Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
你们也许觉得我不算漂亮,
But don't judge on what you see,
但千万不要以貌取人,
I'll eat myself if you can find
如果你们能找到比我更聪明的帽子,
A smarter hat than me.
我可以把自己吃掉。
You can keep your bowlers black,
你们可以让你们的圆顶礼帽乌黑油亮,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
让你们的高顶丝帽光滑挺括,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
我可是霍格沃茨测试用的礼帽,
And I can cap them all.
自然比你们的帽子高超出众。
There's nothing hidden in your head
你们头脑里隐藏的任何念头,
The Sorting Hat can't see,
都躲不过魔帽的金睛火眼,
So try me on and I will tell you
戴上它试一下吧,我会告诉你们,
Where you ought to be.
你们应该分到哪一所学院。
You might belong in Gryffindor,
你也许属于格兰芬多,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
那里有埋藏在心底的勇敢,
Their daring, nerve,
他们的胆识、气魄和侠义,
and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;
使格兰芬多出类拔萃;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
你也许属于赫奇帕奇,
Where they are just and loyal,
那里的人正直忠诚,
Those patient Hufflepuffis are true
赫奇帕奇的学子们坚忍诚实,
And unafraid of toil;
不畏惧艰辛的劳动;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
如果你头脑精明,
if you've a ready mind,
或许会进智慧的老拉文克劳,
Where those of wit and learning,
那些睿智博学的人,
Will always find their kind;
总会在那里遇见他们的同道;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
也许你会进斯莱特林,
You'll make your real friends,
也许你在这里交上真诚的朋友,
Those cunning folk use any means
但那些狡诈阴险之辈却会不惜一切手段,
To achieve their ends.
去达到他们的目的。
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
来戴上我吧!不必害怕!
And don't get in a flap!
千万不要惊慌失措!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
在我的手里(尽管我连一只手也没有)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
因为我是一顶会思想的魔帽!
A thousand years or more ago,
那是一千多年前的事情,
When I was newly sewn,
我刚刚被编织成形,
There lived four wizards of renown,
有四个大名鼎鼎的巫师,
Whose names are still well known:
他们的名字流传至今:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
勇敢的格兰芬多,来自荒芜的沼泽,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
美丽的拉文克劳,来自宁静的河畔,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
仁慈的赫奇帕奇,来自开阔的谷地,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
精明的斯莱特林,来自那一片泥潭。
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
他们共有一个梦想、一个心愿,
They hatched a daring plan
同时有一个大胆的打算,
To educate young sorcerers
要把年轻的巫师培育成材,
Thus Hogwarts School began.
霍格沃茨学校就这样创办 。
Now each of these four founders
这四位伟大的巫师
Formed their own house, for each
每人都把自己的学院建立,
Did value different virtues
他们在所教的学生身上
In the ones they had to teach.
看重的才华想法不一。
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
格兰芬多认为,最勇敢的人
Prized far beyond the rest;
应该受到最高的奖励;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
拉文克劳觉得,头脑最聪明者
Would always be the best;
总是最有出息;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
赫奇帕奇感到,最勤奋努力的
Most worthy of admission;
才最有资格进入学院;
And power-hungry Slytherin
而渴望权力的斯莱特林
Loved those of great ambition.
最喜欢那些有野心的少年。
While still alive they did divide
四大巫师在活着的年月
Their favorites from the throng,
亲自把得意门生挑选出来,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
可是当他们长眠于九泉,
When they were dead and gone?
怎样挑出学生中的人才?
'Twas(注)It was的诗意缩写形式。 Gryffindor who found the way,
是格兰芬多想出了办法,
He whipped me off his head
他把我从他头上摘下,
The founders put some brains in me
四巨头都给我注入了思想,
So I could choose instead!
从此就由我来挑选、评价!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
好了,把我好好地扣在头上,
I've never yet been wrong,
我从来没有看走过眼,
I'll have a look inside your mind
我要看一看你的头脑,
And tell where you belong!
判断你属于哪个学院!
In times of old when I was new
很久以前我还是顶新帽,
And Hogwarts barely started
那时霍格沃茨尚未建好,
The founders of our noble school
高贵学堂的四位创始者,
Thought never to be parted:
以为他们永远不会分道扬镳。
United by a common goal,
同一个目标将他们相联,
They had the selfsame yearning,
彼此的愿望是那么一致:
To make the world's best magic school
要建成世上最好的魔法学校,
And pass along their learning.
让他们的学识相传、延续。
'Together we will build and teach!'
“我们将共同建校,共同教学!”
