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今日选段：

原文：

It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar -- a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight.

What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive -- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.

译文：

在街角上，他看到了第一个异常的信号—— 一只猫在看地图。一开始，德思礼先生还没弄明白他看到了什么，于是又回过头去。只见一只花斑猫站在女贞路路口，但是没有看见地图。他到底在想些什么?很可能是光线使他产生了错觉吧。德思礼先生眨了眨眼，盯着猫着，猫也瞪着他。当德思礼先生拐过街角继续上路的时候，他从后视镜里看看那只猫。猫这时正在读女贞路的标牌，不，是在看标牌；猫是不会读地图或是读标牌的。

思考下列单词和词组在文中的释义

Peculiar 

Jerked

Tabby

Blinked

精读笔记

第一部分：It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar -- a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight.

写作运用：

[if !supportLists]1. [endif]peculiar在原文中意为：If you describe someone or something as peculiar, you think that they are strange or unusual, sometimes in an unpleasant way.不寻常的; 古怪的。

►拓展：作为名词时特指（不受主教教区管辖而受君王或者大主教管辖的）特殊教区（或教堂）

[if !supportLists]2. [endif]Jerk在原文中意为：If you jerk something or someone in a particular direction, or they jerk in a particular direction, they move a short distance very suddenly and quickly. 使…猝然一动; 猝然一动（原文中即这个意思）

►拓展：Jerk作为名词时，既可以表达“急拉、猛的一动”也可以表示“蠢货，没品的人”

例：The guy is such a jerk! He only cares about himself.

这家伙真是个蠢货！他只关心他自己。

[if !supportLists]3. [endif]in sight在原文中意为“在视野内...”

►拓展：

the sight of a place一个地方的名胜

例：Visiting the sight of a place as tourist is a good choice to relax.

游览一个地方的名胜是一个放松的好办法。拓展：

set one's sights on力求;立志于

例：We set our sights on our modernization building.我们致力于现代化建设。

know somebody by sight面熟

例：I don’t know her name, but I know her by sight.

未闻其名，仅识其貌。

[if !supportLists]4. [endif]tabby在原文中意为brindled with dark stripes or wavy markings on a lighter background (尤指猫)有黑色条纹或波纹的。

►拓展：可直接作为名词使用，有斑猫、长舌妇之意

例：Tabby is my birthday present from Grandma.

斑猫是奶奶给我的生日礼物。

第二部分：What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive -- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.

写作运用：

[if !supportLists]1. [endif]blink在原文中意为： When you blink or when you blink your eyes, you shut your eyes and very quickly open them again. 眨 (眼睛)、

►拓展：关于眼部动作的词汇有——

glance：快速地瞟了一眼某物或某人

stare：长时间注视着某物或某人

wink：眨眼睛；无意识地快速闭上眼睛或眨眼

[if !supportLists]2. [endif]★难句：It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive .....这是一个主系表结构，sign后接一个定于从句用以修饰sigh。难点在于said 在英文中常用来表示标牌上写着XXX。类似的用法还有：The letter reads, "please find enclosed a copy of our agenda for your reference." I don't see anything else in the envelope... 

信上说，“请查收随信附上的会议日程复印件，供你参考。”在信封里我什么也没看到。

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