【英语原著】哈利·波特与魔法石 （36）

‘ … roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums,’ he said, as a motorbike overtook them.
‘I had a dream about a motorbike,’ said Harry, remembering suddenly. ‘It was flying.’
Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beetroot with a moustache, ‘MOTORBIKES DON’T FLY!’
Dudley and Piers sniggered.
‘I know they don’t,’ said Harry. ‘It was only a dream.’
But he wished he hadn’t said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn’t, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon – they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.
It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice-creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly. It wasn’t bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn’t blond.

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

Knowledge Point

• ‘ … roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums,’ he said, as a motorbike overtook them.
  ⇒ roaring [adjective] (UK ​ /ˈrɔː.rɪŋ/ US ​ /ˈrɔːr.ɪŋ/)
  loud and powerful
  ⇒ maniac [noun] (UK ​ /ˈmeɪ.ni.æk/ US ​ /ˈmeɪ.ni.æk/)
  a person who behaves in an uncontrolled way, not worrying about risks or danger
  ⇒ hoodlum [noun] (UK ​ /ˈhuːd.ləm/ US ​ /ˈhuːd.ləm/)
  a violent person, especially one who is member of a group of criminals
  ⇒ overtake [verb] ~ go past (UK ​ /ˌəʊ.vəˈteɪk/ US ​ /ˌoʊ.vɚˈteɪk/)
  pass to come from behind another vehicle or a person and move in front of them

• ‘I had a dream about a motorbike,’ said Harry, remembering suddenly. ‘It was flying.’
  ⇒ Harry梦到了会飞的摩托车。读到这里你我都可能会心一笑，Harry就是由Hagrid骑着飞在空中的摩托车被带到Dursley家门口的。

• Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beetroot with a moustache, ‘MOTORBIKES DON’T FLY!’
  ⇒ gigantic [adjective] (UK ​ /ˌdʒaɪˈɡæn.tɪk/ US ​ /ˌdʒaɪˈɡæn.t̬ɪk/)
  extremely large
  ⇒ beetroot [noun] (UK ​ /ˈbiːt.ruːt/ US ​ /ˈbiːt.ruːt/)【参见图片】
  the small, round, dark red root of a plant, eaten cooked as a vegetable, especially cold in salads
  A beetroot (called a beet in North America) was the edible taproot of the plant Beta vulgaris.
  ⇒ a gigantic beetroot with a moustache 【参见图片】
  这样一张脸很难以想象啊~ 只能看着图片想象一下了~
  ⇒ （听到Harry说出会飞的摩托车）Vernon 差点撞到（crash into）前面的车。他坐在驾驶座位上（in his seat）从右边转过身去（turn right around）对着Harry吼到（yell），“MOTORBIKES DON’T FLY!”。

  
  beetroot
  a gigantic beetroot with a moustache

• Dudley and Piers sniggered. ‘I know they don’t,’ said Harry. ‘It was only a dream.’
  ⇒ snigger [verb] (UK ​ /ˈsnɪɡ.ər/ US ​ /ˈsnɪɡ.ɚ/)【参见图片】
  to laugh at someone or something in a silly and often unkind way

  
  snigger

• But he wished he hadn’t said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn’t, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon – they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.
  ⇒ 这句话很长，但是不难理解。Harry真希望什么都没有说。比起Harry问他们问题，让Dursleys更为憎恨的是Harry谈论起任何天方夜谭的事（talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn’t），不管是在梦里或者只是在卡通片里——他们会觉得Harry可能要打什么坏主意。

• It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice-creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly.
  ⇒ lolly [noun] (UK ​ /ˈlɒl.i/ US ​ /ˈlɑː.li/)【参见图片】冰棍
  an ice lolly or a lollipop
  ⇒ van [noun] (UK ​ /væn/ US ​ /væn/)【参见图片】
  a medium-sized road vehicle, used especially for carrying goods, that often has no windows in the sides at the back
  ⇒ “large chocolate ice-creams”和“cheap lemon ice lolly”的对比很明显，但即便是便宜的冰棍，从文中可以看出也不是心甘情愿买给Harry的。

  
  lemon ice lolly
  van

• It wasn’t bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn’t blond.
  ⇒ lick [verb] ~ move tongue 【参见图片】
  to move the tongue across the surface of something
  ⇒ gorilla [noun] (UK ​ /ɡəˈrɪl.ə/ US ​ /ɡəˈrɪl.ə/) 【参见图片】
  a large ape that comes from western Africa
  ⇒ scratch [verb] ~ cut
  If an animal scratches, it rubs something with its claws (= sharp nails)
  ⇒ Harry想这样也不坏，一面舔着它，一面看着一只大猩猩抓着它的头，看上去非常像Dudley，只是它不是金发的。

  
  lick
  gorilla