History of Magic in North America

北美魔法历史

Magic in North America

Fourteenth Century - Seventeenth Century

十四世纪-十七世纪

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.

尽管欧洲探险家首次抵达美洲时，将其称为“新世界”，但巫师早在麻瓜之前就已经知道美洲的存在了。 (备注：每个国家对于没有魔法能力的人都有其称呼，英国称之为麻瓜，而美国则称之为“麻鸡”。)多种魔法旅行方式——扫帚与现影术，更不用说预见未来的能力，这意味着各地的巫师界从中世纪起已经有互相联系。

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.

美国原住民的魔法族群以及欧洲、非洲的魔法界，早在十七世纪“麻鸡”欧洲人移民美洲之前已经知道彼此的存在。 当时，他们就已经注意到了魔法社会之间的共通点。某些家族非常显而易见是“魔法家族”，而魔法有时也会出现在过去丝毫没有相关背景的家庭。巫师与非巫师的人口整体比率似乎相当一致，而麻鸡的态度亦同，不论他们在哪里出生。在美国原住民部落之中，一些巫师与女巫曾被接纳甚至在部落中备受尊崇，他们作为巫医医治病人获得声望，或是出色的狩猎者。然而，其他巫师和女巫经常因他们的信仰而遭到污蔑，因为他们被视为恶灵附身。

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.

在美洲原住民的传说中，“皮行者”-一个能够随心所欲变换动物形态的邪恶巫师或女巫-是有事实依据的。根据美洲原住民阿尼玛格斯发展而成的传说中，阿尼玛格斯以近亲的性命为代价换取幻形的力量。事实上，大多数的阿尼玛格斯是借由变换动物形态来逃避迫害、或是为部落狩猎。这类的负面谣言通常来自于没有魔法能力的“麻鸡”巫医。有时他们假装自己会使用魔法，却因害怕露出马脚而造谣。

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.

美洲原住民巫师界对于动物与植物相关的魔法极具天赋，特别是他们在魔药制作的领域已经远远超越欧洲。美洲原住民与欧洲巫师的施法方式，最显著的差别在于有无使用魔杖。

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.

魔杖起源于欧洲。魔杖可以引导法力，使魔法更为精准及强大，即使魔杖被认为是最伟大的巫师及女巫的标志，他们并不需要使用魔杖也能施展高深的魔法。作为美洲原住民的阿尼玛格斯与制药师，即使不使用魔杖也可以施展复杂的魔法，然而符咒与变形术在不使用魔杖的情况将难以施展。