【英语原著】哈利·波特与魔法石 （48）

‘Who’d be writing to you?’ sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn’t stop there. Within seconds it was the greyish white of old porridge.
‘P-P-Petunia!’ he gasped.
Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.
‘Vernon! Oh my goodness –Vernon!’
They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn’t used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings stick.
‘I want to read that letter,’ he said loudly.
‘I want to read it,’ said Harry furiously, ‘as it’s mine.’
‘Get out, both of you,’ croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.

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

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Knowledge Point

• ‘Who’d be writing to you?’ sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it.
  ⇒ sneer [verb] (UK ​ /snɪər/ US ​ /snɪr/)
  to talk about or look at someone or something in an unkind way that shows you do not respect or approve of him, her, or it

• His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn’t stop there. Within seconds it was the greyish white of old porridge.
  ⇒ His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights.
  这句话应该没有一个生词，描写Uncle Vernon脸从红变绿的速度比红绿灯还要快。赶紧学起来~
  ⇒ greyish [adjective] (UK ​ /ˈɡreɪ.ɪʃ/ US ​ /ˈɡreɪ.ɪʃ/)
  slightly grey in colour
  ⇒ porridge [noun] (UK ​ /ˈpɒr.ɪdʒ/ US ​ /ˈpɔːr.ɪdʒ/) 【参见图片】
  燕麦粥，麦片粥
  a thick, soft food made from oats boiled in milk or water, eaten hot for breakfast

  
  porridge

-Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach.
⇒ out of one's reach
在某人够不着（地方）

• Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint.
  ⇒ 到底是怎样的一封信，让Petunia看了第一行就差点晕厥过去。

• She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.
  ⇒ 她紧紧地扼住喉咙，发出一声哽咽的声音。

• They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn’t used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings stick.
  ⇒ 他们面面相觑，似乎忘记了Harry和Dudley还在房间里。Dudley不习惯被人忽视。他用他的斯梅廷手杖在他父亲的头上狠狠地敲了一下。

• ‘Get out, both of you,’ croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.
  ⇒ croak [verb] (UK ​ /krəʊk/ US ​ /kroʊk/)
  If someone croaks something, they say it in a low, rough voice.
  ⇒ stuff [verb] (UK ​ /stʌf/ US ​ /stʌf/)
  If you stuff something somewhere, you push it there quickly and roughly.

知识星球——读英语原著