新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
17. Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,
5 ^$ [# {6 r# i  l* y        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.
* T: Z7 M: k% j. R: G        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.
        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。
: d# V1 [% A" i  h8 H- C20. 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！
. E- @! _# Q( l# f% F21. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.
+ [1 q( V3 |$ B# y7 v4 g        他一看表，才1点钟，可是那钟一边敲了13下才停。
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.
" i; P3 P8 D# i4 M3 s- e5 [        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。
0 _  j9 E/ x: V24. 'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
        “你究竟在这上面干什么，比尔?”牧师惊讶地问。
. y, j0 D/ `1 F  ^8 b4 i25. 'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.
0 }' C# t/ Q5 l3 o+ o4 ]" N& t" W        “我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。
26. I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.
( X( E/ ^3 a, ?, F        “好几个星期了，我天天夜里到钟楼上来。
27. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.
        嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
7 O3 Z2 A, y+ n- Y$ s28. 'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.
        “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.
0 R1 N/ P5 r" h' @        “也许同时你把村里所有的人都吵醒了。
0 e* \* y! S4 _; o6 {0 {4 B30. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.
        不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
% ]% T8 e. ]' j' h1 z31. That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
        “问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。
32. 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。”
7 f5 ~& Q: X2 K3 w8 Y  X, U. c33. We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar.
( {% E, W; k' F- i" ]        “大家慢慢就习惯了，比尔，”牧师说。
7 ]1 ?" Y+ Q  d34. Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.
        “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.
+ r2 H4 }5 l% s; |' n! o+ C! ^        来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”