Harry used to
consider it a great joke to go into expensive cosmetic shops and make
outrageous requests for goods that do not exist. He would invent fanciful names
on the spot. On entering a shop, he would ask for a new perfume called 'Scented
Shadow' or for 'insoluble bath cubes'. If a shop assistant told him she had not
heard of it, he would pretend to be considerably put out. He loved to be told
that one of his imaginary products was temporarily out of stock and he would faithfully
promise to call again at some future date, but of course he never did. How
Harry managed to keep a straight face during these performances is quite beyond
me.
解析：
1. 第一句可以精简成“Harry
used to consider it a joke.”
（1）不定式“to go
into expensive cosmetic shops and make outrageous requests for goods
that do not exist. ”其中go和make是并列关系，make前面的to省略掉了。
1) 注意：当复合宾语中的宾语是不定式时，先用形式宾语it代替不定式，把不定式置于补语之后，即：主语＋动词＋it＋补语＋to do句式。如：
We think it
quite important for us to learn a foreign language
well. （我们认为学好一门外语很重要。）
He considers
it his duty to help the poor. （他感到帮助穷人是他的责任。）
2)
这里的“that do
not exist”是goods的定语从句
（2）make outrageous requests for... (提出无理的要求)
2. 第二句较短，He would invent fanciful names
on the spot.
（1） 文中的invent =make up (瞎编)
（2） on the spot: if you do sth on the spot,
you do it immediately, often without thinking about it carefully (当场，立刻)
例：We have to make a decision on the spot. （我们必须立刻作出决定。）
3. 第三句可以精简成“he would ask for a perfume or
for 'insoluble bath cubes'.”
（1）“on
entering a shop”状语
on的用法：这里on的意思是“as soon
as someone has done sth or as soon as sth has happened” (一……就……)
例：
The couples are
presented with a bottle of wine on
their arrival at the hotel. （夫妻一同来到酒店，酒店就向他们赠送一瓶红酒。）
All patients are
examined on admission to the
hospital. （所有的病人一入院即接受检查。）
What was your
reaction on seeing him? （你看到他时作何反应？）
（2）“called
'Scented Shadow'”做perfume的定语
4. 第四句可以精简成“he would pretend to be put
out.”
（1）“If a shop
assistant told him she had not heard of it”状语
（2）put out：upset or offended (恼怒)
例：She felt put out that she
hadn’t been consulted. （别人没向她请教，她不高兴了。）
（3）considerably=much (非常地，很，颇)
例：
Conditions have
improved considerably over the past
few years.
5. 第五句可以精简成“He loved to be told... and
he would promise to call.”
（1）“that one of
his imaginary products was temporarily out of stock”做told的宾语
（2）out of
stock：unavailable
in a particular shop (无货)
例：
I’m sorry. The
swimsuit is completely out of stock
in your size. （对不起，你能穿的泳衣卖完了。）
<近义词>：sell out (if a shop sells out of sth, it has no more of that particular
thing to sell)
例：
We’ve
completely sold out of those shirts
in your size, sir. （先生，你能穿的衬衫都卖完了。）
<反义词>：in stock
（3）at a future/later date: at some time in
the future （不久后的）将来；很快就要……
<近义词>：later
例：
The details will
be agreed at a future date. （具体细节留待确认。）
（4）“but of course he never did”这里的did指前文已经出现的“call again”，如果再用“call again”就显得太累赘了。
6. 第六句可以精简成“...is beyond me.”
（1）“How Harry
managed to keep a straight face during these performances”是整个句子的主语。
（2）keep a
straight face：to not laugh or smile, even though sth is very funny (憋住笑)
（3）be beyond
sb: be too difficult for sb to understand (无法理解)
例：
The whole problem
is quite beyond him. （他无法理解整个问题。）
Why Joan married
such an idiot in the first place is quite beyond
me. （当初Joan为什么要嫁给这么个白痴，我还真不明白。）