The four good friends decided
四位好友的主意十分坚决,
And never did they dream that they
然而他们做梦也没有想到,
Might some day be divided,
有朝一日他们会彼此分裂。
For were there such friends anywhere
这个世上还有什么朋友
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
能比斯莱特林和格兰芬多更好?
Unless it was the second pair
除非你算上另一对挚友——
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
赫奇帕奇和拉文克劳?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
这样的好事怎么会搞糟?
How could such friendships fail?
这样的友情怎么会一笔勾销?
Why, I was there and so can tell
唉,我亲眼目睹了这悲哀的一幕,
The whole sad, sorry tale.
所以能在这里向大家细述。
Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those
斯莱特林说:“我们所教的学生,
Whose ancestry is purest.'
他们的血统必须最最纯正。”
Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose
拉文克劳说:“我们所教的学生,
Intelligence is surest.'
他们的智力必须高人一等。”
Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those
格兰芬多说:“我们所教的学生,
With brave deeds to their name,'
必须英勇无畏,奋不顾身。”
Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,
赫奇帕奇说:“我要教许多人,
And treat them just the same.'
并且对待他们一视同仁。”
These differences caused little strife
这些分歧第一次露出端倪,
When first they came to light,
几乎没有引起什么纷争。
For each of the four founders had
四位创建者每人拥有一个学院,
A house in which they might
只招收他们各自想要的学生。
Take only those they wanted, so,
斯莱特林收的巫师如他本人,
For instance, Slytherin
诡计多端、血统纯正。
Took only pure-blood wizards
只有那些头脑最敏锐的后辈,
Of great cunning, just like him,
才能聆听拉文克劳的教诲。
And only those of sharpest mind
若有谁大胆无畏、喜爱冒险,
Were taught by Ravenclaw
便被勇敢的格兰芬多收进学院。
While the bravest and the boldest
其余的人都被好心的赫奇帕奇接收,
Went to daring Gryffindor.
她把自己的全部本领向他们传授。
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
四个学院和它们的创建人,
And taught them all she knew,
就这样保持着牢固而真挚的友情。
Thus the houses and their founders
在那许多愉快的岁月里,
Retained friendships firm and true.
霍格沃茨的教学愉快而和谐。
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
可是后来慢慢地出现了分裂,
For several happy years,
并因我们的缺点和恐惧而愈演愈烈。
But then discord crept among us
四个学院就像四根石柱,
Feeding on our faults and fears.
曾将我们的学校牢牢撑住。
The houses that, like pillars four,
现在却互相反目,纠纷不断,
Had once held up our school,
各个都想把大权独搅。
Now turned upon each other and,
有那么一段时光,
Divided, sought to rule.
学校眼看着就要夭亡。
And for a while it seemed the school
无数的吵闹,无数的争斗,
Must meet an early end,
昔日的好朋友反目成仇。
What with duelling and with fighting
后来终于在某一天清晨,
And the clash of friend on friend
老斯莱特林突然出走。
And at last there came a morning
尽管那时纷争已经平息,
When old Slytherin departed
他还是让我们灰心不已。
And though the fighting then died out
四个创建者只剩下三个,
He left us quite downhearted.
从此四个学院的情形,
And never since the founders four
再不像过去设想的那样
Were whittled down to three
和睦相处,团结一心。
Have the houses been united
此刻分院帽就在你们面前,
As they once were meant to be.
你们都知道了事情的渊源:
And now the Sorting Hat is here
我把你们分进每个学院,
And you all know the score:
因为我的职责不容改变。
I sort you into houses
但是今年我要多说几句,
Because that is what I'm for,
请你们把我的新歌仔细听取:
But this year I'll go further,
尽管我注定要使你们分裂,
Listen closely to my song:
但我担心这样做并不正确。
Though condemned I am to split you
尽管我必须履行我的职责,
Still I worry that it's wrong,
把每年的新生分成四份,
Though I must fulfil my duty
但我担心这样的分类,
And must quarter every year
会导致我所惧怕的崩溃。
Still I wonder whether Sorting
哦,知道危险,读懂征兆,
May not bring the end I fear.
历史的教训给我们以警告,
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
我们的霍格沃茨面临着危险,
The warning history shows,
校外的仇敌正虎视眈眈。
For our Hogwarts is in danger
我们的内部必须紧密团结,
From external, deadly foes
不然一切就会从内部瓦解。
And we must unite inside her
我已对你们直言相告,
Or we'll crumble from within
我已为你们拉响警报……
I have told you, I have warned you . . .
现在让我们开始分院。
Let the Sorting now begin.