Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first book about the adventures of a little wizard. This book became something of a masterpiece. It caused a crazy riot of popularity immediately after its release.

Children who had not even read books at all, after they started reading this book, became engrossed and reread it several times. Parents were pleased that their sons and daughters had finally begun to take an interest in books. But it’s clear why this book interested children so much. Everyone really liked the magical world imagined by Joan Catling Rowling, which attracted, beckoned and enchanted children.

The story in this book begins in a small town near London. At Mr. and Mrs. Dursley's house at number four, Privet Alley. The author introduces us to this interesting family, in which everything is normal and like all other people. But in this house there is a ban on everything unusual and fantastic.

Four people live in this house - Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, their son Dudley and Harry Potter, who is practically not noticed in this family and is considered too spoiled. Although of course this is not actually the case.

Harry and Dudley have the same birthday. When Dudley is given a bunch of gifts, no one remembers Harry's birthday. But this birthday was Harry's happiest. On this day, Harry learns that he is a hereditary wizard and that he will study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From this day on, everything changes in Harry's life.

Read the book and you will find out everything for yourself.

English language learners are often recommended to read the original books about Harry Potter - they are simple, fascinating, and interesting not only for children, but also for adults. I put this series off for a long time, but recently I finally got around to it, read it, and now I want to tell you why Harry Potter is worth reading in English, and also help you with learning magical vocabulary.

Why is Harry Potter worth reading in the original?

1. Simple but increasingly complex language

An interesting thing about the Harry Potter books is that each next book is more mature than the previous one: the characters become more complex, the plot becomes more complicated, and the theme of death (the main one, according to J. Rowling) appears more and more clearly. If at the beginning Dumbledore is a kind, gray-bearded wizard from a fairy tale, then at the end he is a complex, contradictory character; if the Dursleys, Harry’s guardians, are caricatured in the first book, then later they appear as living people.

Changes concern not only themes, conflicts, characters, but also language. The language of the book becomes more complex. To put it bluntly, in the first book, Harry, Ron, and Hermione speak in short, simple sentences, and Dumbledore makes statements that are easy to understand. By the end, the main characters discuss the fine details of the wizarding world and cunning plans, and Dumbledore's speech takes up pages. The narrator's language also becomes more complex: at the beginning it is simple and even cheerful, as in children's books, but at the end it becomes more neutral and at times sinister.

While reading “Harry Potter”, you will imperceptibly raise the level of complexity of the text. Imperceptibly, because book after book you will learn characteristic vocabulary, get used to the author’s style, develop reading skills, perhaps without even noticing that the text has become more complex.

2. “Harry Potter” is a fascinating series of books

For practicing reading in English, the best books are those that are not only quite simply written, but also interesting and captivating. “Harry Potter” fits both criteria - it is a fascinating, addictive series of books. Personally, I was most pleased with:

• Carefully thought out plot– “Harry Potter” belongs to those series where each book has a separate story + there is a through line and a main global conflict. There are no unnecessary or boring parts in the book; after reading one chapter, you will want to read the next. In English, such books are called page-turners (literally: “page turner”).
• No failed parts and a successful ending. The problem with many book series, and even television series, is that they are made up on the fly. As a result, the series begins cheerfully, in the middle it turns somewhere wrong, and the author, completely confused, simply “leaks” the ending. JK Rowling carefully thought out the whole story when she wrote the first book, so there is no such problem with Harry Potter.
• Unexpected twists. I've read books and watched films with mind-blowing plot twists, and it's hard to surprise me, but “Harry Potter” is full of moments when I wanted to applaud the author, but mentally, so as not to let go of the book.
• Interesting characters. “Harry Potter” is, in a sense, a novel of education; this series is not only about the struggle between good and evil, but also about growing up and shaping the personalities of the main characters. The villains and some of the minor characters are also very well developed. The depth of their characters is revealed gradually, from book to book.
• A fantastic world that you want to return to. In the world of Harry Potter, children are taught at school how to turn a rat into a goblet and care for unicorns. Here they play rugby on flying brooms and learn not how to drive, but how to teleport. Whenever Harry returns to the normal world for the summer holidays, he can't wait to go back to Hogwarts. And to the reader too.

I’ll add that I myself didn’t take up Harry Potter for a long time because I doubted that I would be captivated by a children’s book, but it turned out that I was wrong, because: 1) I was captivated, 2) the book is not so children’s.

3. Problems with translation into Russian

If you want to read Harry Potter in Russian, you will encounter a problem. There are two main versions of the translation of “Harry Potter” into Russian: translation by Rosman publishing house(different translators) and translation by the publishing house “Makhaon”(translator: Maria Spivak). The “Rosman” version is considered by most Potter fans to be more successful, but it is impossible to find it on sale, since since 2014 the rights to publish “Harry Potter” in Russia belong to the publishing house “Swallowtail” (with an unsuccessful translation).

