不管是小说还是学科专业书籍，在标题页(title page)的背后，可能都会有这么一页，上面要么写着“献给某某人”，要么就是一些跟书籍内容几乎完全无关的话。
这一页在英文中叫做dedication page，中文可翻译成“题献页”。
它作为一种创作传统，通常是作者向与其息息相关的人表达爱意、谢意或尊敬的方式。
以前读《哈利·波特》系列，沉浸在魔法世界的同时，偶尔翻过题献页，会好奇，这些被罗琳写到自己心爱作品前面的名字到底是谁，和她又是什么关系，有过什么故事。
For Jessica, who loves stories, for Anne, who loved them too, and for Di, who heard this one first.
献给Jessica，她喜欢故事；给Anne，她生前也喜欢；以及给Di，她最先读到这本书。
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is dedicated to Jessica, Anne and Di. Jessica is Rowling's twelve-year-old daughter. Anne is Rowling's mother who passed away before the books were published. Di is Dianne, Rowling's younger sister who read the draft before they were sent for review.
《哈利·波特与魔法石》是献给Jessica、Anne和Di的。Jessica是罗琳十二岁的女儿。Anne是罗琳的母亲，她在书出版前去世了。Di是Dianne，罗琳的妹妹，她在该书送审稿前读过初稿。
For Sean P.F. Harris, getaway driver and foul-weather friend.
献给Sean P.F. Harris，一个开车带我“逃亡”的伙伴，一个雪中送炭的朋友。
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets is dedicated to Sean P.F. Harris. Jo met Sean at her secondary school, Wyedean, when she was eleven. "He was the first of my friends to learn to drive and that turquoise and white car meant freedom and no more having to ask my father to give me lifts, which is the worst thing about living in the countryside when you are a teenager."
《哈利·波特与密室》是献给Sean P.F. Harris的。罗琳十一岁时在Wyedean中学认识了Sean。罗琳称：“他是我朋友中第一个学会开车的，那辆青绿色和白色相间的车就意味着自由，我不必再求我父亲接送我了。让父母接送是我十几岁生活在农村时最糟糕的事情。”
"Some of the happiest memories of my teenage years involve zooming off into the darkness in Sean's car. He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer and he was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it, which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time." Also, Ron's personality is inspired by this man, and his car inspired the flying car in this book.
“我少女时代最快乐的回忆就包括坐在Sean的车里一头冲进黑夜。我立志成为一名作家这个梦想，第一个告诉的人就是他。他也是那时唯一一个认为我一定会成功的人，他的肯定对我太重要了，比我当时告诉他的还要重要。”而且，罗恩的个性也是受他的启发，而他的车也是书中飞车的原型。
To Jill Prewett and Aine Kiely, the godmothers of Swing.
献给Jill Prewett和Aine Kiely，她俩是Swing夜店的教母。
Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban is dedicated to Jill Prewett and Aine Kiely. Jill Prewett and Aine Kiely were J.K. Rowling's flatmates when she lived in Portugal. They used to visit a club/restaurant called "Swing" regularly. Because they spent so much time there, Jo called themselves its godmothers.
《哈利·波特与阿兹卡班的囚徒》献给Jill Prewett和Aine Kiely。Jill Prewett和Aine Kiely是罗琳在葡萄牙生活时的公寓室友。那时她们常去一家名为"Swing"的夜店/餐馆。因为三人去过那家太多次，以至于罗琳把她们称为Swing夜店教母。
To Peter Rowling, in memory of Mr. Ridley and to Susan Sladden, who helped Harry out of his cupboard.
献给Peter Rowling，也纪念Ridley先生，另外献给Susan Sladden，是她把哈利从橱柜里救了出来。
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire is dedicated to Peter Rowling, Mr. Ridley and Susan Sladden. Peter Rowling is J.K. Rowling's father. Mr Ridley refers to Ronald Ridley, an old family friend of the Rowlings. This man's name was the inspiration for Ron Weasley's name. We are not certain who exactly Susan Sladden is, but she could be the Susan to whom Jo once referred in an interview as the woman who used to look after Jessica (Jo's daughter) while Jo worked on the Harry Potter books.
《哈利·波特与火焰杯》献给Peter Rowling、Ridley先生和Susan Sladden。Peter Rowling是罗琳的父亲。Ridley先生指的是Ronald Ridley，他是罗琳一家的老朋友，他的名字也是罗恩·韦斯莱名字的灵感来源。我们还不确定Susan Sladden到底是谁，但她可能就是罗琳在某次采访中提到的那个Susan，她曾在罗琳创作《哈利·波特》时照顾过罗琳的女儿。
To Neil, Jessica and David, who make my world magical.
