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The Harry Potter Phenomenon 哈利波特魔法旋风

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Seventeen years ago, as J.K. Rowling sat on a delayed train in England, she came up with the idea of a boy-wizard named Harry Potter. Before the ride was over, she had plotted out what would become the most popular children’s books ever.

17年前，J.K. 罗琳在英格兰坐在一班误点的火车上时，她想到一个点子：创造男孩巫师哈利波特这个角色。火车到达目的地之前，她已想出这套日后成为有史以来最畅销童书的情节。

Since that time, a series of seven books about Harry Potter’s adventures have been produced. By March of 2007, 325,000,000 copies of Harry Potter books had been sold around the world in 64 different languages.

从那时开始，罗琳总共写了七本有关哈利波特冒险故事的小说。到了2007年3月，全球《哈利波特》系列已翻译成64种语言，总计售出三亿两千五百万本。

There has been a lot of discussion about why Harry Potter became so popular. Many children and adults feel that the characters are interesting because the way they act and develop coincides with real life. Furthermore, the characters have grown up with the young readers. They face more adult problems and respond more maturely as the series progresses and readers get older. Some readers say that Rowling’s clever, often surprising plots keep them fascinated.

长久以来，人们一直在讨论《哈利波特》何以如此受欢迎。许多儿童和成年人觉得书中角色很有趣，因为他们的行为模式和发展与真实生活相符。再者，随着这套书的出版及读者的年岁增加，书中角色面临更多成人的问题，对事情的反应也更加成熟。有些读者说，罗琳将情节安排得很巧妙，常令他们惊喜，使他们深深着迷。

However, a few conservative religious groups are pleased the series is ending, frowning upon the positive treatment of sorcery. Others believe that Harry Potter is here to stay as a classic, much like C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. For most people, though, the books are simply an exciting, magical escape from the routine of life.

然而，有些保守的宗教团体乐见《哈利波特》系列终于结束，他们不赞成罗琳以正面态度看待巫师。有些人则认为，《哈利波特》将成为经典作品，就如C.S. 刘易斯的《纳尼亚传奇》。不过，对多数人来说，这套书只是让他们可以神奇地逃离一成不变的日子。

−by Alan Campana

Vocabulary

单词发音

phenomenon [fəˋnɑmə͵nɑn] n. 现象

plot something out 策划, 规划 to map something out; to outline a plan for something

coincide [͵koɪnˋsaɪd] v. 相符，一致[(+with)]

conservative [kənˋsɝvətɪv] adj. 保守的

routine [ruˋtin] n. 例行公事

More Information

单词发音

come up with (针对问题等)想出; 提供 to think of, develop, or find something

wizard [ˋwɪzɚd] n. 男巫；术士

frown [fraʊn] v. 皱眉；表示不满[（+at/on/upon）] look disapprovingly upon

sorcery [ˋsɔrsərɪ] n. 巫术；魔术

here to stay【口】普遍认可, 成为风尚  If something is here to stay, it has stopped being unusual and has become generally used or accepted.

Reading Questions

1.   What did J.K. Rowling do as she sat on the delay train?

A.  She read a series of books from start to finish.

B.  She planned the plot of a book series.

C.  She considered ending her writing career.

D.  She stared blankly out the window.

2.   Why are conservative religious groups happy to see the Harry Potter series end?

A.  They think the characters use foul language.

B.  They hate the way the books portray religion.

C.  They don’t like the fact that it glorifies witchcraft.

D.  They insist that the books distract people from their religious duties.

3.   Which of the following is NOT a reason why the Harry Potter series has become so popular?

A.  The characters have grown up along with the readers.

B.  The characters develop in a way that is similar to reality.

C.  The surprising plots of the stories keep the readers interested.

D.  The books are believed by some to resemble Chronicles of Narnia.

Answer