You may think, well, no big deal, I’ll read it in another translation. The problem is that if you have previously read books translated by “Rosman” (and he appeared first) or watched film adaptations, then you are familiar with such characters as Dumbledore, Hagrid, Severus Snape, Mad-Eye Moody and, of course, you know about the school magic of Hogwarts.

In M. Spivak’s translation, many proper names are rendered differently:

This is due to the fact that speaking names, that is, emphasizing the character’s features, are usually translated (or rather, equivalents are selected) so that the reader or viewer understands the meaning of the name. The translators of “Rosman” solved this problem in their own way, Maria Spivak in her own way, although I personally agree that her options are in many ways less successful and sometimes completely unjustified. Why, for example, turn Hagrid into Hagrid?

Of course, if you read Harry Potter in the original, these problems do not exist for you. In addition, you will not encounter text distortions, dropped or added sentences, errors, inconsistencies in the transfer of terms and other problems that exist in translations.

Features of the Harry Potter language

1. “Harry Potter” is written in British English

The Harry Potter series of books was published in English in two editions: British and American. But even if you read books in the American edition, you will notice that the language of the book is British.

In the American edition, some words are indeed replaced with American analogues to make it clearer to the reader, for example:

• Mum (UK) – Mom (US) – mother.
• Car park (UK) – Parking lot (US) – car parking,
• Tinned soup (UK) – Canned soup (US) – canned soup,
• Biscuits (UK) – Cookies (US) – cookies,

However, many British words and expressions remained in the American edition, for example:

• Mental (He’s mental!) - crazy,
• Blimey! - Wow! Can't be!
• Bloke is a guy.
• At once - instantly.
• At the top of his voice - (shout) at the top of your voice.
• Trainers - sneakers.

The American edition of the book is Americanized to a minimum. I think that if you have a choice of which version to read, it is better to choose the British one, because the American edition is the same British, but with a slight admixture of Americanisms.

By the way, the most noticeable difference between the editions is not related to the difference between the varieties of English. An American publisher persuaded J. Rowling to rename the book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” for readers in the United States. In America it was released under the title “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” The name change is not related to the language, the American publisher simply felt that the title with the word “philosophical” was not suitable for a children's audience.

2. Harry Potter uses different speech styles

In “Harry Potter” you will encounter both modern English speech and sublime bookish speech. For example, Harry and Ron speak like normal children: “I dunno” instead of “I don’t know” or “‘Spose so” instead of “I suppose so.” But representatives of the older generation speak more bookishly.

For example:

“I do not require your assistance,” said Voldemort.”

“I don't need your help.” To a modern Englishman this sounds like something very formal or bookish. A simple person would say: “I don’t need your help.” Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, etc., as well as aristocrats of the wizarding world (Lucius Malfoy, Minister of Magic, etc.) speak in this book style.

3. Visual dialect

The speech characteristics of characters speaking with an accent are reflected in writing. This applies not only to foreigners but also to British heroes with a distinctive accent (in England, pronunciation varies greatly in different parts of the country), such as Hagrid with his simple speech.

For example:

• French accent, Fleur Delacour:“Eet was no trouble […] I 'ave been longing to see 'im. Do you remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter.' (“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”)
• Bulgarian, Viktor Kram:“This is his symbol, I recognized it at vunce: Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang ven he vos a pupil there.” (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”)
• Hagrid:“Yeh know, she's a fine, well-dressed woman, an' knowin' where we was goin' I wondered 'ow she'd feel abou' clamberin' over boulders an' sleepin' in caves an' tha', bu' she never complained once.” (“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”)

Hagrid's speech is the most difficult to understand; numerous apostrophes mark the places where he swallows sounds (a feature of some varieties of English). For example: “An’ knowin’ where we was going”” = “And knowing where we were going”, and if we say it quite correctly, then “And knowing where we WERE going”.

The display of accent features in writing is called eye-dialect(visual dialect). In Russian literature, this phenomenon is not as widespread as in English literature; speech characteristics in Russian are usually created using vocabulary that is suitable in style.

4. Speaking names

One of the difficulties of “Harry Potter” is names that speak, that is, emphasizing certain features of the character. I already mentioned above that in different translations the names are rendered differently.

There are three main points of view regarding the translation of speaking names:

1. Speaking names should not be translated.

It is better to leave them as is, and explain the essence of the pun in the notes. For example, let the character's name be Mad-Eye Moody, and the footnote will say that Mad-Eye = crazy eye, Moody = gloomy, gloomy. The disadvantage of this approach is that:

1. It does not apply to films.
2. Not suitable for children's books (it is better to adapt names for children than to torment them with linguistic references).
3. From an artistic point of view, successfully adapting a name is often a better choice than leaving it as is. Remember the characters of Disney cartoons and imagine if their names were not adapted: Duckwing Duck (Black Cloak), Lunchpad McQuack (Zigzag McCrack), Webigail Vanderquack (Doughnut), Gadget Hackwrench (Gadget).