献给Neil、Jessica和David，他们让我的世界变得如此奇妙。
Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix is dedicated to Neil, Jessica and David. Neil is her husband, Jessica, her daughter and David her son.
《哈利·波特与凤凰社》献给Neil、Jessica和David。Neil是她的丈夫，Jessica是她的女儿，David是她的儿子。
To Mackenzie, my beautiful daughter, I dedicate her ink and paper twin.
献给我美丽的女儿，Mackenzie，她的纸墨双胞胎。
Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince is dedicated to Mackenzie. Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray, Jo's third child, was born on January 23rd, 2005, the same year the book was finished.
《哈利·波特与混血王子》献给Mackenzie。Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray是罗琳的第三个孩子，2005年1月23日出生，正是这本书写完的同一年。
The dedication of this book is split seven ways: to Neil, to Jessica, to David, to Kenzie, to Di, to Anne, and to you, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end.
这本书要献给七个人：Neil、Jessica、David、Kenzie、Di、Anne，还有你，如果你一直陪伴哈利到最后。
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is dedicated to Neil, Jessica, Mackenzie, David, Anne, Di and you if you have stuck with Harry until the very end. The "seven-way split" refers to some of those with whom Jo has shared her life while writing Harry, and the final dedication is to all the fans who have made Harry's journey their own.
《哈利波特与死亡圣器》献给Neil、Jessica、David、Kenzie、Di、Anne，还有陪伴哈利到最后的你。“献词分为七份”分别给了与罗琳写书时一同生活过的人，最终的献词赠与那些将人生融入哈利的魔法世界的粉丝们。
有些作家就是不走寻常路，既不说感激也不表达爱意——他们就爱开玩笑。
An Introduction To Algebraic Topology
《代数拓扑学概论》
By Joseph J. Rotman
To my wife Marganit and my children Ella Rose and Daniel Adam without whom this book would have been completed two years earlier.
献给我的妻子Marganit和孩子Ella Rose以及Daniel Adam，要是没有他们，这本书早两年就写完了。
For everyone with a red line under their name in Microsoft Word.
献给那些在Word里名字底下会有红色波浪线的人。
（书名作者名不详）
Skulduggery Pleasant (series)
《愉快的诡计》（连载）
by Derek Landy
This book is dedicated, with great reluctance, to my editor, Nick Lake, because he is forcing me to.
我怀着极大的不情愿，把这本书献给我的编辑——Nick Lake，因为他逼我这么做。
Personally, I would have liked to include Gillie Russell and Michael Stearns who, along with Nick, really welcomed me into the publishing world with my first book.
我个人呢，其实还想感谢Gillie Russell和Michael Stearns，他俩和Nick都是领着我携第一本书进入出版行业的贵人。
Unfortunately, because Nick is now my sole editor, he has threatened to edit this dedication down to an unrecognizable mess of blacked-out lines, and so as a result this dedication is to him, and him alone.
遗憾的是，因为Nick现在是我这本书的唯一编辑，他威胁我（要是写不好献词就）会把我的题献页用黑线涂改得乱七八糟。所以呢，这本书献给他，且只献给他。
Personally I think that this shows a staggering amount of ****** and ****** which proves that Nick is nothing but a ****** with ****** for ******, but hey, that’s just my personal opinion.
我个人还是觉得这么做简直难以置信地******和******，这说明Nick简直就是******还******就******，不过嘛，这也就是鄙人愚见。
Here, Nick. You finally get a book dedicated to you. Hope you're ****** happy.
那，Nick。你终于有本书是献给你的啦。希望你******开心。
(Editor's Note: Nick Lake is a great guy.)
（编者注：Nick Lake是个好人。）
书籍的正文从来都是从属于公共领域，一旦出版，它就是为了供人阅读，或消遣，或钻研。但相比起正文，题献页是非常私人化的表达，它将作者的私人领域曝光出一部分，供信手翻书的读者观察，期待人们发现，伟大作品的背后也有一个活生生的灵魂。
Notes
dedicate /ˈdedɪkeɪt/ v把…奉献给
chamber /ˈtʃeɪmbər/ n（作特定用途的）房间，室
turquoise /ˈtɜːrkwɔɪz/ n绿松石色，青绿色
zoom /zuːm/ v快速移动，迅速前往
algebraic /ældʒɪˈbreɪɪk/ adj代数的
skulduggery /skʌlˈdʌɡəri/ n阴谋诡计；花招；欺骗
staggering /ˈstæɡərɪŋ/ adj令人难以相信的
编辑：左卓
来源: Quora Pinterest Boredpanda
来源：中国日报双语新闻微信
