Hogwarts Staff (Ch)

TEACHERS AND STAFF OF HOGWARTS
English	Mainland	Taiwan	Notes
Albus Dumbledore	阿不思･邓布利多 Ābùsī Dèngbùlìduō	阿不思鄧不利多 Ābùsī Dèngbùlìduō	Dumbledore is a venerable authority figure but his name is actually an old word for 'bumble bee'! Both Chinese translations use the comical sounding 鄧不利多 Dèngbùlìduō, which in the Taiwanese version means 'Deng not profit many'. 鄧 / 邓 'Deng' is a Chinese surname as in 'Deng Xiao-ping', the late supreme leader of China. The Mainland version changes 不 'not' (bù) to 布 'cloth' (also bù), losing the effect somewhat. The meaning of 阿不思 Ābùsī is 'ah not think' or 'Mr not think' ('Ah' is attached to names in the south of China to add a feeling of familiarity).
(Full name) Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore	阿不思･珀西瓦尔･伍尔弗里克･布赖恩･邓布利多 Ābùsī Pòxīwǎ'ěr Wū'ěrfúlǐkè Bùlài'ēn Dèngbùlìduō	阿不思･博知維･巫服利･布萊恩･鄧不利多 Ābùsī Bózhīwéi Wūfúlì Bùlái'ēn Dèngbùlìduō	The comical name in English just turns into a long name in Chinese. There is no way in Chinese to convey the incongruity of having Wulfric and Brian in the same name! The Mainland translator is more meticulous in transliterating the name. The Taiwanese translator is rough and ready, but the first character in Wulfric, 巫 Wū meaning 'wizard', is a nice touch.
Minerva McGonagall	米勒娃･麦格 Mǐlèwá Màigé	麥米奈娃 Mài Mǐnàiwá	麥 Mài (Taiwanese version) is a real Chinese surname. Curiously, McGonagall's name is put in Chinese order (surname first) in this version.
Dolores Jane Umbridge	多洛雷斯･简･乌姆里奇 Duōluòléisī Jiǎn Wūmǔlǐqí	桃樂絲·珍·恩不里居 Táolèsī Zhēn Ēnbùlǐjū	The Mainland Chinese translator, rather inaccurately, transliterates as 乌姆里奇 Wūmǔlǐqí (meaning is 'dark housemaid inside strange', but the characters' function is phonetic.) The Taiwanese rendition is also phonetic, although some meaning can be made out: 恩 ēn means 'kindness, favour, grace'; 不 bù means 'not'; 里居 lǐ-jū means 'address'. The general implication is that there is no kindness or grace to be found with Dolores Umbridge.
Severus Snape	西弗勒斯･斯内普 Xīfúlèsī Sīnèipǔ	賽佛勒斯･石內卜 Sàifólèsī Shínèibǔ	The Mainland version is an orthodox way of representing the sound of 'Snape'. The first character 斯 sī is phonetic, without much meaning. The Taiwanese version uses 石 shí ('stone') rather than 斯 sī. This would not happen in standard Mandarin, where the sounds are distinct, but many regional speakers, especially in the South, pronounce shi as si. For a Southern speaker, the pronunciation is thus Sínèibǔ. Note that the i in Si is not pronounced.
Professor Quirrel	奇洛教授 Qíluò jiàoshòu	奎若教授 Kuíruò jiàoshòu	奇 Qí (Mainland) means 'strange' and is peculiarly common in and suitable for Harry Potter books. 奎 Kuí (Taiwan) is a Chinese surname. 教授 jiào-shòu means 'professor'.
Mr Flitwick	弗立维教授 Fúlìwéi jiàoshòu	孚立維教授 Fúlìwéi jiàoshòu	Both versions are phonetic. Neither translator has bothered to add the 'k' at the end of 'Flitwick'. It is possible that the Mainland translator has copied the Taiwanese as this character occurs in Book 1.
Professor Sprout	斯普劳特教授 Sīpǔláotè jiàoshòu	芽菜教授 Yá-cài jiàoshòu	'Sprout' in the Mainland version is purely phonetic. The Taiwanese version translates the meaning: 芽菜 Yá-cài means 'sprout' + 'vegetable'.
Professor Binns	宾斯教授 Bīnsī jiàoshòu	丙斯教授 Bǐngsī jiàoshòu	Phonetic transliteration.
Gilderoy Lockhart	吉德罗･洛哈特 Jídéluó Luòhātè	吉德羅･洛哈 Jídéluó Luòhā	Phonetic transliteration. 吉 jí = 'auspicious', 德 dé = 'virtue'. 羅 / 罗 luò is a Chinese surname, although that is probably not relevant here. Beijing speakers learning English say 'Good morning' as 'Good-a morning', because their teachers place emphasis on each individual sound (including the 'd' at the end of 'good') rather than on the overall aural impression. The same reasoning leads the Mainland translator to add a 特 tè to the end of 'Lockhart'. This scrupulously correct 't' is summarily disposed of by the Taiwanese translator.
Remus Lupin	卢平教授 Lúpíng jiàoshòu	雷木思･路平 Léimùsī Lùpíng	'Lupin' is rendered phonetically in both versions. The 卢 lú and 路 lù in 'Lupin' are both surnames in Chinese. The name 路平 Lùpíng in the Taiwanese version means 'road is flat'. The Mainland version uses only the name 'Professor Lupin' or 'Lupin', omitting 'Remus'.
