《哈利波特1》｜单词注释｜Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
1
THE BOY WHO LIVED
2
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
3
They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t
hold
with such
nonsense
.
hold /hoʊld/ v. 相信
nonsense /ˈnɑːnsens/ n. 胡扯
4
Mr. Dursley was the
director
of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.
director /dəˈrektər/ n. 主管
5
He was a big,
beefy
man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large
mustache
.
beefy /'bifi/ adj. 结实的
mustache /'mʌstæʃ/ n. 胡子
6
Mrs. Dursley was thin and
blonde
and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck,
blonde /blɑːnd/ adj. 白肤金发碧眼的
7
which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time
craning
over garden fences,
spying
on the neighbors.
crane /kreɪn/ vi. 伸着脖子看
spy /spaɪ/ vt. 侦察
8
The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.
9
The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it.
10
They didn’t think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.
11
Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley’s sister, but they hadn’t met for several years;
12
in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn’t have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.
13
The Dursleys
shuddered
to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street.
shudder /ˈʃʌdər/ vi. 发抖
14
The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him.
15
This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn’t want Dudley mixing with a child like that.
16
When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the
dull
, gray Tuesday our story starts,
dull /dʌl/ adj. 阴暗的
17
there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country.
18
Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley
gossiped
away happily as she
wrestled
a screaming Dudley into his high chair.
gossip /ˈɡɑːsɪp/ vi. 闲聊
wrestle /ˈresl/ vt. 使劲搬动
19
None of them noticed a large,
tawny
owl
flutter
past the window.
tawny /'tɔni/ adj. 黄褐色的
flutter /ˈflʌtər/ vt. & vi. 拍翅膀
20
At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his
briefcase
, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed,
briefcase /ˈbriːfkeɪs/ n. 公文[事]包
21
because Dudley was now having a
tantrum
and throwing his
cereal
at the walls.
tantrum /ˈtæntrəm/ n. 发脾气
cereal /ˈsɪriəl/ n. 谷物
22
“Little tyke,”
chortled
Mr. Dursley as he left the house.
chortle /ˈtʃɔːrtl/ vi. 咯咯笑
23
He got into his car and backed out of number four’s drive.
24
It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map.
25
For a second, Mr. Dursley didn’t realize what he had seen — then he
jerked
his head around to look again.
jerk /dʒɜːrk/ vt. 猛拉
26
There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn’t a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a
trick
of the light.
trick /trɪk/ n. 引起错觉的事物
27
Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.
28
As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror.
29
It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive — no, looking at the sign; cats couldn’t read maps or signs.
30
Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind.
31
As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.
32
But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else.
33
As he sat in the usual morning
traffic jam
, he couldn’t help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people
about
. People in cloaks.
traffic jam 交通阻塞，塞车
about /əˈbaʊt/ adv. 周围
34
Mr. Dursley couldn’t bear people who dressed in funny clothes — the
getups
you saw on young people!
getup /ˈɡɛtˌʌp/ n. 服饰
35
He supposed this was some stupid new fashion.
36
He drummed his fingers on the
steering
wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these
weirdos
standing quite close by.
steering wheel n. 方向盘
weirdo /'wɪrdo/ n. 古怪的人
37
They were whispering excitedly together.
38
Mr. Dursley was
enraged
to see that a couple of them weren’t young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an
emerald-green
cloak! The
nerve
of him!
enrage /ɪnˈreɪdʒ/ vt. 激怒
emerald-green adj. 翠绿色的
nerve /nɜːrv/ n. 厚颜
39
But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly
stunt
— these people were obviously
collecting
for something . . . yes, that would be it.
stunt /stʌnt/ n. 作秀
collect /kə'lɛkt/ v. 募捐
40
The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings
parking lot
, his mind back on drills.
41
Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn’t, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning.
42
He didn’t see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl
sped
overhead.
speed /spid/ vi. 快速移动
43
Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime.
44
Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning.
