《HP官方资料翻译集（物品篇）》霁随心

24、厄里斯魔镜

　　【Pottermore中关于厄里斯魔镜（Mirror of Erised ）的内容】
　　（翻译微改自哈吧《【翻译】Pottermore文字资料翻译集合》第28楼）

　　厄里斯魔镜有相当久远的历史。没有人知道它是谁造的，又是怎么来到霍格沃茨的。许多教师都把旅途中所见到的有趣的魔法器物带回霍格沃茨，所以它可能是在不经意中被带到城堡里的。也有可能是教师了解了它的工作方式后被深深吸引，或者他们没弄明白于是想征求同事的看法。
　　厄里斯魔镜是一个似乎只是为了好玩才被创造出来的魔法器物（无害或有害则是见仁见智）。因为尽管它比一般的镜子更具启发性，它也仅仅是有趣而非有用。只是在邓布利多教授对它进行了一番重要的改进之后（魔镜可能在有求必应屋中蒙尘了一个世纪直到他将它重新启用），它才成了一个藏东西的绝妙所在，而且也是内心世界的明鉴。
　　镜子上的铭文（erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi）必须从后往前读才能显示出它的含义。

　　罗琳的想法：
　　阿不思·邓布利多与哈利谈论厄里斯魔镜时对哈利的警告表达了我自己的观点。“坚守你的梦想”的确没错，但是沉迷于梦想中不能自拔则是毫无意义甚至是危险的。邓布利多知道当你执着于一个不可能实现的或是基本不会实现的梦想时，生活早把你抛在后面。哈利最深切的渴望是不可能实现的：他希望父母回到人间。尽管邓布利多知道哈利因为亲情的缺失而极其伤心，但盯着虚无缥缈的幻影无疑只是一种损害。厄里斯魔镜令人迷醉又充满诱惑，但它不会带给人真正的幸福。

　　【注】
　　“erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi”倒过来读是“I show not your face but your heart's desire”(我照出的不是你的脸，而是你内心的渴望)
　　尽管我一直觉得台版hp的很多翻译挺雷人，但其“意若思魔镜”这个翻译倒是比大陆版本的更好，意译和音译都有了。

　　【Pottermore中厄里斯魔镜原文】
The Mirror of Erised is a very old device. Nobody knows who created it, or how it came to be at Hogwarts School. A succession of teachers have brought back interesting artefacts from their travels, so it might have arrived at the castle in this casual manner, either because the teacher knew how it worked and was intrigued by it, or because they did not understand it and wished to ask their colleagues' opinions.
The Mirror of Erised is one of those magical artefacts that seems to have been created in a spirit of fun (whether innocent or malevolent is a matter of opinion), because while it is much more revealing than a normal mirror, it is interesting rather than useful. Only after Professor Dumbledore makes key modifications to the mirror (which has been languishing in the Room of Requirement for a century or so before he brings it out and puts it to work) does it become a superb hiding place, and the final test for the impure of heart.
The mirror's inscription ('erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi') must be read backwards to show its true purpose.
J.K. Rowling's thoughts
Albus Dumbledore's words of caution to Harry when discussing the Mirror of Erised express my own views. The advice to 'hold on to your dreams' is all well and good, but there comes a point when holding on to your dreams becomes unhelpful and even unhealthy. Dumbledore knows that life can pass you by while you are clinging on to a wish that can never be - or ought never to be - fulfilled. Harry's deepest yearning is for something impossible: the return of his parents. Desperately sad though it is that he has been deprived of his family, Dumbledore knows that to sit gazing on a vision of what he can never have, will only damage Harry. The mirror is bewitching and tantalising, but it does not necessarily bring happiness.