The repaired alarm clock rang at six o’clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn’t wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.
He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall towards the front door–
‘AAAAARRRGH!’
Harry leapt into the air–he’d trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat–something alive!
Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realised that the big squashy something had been his uncle’s face. Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn’t do exactly what he’d been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen, and by the time he got back, the post had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon’s lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.
‘I want–’ he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.
Uncle Vernon didn’t go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the letter-box.
‘See,’ he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, ‘if they can’t deliver them they’ll just give up.’
‘I’m not sure that’ll work, Vernon.’
‘Oh, these people’s minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they’re not like you and me,’ said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruit cake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.
Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . Bloomsbury. Kindle Edition.
Knowledge Point
The repaired alarm clock rang at six o’clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn’t wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.
⇒ steal [verb] (UK /stiːl/ US /stiːl/) stole, stolen
to do something quickly or without being noticed
⇒ “steal”在这里不是“偷，窃”的含义。根据语境，“steal”的意思是“偷偷做，悄悄进行”。He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall towards the front door–
⇒ Harry6点起床偷偷下楼，不想惊动到任何屋里的人，原来是为了等信。他蹑手蹑脚地穿过黑暗的门廊朝前门走去，他的心怦怦直跳。-
Harry leapt into the air–he’d trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat–something alive!
⇒ leap into the air 【参见图片】
腾空而起
⇒ tread [verb] (UK /tred/ US /tred/)
trod or us also treaded, trodden or us and australian english also trod
to put your foot on something or to press something down with your foot
踩；踏
⇒ squashy [adjective] (UK /ˈskwɒʃ.i/ US /ˈskwɑː.ʃi/)
soft and easy to crush
⇒ Harry腾空而起——他踩到了门垫上一个又大又软的东西——一个活生生的东西。
leap into the air Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realised that the big squashy something had been his uncle’s face.
⇒ 楼上的灯亮了，Harry惊恐地发现那个又大又软的东西原来是他叔叔的脸。Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn’t do exactly what he’d been trying to do.
⇒ Uncle Vernon一直躺在前门下的一个睡袋里，显然是为了确保Harry没有做他一直想做的事情。He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea.
⇒ 他对Harry吼了大约半个小时，然后叫他去泡杯茶。Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen, and by the time he got back, the post had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon’s lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.
⇒ Harry可怜地拖着脚步走进厨房，等他回来时，信已经到了，正好放在 Uncle Vernon的腿上。Harry能看见三封用绿色墨水写的信。‘I want–’ he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.
⇒ “我是想——”他开口说，但是Uncle Vernon当着他的面把信撕碎了。Uncle Vernon didn’t go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the letter-box.
⇒ Uncle Vernon那天没有去上班。他呆在家里把信箱钉了起来。-
‘See,’ he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, ‘if they can’t deliver them they’ll just give up.’
⇒ mouthful of nails 【参见图片】
⇒ Uncle Vernon应该就如下图那样一手榔头满嘴钉子。他以为“只要他们不能投递信件，他们就会放弃的。”（可以预见，这个想法太过天真啦~）
mouthful of nails ‘I’m not sure that’ll work, Vernon.’
⇒ Aunt Petunia这次倒是变聪明了，“我担心这不管用”。‘Oh, these people’s minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they’re not like you and me,’ said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruit cake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.
⇒ “哦，这些人的思维方式很奇怪，Petunia，他们和我们不是一类人，”Uncle Vernon一边说着一边昏头昏脑得用Aunt Petunia给他带来的那块水果蛋糕敲钉子。