45
He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.
46
He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he’d stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a
bun
from the
baker
’s opposite.
bun /bʌn/ n. 圆形的小面包或点心
baker /ˈbeɪkər/ n. 面包师
47
He’d forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker’s. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn’t know why, but they made him uneasy.
48
This
lot
were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn’t see a single collecting tin.
lot /lɑːt/ n. 一群
49
It was on his way back past them, clutching a large
doughnut
in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.
doughnut /'do'nʌt/ n. 油炸圈饼
50
“The Potters, that’s right, that’s what I heard —”
51
“— yes, their son, Harry —”
52
Mr. Dursley stopped
dead
. Fear
flooded
him.
stop dead 突然停止
flood /flʌd/ vt. 淹没
53
He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.
54
He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office,
snapped
at his
secretary
not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind.
snap /snæp/ vi. 厉声说
secretary /ˈsekrəteri/ n. 秘书
55
He put the receiver back down and
stroked
his mustache, thinking . . . no, he was being stupid.
stroke /stroʊk/ vt. 轻抚
56
Potter wasn’t such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry.
57
Come to think of it, he wasn’t even sure his nephew was called Harry. He’d never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.
58
There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn’t blame her — if he’d had a sister like that . . . but all the same, those people in cloaks . . .
59
He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o’clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.
60
“Sorry,” he
grunted
, as the tiny old man
stumbled
and almost fell.
grunt /ɡrʌnt/ vt. 咕哝着说
stumble /ˈstʌmbl/ vi. 绊脚
61
It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak.
62
He didn’t seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground.
63
On the
contrary
, his face split into a
wide smile
and he said in a
squeaky
voice that made passersby stare,
contrary /ˈkɑːntreri/ n. 相反
wide smile 灿烂的笑容
squeaky /'skwiki/ adj. 吱吱响的
64
“Don’t be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today!
Rejoice
, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!”
rejoice /rɪˈdʒɔɪs/ vi. 高兴
65
And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.
66
Mr. Dursley stood
rooted
to the
spot
. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was.
rooted /'rutɪd/ adj. 固定不动的
spot /spɑːt/ n. 地点
67
He was
rattled
. He hurried to his car and
set off
for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn’t approve of imagination.
rattled /'rætld/ adj. 慌乱的
set off 出发
68
As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw — and it didn’t improve his mood — was the tabby cat he’d
spotted
that morning.
spot /spɑːt/ vt. 认出
69
It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same
markings
around its eyes.
marking /'mɑrkɪŋ/ n. 斑纹
70
“Shoo!” said Mr. Dursley loudly.
71
The cat didn’t move. It just gave him a stern look. Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house.
72
He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.
73
Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day.
74
She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door’s problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word (“
Shan’t
!”).
shan't /ʃænt/ abbr. shall not 不应该的(口语的)
75
Mr. Dursley tried to act normally.
76
When Dudley had been
put to bed
, he went into the living room
in time
to catch the last report on the evening news:
put to bed 安顿......去睡
in time 适时地
77
“And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation’s owls have been behaving very unusually today.
78
Although owls normally
hunt
at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of
sightings
of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise.
hunt /hʌnt/ v. 打猎
sighting /'saɪtɪŋ/ n. 目睹(不寻常或短暂出现的事物)
79
Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping
pattern
.”
pattern /ˈpætərn/ n. 方式
80
The newscaster allowed himself a grin. “Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?”
81
“Well, Ted,” said the weatherman,
82
“I don’t know about that, but it’s not only the owls that have been acting oddly today.
83
Viewers as far
apart
as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they’ve had a
downpour
of shooting stars!
apart /əˈpɑːrt/ adv. 相距
downpour /ˈdaʊnpɔːr/ n. 倾盆大雨
84
Perhaps people have been celebrating
Bonfire
Night early — it’s not until next week, folks! But I can promise a
wet
night tonight.”
bonfire /'bɑnfaɪɚ/ n. 篝火
wet /wɛt/ adj. 下雨的
85
Mr. Dursley sat
frozen
in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters . . .
frozen /ˈfrozən/ adj. 吓呆的
86
Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He’d have to say something to her.