Sybill Trelawny	西比尔･特里劳妮 Xībǐ'ěr Tèlǐláonī	西碧･崔老妮 Xībì Cuīlǎonī	Both phonetic renditions, the Mainland version paying more attention to each individual sound, the Taiwanese to the total impression. In the Taiwanese version, 崔 cuī is a Chinese surname. 老妮 lǎo-nī means 'old girl'. This conceals a pun. The surname 崔 cuī has the same pronunciation as 催 cuī meaning 'hasten, urge'. The name 崔老妮 Cuīlǎonī thus means 'fast becoming an old spinster'. This term is often used by students in Taiwan to disparage teachers they don't like. The translation is a witty and apt name for Professor Trelawney. (Thanks to ZeYoung Liou for this observation).
Professor Grubbly-Plank	格拉普兰教授 Gélāpǔlán jiàoshòu	葛柏蘭教授 Gěbólán jiàoshòu	'Grubbly-Plank' is abbreviated in both versions. The Taiwanese version is a reasonably acceptable Chinese name (Surname is 葛 Gě. 柏 Bó is also a surname, but read Bǎi it means 'cypress'; not sure which pronunciation is intended here. 蘭 Lán means 'orchid'.)
Mad-eye Moody	疯眼汉穆迪 Fēng-yǎn-hàn Mùdì	瘋眼穆敵 Fēng-yǎn Mùdì	瘋 Fēng = 'crazy', 眼 yǎn = 'eye', 漢 / 汉 hàn (Mainland version) = 'fellow'. 穆迪 / 穆敵 Mùdì is phonetic, but in the Taiwanese version 敵 dì has the meaning 'enemy'.
Griselda Marchbanks (Professor Marchbanks)	玛奇斑教授 Mǎqíbān jiàoshòu	溫順･馬治邦 Wēnshùn Mǎzhìbāng	溫順 (Taiwanese version) means 'temperate and docile'
Madam Pomfrey	庞弗雷夫人 Pángfúléi fūrén	龐芮夫人 Pángruì fūrén	'Madam Pomfrey' in the Mainland version is phonetic. The Taiwanese version is not so accurate but shorter and more easily remembered. Páng is the same character in both versions and means 庞 / 龐 'vast, great'. It is also a Chinese surname. 夫人 fūrén means 'Mrs' or 'Madam'.
Madam Hooch	霍琦夫人 Huòqí fūrén	胡奇夫人 Húqí fūrén	'Madam Hooch' in the Mainland version could be a real Chinese name. The first character 霍 huò is a surname and the second character 琦 qí means 'jade'. The same would go for the Taiwanese version except that 奇 qí here means 'strange', not the normal choice for a name! 夫人 fūrén means 'Mrs' or 'Madam'.
Madam Pince	平斯夫人 Píngsī fūrén	朋夫人 Péng fūrén	The librarian. 平斯 Píngsī is phonetic. 朋 Péng means 'friend'.
Professor Tofty	托福迪教授 Tuōfúdì jiàoshòu	禿福教授 Tūfú jiàoshòu	托福 tuōfú (Mainland version) means 'entrust happiness' (迪 dì has no particular meaning) . 禿福 tūfú (Taiwanese version) means 'bald happy'!
Professor Sinistra	辛尼斯塔教授 Xīn'nísītǎ jiàoshòu	辛尼區教授 Xīn'níqū jiàoshòu
Horace Slughorn	霍拉斯･斯拉格霍恩 Huòlāsī Sīlāgéhuò'ēn	赫瑞司･史拉轟 Hèruìsī Shǐlāhōn	Possible transliterations of 'Horace' include 霍瑞斯 Huòruìsī, 霍勒斯 Huòlèsī, or 霍里斯 Huòlǐsī. The Mainland translator comes up with 霍拉斯 Huòlāsī. The Taiwanese translation is more idiosyncratic with 赫瑞司 Hèruìsī. Translation of the meaning of Slughorn's name was one option, but the translators have not taken this route. Both try to represent the English pronunciation, as 斯拉格霍恩 Sīlāgéhuò'ēn or 史拉轟 Shǐlāhōng. The characters have no particular meaning. The Taiwanese rendition is shorter than the Mainland and starts with /sh/, pronounced /s/ in the local accent.
Argus Filch	费尔奇 Fèi'ěrqí	飛七 Fēiqī	The Taiwanese version gives 'Filch' the name: 'to fly' + 'seven', which is a very interesting translation. The character 飛 fēi is used in Chinese to describe a thief, especially when he is skilled at stealthy or undetected entry. The word 飛賊 fēizéi or 'flying thief' is the Chinese word for 'cat burglar'. The use of a number as a nickname is suggestive of secret societies, gangs and brotherhoods (see notes to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix). This all goes to suggest that Filch is a thief -- quite similar, in fact, to the connotations of his name in English ('filch' = 'steal'). (Thanks to Simon Summer for pointing this out). The Mainland version is phonetically more faithful to the English, but the meaning is less satisfactory. 费 fèi means 'spend, waste'. 尔 ěr is phonetic. 奇 qí means 'strange'.
Rubeus Hagrid	鲁伯･海格 Lǔbó Hǎigé	魯霸･海格 Lǔbà Hǎigé	The 海 hǎi in 'Hagrid' means 'sea', perhaps an allusion to his vast size? The Mainland name has probably taken the Taiwanese version as its inspiration, as in the case of many other names in Book 1.