《HP官方资料翻译集（物品篇）》霁随心

55、魔药综述

　　罗琳在Pottermore上关于魔药的写作（翻译来自《【Pottermore翻译】《哈利波特12个新故事》圣诞节新资料 罗琳》）：

　　总是有人问起，如果有一本魔药书加上相应的原材料，麻瓜能否制作出一份魔药。很可惜，答案是否定的。制作魔药的过程总会包括一些需要魔杖才能完成的步骤（仅仅把死苍蝇和水仙放进锅里熬煮只会让你得到一份难闻的汤，更不用说还是有毒的）。
　　有些魔药能够制造出与魔咒相同的效果，但一小部分魔药（例如复方汤剂和福灵剂）的效果是独特的，没有其它方法复制。总体而言，男女巫师们会选择他们觉得最简单或最有效的方法，来获得他们想要的结果。
　　魔药不适合没有耐心的人，但它们的效果则通常只能被另外的优秀魔药研究者所化解。这一魔法种类带有某种程度的神秘色彩，因此也具有地位。掌控极端危险的物质也使其具有一种黑暗的威望。巫师社会对于魔药专家的普遍印象是沉郁压抑，缓慢发怒：实际上，斯内普就完全符合这一刻板印象。

　　罗琳的想法：
　　化学是我上学时最讨厌的科目，能够自由选课之后我就不再继续学它。所以很自然地，当我考虑让哈利的宿敌西弗勒斯·斯内普执教哪一门课时，那必须是巫师世界与化学相对应的科目。然而奇怪的是，在我看来斯内普对于他执教科目的入门介绍相当吸引人（“我能教会你们熬制名誉，酿造荣耀，甚至封装死亡……”），显然我在某种程度上和斯内普一样觉得魔药十分有趣；而且我确实很享受在书中创作魔药和为之研究相应原料的过程。在哈利为斯内普制作的多种药剂中，许多原料是真实存在的（或者曾被人认为存在），并且确实拥有（或者曾被认为拥有）我所赋予它们的特性。例如白藓确实具有治疗的功效（它是一种消炎药，当然我不建议你去切开自己的身体来试验效果）；牛黄确实是从动物内脏中取出的物质，人们也真的曾经认为喝泡过牛黄的水可以解毒。

　　【Potions By J.K. Rowling】
It is often asked whether a Muggle could create a magic potion, given a Potions book and the right ingredients. The answer, unfortunately, is no. There is always some element of wandwork necessary to make a potion (merely adding dead flies and asphodel to a pot hanging over a fire will give you nothing but nasty-tasting, not to mention poisonous, soup).
Some potions duplicate the effects of spells and charms, but a few (for instance, the Polyjuice Potion, and Felix Felicis) have effects impossible to achieve any other way. Generally speaking, witches and wizards favour whichever method they find easiest, or most satisfying, to produce their chosen end.
Potions are not for the impatient, but their effects are usually difficult to undo by any but another skilled potioneer. This branch of magic carries a certain mystique and therefore status. There is also the dark cachet of handling substances that are highly dangerous. The popular idea of a Potions expert within the wizarding community is of a brooding, slow-burning personality: Snape, in fact, conforms perfectly to the stereotype.
J.K. Rowling’s thoughts
Chemistry was my least favourite subject at school, and I gave it up as soon as I could. Naturally, when I was trying to decide which subject Harry's arch-enemy, Severus Snape, should teach, it had to be the wizarding equivalent. This makes it all the stranger that I found Snape's introduction to his subject quite compelling ('I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death...’), apparently part of me found Potions quite as interesting as Snape did; and indeed I always enjoyed creating potions in the books, and researching ingredients for them. Many of the components of the various draughts and libations that Harry creates for Snape exist (or were once believed to exist) and have (or were believed to have) the properties I gave them. Dittany, for instance, really does have healing properties (it is an anti-inflammatory, although I would not advise Splinching yourself to test it); a bezoar really is a mass taken from the stomach of an animal, and it really was once believed that drinking water in which a bezoar was placed could cure you of poisoning.