A chair that author JK Rowling sat on while writing the first two Harry Potter books has sold at a New York auction for nearly 400,000 dollars (283,000 pounds).
日前，J.K.罗琳在写《哈利波特》系列丛书前两本时坐过的椅子，在纽约一个拍卖会上以近40万美金（折合28.3万英镑）的价格售出。
The 1930s piece was one of four mismatched chairs that the British author picked up for free in Edinburgh, Scotland, before she rose to fame.
这把生产于上世纪30年代的椅子，是这位英国作家出名前在苏格兰爱丁堡免费淘来的四把非成对的椅子中的一把。
Ms Rowling originally auctioned the chair to benefit her charity in 2002. She hand-painted the chair, which auctioneer James Gannon said made the piece so valuable.
罗琳女士最初在2002年将这把椅子进行慈善拍卖。拍卖师詹姆斯·加努恩表示，当时，罗琳将椅子手工喷了漆，正是这一点使得这把椅子如此珍贵。
It features the phrases: "O, you may not find me pretty but don't judge on what you see" and "I wrote Harry Potter while sitting on this chair".
这把椅子上写着这样一行字：“你或许不觉得我漂亮,但不要以貌取人”以及“我曾坐在这把椅子上写《哈利波特》”

A letter from Ms Rowling was included with the sale.
这次一起拍卖的还有罗琳女士的一封信。
The letter reads: "I was given four mismatched dining room chairs in 1995 and this was the comfiest one, which is why it ended up stationed permanently in front of my typewriter, supporting me while I typed out Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. My nostalgic side is quite sad to see it go, but my back isn't."
该信上这样写道：“1995年我得到了四把不成对的餐椅，这把是坐起来最舒服的，因而一直放在我的打字机旁边。它帮助我打出了《哈利波特与魔法石》和《哈利波特与消失的密室》。我很怀旧，看到它离开我很伤心，但我的后背并不伤心（椅子坐起来后背不舒服）。”
The chair's new owner has chosen to remain anonymous.
这把椅子的新主人至今不愿意透露姓名。
The seller, Gerald Gray, from Salford in Greater Manchester, said the winning bid far exceeded his expectations. "I plan to donate 10% to JK Rowling's charity, Lumos, because that's what she did in the first place," said Mr Gray.
来自大曼彻斯特区索尔福德的卖方杰拉德·格雷表示，最后成交价远远超出了他的预期。 格雷先生说：“我准备给J.K.罗琳的慈善机构Lumos捐赠10%，因为过去她都是第一个这么做的。”
He bought the chair in 2009 after his daughter, a Harry Potter fan, saw it on eBay.
他的女儿是个《哈利波特》迷，当她在eBay上看到这把椅子后，格雷就在2009年为女儿买了回来。