1. All names that can be translated in any way need to be translated.

For example: Madame Sprout - Madame Sprout, Sirius Black - Sirius Black (surname of a family of dark wizards), Tom Ridle - Tom Riddle (mysterious character). The disadvantage of this approach is that common sense dictates: some even telling names are better left as they are. Even first-graders know the word “black,” and Tom the Riddle sounds like a stupid nickname, not a name.

1. For speaking names, you need to select equivalents that emphasize the same features, without compromising the work and common sense.

The most common approach. We leave Harry Potter as Potter, not the Potter, and turn Madame Sprout into Madame Sprout. But even in this case, compromises have to be made. Literary translation always involves compromises.

For example, not everyone likes that Professor Severus Snape is translated as Severus Snape. The translator wanted to emphasize the coldness of the hero in this way. The variant of the Villainous Snake is even worse - apparently, there was an attempt to convey a play on words: Snape is consonant with Snake (snake), and Snape is consonant with “snakes”. But the name turned out to be too cartoonishly villainous and completely inappropriate for this complex character, whose characteristics cannot be reduced to the formula “villainous villain”.

By reading in the original, you will be spared the results of the respectable torments of translators. But another difficulty will arise: you may not be able to understand the subtle puns woven into proper names. Then a lot of interesting things will pass by, even more so than when reading the translation.

To help you out, I've put together a little guide to the main names and titles (see below).

5. Magic vocabulary and copyright neologisms

A significant layer of vocabulary consists of magical terms; they can be divided into three categories:

• Well-known words for native speakers, for example, dragon (dragon), magic (magic).
• Well-known words, but with a new meaning. For example, the elves (more precisely, house elves) in Rowling's books are not the same elves as in Tolkien or in folklore.
• Words invented by the author. For example, muggle is a person who does not belong to the magical world. Also in the book there are many creatures fictional by the author, for example, Blast-Ended Screwt - Explosive-Tailed Devil-Crab.

For me, when I started reading the book, even the simplest words from the first category came as a surprise. For example, I would never have thought that a writing pen (quill) was called differently than a bird's feather (feather), and for some reason it seemed to me that a magic wand in English is a magic stick (actually wand) . Magic terms bombard the reader as soon as Harry begins to get acquainted with the world of magic.

To help you, I have compiled a glossary of basic magical terms. I did not include the author's neologisms, since they are explained in the book itself.

“A Muggle,” said Hagrid, “it’s what we call nonmagic folk.”

(“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”)

Magic vocabulary from the world of Harry Potter

I've categorized wizarding terminology into three groups: magic, studying at Hogwarts, and magical creatures.

1. Magic

Notes:

• In the magical world of words wizard And witch(wizard and witch) is used instead of man and woman (man, woman). This also applies to complex words that in English have the root man or woman. For example, instead of speak (representative), spokeswizard or spokeswitch is used if it is a woman.
• Word witchcraft literally translates as “witch art/craft.” In some translations, Hogwarts is called the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
• There is a word similar to witchcraft witchery- witchcraft, magic that witches do.
• Venom is a poison in nature, the poison of a living creature, such as a snake or spider, and poison is an artificially prepared poison (even if it is made from snake venom). That is, on the fangs of a snake - venom, in the killer's bottle - poison.
• Enchantment- this is “enchantment”, the effect when something is bewitched, magically changed, from the verb to enchant - to enchant. For example, the ceiling in the Great Hall of Hogwarts is enchanted - it looks like open sky.
• Bewitchement(from the verb to bewitch - to bewitch) is a word with a more negative connotation than enchantment. Usually used by someone who behaves somehow differently under the influence of an evil spell (He is bewitched - He is bewitched).
• Spells in the world of Harry Potter are classified in a certain way. The magical effect itself is called spell(spell). Note, spell- this is precisely the blow of magic itself, the effect, the stream of light from the magic wand, and not the words spoken by the wizard. Words are incantation(also a spell in Russian). Spells are divided into:
  • Transfiguration(transfiguration) - turning one object into another, for example, a toothpick into a feather or a rat into a goblet.
  • Charm(charm, spell) - changes some properties of an object without making fundamental changes (for example, color changes), also forces the object to do something, for example, levitate or dance. Example, Levitation Charm - a levitation spell.
  • Jinx(corruption) is a relatively harmless type of dark magic that creates a fun, but not dangerous effect. Example, Impediment Jinx - makes it difficult for the victim to move.
  • Hex(spell, conspiracy) - more dangerous dark magic that causes significant harm. For example, Stinging Hex - stings the victim like bees.
  • Curse(curse) is the most dangerous type of dark magic, capable of, among other things, maiming and killing. Example, Avada Kedavra - kills the victim.