87
He cleared his throat nervously. “Er — Petunia, dear — you haven’t heard from your sister lately, have you?”
88
As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn’t have a sister.
89
“No,” she said
sharply
. “Why?”
sharply /ˈʃ ɑrplɪ/ adv. 尖锐地
90
“Funny stuff on the news,” Mr. Dursley mumbled. “Owls . . . shooting stars . . . and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today . . .”
91
“So?” snapped Mrs. Dursley.
92
“Well, I just thought . . . maybe . . . it was something to do with . . . you know . . . her lot.”
93
Mrs. Dursley
sipped
her tea through
pursed
lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he’d heard the name “Potter.”
sip /sɪp/ vi. 啜饮
purse /pɜːrs/ vt. 缩拢
94
He decided he didn’t dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, “Their son — he’d be about Dudley’s age now, wouldn’t he?”
95
“I suppose so,” said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.
96
“What’s his name again? Howard, isn’t it?”
97
“Harry. Nasty,
common
name, if you ask me.”
common /'kɑmən/ adj. 粗俗的
98
“Oh, yes,” said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. “Yes, I quite agree.”
99
He didn’t say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed.
100
While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden.
101
The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.
102
Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did . . . if it got out that they were related to a pair of — well, he didn’t think he could bear it.
103
The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind.
104
His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley.
105
The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind. . . .
106
He couldn’t see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn’t affect them. . .
107
How very wrong he was.
108
Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness.
109
It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes
fixed
unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive.
fix /fɪks/ v. 凝视
110
It didn’t so much as
quiver
when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead.
quiver /ˈkwɪvər/ vt. & vi. 微颤
111
In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.
112
A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you’d have thought he’d just
popped
out of the ground.
pop /pɑːp/ v. 突然出现
113
The cat’s tail
twitched
and its eyes narrowed.
twitch /twɪtʃ/ vt. & vi.(使)颤动
114
Nothing like this man had ever been seen in Privet Drive.
115
He was tall, thin, and very old,
judging by
the silver of his hair and
beard
, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.
judge by 根据......作出判断
beard /bɪrd/ n. 胡须
116
He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled,
buckled
boots.
buckle /ˈbʌkl/ vt. 扣住
117
His blue eyes were light, bright, and
sparkling
behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and
crooked
, as though it had been broken at least twice.
sparkling /'spɑrklɪŋ/ adj. 闪耀的
crooked /ˈkrʊkɪd/ adj. 弯曲的
118
This man’s name was Albus Dumbledore.
119
Albus Dumbledore didn’t seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.
120
He was busy
rummaging
in his cloak, looking for something.
rummage /'rʌmɪdʒ/ n. 翻找
121
But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street.
122
For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him.
123
He chuckled and muttered, “I should have known.”
124
He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter.
125
He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little
pop
. He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness.
pop /pɑːp/ n. (发出)砰的一声
126
Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny
pinpricks
in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him.
pinprick /'pɪnprɪk/ n. 小孔
127
If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn’t be able to see anything that was happening down on the
pavement
.
pavement /ˈpeɪvmənt/ n. 人行道
128
Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat.
129
He didn’t look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.
130
“
Fancy
seeing you here, Professor McGonagall.”
fancy /ˈfænsi/ v. [英](表示惊奇或震惊)真想不到
131
He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone.
132
Instead he was smiling at a rather
severe
-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes.
severe /sɪˈvɪr/ adj. 严厉的
133
She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight
bun
. She looked
distinctlyruffled
.
bun /bʌn/ n. (女子的)圆发髻
distinctly /dɪˈstɪ ŋktlɪ/ adv. 清楚
ruffled /'rʌfld/ adj. 气恼的
134
“How did you know it was me?” she asked.
