【英语原著】哈利·波特与魔法石 （51）

From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother: ‘I don’t want him in there … I need that room … make him get out …’
Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he’d have given anything to be up here. Today he’d rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.
Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He’d screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof and he still didn’t have his room back. Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he’d opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.
When the post arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, ‘There’s another one! Mr H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive–’
With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smeltings stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry’s letter clutched in his hand.
‘Go to your cupboard–I mean, your bedroom,’ he wheezed at Harry. ‘Dudley–go–just go.’
Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn’t received his first letter. Surely that meant they’d try again? And this time he’d make sure they didn’t fail. He had a plan.

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

Knowledge Point

• From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother: ‘I don’t want him in there … I need that room … make him get out …’
  ⇒ “From downstairs came the sound......”是一句倒装句。
  ⇒ bawl [verb] (UK ​ /bɔːl/ US ​ /bɑːl/)
  to shout in a very loud voice
  ⇒ 楼下传来Dudley对他妈妈大吼大叫的声音：“我不要他进来……我要那个房间……把他弄出来。”

• Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he’d have given anything to be up here. Today he’d rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.
  ⇒ stretch out 【参见图片】

  
  stretch out
  

  ⇒ Harry 叹了口气，躺在床上。昨天他为了能到这里来，什么都愿意做。今天他宁愿得到那封信回到他的柜子里，也不愿没有它上楼来。

• Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He’d screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof and he still didn’t have his room back. Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he’d opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.
  ⇒ whake [verb] (UK ​ /wæk/ US ​ /wæk/)
  to hit someone or something noisily
  ⇒ greenhouse [noun] (UK ​ /ˈɡriːn.haʊs/ US ​ /ˈɡriːn.haʊs/) 【参见图片】
  a building with a roof and sides made of glass, used for growing plants that need warmth and protection

  
  greenhouse
  

  ⇒ bitterly [adverb] (UK ​ /ˈbɪt.ə.li/ US ​ /ˈbɪt̬.ɚ.li/)
  in a way that shows strong negative emotion such as anger or disappointment
  ⇒ 第二天早饭时，大家都很安静。Dudley大发雷霆。不管他怎样尖叫，怎样用他的棍子使劲地打他的爸爸，故意装病也好，踢他的妈妈也好，甚至把他的宝贝乌龟从温室顶上丢下去，他都没法要回自己的房间。Harry则在想着昨天的这个时候，要是自己在楼下的时候就把信拆了就好了。Uncle Vernon和Aunt Petunia则面色阴沉地看着对方

• When the post arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, ‘There’s another one! Mr H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive–’
  ⇒ 邮件来的时候，Uncle Vernon似乎想要对Harry好一点，叫Dudley下去拿信。他们听到达力一边下楼一边用他的棍子敲打着东西。紧接着只听一声大喊：“又来一封信了！女贞路四号住在最小间卧室的哈利·波特先生收！”

• With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smeltings stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry’s letter clutched in his hand.
  ⇒ strangled [adjective] (UK ​ /ˈstræŋ.ɡəld/ US ​ /ˈstræŋ.ɡəld/)
  A strangled sound is a weak, high, interrupted sound made by an extremely frightened or worried and nervous person.
  ⇒ leap [verb] (UK ​ /liːp/ US ​ /liːp/) leaped or leapt, leaped or leapt
  to make a large jump or sudden movement, usually from one place to another
  ⇒ 随着一声尖叫，Uncle Vernon唰地一下从椅子上跳起来跑下楼，Harry紧跟其后。Uncle Vernon不得不将Dudley摔倒在地从他手中抢回那封信，但Harry从他后面勒住了他的脖子，这就有些困难了。经过一分钟的混乱战斗，每个人都被棍棒击中多次，Uncle Vernon直起身来，喘不过气来，将Harry的信紧紧攥在手里。

• ‘Go to your cupboard–I mean, your bedroom,’ he wheezed at Harry. ‘Dudley–go–just go.’
  ⇒ wheeze [verb] (UK ​ /wiːz/ US ​ /wiːz/)
  to make a high, rough noise while breathing because of some breathing difficulty
  ⇒ “回到你的柜子——我是说，你的卧室去”，他气喘吁吁地对哈利说。“Dudley——走——走开。”

• Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn’t received his first letter. Surely that meant they’d try again? And this time he’d make sure they didn’t fail. He had a plan.
  ⇒ 哈利在他新房间里踱来踱去。有人知道他已经搬出了柜子住而目他们好像还知道他没有收到他的第一封信。这意味着他们会再试一次？这一次他确信他们不会失败。他有了一个计划。