When translated into Russian, the words spell, charm, hex, curse are conveyed inconsistently; often they are all simply called “spells” or “spells.”

2. Studying at Hogwarts

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
castle	lock
Great Hall	Big hall
House	Faculty (in this context)
dormitory	bedroom
common room	living room
cauldron	boiler
quill	feather (for writing)
parchment	parchment
ink	ink
cloak	cloak
robe	mantle
wand	Magic wand
broomstick	broom
spell-book	book of spells
detention	punishment, penalty
Headmaster	director
Head of House	dean
professor	professor, teacher
student	pupil, student
caretaker	caretaker, caretaker
gamekeeper	forester
Educational subjects at Hogwarts
Transfiguration	Transfiguration
Charms	Spells
Potions	Potions
History of Magic	History of magic
Defense Against the Dark Arts	Defense Against the Dark Arts
Astronomy	Astronomy
Herbology	Herbology
Arithmancy	Numerology
Muggle Studies	Muggle Studies
Divination	Divination
Study of Ancient Runes	Ancient runes
Care of Magical Creatures	Care of Magical Creatures
Flying lessons	Flying on a broom (flying lessons)
Apparition	Transgression (Apparation)

Notes:

• House– this is 1) a house (the place where they live), 2) a house in the meaning of “clan”, “family”. In Harry Potter the word house in relation to Hogwarts it actually means the house. It is also used in ordinary meanings (house, clan).
• Under dormitory in modern English they usually mean a dormitory (for example, a student dormitory), but in the case of Hogwarts Castle, the word “bedroom” is more appropriate.
• Quill- this is a writing pen, a bird's feather - feather.
• Detention- this is “detention, arrest,” for example, when a police officer detains a suspect. At Hogwarts under detention punishment was implied when the student had to do some work at the discretion of the teacher.

3. Magical creatures

house elf	house elf
goblin	goblin
giant	giant
vampire	a vampire
werewolf	werewolf
hippogriff	hippogriff
unicorn	unicorn
centaur	centaur
basilisk	basilisk
boggart	boggart
dragon	the Dragon
phoenix	phoenix
ghoul	ghoul
gnome	dwarf
grindylow	grindylow, water
mermaid	mermaid
merpeople	sea ​​inhabitants
leprechaun	leprechaun
ghost	ghost, ghost
sphinx	sphinx
troll	troll
pixie	pixie
manticore	manticore
banshee	banshee
poltergeist	poltergeist

Notes:

• Some of these creatures are only mentioned in the book, but do not appear, for example, banshees, vampires.
• Word boggart sometimes translated as brownie, since in folklore a boggart is a spirit that lives in a house. For example, this is how a boggart (brownie) is presented in the book “The Witcher's Apprentice” by D. Delaney. In Harry Potter, the boggart is presented differently - it is a spirit that turns into something that the person who sees it is afraid of.
• There are two similar words in English pixie And fairy, both are translated as “fairy”, less often the word pixie is translated as “pixie”. The difference between a pixie and a fairy is that pixies are tiny flying creatures, while fairies can be large.

Speaking names, the meaning of names in “Harry Potter”

JK Rowling was asked more than once how she came up with the names of characters and places, and other words. She explained that she simply made up some words without putting any special meaning into them (for example, muggle), and some words popped up out of nowhere. For example, about the word “Hogwarts” she said the following:

“A friend from London recently asked me if I remember the first time I saw Hogwarts. I had no idea what she was talking about until I remembered the day we went to Kew Gardens and saw these lilies called Hogwarts. I saw them seven years ago, and they were in my memory. When the word “Hogwarts” came to me as the name of the school, I had no idea where it came from.”

Some names clearly hint at some qualities of the character. This can be either a meaningful name, for example, the professor of herbology is called Sprout - sprout, or more subtle references to cultural or historical realities. For example, the name Remus Lupin clearly hints at the character’s connection with wolves: Remus - Remus, one of the founders of Rome, raised by a wolf, Lupin - from lat. “lupus” – wolf, or English. “lupine” – wolfish.

The novel also contains quite normal, non-fairy-tale names that acquire some meaning only in context. For example, Dolores Umbridge is a completely ordinary Muggle name and surname, but if you consider that “dolores” is “sorrow, pain” in Spanish, and Umbridge is consonant with “umbrage” (English - resentment) , the name becomes speaking.

Note: after each name, I provide the translation options I have encountered, as well as a brief background about the character. I did not mention some nuances, for example, about the name Tom Marvolo Riddle, to avoid spoilers.

Character names

• Albus Dumbledore - Albus Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts

Albus is Latin for "white". Dumbledore, according to J. Rowling, is the Old English word for "bumblebee", possibly chosen because Dumbledore liked to hum to himself, and the sounds were reminiscent of the humming of a bumblebee.

