【英语听和读】哈利波特（2）

 Anna: Hello, I'm Anna Jones and this is Entertainment.

Today we’re looking at the continuing popularity¹ of the Harry² Potter books

written by the British author, JK Rowling. The seventh and final book in the

series is due to be published soon and will definitely³ create as much if not more

interest than all the other 6. The characters of the trainee⁴ wizards, Harry

Potter and his two friends Ron and Hermione, have appealed to children and

adults all over the world. We asked Jo Jacobs, a children’s librarian near

London just how popular she thinks the books are. Well as you’ll hear in a

moment, she tells us that the books have “captured⁶ the imagination” of their

readers. The phrase “to capture⁵ the imagination” means to become very

interested and excited by something, in this case children and adults have got

very interested and excited by all of the Harry Potter books:

I think JK Rowling just really captured the imagination – every boy and girl would like to go

to Hogwarts and learn how to do magic – adults too. It’s just really fun, well written, and

exciting.

Anna: Jo says JK Rowling has captured the imagination of every boy and girl. They

would all like to go to Hogwarts – the school where Harry and his friends are

learning⁷ all about magic and how to become wizards. Jo adds that the books

are also very “well written and exciting.” She explains what happens at the

bookshop each time a new book in the Harry Potter series is published. What

time does she say the bookshops open?

Book shops open at midnight especially to launch⁸ the look with special events and children

dress up as wizards – there’s special story times and magic events going on – and they just

can’t wait to get a copy of the book and start reading it at midnight. I’m one of the people 

Entertainment © BBC Learning English

Page 2 of 3

bbclearningenglish.com

who goes at midnight and buys the book and reads it quickly in a day – because they’re real

page turners – very exciting books. I’m a big fan

Anna: Jo says that the bookshops open at midnight – a time of the night that is also

known as “the witching hour” the hour or time of night that legend says that

witches are supposed to be around. So the bookshops open at midnight to

“launch” the new Harry Potter book . The verb “to launch” refers to an event to

celebrate or introduce something new – in this case the events at the bookshop

launch the new Harry Potter book. At the launch, children “dress up” as

wizards – they put on clothes that wizards wear such as pointed⁹, black hats,

black cloaks¹⁰ and they carry wands. Everyone gets into the theme of wizards

and magic and Jo says that the children “just can’t wait” to get a copy of the

book. If you “can’t wait” to do something then you can hardly wait and are

very excited and eager to do or experience something. Jo says that she also

goes to the launches¹¹ at the bookshops because she loves reading the books.

What is the expression she uses which means the books are so exciting that you

have to read them quickly? Here’s Jo again.

I’m one of the people who goes at midnight and buys the book and reads it quickly in a day –

because they’re real page turners – very exciting books. I’m a big fan

Anna: The expression that Jo uses which describes books that are so exciting that you

have to read them quickly is “page turners.” She says the Harry Potter books

are “real page turners.” Jo also describes herself as a “fan” of the books – a

fan is someone who admires and supports somebody or something such as a

person, sport or team. Jo is a real fan of the Harry Potter books.

Anna: But what about the size of the books? Most of them have hundreds of pages –

they are very long, they are “huge”. Jo says that most children who go to her

library look for thinner ones to read – does that mean they don’t choose the

longer Harry Potter ones? What does Jo say?

Entertainment © BBC Learning English

Page 3 of 3

bbclearningenglish.com

Jo Jacobs

A lot of children when choosing a book do look for the thinner ones but with Harry Potter it’s

different and it’s great to see them reading huge books and really enjoying it – and I think

Harry Potter has really encouraged children to read generally it’s really been a great

phenomenon.

It’s great its big and thick – lots in there to get your teeth into.

Anna: Jo says that even though some of the Harry Potter books are very long the

children at her library still read them. She describes them as a great

phenomenon,” a phenomenon is something or someone who is extremely

successful. She says the books are long but there’s lots to “get your teeth into”

they’re a very interesting and exciting read.

Finally I’ll leave you with an adult’s view of the books. She, like Jo is a big fan

and describes the books as “exciting, excellent writing, fast moving, very good

and very clever.” She also likes the fact that Harry “matures,” he grows older

in each book.

It’s excellent writing – it’s an excellent story, it’s very exciting and gets right down to the

children’s level - I like the fact that it’s fast moving – it’s exciting – he matures with the

book and I think it’s very good very clever

Anna: Well I’m off to read them myself now – that’s all from entertainment – join us

next time 

1 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

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 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

4 trainee   

n.受训练者

参考例句：

• The trainee checked out all right on his first flight.受训者第一次飞行完全合格。
• Few of the trainee footballers make it to the top.足球受训人员中没有几个能达到顶级水平。

5 capture   

vt.捕获，俘获；占领，夺得；n.抓住，捕获

参考例句：

• The company is out to capture the European market.这家公司希望占据欧洲市场。
• With the capture of the escaped tiger,everyone felt relieved.逃出来的老虎被捕获后，大家都松了一口气。

6 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。

7 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

8 launch   

vt.发动，推出；发射；n.发射，下水，投产

参考例句：

• The makers are about to launch out a new product.制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。
• Would it be wise to launch into this rough sea?在这样汹涌的大海中游泳明智吗？

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 cloaks   

n.（尤指旧时的）披风( cloak的名词复数 )；斗篷；外衣；战袍v.遮盖，掩盖( cloak的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• On the left are the arrangements for the gentlemen's cloaks. 左边是放男客的外衣的地方。 来自辞典例句
• I observed that they were both wrapped in cloaks, and appeared to conceal themselves. 我察觉他俩都包裹在外套里面，似乎有意隐藏自己。 来自辞典例句

11 launches   

v.发射( launch的第三人称单数 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launches into an inarticulate tirade against conventional people. 他词不达意地发表了一通激烈言论攻击因循守旧的人们。 来自辞典例句
• The thesis divides into three parts and launches explaining. 论文分三个部分展开阐述。 来自互联网