135
“My dear Professor, I’ve never seen a cat sit so stiffly.”
136
“You’d be stiff if you’d been sitting on a brick wall all day,” said Professor McGonagall.
137
“All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen
feasts
and parties on my way here.”
feast /fiːst/ n. 宴会
138
Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.
139
“Oh yes, everyone’s celebrating, all right,” she said impatiently. “You’d think they’d be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something’s going on. It was on their news.”
140
She jerked her head back at the Dursleys’ dark living-room window.
141
“I heard it. Flocks of owls . . . shooting stars. . . . Well, they’re not completely stupid. They were
bound to
notice something.
bound to 一定会
142
Shooting stars down in Kent — I’ll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much
sense
.”
sense /sɛns/ n. 理智
143
“You can’t blame them,” said Dumbledore gently. “We’ve had
precious
little to celebrate for eleven years.”
precious /ˈpreʃəs/ adj. 宝贵的
144
“I know that,” said Professor McGonagall
irritably
.
irritably /ˈɪrətəblɪ/ adv. 性急地
145
“But that’s no reason to lose our heads. People are being
downright
careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes,
swapping
rumors.”
downright /'daʊnraɪt/ adv. (强调反面的)彻头彻尾地
swap /swɑːp/ vt. & vi. 交换
146
She threw a
sharp
,
sideways
glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn’t, so she went on.
sideways /ˈsaɪdweɪz/ adj. 向旁边的
sharp /ʃɑːrp/ adj. 敏锐的
147
“A fine thing it would be if, on the
very
day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?”
very /ˈvɛri/ adj. 正是
148
“It certainly seems so,” said Dumbledore. “We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a
sherbet
lemon?”
sherbet /'ʃɝbət/ n. 冰冻果子露
149
“A what?”
150
“A sherbet lemon. They’re a kind of Muggle sweet I’m rather
fond of
.”
fond of 情有独钟
151
“No, thank you,” said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn’t think this was the moment for sherbet lemon.
152
“As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone —”
153
“My dear Professor, surely a
sensible
person like yourself can call him by his name?
sensible /ˈsensəbl/ adj. 通晓事理的
154
All this ‘You-Know-Who’ nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to
persuade
people to call him by his
proper
name: Voldemort.”
persuade /pərˈsweɪd/ vt. & vi. 说服
proper /ˈprɑpɚ/ adj. 正确的
155
Professor McGonagall
flinched
, but Dumbledore, who was
unsticking
two sherbet lemons, seemed not to notice.
flinch /flɪntʃ/ vi. 畏缩
unstick /ˌʌn'stɪk/ vt. 使不再粘着
156
“It all gets so confusing if we keep saying ‘You-Know-Who.’ I have never seen any reason to be
frightened
of saying Voldemort’s name.”
frighten /ˈfraɪtn/ vt. & vi. (使)惊恐
157
“I know you haven’t,” said Professor McGonagall, sounding half
exasperated
, half admiring.
exasperate /ɪɡˈzæspəreɪt/ vt. 触怒
158
“But you’re different. Everyone knows you’re the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of.”
159
“You
flatter
me,” said Dumbledore calmly. “Voldemort had powers I will never have.”
flatter /ˈflætər/ v. 奉承
160
“Only because you’re too — well —
noble
to use them.”
noble /ˈnoʊbl/ adj. 高尚的
161
“It’s lucky it’s dark. I haven’t
blushed
so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new
earmuffs
.”
blush /blʌʃ/ vi. 脸红
earmuffs /'ɪəmʌfs/ n. 耳套
162
Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said,
163
“The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone’s saying? About why he’s disappeared? About what finally stopped him?”
164
It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most
anxious
to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day,
anxious /ˈæŋkʃəs/ adj. 急切的
165
for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now.
166
It was
plain
that whatever “everyone” was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true.
plain /pleɪn/ adj. 清晰的
167
Dumbledore, however, was choosing another sherbet lemon and did not answer.