• Severus Snape – Severus Snape, Severus Snape, Zloteus Snape, potions teacher

Severus - from English. severe – harsh, cold, Snape is consonant with snake (snake). J. Rolunig also mentioned that Snape is the name of a settlement in England.

• Tom Marvolo Riddle - Tom Marvolo Riddle, Tom Marvolo Riddle, mysterious character

Riddle (English) – a riddle. Marvolo is consonant with English. marvel - miracle.

• Salazar Slytherin - Salazar Slytherin, a dark magician who lived in the Middle Ages, one of the founders of Hogwarts

Antonio de Salazar (1889 - 1970) - Portuguese dictator.

• Cornelius Fudge – Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic

Fudge (English) – nonsense, scammer. Cornelia is an ancient Roman family from which many statesmen and generals emerged.

• Minerva McGonagall - Minerva McGonagall, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts

Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom, crafts and the arts.

• Pomona Sprout - Pomona Sprout, Pomona Stem, Pomona Sprout, teacher of herbology.

Pomona is the Roman goddess of tree fruits and abundance. Sprout (English) – sprout, stem.

• Poppy Pomfrey – Poppy Pomfrey, school doctor at Hogwarts

Poppy (English) – poppy.

• Argus Filch – Argus Filch, caretaker/caretaker at Hogwarts

Filch (English) – to steal, to steal. Argus is a giant from Greek mythology, whom the goddess Hera appointed as the guardian of Io, the beloved of Zeus. Argus had many eyes, so he could observe everything that was happening around him.

• Nevil Longbottom - Neville Longbottom (Longbottom, Longbottom), student from Gryffindor

Bottom (English) – back, bottom, long (English) – long, long.

• Draco Malfoy - Draco Malfoy, student from Slytherin

Foi mal (French) – dishonesty, treachery. Maleficus (lat.) – villain. Draco (lat.) – dragon, serpent, consonant with English. dragon - dragon.

• Lucius Malfoy - Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, representative of an ancient family

Lucius is consonant with Lucifer (in turn from the Latin lux “light” + fero “I carry”).

• Narcissa Malfoy - Narcissa Malfoy, wife of Lucius, mother of Draco

In Greek mythology, Narcissus is a beautiful, narcissistic young man who drowned after staring at his own reflection in the water.

• Vincent Crabbe – Vincent Crabbe, Draco's henchman

Crab (English) - crab, grumble, crabby (English) - grumpy.

• Gregory Goyle – Gregory Goyle, Draco's henchman

Goyle - probably from English. gargoyle - gargoyle.

• Sirius Black – Sirius Black, representative of the “dark” Black family

Black (English) – black. Sirius is a star in the constellation Canis Major. The brightest in the sky. From Greek "burning".

• Remus Lupin – Remus Lupin, Defense Against Dark Magic teacher

Lupus (Latin) – wolf, lupine (English) – wolfish. Remus is one of the brothers who founded Rome (Romulus and Remus), who were suckled by a she-wolf. In Russian, these names are traditionally rendered as Romulus and Remus.

• Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody – Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody (Mad-Eye Moody, Mad-Eye Moody, Mad-Eye Moody), retired Auror

Alastor is the spirit of vengeance in Greek mythology. Mad-Eye (English) – crazy eye. Moody (English) – gloomy, gloomy, easily susceptible to mood swings.

Note: Auror (fighter against dark magicians) in the original – Auror, from the word “aurora” (English) – dawn, aurora, name of the Roman goddess of dawn Authors.

• Gilderoy Lockhart - Gilderoy Lockhart, Zlatopust Lokons, Sverkarol Lockhart, famous writer

Gilderoy is derived from the words “gilded” (English – gilded) and “roi” (French – king). Lockhart is a real-life Scottish clan surname. Includes the words “lock” (lock), “hart” (heart = heart in English). The motto of the Lockhart clan is “I open locked hearts.” All this fits the character: the golden-haired “king” (Lockhart is a celebrity in the world of magic), conqueror of hearts.

Lockhart is also the name of a city in Australia near the city of Wagga Wagga. One of the feats that Gilderoy Lockhart boasted of was defeating the Wagga Wagga Werewolf.

• Luna Lovegood - Luna Lovegood, Luna Lovegood, Psycho Lovegood, the strangest student

The surname consists of English. words “love” - love, “good” - good, good, kind. Name Luna in English means “moon”, consonant with “loony” - crazy. The strange girl Lovegood was teased at school as “Loony Lovegood.”

• Fleur Delacour – Fleur Delacour, student at the French Academy of Magic

From French “flower of the court” or in a figurative sense “decoration of the court”, “the first beauty of the court” (“court” - meaning “royal court”).

