原著：Emily Waters 译者：-韩嫣-

7. Language of the Dark
7.黑暗之语
As they walked, Severus looked around, realizing that the scenery did not change much. The river was still as filthy as he had ever remembered it, and the streets were nearly deserted.
西弗勒斯一边走一边环视周围，意识到这里的一切并未有太多改变。河流依旧像他记忆中一样肮脏，街道也依旧几近荒芜如往常。
Eventually, they reached the house, and entered together. The first room was just as Severus had left it – minimalistic furniture, a simple lamp hanging from the ceiling, walls lined with shelves, filled with books and scrolls.
最后，他们抵达了西弗勒斯在蜘蛛尾巷的房子，一同进去。第一间房间仍和西弗勒斯离开时完全一样-简约的家居，一个简单的吊灯悬在天花板上，墙壁被排列整齐的货架分隔，放满了书籍和卷轴。
“Do you have anything you need to bring from downstairs?” Hermione asked, obviously aware of the secret entrance.
“你有什么要从楼下带走的吗？”赫敏问道，显然知道这儿有个密室入口。
“No,” he said. “Downstairs are just bedrooms and living area. All that I need is here. How much do you suppose I can bring with me?”
“不，没有，”他说。“楼下只是起居室和生活区。我所需要的一切都在这儿。你认为我能带走多少东西？”
She smiled faintly. “As much as you like. The suitcase is spelled with Undetectable Extension Charm. You can place your entire library here – and more.”
她微微一笑。“您想带多少都可以。这个手提箱已经被空间扩展咒处理过了。你可以把你所有藏书放进去-甚至更多。”
He nodded with sincere gratitude. “Thank you, Miss Granger.” He began looking over the bookshelves, collecting the books that he wanted to bring with him, placing them in the suitcase she was holding open for him.
他带着诚挚的谢意点了点头。“谢谢你，格兰杰小姐。”他开始浏览书架，收集那些他想要带走的藏书，将它们放入箱子，女孩则帮他保持箱子的开启。
“You are quite welcome, Sir,” she said meekly.
“你很受欢迎，先生，”她温顺地说。
He searched his shelves a bit longer, his eye finally falling at an old item of sentimental value to him – a giant crude nail, at least six inches in length. He lifted it and placed it in his palm.
他又在架子上搜寻了一会儿，他的目光最终定在一个对他有着特殊意义的老物什上-一个巨大的粗钉，最少有六寸长。他拿起长钉放在手心。
“What is it?” Hermione asked. “If you don't mind telling me, that is...”
“这是什么？”赫敏问道。“如果你不想告诉我，那也……”
“It's my good-luck charm,” he said with a slight smirk. “I have had it since I was six years old.”
“这是我的幸运物，”他带着微微的傻笑答道。“我从六岁之后就带着它。”
She gazed at it. It was longer than his palm was wide. “What is the significance?”
女孩注视着它。那钉比他的手掌还宽阔。“这……有什么深刻意义？”
“I found it playing outside. It ... reminded me of a lullaby my father used to sing.”
“我在外面玩的时候发现了它。它……令我回忆起我父亲曾唱过的一首童谣。”
She glanced at him with curiosity, and with a touch of self-consciousness, he hummed the old melody:
她好奇地瞟了他一眼，西弗勒斯自然有些许自觉，他哼唱起古老的旋律：
For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of the horse, the rider was lost;
For want of the rider, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
缺了一枚钉子，失了一块蹄铁；
失了一块蹄铁，跌了一匹战马；
跌了一匹战马，损了一名骑士；
损了一名骑士，败了一场战役；
败了一场战役，亡了一个国家，
一切都起于一枚马蹄铁钉。
She laughed out loud with delight. “So you figured you'd keep it, so that you'd never lose a battle... or a kingdom, for want of a nail!”
她带着愉悦笑出声来。 “所以，你觉得你留着它，让你永远不会输掉战斗......或者国家，因缺乏一个钉子！ ”
“Exactly,” he said wryly. “Now, see what good it did me.”
“确实如此，”他带着挖苦说道。“现在，你可以看出它给我带来了多少好处。”
He saw her face change expression instantly, and felt an instant pang of regret at upsetting her.
他看见她瞬间变了表情，仿佛一种瞬间袭来的遗憾痛楚感翻覆着女孩的心房。
“I just realized,” he added hastily, eager to change the subject, “That I should probably be addressing you as Mrs. Weasley, but you have not corrected me.”
