When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley’s birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had got the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise – unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley’s favourite punch-bag was Harry, but he couldn’t often catch him. Harry didn’t look it, but he was very fast.
Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley’s and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright-green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had got it.
Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . Bloomsbury. Kindle Edition.
Knowledge Point
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The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley’s birthday presents.
⇒ beneath
Something that is beneath another thing is under the other thing. -
It looked as though Dudley had got the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.
⇒ not to mention
used when you want to emphasize something that you are adding to a list -
Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise – unless of course it involved punching somebody.
⇒ be a mystery to someone
对某人来说是一个谜/一件难以理解的事情
something strange or not known that has not yet been explained or understood
⇒ punch [verb]
If you punch someone or something, you hit them hard with your fist. -
Dudley’s favourite punch-bag was Harry, but he couldn’t often catch him.
⇒ punch-bag [noun] 【参见图片】
A punchbag is a heavy leather bag, filled with a firm material, that hangs on a rope. Punchbags are used by boxers and other sportsmen for exercise and training.
punching bag
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Harry didn’t look it, but he was very fast.
⇒ "Look it" is a set phrase here -- short for "look like it." A longer (and horribly redundant) rephrasing of the sentence would be "Harry didn't look as if he would be very fast, but he was very fast." -
Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.
⇒ be/have something to do with sth
to be related to something or a cause of something but not in a way that you know about or understand exactly
⇒ skinny [adjective]
very thin -
He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley’s and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.
⇒ Harry真的很瘦，仅仅是四分之一个Dudley…… -
Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright-green eyes.
⇒ knobbly knees/elbows
骨节突出的膝盖／肘部 -
He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.
⇒ Sellotape [noun] 【参见图片】
a roll of Sellotape
a roll of Sellotape
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The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning.
⇒ a bolt of lightning
又一次出现了，Harry额头上“一道闪电”形状的伤疤。 -
He had had it as long as he could remember and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had got it.
⇒ Harry自懂事起就有了这个伤疤，而且他记得曾向Petunia阿姨提出的第一个问题就是这个伤疤是怎么来的。
知识星球——读英语原著
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