The Curses of Sirius Black's Mother (Book 5)
In Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, there is a lifesize portrait of Sirius Black's mother, an old woman in a black cap, that sits behind moth-eaten velvet curtains in the hall. The slightest disturbance will set the portrait screaming curses.
The motto of the "noble and most ancient House of Black" is toujours pur, a proud expression of purity of the blood. Since Sirius's house is being used as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, this provides plenty of opportunities for the old woman to let fly with her bloodcurdling screams. The following are the five examples of Mrs Black's curses that occur in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They can be found at Chapters 4, 6, and 10.
Purity of blood line was one of the obsessions of Slytherin and is shared by members of the house of Slytherin that he founded. The moral ugliness and hypocrisy of this obsession with 'purity', 'blood lines', and entrenched social privilege is one of the most powerful and persistent points that Rowling makes throughout the Harry Potter books. The irony, of course, is that Voldemort himself is a half blood. (For some discussion of the issues of blood in Harry Potter, see Blood Status in HP Lexicon).
The obverse of pride in 'purity of the blood' is amply shown in the curses of Mrs Black. Like any social ideology, enforcement is achieved not only through praise of what is considered virtuous but through contempt for those who fall short of the ideal and vitriolic condemnation of those who refuse to follow the path. The main themes of the old woman's ravings are:
(1) Dirt, filth, and pollution; (2) Genetic abnormality or impurity; (3) Betrayal and dishonour of the house and the family line (especially directed at Sirius himself).
English
1. Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers -- 2. Yooou! Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh! 3. Stains of dishonour, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth. 4. -- FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS -- 5. MUDBLOODS! SCUM! CREATURES OF DIRT! |
Simplified Chinese (China)
1. 畜生！贱货！肮脏和罪恶的孽子！杂种，怪胎，丑八怪，快从这里滚出去！你们怎么敢玷污我祖上的家宅—— 2. 你——你！败家子，家族的耻辱，我生下的孽种！ 3. 伤风败俗的家伙，肮脏的杂种，家族的败类，龌龊的孽子...... 4. ——肮脏的杂种，玷污我祖上的家宅—— 5. 杂种！败类！肮脏的渣滓！ |
1. Chūsheng! Jiànhuò! Āngzang hé zuì'è de nièzǐ! Zázhǒng, guàitài, chǒubāguài, kuài cóng zhèli gǔn-chūqu! Nǐmen zěnme gǎn diànwū wǒ zǔshàng de jiāzhái -- 2. Nǐ -- nǐ! Bài-jiāzi, jiāzú de chǐrǔ, wǒ shēng-xià de niè-zhǒng! 3. Shāngfēng bàisú de jiāhuǒ, āngzang de zázhǒng, jiāzú de bàilèi, wòchuò de nièzǐ...... 4. -- Āngzang de zázhǒng, diànwū wǒ zǔshàng de jiāzhái -- 5. Zázhǒng! Bàilèi! Āngzang de zhāzi! |
Traditional Chinese (Taiwan)
1. 髒貨！人渣！骯髒邪惡的產品！雜種，突變種，怪胎，給我滾得遠遠的！你們竟敢玷污我先人的房子﹍﹍ 2. 你你你你！死叛徒，討厭鬼，家門之恥！ 3. 可恥的污點、下流的雜種、純種的叛徒、齷齪的後代﹍﹍ 4. — 骯髒的雜種，糟蹋我先人的房子 — 5. — 爛麻種！淺渣垃圾堆裡生的！— |
1. Zānghuò! Rénzā! Āngzang xié'è de fú-chǎnpǐn ! Zázhǒng, tūbiàn-zhǒng, guàitāi, gěi wǒ gǔn de yuǎn-yuǎn de! Nǐmen jìng gǎn diànwū wǒ xiānrén de fángzi...... 2. Nǐ nǐ nǐ nǐ! Sǐ pántú, tǎoyàn-guǐ, jiāmén de chǐ! 3. Kěchǐ de wūdiǎn, xiàliú de zázhǒng, chúnzhǒng de pántú, wòchuò de hòudài...... 4. --Āngzang de zázhǒng, zāota wǒ xiānrén de fángzi -- 5. Lán mázhǒng! Jiànzā! Lājī-duī-li shēng de! |
Japanese
1. 穢らわしい！クズども！塵芥の輩！雑種、異形、でき損いども、ここから立ち去れ！我が祖先の館をよくも汚してくれたな 2. こいつぅぅぅぅぅ！血を裏切る者よ、忌まわしや、我が骨肉の恥！ 3. 不名誉な汚点、穢わしい雑種、血を裏切る者、汚れた子らめ.... 4. ー穢れた雑種ども、我が祖先の館を汚しおってー 5. ー穢れた血！クズども！芥の輩ー |
1. Kegarawashii! Kuzu-domo! Chiri-akuta no yakara! Zasshu, ikei, deki-sokonai-domo, koko kara tachi-sare! Waga sosen no yakata o yoku mo yogoshite kureta na 2. Koitsuuuuuuu! Chi o uragiru mono yo, imawashi ya, waga kotsuniku no haji! 3. Fumeiyo na oten, kegwawashii zasshu, chi o uragiru mono, yogoreta ko-ra-me... 4. -- Kegareta zasshu-domo, waga sosen no yakata o kegashi-otte -- 5. -- Kegareta chi! Kuzu-domo! Akuta no yakara! -- |
Vietnamese
1. Đồ rác rưởi! Đồ cặn bã! Đồ đê tiện xấu xa bẩn thỉu! Đồ lai căng mất gốc, đồ lang chạ, dồng bóng! Cút khỏi đây! Sao mày dám làm ô uế ngôi nhà của tổ tiên ta? 2. Maaàaaaayyyy! Đồ phản bội giống nòi! Đồ tởm lợm, mồi ô nhục của máu thịt ta! 3. Vết ô nhục! Đồ lai căng bẩn thỉu! Đồ phản bội giống nòi! Đồ con hoang hư thối. 4. ...ĐỒ LAI CĂNG BẨN THỈU, LÀM NHƠ NHUỐC NHÀ CỦA ÔNG CHA TA... 5. ĐỒ MÁU BÙN! ĐỒ CẶN BÃ! ĐỒ BỤI BẶM! |
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