单项选择题

TEXT D
With the films prevalent across the whole world, however, most critical plot points in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone came from J. K. Rowling’s imagination. But Flamel and his powerful pebble were legendary long before Harry went to Hogwarts. The 14th-century alchemist created the philosopher’s stone (which was called "sorcerer’s stone" in US edition of Potter), with which he turned mercury to gold and gained eternal life altogether^①. But Flamel’s tale—like his stone and his science—was in fact no more than a magic.
The philosopher’s stone was the key to alchemy, the medieval predecessor to chemistry that aimed to cure all illnesses, make the elixir of life, and transmute base metals into gold. It may sound ridiculous. However, the last made perfect sense at the time. The Aristotelian theory of elements stated that all things consisted of fire, air, water, and earth. So a little shift in one metal’s composition could create gold.
Flamel was renowned as an alchemical success. In the year of 1382, after a period of 25 years of studying an ancient book written by "Abraham the Jew", he is said to have produced the philosopher’s stone. His texts, notably a deconstruction of the "Abraham" work, were standard reading for aspiring scientists like Isaac Newton.
Many alchemists believed that Flamel faked his death in the year of 1418 and that of his wife. Rumored sightings in the 18th century placed them even at the Paris Opera. As late as in the year of 1816 there were still reports of people searching Flamel’s former house for secrets of the mysterious stone.
Contemporary historians say a Nicolas Flamel did live in Paris in the 1300s and endowed many churches and hospitals with his wealth. But he was no alchemist at all. "He got his money in pedestrian ways— his wife’s earlier marriages, real estate speculation," says Lawrence Principe, author of The Aspiring Adept. The obvious error of time, the special style of the language, the diction of words, and the lack of earlier copies indicate that none of "his" writings originated prior to the 1500s^②.
"This sort of thing do happen in alchemy," says Bill Newman, author of alchemical history work Gehennical Fire. It was not rare that when an alchemist could not back up his ideas, he might publish them in the guise of a "lost" work. Flamel’s wealth made a good candidate for alchemical identity theft.
Flamel’s writings and sightings faded with alchemy’s prestage. And the closest anyone’s come to the philosopher’s stone is Rowling. In her hands, it has yielded not just gold but eternal (shelf) life as well.
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