拉文克勞歡迎信

【中文】

? ? ? ??祝賀！我是級長羅伯特·希利亞德，歡迎你加入拉文克勞學(xué)院。我們的象征是鷹，它能在其他生物無法企及之處盤旋。學(xué)院的代表色是藍(lán)色與銅色，我們的公共休息室位于拉文克勞塔的頂端的一扇門后面，門上有著帶魔法的門環(huán)。拱形的窗戶圍繞著我們圓形的公共休息室，窗外可以眺望學(xué)校的場地：大湖，禁林，魁地奇球場與溫室。其他學(xué)院都沒有這樣絕美的景致。

? ? ? ??并不是要吹噓什么，不過這個學(xué)院中的確生活著那些最為聰慧的巫師。我們的創(chuàng)始人羅伊娜·拉文克勞對于知識的珍視高于一切，這里的學(xué)生們也是一樣。不像其他學(xué)院都將他們公共休息室的入口隱藏起來，拉文克勞不需要這樣做。我們公共休息室的門在高聳的旋轉(zhuǎn)樓梯末端，上面沒有門把手，只有一個鷹頭形狀的青銅門環(huán)。當(dāng)你敲門的時候，門環(huán)會問你一個問題，只要給出正確的答案，就能進入公共休息室。這一重簡單的障礙在近千年中成功阻止了所有不是拉文克勞的學(xué)生。

? ? ? ??一些一年級新生知道他們必須回答門環(huán)的問題之后嚇得不輕。不過不用擔(dān)心，拉文克勞們學(xué)得很快，你不久后就會喜歡上門環(huán)提出的挑戰(zhàn)的。當(dāng)你回到塔樓時，已經(jīng)有二十多個人站在休息室門口思考今日問題的答案的情況并不少見。這給結(jié)識不同年級的同學(xué)提供了很好的機會——雖然這也有時也會變得相當(dāng)不便，如果你正急著回宿舍拿你忘記的魁地奇袍的話。事實上，我建議你們在離開拉文克勞塔前反復(fù)檢查自己包里是否帶上了所有的東西。

? ? ? ??另一件關(guān)于拉文克勞的很酷的事：我們的學(xué)生是最獨特的——有些人甚至?xí)Q其為古怪。但天才往往在普通人中鶴立雞群的。不像其它學(xué)院，我們認(rèn)為你有權(quán)利穿自己想穿的衣服，相信自己愿意相信的觀點，表達(dá)自己的感受。

? ? ? ??我們不會視那些不同尋常的人為阻礙；恰恰相反，我們重視他們的價值。

? ? ? ??說到古怪，你會喜歡我們的院長——菲利亞斯·弗立維教授的。人們常常小看他，因為他就身材而言的確很小，而且有著尖細(xì)的聲音（我們覺得他有部分小精靈的血統(tǒng)，但從沒有人冒昧到真的去問他），但他是目前世界上最好的，知識最為淵博的魔咒大師。他的辦公室大門總為遇到問題的拉文克勞人敞開，而且如果你確實遇到麻煩*的話，他會從辦公桌抽屜中的罐頭里拿出些美味的小蛋糕，指揮它們?yōu)槟闾枋裁吹摹Ｕf實話，就為了看它們的搖擺舞也值得假裝自己真的有些情況。

? ? ? ??拉文克勞學(xué)院有著光輝的歷史，巫師界大部分最偉大的發(fā)明家與改革家都來自我們學(xué)院，其中包括波佩圖阿·范科特，發(fā)明了望月鏡；拉維恩·德·蒙莫朗西?，迷情劑的首創(chuàng)者；還有伊格那提雅·威爾德史密斯，飛路粉的發(fā)明者。著名的拉文克勞魔法部長包括米莉森特·巴格諾德，她在哈利波特在黑魔王的咒語下幸存的那晚是當(dāng)政的部長。她為全英國巫師的慶?；顒愚q護道：“我堅持人們不可剝奪的開派對的權(quán)利?！?除此之外還有洛肯·麥克萊德部長，一名十分杰出的巫師，但他喜歡通過魔杖尖噴出的煙霧來與人交流。嗯，之前也提到了，我們學(xué)院出產(chǎn)古怪的人。事實上，我們學(xué)院還為巫師界貢獻(xiàn)了怪人尤里克，他把水母當(dāng)帽子戴。巫師界的許多笑話中最精彩的幾句總會提到他。

? ? ? ??至于我們和其他三個學(xué)院的關(guān)系：好吧，你也許聽說過一些關(guān)于斯萊特林的事。他們并不都是壞的，不過直到你充分了解他們之前，還是謹(jǐn)慎為妙。他們有著為達(dá)目的不擇手段的古老學(xué)院傳統(tǒng)——所以小心點吧，尤其是在魁地奇比賽和考試的時候。

? ? ? ??格蘭芬多們?nèi)硕疾诲e，如果非得提出一些批評的話，我會說他們有時會喜愛炫耀。他們對于不同的人的包容程度遠(yuǎn)不如我們；事實上，他們時常取笑那些對懸浮術(shù)感興趣的的拉文克勞人，還有對巨怪鼻屎功效的研究，和蛋卜術(shù)，（你可能已經(jīng)聽說過這個）一種使用雞蛋的占卜手法。格蘭芬多沒有我們這樣的求知欲。比如說，如果你想要花上幾天幾夜在公共休息室的一角敲碎雞蛋，并且記錄下基于蛋黃掉落方式的種種預(yù)測的話，我們完全不會介意。實際上，你可能還能找到一些愿意幫忙的人。

