August 4th, 1952

1952年8月4日

Dear Gellert,

亲爱的盖勒特，

I know it would be better for me to wait for you to contact me. I'm afraid I'm at quite a disadvantage—Nurmengard is rather out of range for Legilimency. I can only guess at the best way to approach you now.

我知道我应该等你给我回信。但恐怕现在的情况对我不利——纽蒙伽德超出了我摄神取念的范围。现在我只能凭借猜测，以目前最好的方式来接近你。

I remember your sulks, in those weeks we spent together. The way you'd leave abruptly if offended, cut yourself off, radiate darkness, come back a few hours later as if nothing was wrong. Hours have turned into months, I suppose? Time in isolation can stretch so, and I have experienced it only briefly, compared to you. And I do not say this to mock you. I found even your sulks intriguing—your wild flights of emotion were part of your charm.

我还记得你生闷气时的样子，在我们在一起的那几周里。如果你感到了冒犯，你会毫不犹豫的转身就走，把自己隔绝起来，周身散发着阴霾，然后在几个小时之后回来，好像什么事情都没有发生过一样。现在，从几个小时变成几个月了吧，我想？独自一人的时候，时光总是变得格外漫长，而与你相比，我所经历的这些还不及你的万分之一。我说这些不是想嘲笑你。我发现即使是你生气的样子也很迷人——你自然流露的情绪也是你魅力的一部分。

And I know it would be better for me to leave you to it, but I cannot bring myself to simply let you be. It is one of my failings, I suppose, the tendency to over-stretch myself and meddle. And now, were we face to face, I suppose you would snap at me for mock humility and leave...

我知道我应该给你留一点空间，但我无法坐视不理。这是我的错，我认为，这是我自以为是和多管闲事的恶习。假如现在我站在你面前，你一定会大声斥责我，嘲弄我的故作谦卑然后转身离去……

I come begging back to you, yes. Not as a famous wizard, not as a Hogwarts Professor, not as anything in which I might have pride. Merely as a man, for that is all we are in the end. You once called this old man friend. And you wrote me seeking, I can only imagine, simple correspondence. I would like that very much. And I speak in plain honesty, and you have every right to be angry with me.

我恳求你，是的。不是作为一个著名的巫师，亦不是作为霍格沃茨的教授，不是以任何可能吹捧我的身份。仅仅作为一个人，同经历过一切的你一样。你曾经称这个老家伙为朋友。你曾动笔向我寻求——这是我只敢想一想的事——简单的通信往来。我非常愿意那样。我真诚的向你表示，你永远有对我生气的权利。

I do not hate you. Could you bring yourself to believe that, to judge me fairly for it? Could you bring yourself not to hate me?

我不恨你。你能让自己相信这一点，并在此基础上合理地揣度我吗？也请你别再恨我，好吗？

Regards,

真诚的问候，