History of Magic in North America
北美魔法歷史
Fourteenth Century - Seventeenth Century
十四世紀(jì)-十七世紀(jì)
By J.K. Rowling
Though European explorers called it 'the New World' when they first reached the continent, wizards had known about America long before Muggles (Note: while every nationality has its own term for 'Muggle,' the American community uses the slang term No-Maj, short for 'No Magic'). Various modes of magical travel - brooms and Apparition among them - not to mention visions and premonitions, meant that even far-flung wizarding communities were in contact with each other from the Middle Ages onwards.
盡管歐洲探險(xiǎn)家首次抵達(dá)美洲時(shí)，將其稱為“新世界”，但巫師早在麻瓜之前就已經(jīng)知道美洲的存在了。 (備注：每個(gè)國家對(duì)于沒有魔法能力的人都有其稱呼，英國稱之為麻瓜，而美國則稱之為“麻雞”。)多種魔法旅行方式——掃帚與現(xiàn)影術(shù)，更不用說預(yù)見未來的能力，這意味著各地的巫師界從中世紀(jì)起已經(jīng)有互相聯(lián)系。
The Native American magical community and those of Europe and Africa had known about each other long before the immigration of European No-Majs in the seventeenth century. They were already aware of the many similarities between their communities. Certain families were clearly 'magical', and magic also appeared unexpectedly in families where hitherto there had been no known witch or wizard. The overall ratio of wizards to non-wizards seemed consistent across populations, as did the attitudes of No-Majs, wherever they were born. In the Native American community, some witches and wizards were accepted and even lauded within their tribes, gaining reputations for healing as medicine men, or outstanding hunters. However, others were stigmatised for their beliefs, often on the basis that they were possessed by malevolent spirits.
美國原住民的魔法族群以及歐洲、非洲的魔法界，早在十七世紀(jì)“麻雞”歐洲人移民美洲之前已經(jīng)知道彼此的存在。 當(dāng)時(shí)，他們就已經(jīng)注意到了魔法社會(huì)之間的共通點(diǎn)。某些家族非常顯而易見是“魔法家族”，而魔法有時(shí)也會(huì)出現(xiàn)在過去絲毫沒有相關(guān)背景的家庭。巫師與非巫師的人口整體比率似乎相當(dāng)一致，而麻雞的態(tài)度亦同，不論他們?cè)谀睦锍錾?。在美國原住民部落之中，一些巫師與女巫曾被接納甚至在部落中備受尊崇，他們作為巫醫(yī)醫(yī)治病人獲得聲望，或是出色的狩獵者。然而，其他巫師和女巫經(jīng)常因他們的信仰而遭到污蔑，因?yàn)樗麄儽灰暈閻红`附身。
The legend of the Native American 'skin walker' - an evil witch or wizard that can transform into an animal at will - has its basis in fact. A legend grew up around the Native American Animagi, that they had sacrificed close family members to gain their powers of transformation. In fact, the majority of Animagi assumed animal forms to escape persecution or to hunt for the tribe. Such derogatory rumours often originated with No-Maj medicine men, who were sometimes faking magical powers themselves, and fearful of exposure.
在美洲原住民的傳說中，“皮行者”-一個(gè)能夠隨心所欲變換動(dòng)物形態(tài)的邪惡巫師或女巫-是有事實(shí)依據(jù)的。根據(jù)美洲原住民阿尼瑪格斯發(fā)展而成的傳說中，阿尼瑪格斯以近親的性命為代價(jià)換取幻形的力量。事實(shí)上，大多數(shù)的阿尼瑪格斯是借由變換動(dòng)物形態(tài)來逃避迫害、或是為部落狩獵。這類的負(fù)面謠言通常來自于沒有魔法能力的“麻雞”巫醫(yī)。有時(shí)他們假裝自己會(huì)使用魔法，卻因害怕露出馬腳而造謠。
The Native American wizarding community was particularly gifted in animal and plant magic, its potions in particular being of a sophistication beyond much that was known in Europe. The most glaring difference between magic practised by Native Americans and the wizards of Europe was the absence of a wand.
美洲原住民巫師界對(duì)于動(dòng)物與植物相關(guān)的魔法極具天賦，特別是他們?cè)谀幹谱鞯念I(lǐng)域已經(jīng)遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超越歐洲。美洲原住民與歐洲巫師的施法方式，最顯著的差別在于有無使用魔杖。
The magic wand originated in Europe. Wands channel magic so as to make its effects both more precise and more powerful, although it is generally held to be a mark of the very greatest witches and wizards that they have also been able to produce wandless magic of a very high quality. As the Native American Animagi and potion-makers demonstrated, wandless magic can attain great complexity, but Charms and Transfiguration are very difficult without one.
魔杖起源于歐洲。魔杖可以引導(dǎo)法力，使魔法更為精準(zhǔn)及強(qiáng)大，即使魔杖被認(rèn)為是最偉大的巫師及女巫的標(biāo)志，他們并不需要使用魔杖也能施展高深的魔法。作為美洲原住民的阿尼瑪格斯與制藥師，即使不使用魔杖也可以施展復(fù)雜的魔法，然而符咒與變形術(shù)在不使用魔杖的情況將難以施展。
