熱愛《哈利波特》的小夥伴們，讓我們一起來讀原著小說學英語嘍！
故事簡介
鄧布利多出現在女貞路街角。
原文片段（選自《哈利波特與魔法石》第一章）
A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground.[1] The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.[2]
Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive.[3] He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.[4] He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.[5] His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.[6] This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.[7]
學習筆記
[1] A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground
這隻貓一直望著街角，直到一個男人突然悄無聲息地冒了出來。
這句話中，“在街角”使用的是短語on the corner，我們正好來藉此講一講，介詞on和at的區別。
簡單的來說，on後面接的是position，at後面接的是location。position要比location更具體， location則是大致一個位置。
例：We’ll meet on the corner. 我們在街角處碰頭。
We’ll meet at the corner.我們在街角那塊兒碰頭。
短語pop out (of sth)指“從……突然出現”（to appear suddenly from within or behind something）。
例：Suddenly, a bear popped out from the bushes. 突然，一頭熊從灌木叢後冒了出來。
“pop out of the ground”，即“突然從地底下蹦出來”。
[2] The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.
那隻貓看到來人，尾巴抖了一下，眼睛也眯了起來。
絕大多數動物的尾巴，包括魚類、鳥類，都可以用tail來表達。而貓咪的其他部位英文怎麼說呢？看下圖就一目瞭然了。
twitch（[twt]），及物或不及物動詞，指“（使）抽搐；（使）抽動；（使）顫動”（(to cause) to make a sudden small movement with a part of the body, usually without intending to）。
例：He tried to suppress a smile but felt the corner of his mouth twitch.. （不及物） 他試圖忍住笑，但感到嘴角在抽動。
She twitched her nose like a rabbit. （及物）她像兔子一樣抽動了一下鼻子。
narrow（[ner.o]）, 及物或不及物動詞，指“（使）變窄，（使）縮窄”（to become less wide or to make something less wide）。
例：The road narrows after the bridge. （不及物）過橋之後道路變窄了。
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. （及物） 他猜疑地眯起眼睛。
[3] Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive.
女貞路上從沒有出現過像他這樣的人。
nothing like的4種用法：
i. 字面意思，“沒有像……的事或東西”
例：Nothing like this has ever been encountered before. 這樣的事以前還從沒遇到過呢。
ii. “絲毫不像”、“一點不像”，用於系動詞之後，表示強烈否定
例：The whole thing is nothing like what he related to us.整件事情更本不像他跟我們講述的那樣。
iii “沒有什麼能比得上……”、“ 沒有比……更……的”， 多用於 there is nothing like......句式中，表示否定比較概念。
例：In my opinion, in summer there is nothing like swimming as a means of keeping fit. 依我看來，夏天沒有比游泳是更好的健身方式了。
iv. “遠遠不如”、“絕對不如”， 用於 nothing like as/so …… as …… 句式中
例：Her cooking is nothing like as good as yours. 她做飯的手藝絕比不上你。
[4] He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.
來者是一個又高又瘦的老者，花白頭髮和鬍子長到都能塞進皮帶裡。
tuck（[tk]），及物動詞，指“把（衣服等的末端）塞進”（to push a loose end of a piece of clothing or material into a particular place or position, especially to make it tidy or comfortable）。常用搭配：suck sth in/into/under sth
例：Should I tuck my shirt into my trousers?我應該把襯衫下襬塞進褲子裡嗎？
[5] He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.
上句介紹完他的外形，我們再來看看他的穿衣打扮。他穿一件長袍，披一件掩到地的紫色斗篷，登一雙帶搭扣的高跟靴子。
sweep，及物或不及物動詞，指“（使）輕輕掠過，輕輕擦過”（to move, or move sth, over a surface touching it lightly）。
例：Her dress swept the ground as she walked. 她行走時，衣裙拖在地上。
high-heeled, buckled boots：帶扣的高跟鞋
[6] His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.
接下來，輪到對老者樣貌的描寫。他有著一雙閃閃發亮的眼睛，戴著半月形的眼鏡，鼻子又長又歪，看起來至少被打斷了兩回。
sparkling（[spɑr.kl]），形容詞，指“閃爍的，閃亮的”（shining brightly）。
例：The stars are sparkling. 明星煌煌。
half-moon spectacles：半月形的眼鏡
crooked（[krk.d]），形容詞，指“歪的，不直的；彎曲的”（not forming a straight line, or having many bends）。
例：His front teeth are crooked.他的門牙長得歪歪扭扭。
鄧布利多的鼻子是“crooked”的，羅琳後面也暗示了“as though it had been broken at least twice”（好像被人打斷了至少兩回）。是誰打斷鄧校的鼻子呢？哈粉們一定都很清楚啦，那就是鄧校的弟弟阿不福思（Aberforth Dumbledore）。
[7] This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.
我們偉大的鄧校終於在小說中登場了。
我們來看看這位偉大巫師的名字的背後意義：
“Albus”可能是“Alba”的男性形式，源於蘇格蘭蓋爾語的名字，意為“日出”。它在拉丁文中也是“白色”的意思，可能象徵了他的品格。
“Percival”是威爾士傳說中的亞瑟王騎士，曾經參與尋找聖盃。在湯馬斯·馬洛禮的《亞瑟之死》中，珀西瓦爾既是尋找聖盃的英雄，又是故事的敘述者。
“Wulfric”是一個出現在盎格魯-薩克遜編年史中的盎格魯-薩克遜的名字，可以代表英格蘭。從字面翻譯的話，這個詞的意思是“狼的力量”。
“Brian”是傳說中愛爾蘭國王的名字。布賴恩·博魯 (Brian Boru)曾在都柏林附近的克朗塔夫戰役中擊敗維京人。
“Dumbledore”是18世紀的英語單詞，後來演變為“bumblebee”，意為“大黃蜂”。這個詞在加拿大紐芬蘭仍在使用，用來指代大黃蜂。羅琳曾指出，她會想象鄧布利多在城堡裡一個人哼哼唧唧。
“Albus Dumbledore”這個名字可能也受到了J.K.羅琳的老校長阿爾弗雷德·鄧恩 (Alfred Dunn)的啟發。
“Albus”也與希臘女神阿芙羅狄蒂（愛情女神）有關聯，可以視為受到她的恩惠。根據羅琳本人的說法，阿不思·鄧布利多和魯伯·海格的名字分別象徵了“白色”和“紅色”，它被認為是鍊金術中不可或缺的神秘成分。“Dumbledore”被賦予了白色的禁慾主義，是“一個精神理論家，聰明而理想化，有些超脫”。
（摘抄自阿不思·鄧布利多維基）
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