? ? ? ??關(guān)于赫奇帕奇嘛，沒人會覺得他們不是好人。說實話，他們可能是整個學(xué)校里最友好的一群人了。我只想說你在比賽和考試時不用太擔(dān)心與他們的競爭。

? ? ? ??我覺得上面這些已經(jīng)差不多了。噢，對了，我們學(xué)院的幽靈是格雷女士。學(xué)校里的其他人以為她從不說話，但對于拉文克勞不是這樣。她在你迷路，或是遺失什么東西的時候會很有幫助。

? ? ? ??相信你們會睡個好覺的。我們的宿舍在主塔的角樓上，四柱床上蓋著天藍(lán)色的絲質(zhì)鳧絨帷帳，窗外會傳來令人放松的風(fēng)聲。

? ? ? ??最后，再次祝賀你們成為霍格沃茨中最聰明的，最與眾不同的，而且最為有趣的學(xué)院一員。干得漂亮！

【英文】

Congratulations! I’m Prefect Robert Hilliard, and I’m delighted to welcome you to RAVENCLAW HOUSE. Our emblem is the eagle, which soars where others cannot climb; our house colours are blue and bronze, and our common room is found at the top of Ravenclaw Tower, behind a door with an enchanted knocker. The arched windows set into the walls of our circular common room look down at the school grounds: the lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch and the Herbology gardens. No other house in the school has such stunning views.
Without wishing to boast, this is the house where the cleverest witches and wizards live. Our founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, prized learning above all else – and so do we. Unlike the other houses, who all have concealed entrances to their common rooms, we don’t need one. The door to our common room lies at the top of a tall, winding staircase. It has no handle, but an enchanted bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. When you rap on the door, this knocker will ask you a question, and if you can answer it correctly, you are allowed in. This simple barrier has kept out everyone but Ravenclaws for nearly a thousand years.
Some first-years are scared by having to answer the eagle’s questions, but don’t worry. Ravenclaws learn quickly, and you’ll soon enjoy the challenges the door sets. It’s not unusual to find twenty people standing outside the common room door, all trying to work out the answer to the day’s question together. This is a great way to meet fellow Ravenclaws from other years, and to learn from them – although it is a bit annoying if you’ve forgotten your Quidditch robes and need to get in and out in a hurry. In fact, I’d advise you to triple-check your bag for everything you need before leaving Ravenclaw Tower.
Another cool thing about Ravenclaw is that our people are the most individual – some might even call them eccentrics. But geniuses are often out of step with ordinary folk, and unlike some other houses we could mention, we think you’ve got the right to wear what you like, believe what you want, and say what you feel. We aren’t put off by people who march to a different tune; on the contrary, we value them!
Speaking of eccentrics, you’ll like our Head of house, Professor Filius Flitwick. People often underestimate him, because he’s really tiny (we think he’s part elf, but we’ve never been rude enough to ask) and he’s got a squeaky voice, but he’s the best and most knowledgeable Charms master alive in the world today. His office door is always open to any Ravenclaw with a problem, and if you’re in a real state he’ll get out these delicious little cupcakes he keeps in a tin in his desk drawer and make them do a little dance for you. In fact, it’s worth pretending you’re in a real state just to see them jive.
Ravenclaw house has an illustrious history. Most of the greatest wizarding inventors and innovators were in our house, including Perpetua Fancourt, the inventor of the lunascope, Laverne de Montmorency, a great pioneer of love potions, and Ignatia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo powder. Famous Ravenclaw Ministers for Magic include Millicent Bagnold, who was in power on the night that Harry Potter survived the Dark Lord’s curse, and defended the wizarding celebrations all over Britain with the words, ‘I assert our inalienable right to party'. There was also Minister Lorcan McLaird, who was a quite brilliant wizard, but preferred to communicate by puffing smoke out of the end of his wand. Well, I did say we produce eccentrics. In fact, we are also the house that gave the wizarding world Uric the Oddball, who used a jellyfish for a hat. He’s the punch line of a lot of wizarding jokes.

As for our relationship with the other three houses: well, you’ve probably heard about the Slytherins. They’re not all bad, but you’d do well to be on your guard until you know them well. They’ve got a long house tradition of doing whatever it takes to win – so watch out, especially in Quidditch matches and exams.
The Gryffindors are OK. If I had a criticism, I’d say Gryffindors tend to be show-offs. They’re also much less tolerant than we are of people who are different; in fact, they’ve been known to make jokes about Ravenclaws who have developed an interest in levitation, or the possible magical uses of troll bogies, or ovomancy, which (as you probably know) is a method of divination using eggs. Gryffindors haven’t got our intellectual curiosity, whereas we’ve got no problem if you want to spend your days and nights cracking eggs in a corner of the common room and writing down your predictions according to the way the yolks fall. In fact, you’ll probably find a few people to help you.
As for the Hufflepuffs, well, nobody could say they’re not nice people. In fact, they’re some of the nicest people in the school. Let’s just say you needn’t worry too much about them when it comes to competition at exam time.
I think that’s nearly everything. Oh yes, our house ghost is the Grey Lady. The rest of the school thinks she never speaks, but she’ll talk to Ravenclaws. She’s particularly useful if you’re lost, or you’ve mislaid something.
I’m sure you’ll have a good night. Our dormitories are in turrets off the main tower; our four-poster beds are covered in sky blue silk eiderdowns and the sound of the wind whistling around the windows is very relaxing.
And once again: well done on becoming a member of the cleverest, quirkiest and most interesting house at Hogwarts.