斯萊特林歡迎信

【中文】

? ? ? ??祝賀你們！我是級(jí)長(zhǎng)杰瑪·法利，歡迎來(lái)到斯萊特林學(xué)院。我們的徽章動(dòng)物是蛇，最聰明的生物。我們學(xué)院顏色是翠綠色和銀色，我們的公共休息室位于地牢的一個(gè)隱秘入口后面。正如大家所看到的，休息室的窗戶外就是霍格沃茨湖水的深處。我們經(jīng)?？梢钥匆?jiàn)巨大的水生生物游過(guò)，通常是很有意思的生物。我們喜歡這里有一種神秘的，水底輪船失事的氛圍。

? ? ? ??現(xiàn)在，關(guān)于斯萊特林的一些事你們需要知道，一些你們則應(yīng)該忘記。

? ? ? ??首先，讓我先解釋一些迷。你們可能已經(jīng)聽(tīng)到過(guò)一些關(guān)于斯萊特林學(xué)院的謠言，即我們都是黑巫師，而且只會(huì)與有著顯赫家世或類(lèi)似之類(lèi)的人相交。好吧，你們不會(huì)想聽(tīng)這些來(lái)自于競(jìng)爭(zhēng)學(xué)院的閑話吧。我不否認(rèn)，我們學(xué)院的確產(chǎn)生過(guò)黑巫師，但是其他學(xué)院也是這樣，他們只是不愿意承認(rèn)這點(diǎn)。還有，是的，我們有招收來(lái)自巫師世家學(xué)生的傳統(tǒng)，但是現(xiàn)在你們會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)在斯萊特林有很多學(xué)生，他們的父母至少有一方是麻瓜。

? ? ? ??這有一件事是其他三個(gè)學(xué)院很少提及的：梅林就是畢業(yè)于斯萊特林的。是的，梅林他自己，這位巫師歷史上最著名的巫師！他就在這個(gè)古老的學(xué)院里學(xué)到了一切。你們想跟隨梅林的腳步嗎？或者你們更愿意坐在前赫奇帕奇，Eglantine Puffett，杰出的可自清洗抹布的發(fā)明者的舊桌子前？

? ? ? ??我可不這么想。

? ? ? ??說(shuō)完了這些，我們來(lái)談一談我們的優(yōu)點(diǎn)，我們是這所學(xué)校中最酷最厲害的學(xué)院。我們的目標(biāo)就是贏，因?yàn)槲覀冊(cè)诤跛谷R特林的榮譽(yù)和傳統(tǒng)。

? ? ? ??我們也得到了來(lái)自別院的尊敬。盡管其中一些是來(lái)自于對(duì)我們?cè)诤谀Хㄈ〉玫某删偷奈窇?。不過(guò)你們知道嗎，處于黑暗邊緣的名譽(yù)也可以變得很有趣兒。暗示一下他們我們掌握了圖書(shū)館所有的咒語(yǔ)，然后看看誰(shuí)還敢刮壞你的鉛筆盒。

? ? ? ??但是我們并不邪惡。我們只是喜歡我們的象征物——蛇：圓滑，強(qiáng)大，卻總是被誤解。

? ? ? ??打個(gè)比方，我們斯萊特林只關(guān)心自己，這一點(diǎn)比拉文克勞有過(guò)之而無(wú)不及。拉文克勞不僅是你們遇見(jiàn)過(guò)的最刻苦的，而且以學(xué)生之間為得高分而互相攀比踩踏揚(yáng)名。而我們斯萊特林不同，我們彼此間是兄弟姐妹?；舾裎执牡淖呃壤锎笠獾膶W(xué)生總是被欺負(fù)，而你們會(huì)很高興有斯萊特林的蛇們伴你安然穿越學(xué)校。對(duì)我們而言，一旦你進(jìn)入了斯萊特林，你就是我們的一員，精英中的一員。

? ? ? ??你們都知道薩拉查-斯萊特林挑選學(xué)生的原則吧，你們被斯萊特林選中，因?yàn)槟銈兙哂谐蔀閭ゴ笪讕煹臐撡|(zhì)。也許，你會(huì)覺(jué)得在公共休息室碰到的一些人沒(méi)有任何潛質(zhì)，但是，請(qǐng)記住，如果分院帽把他們分在這里，他們定有特別之處，不要忘記這點(diǎn)。