168
“What they’re saying,” she pressed on, “is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric’s
Hollow
. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are — are — that they’re — dead.”
hollow /ˈhɑːloʊ/ n. 山谷
169
Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.
170
“Lily and James . . . I can’t believe it . . . I didn’t want to believe it . . . Oh, Albus . . .”
171
Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. “I know . . . I know . . .” he said heavily.
172
Professor McGonagall’s voice trembled as she went on.
173
“That’s not all. They’re saying he tried to kill the Potters’ son, Harry. But — he couldn’t. He couldn’t kill that little boy.
174
No one knows why, or how, but they’re saying that when he couldn’t kill Harry Potter, Voldemort’s power somehow broke — and that’s why he’s gone.”
175
Dumbledore nodded
glumly
.
glumly /'glʌmli/ adv. 忧郁地
176
“It’s — it’s true?”
faltered
Professor McGonagall.
falter /ˈfɔːltər/ vi. 支吾
177
“After all he’s done . . . all the people he’s killed . . . he couldn’t kill a little boy? It’s just
astounding
. . . of all the things to stop him . . . but how
in the name of heaven
did Harry survive?”
astounding /əˈstaʊndɪŋ/ adj. 使人震惊的
in the name of heaven 究竟(加强语气)
178
“We can only guess,” said Dumbledore. “We may never know.”
179
Professor McGonagall pulled out a
lace
handkerchief and
dabbed
at her eyes beneath her spectacles.
lace /leɪs/ n. 蕾丝
dab /dæb/ vt. 抹(或敷、涂、擦)少许
180
Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and
examined
it.
examine /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/ vt. 仔细检查
181
It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge.
182
It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, “Hagrid’s late. I suppose it was he who told you I’d be here,
by the way
?”
by the way 顺便问一下
183
“Yes,” said Professor McGonagall. “And I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me why you’re here, of all places?”
184
“I’ve come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They’re the only family he has left now.”
185
“You don’t mean — you can’t mean the people who live here?” cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.
186
“Dumbledore — you can’t. I’ve been watching them all day.
187
You couldn’t find two people who are less like us. And they’ve got this son — I saw him kicking his mother
all the way
up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!”
all the way 一路上
188
“It’s the best place for him,” said Dumbledore
firmly
. “His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he’s older. I’ve written them a letter.”
firmly /ˈfə..mlɪ/ adv. 坚决地
189
“A letter?” repeated Professor McGonagall
faintly
, sitting back down on the wall.
faintly /'feintli/ adv. 虚弱地
190
“Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He’ll be famous — a
legend
—
legend /ˈledʒənd/ n. 传奇
191
I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!”
192
“Exactly,” said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses.
193
“It would be enough to turn any boy’s head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won’t even remember!
194
Can’t you see how much better off he’ll be, growing up away from all that until he’s ready to take it?”
195
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, “Yes — yes, you’re right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?”
196
She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.
197
“Hagrid’s bringing him.”
198
“You think it —
wise
— to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?”
wise /waɪz/ adj. 明智的
199
“I would trust Hagrid with my life,” said Dumbledore.
200
“I’m not saying his heart isn’t in the right place,” said Professor McGonagall
grudgingly
, “but you can’t pretend he’s not careless. He does tend to — what was that?”
grudging /'ɡrʌdʒɪŋ/ adj. 勉强的
201
A low
rumbling
sound had broken the silence around them.
rumbling /'rʌmblɪŋ/ n. 隆隆声
202
It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight;
203
it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.
204
If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting
astride
it.
astride /ə'straɪd/ prep. 跨在…上
205
He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide.
206
He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild — long
tangles
of
bushy
black hair and beard hid most of his face,
tangle /ˈtæŋɡl/ n. 乱糟糟的一堆
bushy /ˈbʊʃi/ adj. 浓密的
207
he had hands the size of
trash can
lids
, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.
trash can 垃圾桶
lid /lɪd/ n. 盖子
208
In his
vast
, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.
vast /væst/ adj. 巨大的
209
“Hagrid,” said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. “At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?”
