【英语原著】哈利·波特与魔法石 （35）

On the other hand, he’d got into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley’s gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry’s surprise as anyone else’s, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry’s headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he’d tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big bins outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.
But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn’t school, his cupboard or Mrs Figg’s cabbage-smelling living-room.
While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorbikes.

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

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Knowledge Point

• On the other hand, he’d got into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens.
  ⇒ get into trouble
  To get into a bad or dangerous situation.

• Dudley’s gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry’s surprise as anyone else’s, there he was sitting on the chimney.
  ⇒ gang [noun]
  A gang is a group of people, especially young people, who go around together and often deliberately cause trouble.
  ⇒ chase [verb] ~ follow
  to hurry after someone or something in order to catch him, her, or it

• The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry’s headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings.
  ⇒ headmistress [noun]
  a female headteacher

• But all he’d tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big bins outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.
  ⇒ bin [noun] 垃圾箱
  美版中：trash can
  ⇒ mid-jump [noun] 【参见图片】
  The midpoint of a jump.

  
  
  mid jump

• But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn’t school, his cupboard or Mrs Figg’s cabbage-smelling living-room.
  ⇒ be worth having/doing sth
  to be important or useful to have or do
  ⇒ cabbage-smelling 闻着有卷心菜味道的
  看到这样的词汇可以联想扩展：apple-smelling 等等

• While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorbikes.
  ⇒ complain [verb]
  to say that something is wrong or not satisfactory
  complain to someone
  complain about something

知识星球——读英语原著