Why is Harry the jealous one in the following paragraph, and why is 幸せな時間はなかった not a negation?


This paragraph comes from the second _Harry Potter_ book.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qKV0I.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qKV0I.png)

I am not yet at a stage where I can read books comfortably, and I have trouble
understanding this paragraph.

The English original goes as follows:

> The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for Harry’s liking. He was
> looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but his month at the Burrow had
> been the happiest of his life. It was difficult not to feel jealous of Ron
> when he thought of the Dursleys and the sort of welcome he could expect next
> time he turned up on Privet Drive.

To my mind, in the Japanese translation Harry has _not_ had a pleasant time at
the Weasleys. To that same mind it is also Ron that is jealous of Harry, and
not the other way round. What am I getting wrong here?




First off, 「（X）は（Y)が妬ましい」 is the typical way to say '[X] envies [Y]', because
this is an adjective and not a verb - you can see this in other places too
such as with 好き, 嫌い, and うらやましい.

Second, you are not taking the whole clause into account with 幸せな時間はなかった。

> 「隠れ穴」での一ヵ月 **ほど** 、幸せな時間はなかった。

> He [had] never had _such a happy time_ as his month at the Burrow.

You could add これまで to the start to clear away ambiguity but it's far from
necessary. ほど is used for certain comparisons.




First off, 「（X）は（Y)が妬ましい」 is the typical way to say '[X] envies [Y]', because
this is an adjective and not a verb - you can see this in other places too
such as with 好き, 嫌い, and うらやましい.

Second, you are not taking the whole clause into account with 幸せな時間はなかった。

> 「隠れ穴」での一ヵ月 **ほど** 、幸せな時間はなかった。

> He [had] never had _such a happy time_ as his month at the Burrow.

You could add これまで to the start to clear away ambiguity but it's far from
necessary. ほど is used for certain comparisons.