210
“Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir,” said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. “Young
Sirius
Black lent it to me. I’ve got him, sir.”
Sirius /'siəriəs/ n. 天狼星
211
“No problems, were there?”
212
“No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin’ around. He fell asleep as we was flyin’ over Bristol.”
213
Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets.
214
Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a
tuft
of
jet-black
hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like
a bolt of
lightning.
tuft /tʌft/ n. 一簇
jet-black /'dʒet'blæk/ adj. 墨黑的
a bolt of 一束
215
“Is that where — ?” whispered Professor McGonagall.
216
“Yes,” said Dumbledore. “He’ll have that scar forever.”
217
“Couldn’t you do something about it, Dumbledore?”
218
“Even if I could, I wouldn’t. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.
219
Well — give him here, Hagrid — we’d better get this over with.”
220
Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys’ house.
221
“Could I — could I say good-bye to him, sir?” asked Hagrid.
222
He bent his great,
shaggy
head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very
scratchy
,
whiskery
kiss.
shaggy /'ʃægi/ adj. 毛发粗浓杂乱的
scratchy /'skrætʃi/ adj. (衣服)粗糙的
whiskery /'hwiskəri/ adj. 有须的
223
Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a
wounded
dog.
wounded /ˈwundɪd/ adj. 受伤的
224
“Shhh!” hissed Professor McGonagall, “you’ll wake the Muggles!”
225
“S-s-sorry,” sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. “But I c-c-can’t stand it — Lily an’ James dead — an’ poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles —”
226
“Yes, yes, it’s all very sad, but get a
grip
on yourself, Hagrid, or we’ll be found,”
grip /ɡrɪp/ n. 控制
227
Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid
gingerly
on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door.
gingerly /ˈdʒɪndʒərli/ adv. 小心谨慎地
228
He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry’s blankets, and then came back to the other two.
229
For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little
bundle
;
bundle /ˈbʌndl/ n. 婴儿
230
Hagrid’s shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the
twinkling
light that usually
shone
from Dumbledore’s eyes seemed to have gone out.
twinkling /ˈtwɪŋklɪŋ/ adj. (眼睛因高兴儿)发亮的
shone /ʃon/ vi. 发光（shine的过去式及过去分词）
231
“Well,” said Dumbledore finally, “that’s that. We’ve no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations.”
232
“Yeah,” said Hagrid in a very
muffled
voice, “I’d best get this bike away. G’night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir.”
muffled / ˈmʌfl..d/ adj. 听不清的
233
Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.
234
“I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall,” said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall
blew
her nose in reply.
blow /bloʊ/ v. 擤（鼻子)
235
Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer.
236
He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange
237
and he could make out a tabby cat
slinking
around the corner at the other end of the street.
slink /slɪŋk/ vi. 溜走
238
He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.
239
“Good luck, Harry,” he murmured. He
turned on his heel
and with a
swish
of his cloak, he was gone.
turn on one's heel 急向后转
swish /swɪʃ/ n. 嗖嗖声
240
A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and
tidy
under the
inky
sky, the very
last
place you would expect astonishing things to happen.
tidy /ˈtaɪdi/ adj. 整齐的
inky /'ɪŋki/ adj. 漆黑的
last /læst/ adj. 最不可能的
241
Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up.
242
One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous,
243
not knowing he would be woken in a few hours’ time by Mrs. Dursley’s scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles,
244
nor that he would spend the next few weeks being
prodded
and
pinched
by his cousin Dudley. . . .
prod /prɑːd/ vt. & vi. 戳
pinch /pɪntʃ/ vt. 捏
245
He couldn’t know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in
hushed
voices:
hush /hʌʃ/ vi. 安静下来
246
“To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!”
247