• Dolores Umbridge – Dolores Umbridge, Assistant Minister of Magic

Dolores (Spanish) – sorrow, pain, Umbridge is consonant with English. “umbrage” – resentment, indignation.

• Rita Sceeter – Rita Sceeter, journalist, writer

Sceeter (English) – mosquito, mosquito.

• Lavender Brown - Lavender Brown, Gryffindor student

Lavender (English) – lavender. Brown is a common surname, lit. “brown” hardly has any semantic meaning.

• Dobby – Dobby, the house elf

Dobbin (English) – work horse.

• Moaning Myrtle – Moaning Myrtle, Melancholy Myrtle, the ghost of a Hogwarts student

Moaning (English) – moaning, crying. Myrtle (English) – myrtle (evergreen plant).

Names of animals, birds, magical creatures

• Fawkes – Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix

Guy Fawkes - English rebel, leader of the Gunpowder Plot. The rebels were supposed to blow up the English Parliament building, which would serve as a signal for the beginning of an uprising of English Catholics who were persecuted. But the plot was discovered. Now the day of the rebellion (November 5) is celebrated as Guy Fawkes Day - on this day bonfires are lit everywhere.

• Hedwig – Hedwig, Hedwig, Hedwig, Harry the owl

Hedwig is a saint from Germany. She founded a monastic order whose goal was the education of orphans.

• Crookshanks - Crookshanks, Crookshanks, Crookshanks, Hermione's cat

Crook (English) – bend, shank – lower part of the leg. There is a Scottish surname Cruikshank. Isaac Robert Cruikshank is a famous British artist. He illustrated Charles Dickens's The Adventures of Oliver Twist, the first known novel about an orphan.

• Scabbers - Scabbers, Scabbers, Scabbers, Ron's rat

Scab (English) – sore, scab.

• Buckbeak - Buckbeak, Buckbeak, Hagrid's hippogriff

Buck (English) – male, beak – beak.

• Fang - Fang, Hagrid's dog

Fang (English) – fang.

• Fluffy – Fluffy, angry dog

Fluffy (English) – fluffy.

Faculties at Hogwarts

• Griffyndor - Gryffindor

From French "golden griffin" The griffin is a mythical creature, half lion, half eagle. The Gryffindor crest features a golden lion.

• Slytherin - Slytherin

Slither (English) – slide, crawl, slippery. The snake is the symbol of Slytherin.

• Hufflepuff - Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff

In English “huff” - to be angry, to be offended; “puff” - to exhale, to exhale. The idiom “huff and puff” means “to puff, pant (eg after exercise or work)” or “to complain.” Distinctive qualities of the faculty: hard work, perseverance.

• Ravenclaw - Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw

In English, “raven” means “raven”, “claw” means “claw.” Perhaps the raven in the name of the faculty is a hint at the distinctive quality of the students: the smartest come here. It is noteworthy that the coat of arms depicts an eagle, not a raven.

The four houses of Hogwarts are named after the four founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin.

It is easy to notice two features of these names: 1) they contain alliteration, repetition of consonant sounds, 2) their initials are two identical letters: GG, HH, RR, SS. In the Rosman translation, they tried to preserve this feature, so some of the founders had to be slightly renamed: Helga Hufflepuff became Penelope Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw became Candida Ravenclaw.

Other schools of magic

In addition to Hogwarts, there are other schools of wizardry.

• Durmstrang – Durmstrang, Bulgarian school of magic

Derived from the German “Sturm und Drang” - “storm and stress” - a literary movement in Germany in the second half of the 18th century.

• Beauxbatons – Beauxbatons, French Academy of Magic

Translated from French, the expression “beaux batons” means “beautiful sticks.” The translator’s choice in favor of “Beauxbatons” is understandable - “Beauxbatons” would be dissonant and suggestive of beans and bread.

Flying broom brands

• Comet, Nimbus, Firebolt – Comet, Nimbus, Firebolt (Lightning)

In the book “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” translated by O. Shapiro there is an interesting comment about the brands of flying brooms Comet (outdated model), Nimbus (modern expensive model), Firebolt (dream broom):

“Firebolt (a brand of a modern prestigious sportbike Harley-Davidson; consonant with “fire-ball” - a fireball, ball lightning; “Nimbus” is also a brand of a motorcycle, but from the 50s, and “Comet” is a brand of a bicycle)”

Anyone who studies English - at school, in courses, at university - is often recommended to watch films, read newspapers and literary works in the original. It is important that the information is not only useful, but also interesting. Harry Potter books and films in English are a great way to expand your vocabulary and practice your listening skills. They are interesting and exciting not only for children, but also for adults, especially fans of the fantasy genre.

How does Harry Potter help you learn English?

The Harry Potter series of books is not just exciting adventure novels by JK Rowling, but also a kind of English course, consisting of several levels. It helps to acquire new knowledge and complement existing ones.

