When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.
None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window.
At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. ‘Little tyke,’ chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four’s drive.
Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Kindle Locations 53-59). Bloomsbury. Kindle Edition.
Knowledge Point
"woke up on the dull" means that someone are waking up and feeling bad, sad or drained energy.
"grey Tuesday our story starts"
? "grey Tuesday (that) our story starts""...there was nothing (about the cloudy sky outside) to suggest that..."
? 這里的suggest是“暗示”的意思吃衅。（暗示著神秘古怪的事情就要發(fā)生了啡彬。）
? cloudy sky實(shí)在是太平常了，所以沒(méi)有絲毫跡象顯示出神秘而又古怪的事情就要發(fā)生了。"...strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country..."
? would be doing 過(guò)去將來(lái)進(jìn)行時(shí)，表示就過(guò)去某一時(shí)間而言，將來(lái)某一時(shí)刻或某一段時(shí)間正在進(jìn)行的動(dòng)作，主要用于賓語(yǔ)從句中，尤其多用于間接引語(yǔ)中斤寇。
? will be doing 將來(lái)進(jìn)行時(shí)，主要表示將來(lái)某一時(shí)間正在進(jìn)行的動(dòng)作拥褂，或表示要在將來(lái)某一時(shí)間開(kāi)始娘锁，并繼續(xù)下去的動(dòng)作。常用來(lái)表示禮貌的詢問(wèn)饺鹃、請(qǐng)求等莫秆。"Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work..."
? hum 在這里是哼（曲子）的意思。
to sing without open your mouth （但是這種哼曲是不張嘴的哦~）
? as有一邊……一邊……之意悔详。
He hummed as he walked."Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. "
? gossip 說(shuō)閑話
這里away的可以理解為“一直镊屎，持續(xù)不斷地”
They were chattering away. （他們一直在聊天。）
? wrestle 把…強(qiáng)行扭入
? scream 尖叫
make a load, piercing sound
? high chair 小孩子吃飯用的高腳椅子
? Mrs Dursley一邊饒有興致地說(shuō)著閑話茄螃，一邊把正在尖叫的Dudley拽進(jìn)他的高腳椅子缝驳。"None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window. "
? notice sb do sth
? tawny 茶色；黃褐色
? flutter 震動(dòng)归苍；拍動(dòng)
move back and forth very rapidly
? 沒(méi)有人注意到一大群黃褐色貓頭鷹振翅飛過(guò)窗戶用狱。"Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye…"
? 在這里Mr Dursley連續(xù)做了好幾個(gè)動(dòng)作，使用and連接多個(gè)動(dòng)詞短語(yǔ)來(lái)表示動(dòng)作的先后順序拼弃，后面的動(dòng)作比前面的稍微遲一點(diǎn)發(fā)生夏伊。
? briefcase 公文包
a case with a handle; for carrying pages and files or books
? to peck sb on the cheek 匆匆吻一下某人的臉頰"Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "
? to have a tantrum 發(fā)脾氣
? cereal 谷物食品
cere 谷物 + al ……的
-al 像……的；有……性質(zhì)吻氧；表示行為"‘Little tyke,’ chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house."
? Little tyke （尤其用于親昵的責(zé)備）小淘氣
? chortle 咯咯的笑
? 這里的as是“當(dāng)……時(shí)候”
? 離開(kāi)屋子的時(shí)候咯咯笑得責(zé)備到：“小淘氣”溺忧。"He got into his car and backed out of number four’s drive."
? get into 進(jìn)入
? back 在這里作不及物動(dòng)詞咏连，意為“倒車”
