My friend, Hugh, has always been fat, but things got so bad recently that he decided to go on a diet.

so...that... ^{（结果状语从句）太...所以...(本身翻译为：如此...以至于...不符合中文表达)}

• The ball struck him so hard that he nearly fell into the water.
• The one with the money got such a fright that he dropped the bag.

things ^{可以表示“情况，情形，状况，形势”等}

• You’re surely made things worse. ^{你肯定把事情搞得更糟了。}
• How are things going on with you? ^{你过得怎么样?}

on a diet ^节食

• The doctor put him on a strict diet. ^{医生让他严格控制饮食。}
• I once went on a diet for a week and then I gave up.^{我曾经节食了一个星期，然后我放弃了。}

First of all, he wrote out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden.

the foods which were forbidden = the forbidden foods ^{被禁止的食物}

• the Forbidden City ^{紫禁城；故宫}
• The Forbidden Kingdom ^{天庭;《功夫之王》}
• the Forbidden Forest ^禁忌森林

The list included most of the things (that) Hugh loves: butter, potatoes, rice, beer, milk, chocolate; and sweets.

most of… ^大部分…

• They will be coming by train and most of the young people in the town will be meeting them at the station.
• Most of Debbie's school friends will be waiting for her on the English coast.
• Many pedal their tricycles, but most of them prefer to push or drag them.

Yesterday I paid him a visit.

pay sb. a visit ^{拜访某人(付出一个访问)}

• Pay you a visit.  ^拜访你
• pay a visit to sb./someplace ^{拜访某人/某地.}
• call up sb./at someplace ^{拜访某人/某地}
• have a visit = visit ^访问

I rang the bell and was not surprised to see that Hugh was still as fat as ever.

as…as ever ^{像往常一样，照旧，依然}

• as clean as ever ^比较状语
• as quiet as ever ^比较状语
• as fat as he ever was ^{比较状语从句}

He led me into his room and hurriedly hid a large parcel under his desk.

lead sb. into ^进门

• He led her into the living room. ^{(他带她进了客厅。)}
• The police led the suspect into the interrogation room. ^{(警察带嫌疑人进了审讯室。)}
• Could you please lead me into the conference room? ^{(请带我进会议室好吗？)}

It was obvious that he was very embarrassed. ^主语从句

obviously = it was obvious that…^{(it 为形式主语) 显然…}

• He was obviously very embarrassed.
• Obviously, he was very embarrassed.
• His embarrassment was obvious.
• That he was very embarrassed was obvious. ^{去掉形式主语}

When I asked him what he was doing, he smiled guiltily and then put the parcel on the desk.

When 引出的时间状语从句，包括了一个接双宾语的宾语从句。然后使用and将句子并列。

He explained that his diet was so strict that he had to reward himself occasionally.^{宾语从句里包括了so...that 结果状语从句。}

It contained five large bars of chocolate and three bags of sweets!

contain ^{v. 包含(实体容器可能真实的装入)}

• The faeces contain nitrogen which fertilizes the soil. ^{排泄物含有肥沃土壤的氮。}
• The problem was that the exhaust gases contain many toxins. ^{问题是废气含有很多毒素。}
• These soils contain lots of organic matter. ^{这些土壤含有大量的有机物。}