The Harry Potter books are special in that each subsequent one is “more mature” than the previous one, and it’s not just about the characters and plot, which become more complex and intricate. Changes are also taking place in the language. It also becomes one level more difficult. So, for example, in the first book, Harry, Ron and Hermione speak in short, simple, fairly understandable phrases, and Dumbledore makes simple statements.

Towards the end of the adventure, the main characters are already discussing cunning plans and subtle details of the structure of the wizarding world, and Dumbledore's speech can take up entire pages. The narrator’s language also becomes more complex: at the beginning of the book it is simple and even cheerful, as in children’s stories, but at the end it becomes more neutral and, at times, even sinister.

Reading the original Harry Potter allows the reader to quietly raise the level of complexity of the text. Why is it invisible? Because an enthusiastic reader sometimes doesn’t even notice how characteristic vocabulary is being absorbed, getting used to the author’s style, and developing reading skills, despite the fact that the text becomes more and more complex.

Note for the reader

For those who are planning to get acquainted with Harry Potter in the book version, some notes will be useful.

1. Features of the language of the novel "Harry Potter". The novel is written in British English. But in the American edition, some words are replaced with American analogues to make it clearer to the reader:

• Tinned soup (UK) - Canned soup (US) - canned soup,
• Mum (UK) - Mom (US) - mother.
• Car park (UK) - Parking lot (US) - car parking,
• Biscuits (UK) - Cookies (US) - cookies.
• However, there are also British words and expressions that remained in the American edition:
• Bloke is a guy.
• Mental (He's mental!) - crazy,
• Blimey! - Wow! Can't be!
• Trainers - sneakers
• At once - instantly.
• At the top of his voice - (shout) at the top of your voice.

1. Different speech styles. The novel contains both modern and elevated literary English. For example, Harry and Ron talk like normal children, using the expressions "I dunno" instead of "I don't know" or "'Spose so" instead of "I suppose so". But representatives of the older generation, professors, aristocrats of the magical world express themselves more bookishly. “I do not require your assistance,” said Voldemort.”
2. Dialect of heroes. The speech characteristics of characters speaking with an accent are also reflected in writing. This feature is inherent not only to foreigners, but also to British heroes with a distinctive accent. French accent, Fleur Delacour: “You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about "Arry Potter." Bulgarian accent, ViktorKram: “This is his symbol, I recognized it at vunce: Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang ven he vos a pupil there.”
3. Author's neologisms and magical vocabulary. Most of the vocabulary is magic terms: well-known words and words invented by the author. For example, muggle is a person who does not belong to the magical world, Blast-Ended Screwt is an Explosive-Tailed Devilcrab, a fictional creature.

And words such as spell, charm, hex, curse are often translated into Russian simply as “spells” or “spells”.

Which is better: book or movie?

The way you get acquainted with the novel “Harry Potter” is determined by the wishes and goals of a person learning English. If you need to work with vocabulary (expand your vocabulary), practice reading in English is necessary, then books are best suited. If you need to work on auditing skills and listening comprehension of English speech, in this case you can use the filmed version of the novel.

For those who are at the very beginning of their language learning journey, it is recommended to watch films about Harry Potter with double - Russian and English - subtitles.

Watching “Harry Potter” in English without subtitles will be interesting and useful for those whose language proficiency level allows it.

There is another option - download an audiobook. The advantage of this option is that an audiobook allows you to get acquainted with the work anywhere and anytime (on the way to work, school, home, etc.). And not being able to see all the special effects helps you concentrate on the text of the characters.

Timeline of Harry Potter films

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in English - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in English - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in English - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in English - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in English - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in English - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in English - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Have fun learning English!

What are you like today? Are you focused on success and self-development? Or do you want to be transported to a world of magic? Or maybe your life is missing a touch of romance? Choose your mood and a cool book in English with parallel translation that suits you.

We have compiled four selections of books in English for upper-intermediate levels: upper-intermediate and advanced. Make your choice, follow the link and enjoy reading!

All you need is LOVE: books in English about love

1. by Stephenie Meyer

The world-famous saga about the love of a vampire and a human, which just a few years ago was a bestseller. The book is written in fairly simple language, and anyone can master it. To consolidate the result, you can move on to reading the following parts or other books of a similar genre (of which, by the way, there are an insanely many).

2. by Jojo Moyes

A romantic story that is gaining popularity ahead of the film adaptation with Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games). Since the book was published relatively recently, it does an excellent job of capturing everyday English.

3. by Emily Bronte

The only novel by the English writer Emily Bronte and her most famous work. The plot will please fans of Victorian literature (with its inherent emotional description of nature), but you need to be brave enough to start reading this work.

4. by Margaret Mitchell

There is no point in describing this book for the hundredth time. We have all ever watched a film adaptation or heard about this work. The book is very bright and large in volume, but, as they say, the road can be mastered by those who walk.