“我已经明白了，”他匆忙补充说，急于转移话题，“那我可能应该称呼你的韦斯莱夫人，但是之前你并没有纠正我。 ”
To his astonishment, she shook her head. “No, Sir... It's still Miss Granger. We never got married.”
令他惊讶的，她摇了摇头。 “不，先生......我还是格兰杰小姐。我们从来没有结婚。”
“Why not?” Severus could not conceal his surprise.
“为什么不？ ”西弗勒斯掩饰不住他的惊异。
“Hard to explain, Sir – but it is as if our lives are on hold... until.. I mean, how can we? With Harry, the way he is, as Ron's best man? Ginny was going to be my maid of honor, but then, she talked less and less to either of us... and now we don't even know where she is. Just doesn't seem right, you know?”
“很难解释，先生-但这就像若果我们的生命继续……直到……我的意思是，我们怎么可以？哈利，一他定会成为，罗恩的伴郎？金妮当然也会成为我的伴娘，但之后，她和我们说话越来越少……而现在我们甚至不知道她在哪儿。这么做看起来不对劲，你明白吗？”
Severus nodded. “True, Miss Granger. But then again, it may never seem right. You shouldn't wait for the world to be perfect to live your lives.”
西弗勒斯点点头。“确实，格兰杰小姐。不过话说回来，看起来这一切永远不会好转了。你不该为期待着你所生活的这世界变得完美而等待。”
“I am not waiting for perfection,” she said, a little tersely. “But I will not pretend that all is well, when almost nothing is.”
“我并不是在等待完美，”她简洁地说。“但我不会假装一切都很好，当一切都并非如此时。”
“Well... your son is a delightful child,” Severus said absently. “A somewhat unusual name, mind you.”
“好吧……你儿子是个讨喜的小家伙，”西弗勒斯心不在焉的说。“一个并不怎么平凡的名字，是你起的吧。”
Hermione bowed her head. “Yeah,” she whispered. “I suppose it is. I almost named him Victor,” she said sheepishly, stressing the last syllable, and rolling the 'r' slightly, “but Ron got grouchy.... didn't want our son to bear the name of my old sweetheart... though that's not what it was about, of course...”
赫敏低下头。“是的，”她呢喃低语。“我认为是的。我差点就要叫他维克多，”她不好意思地说，讲到最后一个音节是，‘r’字母甚至带着些许卷音，“但是罗恩不同意……不想让我们的儿子冠上他老情敌的大名……尽管那根本没关系……”
Severus rose an eyebrow, thinking. Hugo... Victor... Hugo...
西弗勒斯挑起一边眉毛，想了想。雨果……维克多……雨果……
“Victor Hugo?” he asked, recalling a name of a Muggle author.
“维克多雨果？”他问道，回想起一个麻瓜作家的名字。
She nodded, and he could see her blushing deeply, evident even in the dusk of the room.
她点了点头，他看到女孩的面颊泛起红晕，哪怕在昏暗的室内也清晰可见。
“What is it?” he asked.
“这里面有什么故事吗？”他问道。
“Please don't be angry, Sir,” she whispered. “I... We kind of... named him for you.”
“先生，请不要生气，”她犹豫低语。“我……我们只是……为你的原因而给他起了这个名字。”
“For me?!” Severus exclaimed, nearly dropping the volume he was holding in his hands. “How do you mean?”
“为了我？！”西弗勒斯惊呼，几乎摔掉了他手中拿着的东西。“你想表达什么？”
She blushed even more, and took a deep breath.
女孩的脸更红了，她赶紧给了自己来一次深呼吸。
“I wanted to give him a name that would mean that ... we believed in your story... you know?” she murmured. “Victor Hugo wrote your story. Twice. You are a half-blood, didn't you read Muggle literature, growing up?”
“我希望他的名字能够意味着……我们相信你的故事……你明白？”她低声说。“维克多雨果写过你的故事。两次。您是个混血，您长大时，难道不阅读麻瓜名著吗？”
Severus nodded absently. He did, but that was a long time ago – and then, it was replaced by more important matters, such as potions recipes, Dark Magic hexes and curses....
西弗勒斯心不在焉地点点头。他读过，不过那太久远了-而后来，那些故事都被更重要的事，比如魔药配方，黑魔法咒术和诅咒等等所替代……
“Remember Les Misérables?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“记得悲惨世界吗？”她以极微弱的声音问道。
“Cannot say that I do,” he said with regret.
