Indian law school offers course on Harry Potter universe

印度法学院提供关于哈利波特宇宙的课程

Students at an Indian law school are preparing to study the enslavement of house elves, discrimination against werewolves and conditions inside Azkaban.

enslavement n. 奴役
elf n. 小精灵
discrimination n.歧视
werewolves n.狼人
就读于印度一所法学院的学生正准备研究对家养小精灵的奴役，对狼人的歧视和阿兹卡班监狱内的情况。

This December, the National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata will run its first classes on the legal principles of the Harry Potter universe.

今年十二月， 位于加尔各答的国立法学大学将开放首批研究哈利波特宇宙中法律原则的课程。

The course, entitled An Interface Between Fantasy Fiction Literature and Law: Special Focus on Rowling’s Potterverse, is the creation of Shouvik Kumar Guha, an assistant professor. Those enrolled are “expected [to] have already read all the books at least twice, if not more”.

interface n. 接合点，交汇区域
enroll v. 报名；招收为学生

该课程名为《奇幻小说文学和法律的交集：聚焦罗琳笔下的波特宇宙》，是由助理教授肖维克·库玛尔·古哈开办的。选上这门课的学生“应该至少已经把全套小说读过两遍了，如果没能看两遍以上的话。”

The curriculum asks senior students to apply both Indian and wizardry legal principles to topics such as the “unforgivable curses”—torture, murder and possession of another person—the rules of the broomstick sport Quidditch and an alleged murder by Sirius Black.

curriculum n. 课程
wizardry n. 魔法；奇才；杰出产品
possession n. 附身，着魔
broomstick n. （巫师骑乘用的）扫把

该课程要求高年级学生同时将印度国内和巫师世界的法律原则运用到以下主题的探讨中，比如三种“不可饶恕咒”：钻心咒，死咒和迷心咒，飞天扫帚竞赛魁地奇的规则或是小天狼星布莱克被控犯下的谋杀。

Along with breaking up the study of stodgier legal subjects, the course is also intended to encourage students to think critically about Indian social problems.

stodgy adj. 枯燥的

在解构这些更为枯燥的法律议题研究之外，该课程还旨在鼓励学生对印度的社会问题进行批判性的思考。

Discrimination, torture and slavery are still endemic problems in many parts of India. How India’s Hindu majority should regard the country’s substantial minorities is a major faultline, echoing a debate in the books about how wizards ought to exist alongside muggles—people without magical abilities.

endemic adj. 流行的，普遍的
substantial minorities 大量的少数民族
echo n.呼应，回音 v.发出回声，随声附和
faultline n. 分歧；裂痕
wizard n.巫师
muggle n. 麻瓜

歧视、虐待和奴役仍然是印度许多地区非常普遍的问题。一个主要的分歧在于，印度国内占多数的印度教教徒应该如何看待这个国家数量庞大的少数民族群体，和这个分歧相呼应的是小说中的一场论战，关于巫师应该如何与麻瓜，没有魔力的人共存。

“Our students believe the discrimination voiced in the Potter-verse is something they all agree is wrong. But in real life there will be things that some see as discrimination and which others do not.”

voice v.体现

“我们的学生相信，波特宇宙中表现出的歧视是不当的，这一点他们能达成共识。但在现实中有些事情一部分人视作歧视，其他人则不然。”

The course will examine how, in the novels, creatures such as elves, centaurs and giants are marginalised in mainstream society and how the Daily Prophetnewspaper becomes an outlet for official propaganda.

centaur n. 马人
marginalis 边缘化
outlet n. 出口；发泄的方法；批发商店
propaganda n.宣传

该课程将探讨，在小说中，诸如小精灵，马人以及巨人这样的生物是如何在主流社会被边缘化的，以及《预言家日报》又是如何成为官方的宣传机器的。

“Then they can see when they encounter scenarios in the real world, maybe it will help them think a little bit,” Kumar said.

encounter v.遭遇
scenario n. 情形

“然后学生们就会发现，当他们在现实世界中遇到（这样的）情形时，也许课程在某种程度上会帮助他们思考。”库玛尔说。

文章来源 卫报/流利阅读