5. by Jane Austen

A timeless English classic, filled with exquisite expressions and truly complex vocabulary. I have a special relationship with this work. It wasn’t easy: I read half the book in about a month and a half, but struggled with the other half for six months! OMG.

But what was my happiness when I finally marked the last page read in the Lingualeo application, and could proudly say that I was reading English literature of the 19th century. Join the army of proud people! 🙂

Magic is all around you: texts in English in the fantasy genre

1. by J. R. R. Tolkien

Perhaps one of my favorite books in this genre, which has already become an English classic. Professor J. R. R. Tolkien wrote it for children, so you won't see any complex alpha-level phrases here. When you go on a journey with Bilbo Baggins, you won’t even notice how the time flies while reading.

2. by C. S. Lewis

Books about the magical land of Narnia will forever remain in my heart. I suggest you start getting acquainted with the most famous part -. Get ready for adventure!

3. by J.K. Rowling

The first part of the book in English about Harry Potter can be read by a high school student, armed with a dictionary for rare incomprehensible words. However, further the complexity of the language grows in the same way as the characters grow up. In you can find the entire Harry Potter epic in English with parallel translation.

4. by George R. R. Martin

The legendary series of books, on which the series “Game of Thrones” was based, will immerse you in the atmosphere of the real Middle Ages, filled with magic. After reading the books, watching the original series will be incredibly easy and interesting!

5. by J. R. R. Tolkien

Starting to read “The Lord of the Rings” in the original is a difficult decision even for me, an avid Tolkienist. Warning: this work is really huge, and you risk getting stuck in it for a long time (from several months to several years).

But it all depends on your desire to improve your vocabulary and travel to Middle-earth to fight Sauron.

Thinking out loud: books for learning English for those who like to think out loud

1. by Paulo Coelho

A magnificent work by Paulo Coelho that literally guides you towards your dreams. The book is written in such a way that, if desired, even a child can master it. Personally, it took me about two days to read “The Alchemist,” although I mostly read it on the subway.

2. by A.Conan Doyle

One of Arthur Conan Doyle's four Sherlock Holmes stories. If you are a fan of English detective stories, intellectual conversations and mysteries, then this book is here for you.

3. by Ray Bradbury

A world-famous dystopia, which is, to some extent, required reading. The language of the work is beautiful, ruthlessly focusing attention on the right things. After Fahrenheit 451, it is impossible not to love twentieth-century American literature.

4. by Jack London

A story that makes you pick your butt off the couch and start taking action. Watching the hero of the work, you begin to overcome all the ups and downs with him. The book is replete with descriptions of the characters’ emotions, therefore, you will understand the beauty of the English language even more deeply.

5. by Anthony Doerr

Anthony Doerr's stunning Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been on my wishlist for the original for several months now. The action takes place in the 30-40s of the twentieth century and unites the touching stories of a young man and a girl, intertwined with the cruel reality of war.

The vocabulary in the novel is very complex, it includes many specific names and scientific terms, so you need to approach the reading fully armed.

Work hard. Dream big: motivational books for learning English on your own

1. Do the work by Steven Pressfield

An excellent book for those who need a kick to start learning English, run in the morning and do everything on time. It is unlikely to be suitable for an easy level of English: books on self-development are usually written at the upper-intermediate level. It all depends on your persistence (to help you).

2. by Seth Godin

Many foreign entrepreneurs describe this book as life-changing, so we recommend it for a comprehensive “upgrade” of your loved one.

The books described can mainly be read by those with upper-intermediate and advanced levels. But we won’t stop until all students (regardless of their language level) have their favorite book in English! So next time we’ll make it up. See you! 🙂

An eleven-year-old orphan boy, Harry Potter, lives with his aunt's family and does not even suspect that he is a real wizard. But one day an owl flies in with a letter for him, and Harry Potter's life changes forever. He learns that he is enrolled in the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, discovers the truth about the mysterious death of his parents, and as a result he manages to uncover the secret of the philosopher's stone. On our website you can read the book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" for free in English online, as well as in Russian. You can also download the book in Russian or English. Those who don’t really like to read can download and listen to the audiobook “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” We wish you pleasant reading!

Read also

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter is about to enter his fourth year of study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. New spells, new potions, new teachers, new subjects... It's all familiar, and Harry is looking forward to the start of the school year. But the school is suddenly bombarded with amazing news: this year the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts, and of course, everyone wants to take part in it...

Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince

The Ministry of Magic suffers defeat after defeat in battles with Voldemort. Even Muggles are suffering from the second war - disasters occur every day, the causes of which no one knows. But even in war, life goes on.

Harry Potter: The Backstory

Harry Potter: Prequel is an 800-word work by JK Rowling, written on a postcard in 2008 specifically for sale at a charity auction supported by the Waterstone bookstore chain.