猫头鹰快递(2)

The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame-Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, ticking sensation.

男巫或女巫在被焚烧的时候会施展一种冻结火焰的基本魔法，一面享受着火焰所产生的温和的刺痒快感，一面假装痛苦而发出尖叫。

pretend to shriek with pain ：假装痛的尖叫                                                  ticking sensation:刺痒快感

Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burnt so much that she allowed herself to be caught no fewer than forty-seven times in various disguises.

占卜者温德琳十分喜欢被焚烧，曾让自己在各种各样的化装形态下被人们，其次数达47次之多。

be caught: 遇到，陷入；落网              no fewer: 不少于                                    in various disguises: 在伪装下

Harry put his quill between his teeth and reached underneath his pillow for his ink bottle and a roll of parchment.

哈利把笔放在两排牙齿之间咬着，伸手到枕头下面拿墨水瓶和一卷羊皮纸。

underneath: 在下面，底部    a roll of parchment：一卷羊皮纸    ink bottle: 墨水瓶

Slowly and very carefully he unscrewed the ink bottle, dipped his quill into it and began to write , pausing every now and then it listen, because if any of the Dursleys heard the scratching of his quill on their way to the bathroom, he'd probably find himself locked in the cupboard under the stairs for the rest of the summer.

他慢慢地，很小心的打开墨水瓶，把那支羽毛笔伸进去蘸了蘸，然后开始书写，时不时停下来聆听。因为如果德思礼家的人去洗手间的路上听到了他羽毛笔写字的声音，这整个夏天，他就很可能要被他们锁在楼梯下面的碗柜里。

unscrewe：拧开                        dip sth into sth:把某物浸入某物中    every now and then: 偶尔    the scratching of his quill: 羽毛笔写字的声音                                        the rest of: 余下的  find himself locked ：发现自己被锁上了

The Dursley family of number four, Privet Drive,was the reason that Harry never enjoyed his summer holidays.

住在女贞路4号的德思礼一家正是哈利从来不能好好过暑假的原因。

Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and their son, Dudely, were Harry's only living relatives.

弗农姨夫、佩妮姨妈以及他们儿子达利是哈利在世界上仅有的亲人。

They were Muggles, and they had a very mediveal attitude towards magic.

他们都是麻瓜，就是说，是不懂魔法世俗之人，他们对魔法采取的态度仍停留在中世纪。

have a ___ attitude towards sth: 对于某事持有一个什么样的态度  She has a doubtful attitude towards love.  她对爱情持怀疑的态度。

Harry's dead parents, who had been a witch and wizard themselves, were never mentioned under the Dursleys'roof.

哈利双亲已故，他们生前分别是男女和女巫，他们的名字德思礼一家从来不提的。

For years, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had hoped that if they kept Harry as downtrodden as possible, they would be able to squash the magic out of him.

佩妮姨妈和弗农姨夫一直认为，如果他们能够尽量地作践哈利，他们兴许就能够把魔法从哈利身上榨出来。

as downtrodden as possible: 尽可能被作践                                                squash: 挤，将…压扁  A company would be able to squash  all energy out of each employee in the 18th century.