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While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.
列车此时已驶出了伦敦，正在牛羊成群的农田间的铁路上穿行着。他俩安静了下来，细看着窗外的田野。

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, “Anything off the cart, dears?”
大约十二点半时，佣外走廊传来一阵脚步声，只见一位微笑时嘴角会泛起酒窝的售货员推开了包厢，对他们说道："孩子们，想买些什么好吃的？"

Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.
还没吃早餐的哈利高兴得跳了起来，但罗恩的双耳又红了起来，支支吾吾地说他带了三明治。

He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry — but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.
在杜斯利家的时候，哈利没钱买糖果，可现在不同了，他口袋里的金银财宝足可以买到塞满整个包厢。他最喜欢吃的火星牌棒棒糖——可偏偏没得卖。售货小车里全是些多味豆、泡泡糖、巧克力青蛙糖、南瓜馅饼、大煎饼，棒冰之类的，还有些他从没见过的奇形怪状的食品。他付给售货员姨妈十一个镰刀银币和七个铜币，把各种食品都买了一点。

Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.
罗恩见哈利买了这一大堆的食物，惊讶不已，

“Hungry, are you?”
"你一定很饿吧？"

“Starving,” said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.
"饿极了！"哈利说着，在一个南瓜馅饼上咬下了一大块。

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, “She always forgets I don't like corned beef..”
罗恩拿出一个鼓鼓的小包打开来，原来里面有四块三明治。他用手撕开其中一块，说道："她总忘记我不喜欢吃粗牛肉。"

“Swap you for one of these,” said Harry, holding up a pasty. “Go on—”
哈利拿起一块馅饼，说："来吧，不如咱们换换。"

“You don't want this, it's all dry,” said Ron. “She hasn't got much time,” he added quickly, “you know, with five of us.”
"你不会喜欢吃的，你知道，要照顾五个孩子可不容易呀。"

“Go on, have a pasty,” said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).
"别说了，吃个饼吧。"过去，哈利从来没有什么可以与人分享，或者说没人与他分享，对于他而言，与罗恩一同分享馅饼、蛋糕真是一件难得的赏心乐事啊。

“What are these?” Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. “They're not really frogs, are they?” He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.
"这些是什么？"哈利拿起一包巧克力小青蛙问罗恩，"这些不是真的青蛙吧？"他觉得世上再没别的什么更能令他惊讶。

重点讲解

Now that的用法

我们在用now that这一词组时常常出错。它是个从属连词，可以归入because，as,since这一家族，意思和since(既然，由于)接近，但now that必须引出一个新的情况，否则需要由别的词替代。请看下面的例子：
① Now that none of us knows her telephone number, we will have to send someone to deliver the message．
既然咱们谁也不知道她的电话号码，只有找个人去把消息告诉她了。

② Now that he hasn't fully recovered yet，it will not be proper to assign him such a hard job．
既然他身体还没有完全恢复，指派他干这样的难活不适宜。

这两句中用now that不妥，该换成since或as，因为“没人知道她的电话号码”这一事实，过去如此，现在也如此，不是一个新的情况；“他还没完全恢复健康”也不是一个现在才发生的新情况。下面句子的now that都用对了：

① Now that everyone is here let's start work．现在人都齐了，咱们开始干吧。

②Now that We have coverd the whole chapter we may have a discussion next time we meet．

整个一章都看完了，下次见面时就可以是讨论了。“人到齐了”和“整个一章都看完了”都是现在的新情况。

as…as…的用法

as…as…意为"和……一样"，表示同级的比较。使用时要注意第一个as为副词，第二个as为连词。其基本用法为as+ adj./ adv. +as…。例如：
This film is as interesting as that one (is).这部电影和那部电影一样有趣。
Your pen writes as smoothly as mine (does).你的钢笔书写起来和我的一样流畅。

其否定式为not as/so +adj./ adv. +as…结构。例如：
This dictionary is not as/so useful as you think it is.这部字典不如你想象的那样有用。
I didn"t catch as many as I had expected.我抓到的不如我预想的那么多。

若有修饰成分，如twice, three times, half, a quarter等，则其必须置于第一个as之前，例如：
You are not half as clever as you think you are.你可不象自己想象的那么聪明。
She isn"t going out with a man who is twice as old as she.她不打算和一个比她大一倍的人出去散步。

几个关于as…as…的常见句型：
1. as…as possible/can 尽可能的
Please answer my question as soon as possible. 请尽快回答我的问题。
The detective is searching the man as carefully as he can.那个侦探正在尽可能仔细地搜那个男子的身。

2. as…as usual/before像以前一样……
She looks as pretty as before.她看起来和以前一样漂亮
Though they failed, they still worked as hard as before. 尽管他们失败了，但他们仍像以前一样努力工作。

3. as long as达……之久；和……一样长；只要（引导条件状语从句）
It took us as long as three years to carry out the plan.我们花了长达三年时间才完成这项计划。
This rope is as long as that one.这条绳子和那条一样长。
I will stay with you as long as there is a room free. 要是你有一间空余的房子，我就住在你这里。

4. as far as 远至；就……而论，据……
He walked as far as the railway station yesterday evening.
昨天傍晚，他一直散步到火车站。
As/So far as I know, the library won"t open until eight o"clock.
据我所知，图书馆要到八点钟才开门。

5. as well as 和……一样好；也；既……又……；除……外，还……
She sings as well as she plays.她唱得好，弹得也好。
The child is lively as well as healthy.这孩子既健康又活泼。
Tom, as well as his brothers, enjoys playing football. 汤姆和他的哥哥们都喜欢踢足球。