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 ? /sti?l/ US ? /sti?l/) stole, stolen
  to do something quickly or without being noticed
  ? “steal”在這里不是“偷怕篷，竊”的含義逛漫。根據(jù)語境，“steal”的意思是“偷偷做点把，悄悄進行”亿蒸。

• 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點起床偷偷下樓鞠苟，不想驚動到任何屋里的人，原來是為了等信颤难。他躡手躡腳地穿過黑暗的門廊朝前門走去爽室，他的心怦怦直跳汁讼。

• Harry leapt into the air–he’d trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat–something alive!
  ? leap into the air 【參見圖片】
  騰空而起
  ? 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 ? /?skw??.i/ US ? /?skwɑ?.?i/)
  soft and easy to crush
  ? Harry騰空而起——他踩到了門墊上一個又大又軟的東西——一個活生生的東西阔墩。

  
  
  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.
  ? 樓上的燈亮了嘿架，Harry驚恐地發(fā)現(xiàn)那個又大又軟的東西原來是他叔叔的臉。

• 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一直躺在前門下的一個睡袋里戈擒，顯然是為了確保Harry沒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.
  ? 他對Harry吼了大約半個小時艰毒，然后叫他去泡杯茶筐高。

• 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可憐地拖著腳步走進廚房，等他回來時丑瞧，信已經(jīng)到了柑土，正好放在 Uncle Vernon的腿上。Harry能看見三封用綠色墨水寫的信绊汹。

• ‘I want–’ he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.
  ? “我是想——”他開口說稽屏，但是Uncle Vernon當著他的面把信撕碎了。

• Uncle Vernon didn’t go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the letter-box.
  ? Uncle Vernon那天沒有去上班西乖。他呆在家里把信箱釘了起來狐榔。

• ‘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 【參見圖片】
  ? Uncle Vernon應該就如下圖那樣一手榔頭滿嘴釘子。他以為“只要他們不能投遞信件获雕，他們就會放棄的薄腻。”（可以預見届案，這個想法太過天真啦~）

  
  
  mouthful of nails

• ‘I’m not sure that’ll work, Vernon.’
  ? Aunt Petunia這次倒是變聰明了庵楷，“我擔心這不管用”。

• ‘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.
  ? “哦楣颠，這些人的思維方式很奇怪尽纽，Petunia，他們和我們不是一類人童漩，”Uncle Vernon一邊說著一邊昏頭昏腦得用Aunt Petunia給他帶來的那塊水果蛋糕敲釘子弄贿。