《哈利波特与魔法石》第3章-猫头鹰传书（7）

On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.

Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.

On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.

"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in
amazement.

一，英美不同：

1. no less than（多达；精确数目）；no fewer than（至少；概略数目）

2. 信箱：mail slot（美式）；letter-box（英式）

3. 厕所：bathroom（美式）；toilet（英式）

4. 食物搅拌机：food processor（美式）；food mixer（英式）

二，一词多义：

1. slot：狭长的缝隙（名词）；放入狭长的缝隙（动词）

2. hand：手（名词）；递（动词）

3. confused：混乱的（形容词）；不知情的（形容词）

4. badly：严重地（副词）；非常地（副词）

三，熟记生词：

1. shred：用粉碎机粉碎某物

2. processor：处理器，加工机（pro+cess+or）

四，常用词组：

1. get out of hand（失控）

2. on earth：究竟