《GGAD通信集- Thirty-five Owls》林待玉

25、The Twenty-fourth Owl( From AD) 1981.

　　November 13th, 1981

　　公元1981年，十一月13日

　　Dear Gellert,

　　亲爱的盖勒特，

　　You did, I recall, some time ago, ask me to owl you when I was through with Voldemort. This owl is perhaps a decade later than you expected, old friend? And I amnot yet sure that I am through with him, perse. But I did appreciate your optimism many times during the war, even though he actually gave me a good deal more trouble than you did. Not to insult your Dark Lordliness, but he had a few specific advantages, particularly a natural talent for Legilimency which rivaled my own, and which I was unable to predict until far too late in the game...

　　我忆起，在一段时间以前，你曾，让我在解决伏地魔之后寄信给你。这封信大概比你预料的晚了十年吧，老朋友？且从根本上，我还是不能确定自己是否解决了他。但我仍欣赏你在战争中多次流露出的乐观主义精神，即使他给我的麻烦比你给我的还多得多呢。我不是想侮辱你的黑魔王气质，但他有一些特殊的优势，尤其是那摄神取念天赋，足以与我抗衡，足以让我直到这场战争最后的最后方能预测一二……

　　But I digress. Through a very interesting turn of events, Voldemort is— not defeated for good, certainly, though most would like to think so. I believe, though, that he is staved off, set back, for years, most likely, and when he returns, he shall be very weak.

　　但我偏题了。经过一个非常有趣的转折事件，伏地魔——当然，没有被永远击败，虽然大多数人乐意这么想。我坚信这一点，虽然他，极有可能会有许多年，被迫隐匿，遭受阻碍，并且他回归时，又会是极其虚弱的。

　　I agree as to the disappointment involved in owling an unresponsive correspondent. But, Gellert, the battle against Voldemort was tooth and nail, and I organized the front force while maintaining Hogwarts. I have grown unfamiliar as of late with my bed-curtains, and particularly in the past year, I feel as if I have seen new-carved headstones more often. There has been so little time...

　　我承认被卷入与一名毫无回应的通信者的猫头鹰往来着实是无聊透顶。但，盖勒特，与伏地魔的对抗是要拼尽全力的，我组织了一支前线部队，同时还要尽力保护霍格沃茨。我近来对床帐的印象越发陌生，这种感觉在去年尤甚，我觉得自己看到座座新坟的次数一定大大增加了。那时所有的时间是多么微不足道……

　　Even now, more than a month after his defeat, I battle exhaustion. But I do not wish to abandon you, old friend, even though I have done so for years. Sherbet lemons for my conscience, you said once, but they never seem to do any good.

　　甚至到现在，距他的失败已一月有馀。我还在与疲惫斗争。但我绝对不希望遗弃你，老朋友，即使我虽然因以以上种种原因这些年已不得不这么做了。你曾云，让柠檬雪宝来抚慰我的良心，但它们似乎从未见效。

　　I am sorry to hear of your friend's death. I am sorry for so much.

　　听到你朋友的死讯，我很难过。让我黯然神伤的有太多。

　　There have been some peculiar rumors spreading about you, amongst the Dark wizard and the underground of Europe— as I'd been working about that area quite a bit, trying to stem Voldemort's control of the werewolves and giants. They say old Grindelwald has shown remorse in his moldering cell. They say he cries in grief for his victims. A decade ago I would have thought this nonsense, but it has been a very, very long ten years, battering and changing the whole face of Britain. I have seen men and women whose hearts and souls I thought I knew altered, scarred, changed forever. So it is too easy for me to imagine that all this terrible change could have spread across the channel, over the continent, up the mountains to Nurmengard.

　　当时有一些关于你的奇怪流言传开，在黑巫师们与欧洲巫师地下党之间——我当时在那个领域周边工作得很频繁，试图阻止伏地魔对狼人和巨人的控制。他们说老格林德沃在他渐渐腐朽的牢房里显现出了悔恨。他们说他为他的祭品而恸哭，而撕心裂肺。十年前我可能会想这纯粹是一派胡言。但这十年简直在是太长、太长了，重创、改变了英国的整个面目。我见过的许多人与记忆中相比，身心与灵魂俱已被撼动，千疮百孔，永远改换。对我而言，极易想象这种严重的改变会穿过海峡，翻过大陆，跃上群山至纽蒙迦德。

　　And it has been so long since we truly corresponded. So long since I knew your heart. So let me ask you, just this once, in all sincerity, no mockery— how are you, old friend?

　　距我们上次诚挚的通信已过了很久了。故距我上次洞悉你的心也过了很久了。故仅此一次，请让我出于纯粹的真诚，绝无嘲弄地问问你——你好吗，老朋友？

　　译者注：

　　［1］乐观主义精神，详见上一封GG的信“我就不信他将给你带来的麻烦会比我曾给你带来的更多”等语。（然后AD又小心翼翼的补上一句“我不是想侮辱你”，一笑）

　　［2］伏地魔被反弹出的索命咒击中的日期是10月31日，写信时间距离这个日期应该还不足半月（AD你就这么关心他？）为什么会说距他的失败已一月有馀呢……

　　［3］“你曾云，让柠檬雪宝来抚慰我的良心”：照应第15封信中GG的话——“给它（AD的良知）一个柠檬雪宝并且宽恕我们吧。”

　　［4］AD已经小心翼翼地问起忏悔了