? ? ? ??剛才談?wù)撃切┳⒍o(wú)法偉大的人，我沒(méi)有提到格蘭芬多?，F(xiàn)在，很多人說(shuō)斯萊特林和格蘭芬多是對(duì)立的兩面。就我來(lái)說(shuō)，我認(rèn)為格蘭芬多們不比斯萊特林們野心少。請(qǐng)注意，有些人說(shuō)薩拉查·斯萊特林和戈德里克·格蘭芬多看重同種潛能類(lèi)型的學(xué)生，所以也許我們彼此比我們?cè)敢獾囊嗨?。但是這不意味著我們?cè)诶瓟n格蘭芬多。他們只是沒(méi)有像我們喜歡打敗他們一樣喜歡打敗我們罷了。

? ? ? ??還有一些事你們需要了解：我們學(xué)院的幽靈是血人巴羅。如果你能討他喜歡，說(shuō)不定哪天他就會(huì)同意幫你嚇唬別人。但是千萬(wàn)不要問(wèn)他為什么渾身是血，帶著鏈子，他不喜歡。

? ? ? ??公共休息室的口令每?jī)芍軗Q一次。請(qǐng)注意公告牌。永遠(yuǎn)不要帶其他院的同學(xué)來(lái)到這里也不要告訴他們我們的口令。非本院者已經(jīng)有七個(gè)多世紀(jì)沒(méi)有進(jìn)入這里了。

? ? ? ??好吧，我覺(jué)得差不多就這些了。我敢保證你們會(huì)喜歡宿舍的。我們睡在掛有綠銀條紋相間簾子的四柱床上，床罩繡有銀線花邊。墻上的中世紀(jì)掛毯講述著偉大的斯萊特林們的探險(xiǎn)故事，天花板中央懸掛的是銀色的燈。夜晚，伴隨著湖水輕拍窗戶的聲音，你們會(huì)安然入睡。

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【英文】?

Congratulations! I’m Prefect Gemma Farley, and I’m delighted to welcome you to SLYTHERIN HOUSE. Our emblem is the serpent, the wisest of creatures; our house colours are emerald green and silver, and our common room lies behind a concealed entrance down in the dungeons. As you’ll see, its windows look out into the depths of the Hogwarts lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by?–?and sometimes more interesting creatures. We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck.

Now, there are a few things you should know about Slytherin?–?and a few you should forget.

Firstly, let’s dispel a few myths. You might have heard rumours about Slytherin house?–?that we’re all into the Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous wizard, and rubbish like that. Well, you don’t want to believe everything you hear from competing houses. I’m not denying that we’ve produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three houses?–?they just don’t like admitting it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you’ll find plenty of people in Slytherin house who have at least one Muggle parent.

Here’s a little-known fact that the other three houses don’t bring up much: Merlin was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at the old desk of thatillustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett, inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth?

I didn’t think so.

But that’s enough about what we’re not. Let’s talk about what we are, which is the coolest and edgiest house in this school. We play to win, because we care about the honour and traditions of Slytherin.

We also get respect from our fellow students. Yes, some of that respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but you know what? It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the wild side. Chuck out a few hints that you’ve got access to a whole library of curses, and see whether anyone feels like nicking your pencil case.

But we’re not bad people. We’re like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood.

For instance, we Slytherins look after our own?–?which is more than you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of swots you ever met, Ravenclaws are famous for clambering over each other to get good marks, whereas we Slytherins are brothers. The corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and you’ll be glad you’ve got the Serpents on your side as you move around the school. As far as we’re concerned, once you’ve become a snake, you’re one of ours?–?one of the elite.

Because you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen students? The seeds of greatness. You’ve been chosen by this house because you’ve got the potential to be great, in the true sense of the word. All right, you might see a couple of people hanging around the common room whom you might not think are destined for anything special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in here, there’s something great about them, and don’t you forget it.

And talking of people who aren’t destined for greatness, I haven’t mentioned the Gryffindors. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins and Gryffindors represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I think Gryffindors are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor prized the same kinds of students, so perhaps we are more similar than we like to think. But that doesn’t mean that we cosy up with Gryffindors. They like beating us only slightly less than we like beating them.

A few more things you might need to know: our house ghost is the Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him he’ll sometimes agree to frighten people for you. Just don’t ask him how he got bloodstained; he doesn’t like it.

The password to the common room changes every fortnight. Keep an eye on the noticeboard. Never bring anyone from another house into our common room or tell them our password. No outsider has entered it for more than seven centuries.

Well, I think that’s all for now. I’m sure you’ll like our dormitories. We sleep in ancient four-posters with green silk hangings, and bedspreads embroidered with silver thread. Medieval tapestries depicting the adventuresof famous Slytherins cover the walls, and silver lanterns hang from the ceilings. You’ll sleep well; it’s very soothing, listening to the lake water lapping against the windows at night.