“不好说，”男人带着遗憾回答道。
“Oh,” she murmured. “It's an old story... about ... the war, and time after war... and a man. His name is Valjean. Valjean is a convicted criminal, but ... well, who is really good at heart...and he keeps trying to do the right thing, but he can never escape his past. He has an enemy who is trying to hunt him down and punish him... but Valjean saves his nemesis, and...” she sighed slightly. “At his deathbed, it is revealed that he only told half-truths, as he thought it would cause too much embarrassment if he were to confess himself to be a savior of people who had believed him to be a wrongdoer... and that he considered himself to be unworthy... until the very end.” She cast him a slightly mortified look. “It's a goody story.” she added weakly. “I cannot do it justice.”
“哦，”女孩低声讲诉。“那是一个古老的故事……关于……战争，以及战后的世界……以及故事里一个男人。他叫冉·阿让。阿让是一个定罪的罪犯，不过……应该说，有一颗真正善良的心……他一直试图去赎罪，但他始终无法摆脱自己的过去。他有一个不停追击他，试图令他受到惩罚的仇人……但阿让救了他的仇人，并且……”她微微叹了口气。“在他弥留之际，故事透露，他也只说出了自己生命中一半事实，而这仅仅因为他认为如果他对一个认为他是罪犯的人声称自己是救世主实在是太过尴尬……直到他生命的尽头，他仍执着的自我否认……直到一切的尽头。”她展现给男人一个愧疚的表情。“这是个伪善的故事。”她虚弱的补充。“我自己也无力做到公正。”
Stunned, he stood without moving, certain that he himself was blushing. “Miss Granger, I must say, that was the most convoluted reason for picking a child's name,” he said finally. “I sincerely hope that you can afford the therapy for your son, once you explain your reasoning to him.”
男人被震惊了，他一动不动地站着，发现自己竟然也脸红了。“格兰杰小姐，我不得不说，这是简直选择一个孩子的名字时，最令人费解的原因，”他最终只是这么说道。“我真诚地希望一旦你把你的理由解释给他，你还能安抚得了你儿子的情绪。”
“Are you mocking me?” she demanded in a slightly plaintive voice.
“你在嘲笑我吗？ ”她以一种稍显哀怨的声音问道。
“Only a little,” he conceded. “You said there was another story?”
“只有一点点， ”他承认。 “你说还有另外一个故事？ ”
She mumbled something unintelligible, and turned away. He circled around her and faced her, his lips twitching into a smirk. “Come now, Miss Granger. Spit it out. Where is your Gryffindor courage?”
她喃喃自语着不知所云的东西，转身要走。男人转过她的身子，令她面对自己，他嘴唇抽动着扭成一个傻笑。“来吧，格兰杰小姐。说出来。你格兰芬多式的勇气都去哪了？”
She shook her head in embarrassment. “You will murder me.”
她摇摇头，尴尬地呢喃。 “你会杀了我的。”
“I have no wand, Miss Granger. And I still need you to drive us back,” he said reasonably. “I assure you, I will not murder you.”
“我没有魔杖，格兰杰小姐。而我仍然需要你开车送我回去，”男人给出理由。“我保证，不会杀了你的。”
“It's... well... the other story, is....” she stammered slightly.
“这是......呃......其他的故事，是......”她略微结结巴巴地说。
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame?” he supplied, unable to hide his amusement any longer. “I do remember that one, if only vaguely.”
“巴黎圣母院的驼背？ ”他接话道，无法掩饰他被她逗乐的欢愉。“我还记得那个故事，虽然已经不大清楚了。”
She nodded in mortified silence. Severus chuckled peacefully.
她在羞愧沉默地点了点头。西弗勒斯平和地呵呵一笑。
“If memory serves me, the hunchback was a deformed, hideous creature, at a mercy of a taunting mob... and then, a beautiful gypsy witch called Esmeralda was able to see past his ugliness,” Severus murmured. “And it made him love her. But she did not love him...”
“如果我没有记错，那个驼背是一个畸形的，丑陋的生物，在人们的嘲弄下苟活......然后，一个美丽的吉普赛女巫叫埃斯梅拉达能够看穿他丑陋的面貌，”西弗勒斯低声说。 “这令他爱上了她。但她不爱他……”
“And the King ordered her to be put to death,” Hermione whispered. “The hunchback could not save her... and after that.....”
