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哈利波特与魔法石06-The letters from no one

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(单词翻译)

CHAPTER THREE

THE LETTERS FROM NO ONE

The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry1 hislongest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of hiscupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley hadalready broken his new video camera, crashed his remote controlairplane, and, first time out on his racing2 bike, knocked down oldMrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches3.
Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escapingDudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers4, Dennis,Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley wasthe biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The restof them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport:
Harry Hunting.
This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of thehouse, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays,where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he wouldbe going off to secondary school and, for the first time in hislife, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at UncleVernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was goingthere too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High,the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.
"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day atStonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?""No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anythingas horrible as your head down it -- it might be sick." Then he ran,before Dudley could work out what he'd said.
One day in July, Aunt Petunia6 took Dudley to London to buy hisSmeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg trippingover one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of themas before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit ofchocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.
That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for thefamily in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroontailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats calledboaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting eachother while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to begood training for later life.
As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernonsaid gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. AuntPetunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was herIckle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn'ttrust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs7 might alreadyhave cracked from trying not to laugh.
There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning whenHarry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a largemetal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full ofwhat looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.
"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened8 asthey always did if he dared to ask a question.
"Your new school uniform," she said.
Harry looked in the bowl again.
"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet.""DotA be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some ofDudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyoneelse's when I've finished."Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not toargue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about howhe was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High -- like hewas wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.
Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled nosesbecause of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon openedhis newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting5 stick, whichhe carried everywhere, on the table.
They heard the click of the mail slot and flop9 of letters onthe doormat.
"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.
"Make Harry get it.""Get the mail, Harry.""Make Dudley get it.""oke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."Harry dodged10 the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Threethings lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sisterMarge, who was vacationing on the Isle11 of Wight, a brown envelopethat looked like a bill, and -- a letter for Harry.
Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like agiant elastic12 band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written tohim. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives -- he didn'tbelong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking forbooks back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly therecould be no mistake:
Mr. H. PotterThe Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment,and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.
Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw apurple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger,and a snake surrounding a large letter H.
"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What areyou doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled13 at his own joke.
Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. Hehanded Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowlybegan to open the yellow envelope.
Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, andflipped over the postcard."Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk. --."

"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"

Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which waswritten on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it wasjerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.

"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.

"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered14 Uncle Vernon, shaking theletter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went fromred to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn'tstop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.

"-P-Petunia!" he gasped15.

Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernonheld it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously16 andread the first line. For a moment it looked as though she mightfaint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.
"Vernon! Oh my goodness -- Vernon!"They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten thatHarry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used tobeing ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with hisSmelting stick.
"I want to read that letter," he said loudly. want to read it,"said Harry furiously, "as it's mine.""Get out, both of you," croaked17 Uncle Vernon, stuffing theletter back inside its envelope.
Harry didn't move.
I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.
"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.
"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley bythe scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming thekitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly18 had a furiousbut silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won,so Harry, his glasses dangling19 from one ear, lay flat on his stomachto listen at the crack between door and floor.
"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "lookat the address -- how could they possibly know where he sleeps? Youdon't think they're watching the house?""Watching -- spying -- might be following us," muttered UncleVernon wildly.
"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell themwe don't want --"Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up anddown the kitchen.
"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't getan answer... Yes, that's best... we won't do anything....
"But --""I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear whenwe took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon didsomething he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.
"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon hadsqueezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?""No one. it was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernonshortly. "I have burned it.""It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboardon it.""SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fellfrom the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced hisface into a smile, which looked quite painful.
"Er -- yes, Harry -- about this cupboard. Your aunt and I havebeen thinking... you're really getting a bit big for it... we thinkit might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom.
"Why?" said Harry.
"Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuffupstairs, now."The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernonand Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister,Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all thetoys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It onlytook Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from thecupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared aroundhim. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camerawas lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven overthe next door neighbor's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-evertelevision set, which he'd put his foot through when his favoriteprogram had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which hadonce held a parrot that Dudley had swapped20 at school for a real airrifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent21 because Dudleyhad sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the onlythings in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.
From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling22 at his mother, Idon't want him in there... I need that room... make him get out...."Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd havegiven anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in hiscupboard with that letter than up here without it.
Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley wasin shock. He'd screamed, whacked23 his father with his Smelting stick,been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoisethrough the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his roomback. Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterlywishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and AuntPetunia kept looking at each other darkly.
When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying tobe nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him bangingthings with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then heshouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom,4 Privet Drive --'"With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat andran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had towrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, whichwas made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernonaround the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting,in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernonstraightened up, gasping24 for breath, with Harry's letter clutchedin his hand.
"Go to your cupboard -- I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed25 atHarry. "Dudley -- go -- just go."Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he hadmoved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't receivedhis first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this timehe'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.
The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the nextmorning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. Hemustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning onany of the lights.
He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of PrivetDrive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammeredas he crept across the dark hall toward the front door --Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big andsquashy on the doormat -- something alive!
Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized thatthe big, squashy something had been his uncle's face. Uncle Vernonhad been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag,clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd beentrying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and thentold him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled26 miserablyoff into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail hadarrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see threeletters addressed in green ink.
I want --" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the lettersinto pieces before his eyes. Uncle Vernon didnt go to work thatday. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.
"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails,"if they can't deliver them they'll just give up.""I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon.""Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they'renot like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nailwith the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.
On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. Asthey couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed underthe door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced throughthe small window in the downstairs bathroom.
Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all theletters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracksaround the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed"Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.
On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four lettersto Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden insideeach of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman hadhanded Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While UncleVernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and thedairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shreddedthe letters in her food processor.
"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley askedHarry in amazement27.
On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast tablelooking tired and rather ill, but happy.
"No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spreadmarmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today --"Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke28 andcaught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty orforty letters came pelting29 out of the fireplace like bullets. TheDursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one.
"Out! OUT!"Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him intothe hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their armsover their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They couldhear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off thewalls and floor.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
2 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
3 crutches crutches     
n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑
参考例句:
  • After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。
  • When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后,不得不靠拐杖走路。
4 piers 97df53049c0dee20e54484371e5e225c     
n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 );(常设有娱乐场所的)突堤;柱子;墙墩
参考例句:
  • Most road bridges have piers rising out of the vally. 很多公路桥的桥墩是从河谷里建造起来的。 来自辞典例句
  • At these piers coasters and landing-craft would be able to discharge at all states of tide. 沿岸航行的海船和登陆艇,不论潮汐如何涨落,都能在这种码头上卸载。 来自辞典例句
5 smelting da3aff64f83e01ef85af6da3b7d675d5     
n.熔炼v.熔炼,提炼(矿石)( smelt的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • a method of smelting iron 一种炼铁方法
  • Fire provided a means of smelting ores. 火提供了熔炼矿石的手段。 来自辞典例句
6 petunia mlxzq2     
n.矮牵牛花
参考例句:
  • Height,breadth and diameter of corolla are the important ornamental characters of petunia.株高、冠幅、花径是矮牵牛的重要观赏性状。
  • His favourite flower is petunia.他最喜欢的花是矮牵牛花。
7 ribs 24fc137444401001077773555802b280     
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 );(船或屋顶等的)肋拱;肋骨状的东西;(织物的)凸条花纹
参考例句:
  • He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
  • Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。
8 tightened bd3d8363419d9ff838bae0ba51722ee9     
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)变紧; (使)绷紧; 加紧
参考例句:
  • The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
  • His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机,然后又松开了。
9 flop sjsx2     
n.失败(者),扑通一声;vi.笨重地行动,沉重地落下
参考例句:
  • The fish gave a flop and landed back in the water.鱼扑通一声又跳回水里。
  • The marketing campaign was a flop.The product didn't sell.市场宣传彻底失败,产品卖不出去。
10 dodged ae7efa6756c9d8f3b24f8e00db5e28ee     
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避
参考例句:
  • He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时,他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 isle fatze     
n.小岛,岛
参考例句:
  • He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
  • The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。
12 elastic Tjbzq     
n.橡皮圈,松紧带;adj.有弹性的;灵活的
参考例句:
  • Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
  • These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。
13 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
14 sneered 0e3b5b35e54fb2ad006040792a867d9f     
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
  • It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。
15 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
16 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
17 croaked 9a150c9af3075625e0cba4de8da8f6a9     
v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 );用粗的声音说
参考例句:
  • The crow croaked disaster. 乌鸦呱呱叫预报灾难。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • 'she has a fine head for it," croaked Jacques Three. “她有一个漂亮的脑袋跟着去呢,”雅克三号低沉地说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
18 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
19 dangling 4930128e58930768b1c1c75026ebc649     
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
参考例句:
  • The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果,那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
  • The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上,摇晃着他们的双腿。
20 swapped 3982604ac592befc46570aef4e827102     
交换(工作)( swap的过去式和过去分词 ); 用…替换,把…换成,掉换(过来)
参考例句:
  • I liked her coat and she liked mine, so we swapped. 我喜欢她的外套,她喜欢我的外套,于是我们就交换了。
  • At half-time the manager swapped some of the players around. 经理在半场时把几名队员换下了场。
21 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
22 bawling e2721b3f95f01146f848648232396282     
v.大叫,大喊( bawl的现在分词 );放声大哭;大声叫出;叫卖(货物)
参考例句:
  • We heard the dulcet tones of the sergeant, bawling at us to get on parade. 我们听到中士用“悦耳”的声音向我们大喊,让我们跟上队伍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • "Why are you bawling at me? “你向我们吼啥子? 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
23 whacked je8z8E     
a.精疲力尽的
参考例句:
  • She whacked him with her handbag. 她用手提包狠狠地打他。
  • He whacked me on the back and I held both his arms. 他用力拍拍我的背,我抱住他的双臂。
24 gasping gasping     
adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词
参考例句:
  • He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
  • "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗?”“我巴不得能喝点!”
25 wheezed 282f3c14e808036e4acb375c721e145d     
v.喘息,发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The old organ wheezed out a tune. 那架老风琴呜呜地奏出曲子。 来自辞典例句
  • He wheezed out a curse. 他喘着气诅咒。 来自辞典例句
26 shuffled cee46c30b0d1f2d0c136c830230fe75a     
v.洗(纸牌)( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚步走;粗心地做;摆脱尘世的烦恼
参考例句:
  • He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。
  • Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
28 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
29 pelting b37c694d7cf984648f129136d4020bb8     
微不足道的,无价值的,盛怒的
参考例句:
  • The rain came pelting down. 倾盆大雨劈头盖脸地浇了下来。
  • Hailstones of abuse were pelting him. 阵阵辱骂冰雹般地向他袭来。

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