. 围绕我们的魔杖出现一些古老的迷信并不奇怪，因为魔杖毕竟是我们最重要的魔法工具和武器。

　　Certain wands (and therefore their owners) are supposed to be incompatible⁸: 某些魔杖（以及他们的主人）据说是不相容的：

　　When his wand's oak and hers is holly⁹, Then to marry would be folly¹⁰ or to denote flaws in the owner's character: Rowan gossips, chestnut¹¹ drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans. 他的魔杖是橡木，她的是冬青，结合必定不幸。或标志着主人的性格缺陷：山梨啰嗦，栗木懒，白蜡固执，榛木娇。

　　And sure enough, within this category of unproven sayings we find: Wand of elder, never prosper¹². 果然，在这些未经证实的说法中，我们看到了：接骨木的魔杖，永不兴旺。

　　Whether because of the fact that Death makes the fictional¹³ wand out of elder in Beedle's story, or because power-hungry or violent wizards have persistently¹⁴ claimed that their own wands are made of elder, it is not a wood that is much favored among wand makers¹⁵. 不知是因为彼豆故事里死神的那根虚伪的魔杖是用接骨木做的，还是因为争权夺利、性情残暴的巫师坚称他们的魔杖是接骨木做的，魔杖制作人都不喜欢这种木料。

1 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

2 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

3 elixir   

n.长生不老药，万能药

参考例句：

• There is no elixir of life in the world.世界上没有长生不老药。
• Keep your mind awake and active;that's the only youth elixir.保持头脑清醒和灵活便是保持年轻的唯一灵丹妙药。

4 obstinate   

adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的

参考例句：

• She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。
• The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

5 glorify   

vt.颂扬，赞美，使增光，美化

参考例句：

• Politicians have complained that the media glorify drugs.政治家们抱怨媒体美化毒品。
• We are all committed to serving the Lord and glorifying His name in the best way we know.我们全心全意敬奉上帝，竭尽所能颂扬他的美名。

6 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

7 superstitions   

迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Old superstitions seem incredible to educated people. 旧的迷信对于受过教育的人来说是不可思议的。
• Do away with all fetishes and superstitions. 破除一切盲目崇拜和迷信。

8 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。

9 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

10 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

11 chestnut   

n.栗树，栗子

参考例句：

• We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
• In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

12 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

13 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

14 persistently   

ad.坚持地；固执地

参考例句：

• He persistently asserted his right to a share in the heritage. 他始终声称他有分享那笔遗产的权利。
• She persistently asserted her opinions. 她果断地说出了自己的意见。

15 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》