“国王下令将女巫处死，”赫敏低语。“那驼背根本救不了她……而在那之后……”
“The hunchback cried out, Behold, everything I ever loved! -,” Severus said thoughtfully. “Very fitting, Miss Granger.”
“驼子哭了出来，看哪，我曾经爱过的一切！-，”西弗勒斯若有所思的说道。“非常精彩，格兰杰小姐。”
“Sorry,” she mumbled meekly. “I suppose I should have just named him Mike.”
“抱歉，”她温顺地喃喃自语。“也许我该直接叫他迈克的。”
He laughed out loud, collecting his books into a pile. “Don't be sorry,” he told her gruffly. “It is the most ridiculous and dim-witted thing anyone had ever done for me.”
男人大声笑了起来，把他的书收归一处。“不要说抱歉，”他粗声粗气地对女孩说。“这是所有人中对我做过的最荒谬隐晦的事了。”
From now on, whenever I look at your son, I will think of a beautiful witch, named by the color of Lily's eyes.
从这时起，无论何时我看到你儿子，我都会想起故事里那个美丽的女巫，那个用莉莉的眸色命名的人。①
“You are welcome, then,” she said in a quiet voice.
“不必客气的。”她以一种极小的声音说道。
Their books were gathered, and he watched with fascination as nearly half his library disappeared in the average-sized charmed suitcase they had brought in.
他们的书已经收好，他着迷地看着他近乎半数的藏书消失在他们带入的那个平常尺寸的旅行箱中。
“Tell me something,” Severus asked suddenly. “Does Mr. Potter know the reason for you naming your son Hugo?”
“告诉我，”西弗勒斯忽然问道。“波特先生知道你为你们儿子命名为雨果的理由吗？”
She shook her head. “He gets violently angry whenever either of us mention that we still believe you. Four years ago, Ron tried talking to him... Harry punched him. Anyways.... they made up, but.... nothing got resolved. We did not back down, but neither did Harry. By the way, two years ago, Neville tried to publish an article in Quibbbler, with Luna's help, kind of a theory of your innocence... Harry had the paper seized, and nearly sent Neville to Azkaban for a month. It took a lot of effort to talk him out of it... Anyways, eventually, it became sort of an ... unspoken agreement between us. We do not discuss your guilt or innocence... In fact, we do not mention it at all around him. If we do, it just... seems to do more harm than good.”
女孩摇了摇头。“每当我们中有人提到我们相信你时，他总会变得极其暴躁。四年前，罗恩试图和他交流……哈利打了他。无论如何……他们后来和好了，不过……问题并没有解决。我们并不曾退让，哈利也一样。还有就是，两年前，纳威曾试图在卢娜的帮助下在唱唱反调上发表一篇文章，就是试图阐述你无罪的内容……哈利监测到了那个刊物，差点把纳威送进阿兹卡班一个月。我们花了好大功夫才说服哈利把他放出来……不管怎么说，最后，在我们之间，这成了一种……不成文的，默认不可说的话题。我们不再讨论你有罪或是无罪……事实上，我们在他身边根本就不提这些。如果我们依旧坚持说你无罪，那只能造成比收益更大的伤害。”
Severus chuckled. “So your son became a secret message.”
西弗勒斯吃吃轻笑。“所以搞得你儿子的名字被你起成了一条隐语。”
“Kind of,” Hermione whispered. “In Les Misérables, they had a language spoken in secret...the language only understood by those who are in the know, but no-one on the outside... the language of misery, they call it... or the language of the dark.”
“大概吧，”赫敏喃喃。“在悲惨世界中，他们有一种暗号隐语……一种仅仅会被真正理解者解读的语言，外人则一无所知……他们叫它秘密之语……或是黑暗之语。”
“Ah,” Severus murmured. “Well then, given the current political climate, I suppose we had better become proficient in it.”
“啊哈，”西弗勒斯。“好吧，我想在目前的政治气氛下，也许我们最好精通它。”
She gave him an incredulous look. “Professor, I am quite certain you already are. I am willing to wager a year's salary that you could write a lexicon.”
女孩给了他一个不容置疑的目光。“教授，我非常确定您已经会了。我愿意赌一年的薪水，您甚至足足可以写一部词典。”
To Be Continued...
待续……
①注：《巴黎圣母院》中的吉卜赛女孩Esmeralda，名字在西班牙语中含义是绿宝石，恰与莉莉的瞳色相同。