新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
17. Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,
) O* S- g" C1 J, [+ V% G3 U        我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。
18. but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
; L( X3 H" u1 }5 D        但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。
19. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
# D* i% T" [7 z' _2 q$ W! e0 \( b        教堂的钟很大，以前不分昼夜打点报时，但很多年前遭到毁坏，从此便无声无息了。
20. One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours!
        一天夜里，我们的牧师突然被惊醒了，大钟又在“打点”报时了！
21. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.
& q; Y. z% g/ ^, H* Q! P8 V        他一看表，才1点钟，可是那钟一边敲了13下才停。
0 A8 N8 |% n4 o6 \22. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.
        牧师拿着一支电筒走上钟楼想去看看究竟发生了什么事情。
23. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.
) b  \% i: X9 d: ^/ h        借着电筒光。他看见一个人，马上认出那是本地杂货店主经比尔.威尔金斯。
- W! _' T6 V$ g$ f5 p24. 'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
  c% o$ H3 s5 ?6 l# ^        “你究竟在这上面干什么，比尔?”牧师惊讶地问。
25. 'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.
        “我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。
2 G' h- R3 A$ Z- G- w0 H26. I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.
        “好几个星期了，我天天夜里到钟楼上来。
, X& U5 n. c) g2 [2 ?9 ?5 X2 a27. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.
        嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
28. 'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.
7 n9 Y. ]- {) M" h6 W" U        “你确实使我大吃了一惊！”牧师说，
29. You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.
        “也许同时你把村里所有的人都吵醒了。
30. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.
        不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
* J4 j$ @0 E' N3 L: I31. That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
        “问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。
+ T  `5 }" s4 }& v: j( F/ G! i32. It's working all right, but I'm afraid that at one o'clock it will strike thirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it.
        “不错，钟能报时了，但是，恐怕每到1点钟，它总要敲13下，对此我已无能为力了。”
33. We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar.
7 B5 _7 d. [: O- d8 L/ M3 [; k        “大家慢慢就习惯了，比尔，”牧师说。
6 K0 c6 r* i  O9 n34. Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.
2 R$ U+ v3 U+ h, \) a        “13下是不如1下好，但总比1下也不敲强。
35. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.
        来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”