哈利波特20岁啦（讲解版）

‘Harry Potter’ Is Turning 20 Years Old

As the boy-wizard series hits a publication milestone, fans in their 20s and 30s are celebrating—and passing along Pottermania to their children

The “Harry Potter” series is hitting a milestone next month with the 20th anniversary of the first Potter book’s publication in Britain.

U.K. publisher Bloomsbury is coming out with a special edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”—the volume’s title in Britain. To mark the June 26 anniversary, Bloomsbury is offering party packs with puzzles, games and a display of the three main characters that bookstores and libraries can download free. The publisher also is working on events such as “Harry Potter: A History of Magic,” an exhibit at the British Library, set to open in October.

The books have sold 450 million copies world-wide, 167 million of them in the U.S., according to Scholastic Corp., their American publisher. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the final volume, has been the top-selling print book in the U.S. since 2004, according to NPD Books, outselling hits such as “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “Twilight.” The orphaned boy’s adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have spawned merchandise, theme parks and $7.7 billion in global box-office receipts, according to Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros.

词汇
turn [tɜːn] v. 达到 (一定的年龄或时间)；转变
【e.g.】 My daughter has turned 3 years old. 我女儿已经三岁了。
wizard ['wɪzəd] n. 男魔法师
witch [wɪtʃ] n.女巫；女魔法师
witch-hunt 女巫大搜捕
series ['sɪəriːz; -rɪz] n. （单复数同形）系列，丛书
a series of events／incidents 一系列事件
hit [hɪt] ① v. reach and go beyond 达到
② n. (唱片、电影或戏剧的) 成功
publication [,pʌblɪ'keʃən] n. 出版；公布
milestone ['maɪlstəʊn] n. 里程碑
in one’s 20s 在某人20几岁的时候
【e.g.】 I am in my thirties. 我现在三十多岁了。
celebrate ['selɪbreɪt] v. 庆祝；举行
celebration [,sɛlɪ'breɪʃən] n. 庆典
将某物传承给某人
pass along sth to someone
pass down sth to sb.
descend sth to someone
mania ['meɪnɪə] n. 狂热；热衷
anniversary [,ænɪ'vɝsəri] n. 周年纪念日
come out with：offer or provide sth 生产出；出版；发表
philosopher [fɪ'lɒsəfə] n.哲学家
Philosopher’s Stone 魔法石
sorcerer ['sɔrsərɚ] n. 魔术师；男巫士
volume ['vɒljuːm] n. (书籍的) 卷，册；音量
turn the volume down / up 把音量调小／大
mark [mɑːk] v. 纪念
If you do something to mark an event or occasion, you do it to show that you are aware of the importance of the event or occasion.
puzzle ['pʌzl] n. 字谜
display [dɪ'spleɪ] n.／v. 陈列；展出
exhibit [ɪɡ'zɪbɪt] n.／v. 展览
set to do sth: suppose to happen as planned. 预计发生某事
set to open in October: due in October
hallow ['hæləʊ] n. 圣杯;盛器
outsell [aʊt'sel] v. 卖得比…多
outrun [aʊt'rʌn] v. 跑得比…快
outnumber [aʊt'nʌmbə] v. 数目超过
orphan ['ɔːf(ə)n] ① n. 孤儿② vt. 使成孤儿
adventure [əd'ventʃə] n.冒险;历险
witchcraft ['wɪtʃkrɑːft] n. 巫术；魔法
wizardry ['wɪzədrɪ] n. 巫术，魔法
spawn [spɔːn] v.产卵；大量生产；衍生
merchandise ['mɜːtʃ(ə)ndaɪs; -z] n. 商品；货物
receipt [rɪ'siːt] n.收据；收入