【英语原著】哈利·波特与魔法石 （4）

It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar –a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr Dursley didn’t realise what he had seen –then he jerked his head around to look again. 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. Mr Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive –no, looking at the sign; cats couldn’t read maps or signs. Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.

Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . Bloomsbury. Kindle Edition.

Knowledge Point

• "It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar –a cat reading a map."
  ⇒ 强调句结构为it is/was + 强调部分 + that从句，此处强调地点状语on the corner of the street。
  ⇒ 强调就在那个街角他察觉到了一些古怪的事情第一个迹象。

• "For a second, Mr Dursley didn’t realise what he had seen –then he jerked his head around to look again."
  ⇒ 这句话的描写很传神。就像你看到了一些古怪的事情，先是愣了一下，但是回过神来又想一探究竟。to jerk one’s head 在这里表现得很传神，猛地绕过头来再看一眼到底那是什么。
  ⇒ realise 认识到
  real（真实的）+ise（……化）
  ⇒ jerk
  pull, or move with a sudden movement
  ⇒ to jerk your head up 猛地抬头

• "There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn’t a map in sight."
  ⇒ tabby cat 具有斑纹的猫

• "What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light."
  ⇒ must have been... 用于推断过去或现在已经发生的事
  ⇒ Mr Dursley 此时在想什么呢？ 那一定是光造成的幻觉。
  ⇒ trick （越是简单的词，越是有丰富的表现力）
  n. 恶作剧；诡计
  v. 戏弄；哄骗
  adj. 有诀窍的；欺诈的
  常用短语：
  to play a trick on sb 捉弄某人
  a trick of the light 灯光造成的幻觉（见上文）
  there’s a trick to sth 做某事有窍门
  to trick sb into doing sth 诱骗某人做某

• "Mr Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back."
  ⇒ 他们俩真有意思，Mr Dursley 眨眨眼盯着猫，猫也不甘示弱瞪着他看。

• "As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror."
  ⇒ Mr Dursley 把车开离拐角沿着路开，在车子的反光镜里观察着那只猫。

• "It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive –no, looking at the sign; cats couldn’t read maps or signs."
  ⇒ the sign that said Privet Drive
  写着“Privet Drive”的道路指示牌
  ⇒ （那只猫）她正在认写着“Privet Drive”的道路指示牌，不，是看；猫是不会认地图或者指示牌的。
  ⇒ 这只猫肯定非同一般！它就是第二个古怪迹象。

• "Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind."
  ⇒ give himself a little shake 他的身体不由得稍稍哆嗦了一下
  ⇒ put the cat out of mind （接着就）把那只猫抛诸脑后

• "As he drove towards town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day."
  ⇒ 这里的nothing旨在强调除了大批订单他什么都不想了，只想着拿到大批订单。
  ⇒ drills (that) he was hoping to get 定语从句

  
  【英语原著】哈利·波特与魔法石 （4）