《HP官方资料翻译集（物品篇）》霁随心

84、取名先知 Namin

　　【Pottermore中关于取名先知（Naming Seers）的内容】

　　巫师家长们会给孩子起各式各样的名字，有些就是普通的麻瓜名字（例如詹姆、哈利、罗纳德），有些则给予被起名之人个性或命运的特殊意味（例如谢诺菲留斯、莱姆斯、阿莱克托）。
　　一些巫师起名字有其家族传统。比如说布莱克家族就喜欢以星星和星座来为后代命名（很多人会说，这符合他们远大的抱负和自傲）。其他的一些巫师家族（比如说波特家族或韦斯莱家族），只是简单地用他们喜欢的名字为孩子命名。
　　不过，魔法社会的一部分人遵循着咨询取名先知悠久传统，那些取名先知（通常收取一笔价值不菲的金子）会预测孩子的未来，就取名给出建议。
　　这种传统正变得越来越少见。很多家长倾向于“让他/她们自己寻找自己的路”，而且（有充分的理由）不喜欢过早地接受孩子未来的天资、局限，或者最糟的灾难。那些咨询了取名先知的父母经常会在回家的路上就开始担忧起来，希望自己没有去听那些关于他们孩子性格或未来的预测。

作者有话说

Naming Seers<br>By J.K. Rowling<br> <br>A very great variety of first names are given to children by their wizard parents, some of them being what we might think of as Muggle names (e.g. James, Harry, Ronald), others giving a distinct flavour of the personality or destiny of the bearer (e.g. Xenophilius, Remus, Alecto).<br>Some wizards have a family tradition of names. The Black family, for instance, like to name their offspring after stars and constellations (which many would say suits their lofty ambition and pride). Other wizarding families (like the Potters and the Weasleys) simply pick their favourite names for their children, and leave it at that.<br>A certain sector of magical society, however, follows the ancient wizarding practice of consulting a Naming Seer, who (usually for a hefty payment of gold) will predict the child's future and suggest an appropriate moniker.<br>This practice is becoming increasingly rare. Many parents prefer to 'let him/her find his/her own way', and dislike (with good reason) receiving premature hints of aptitude, limitations or, at worst, catastrophe. Mothers and fathers have often fretted themselves silly on the way home from the Naming Seer, wishing that they had not heard the Seer's predictions about their child's personality or future.