【英语听和读】哈利波特

 Amber¹: Hello, I’m Amber and this is bbclearningenglish.com.

In Entertainment today, we listen to a review of the seventh, and last, Harry²

Potter book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – which millions of

children (and adults) rushed out to buy at midnight on the day it was published

simultaneously³ in 93 countries! It had a print run of 12 million in the US alone!

After 10 years of twists and turns in the life of the young wizard, Harry Potter,

there’s a final confrontation⁴ between Harry and a highly evil character. It’s a

dark rollercoaster ride, with Harry on the run most of the time. And if the sales

figures are true – this is officially the fastest selling book in history!

We’ll hear from the author and book critic Amanda Craig. As soon as she got

hold of her copy, she sat on the sofa reading it for ‘6 hours solid’ - she didn’t

put it down until she’d finished!

So what’s so magical about the Harry Potter books? Well, Amanda Craig has

an interesting answer to that question. She quotes JK Rowling who has said she

doesn’t really like ‘fantasy’ – that’s a type of fiction featuring imaginary

worlds and magical events! (We have the related adjectives ‘fantastic’ and

‘fantastical’ – meaning - not real, strange and imaginary.)

Amanda Craig says the world of Harry Potter is so ‘irresistible⁵’ – it’s so

overpowering – because of two things. She says it’s a result of – ‘it’s down to’

– two things. Try to catch what they are. 

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Amanda Craig

‘One of the most interesting things about her is that she’s said that she doesn’t really like

fantasy. And in fact, if you look at the way that she’s written it, I think the explanation for

why she’d so popular is down to two things – one is that in every book she’s sort of writing a

detective story or a thriller⁶, and there’s where adults have got on to the whole series, but the

other more interesting thing is she’s actually made the magical world seem real, seem

something you could just walk into off Tottenham Court Road, and by doing that she’s also

correspondingly made reality more magical, and I think that’s what’s so irresistible about her

vision, her … you know, Harry’s whole world that it’s a world in which wizards do have to

learn magic, they have to do homework, and that’s really delightful⁷.’

Amber: So Amanda Craig explains that she thinks the magical power of the Harry

Potter books is down to the exciting stories or plots – every book is like a

detective story or thriller. And this is why adults like the books; this is why

adults have ‘got on to’ them, why they have become interested in them. And

the books make the magical seem real – as real as Tottenham Court Road - a

busy road of shops and cafes in central London! And they make the real world

seem magical – that is clever isn’t it?

Listen again.

Amanda Craig

‘One of the most interesting things about her is that she’s said that she doesn’t really like

fantasy. And in fact, if you look at the way that she’s written it, I think the explanation for

why she’d so popular is down to two things – one is that in every book she’s sort of writing a

detective story or a thriller, and there’s where adults have got on to the whole series, but the

other more interesting thing is she’s actually made the magical world seem real, seem

something you could just walk into off Tottenham Court Road, and by doing that she’s also

correspondingly made reality more magical, and I think that’s what’s so irresistible about her

vision, her … you know, Harry’s whole world that it’s a world in which wizards do have to

learn magic, they have to do homework, and that’s really delightful.’

Amber: JK Rowling is also often praised for being a very cinematic writer which is

why her books make wonderful films. But she’s probably most respected for

encouraging so many millions of young people to read fiction. She’s made

them interested in it; she’s ‘turned them on to’ reading. And so now, reading is

‘cooler’ – it’s much more fashionable than it was. She’s stopped reading from 

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being ‘killed off’ by computer games and she’s ‘paved the way’, she’s

prepared the way, for another great children’s writer! Try to catch his name.

Amanda Craig

‘I think a lot more children have been turned on to reading and reading has become a lot

cooler than it was. It was real danger of just being killed off by game boxes and computers

and I think – yes! – and she’s paved the way for another really great children’s writer which is

Phillip Pullman, who has it all, I think!’

Amber: So if you’ve enjoyed the Harry Potter books, try reading Philip Pullman’s

stories. Loads of adults think they’re brilliant too! Start with ‘His Dark

Materials’…

Now let’s recap the language we focussed on.

 

fantasy – a type of fiction featuring imaginary worlds and magical events

to be down to something – to be the result of something

irresistible – overpowering

cooler – more fashionable

to be killed off – to be ended

paved the way – prepared the way 

1 amber   

n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的

参考例句：

• Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗？
• This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

4 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

5 irresistible   

adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的

参考例句：

• The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。
• She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。

6 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

7 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。