新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
17. Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,
! n7 p% m+ r, |! r2 c( ]; m6 A: L        我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。
18. but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
; M! h% r5 \; w2 p- V        但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。
6 T- h- c8 y& C1 ?+ d19. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
        教堂的钟很大，以前不分昼夜打点报时，但很多年前遭到毁坏，从此便无声无息了。
% O! f& Y5 @* ^+ m  m+ I( S* `20. One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours!
        一天夜里，我们的牧师突然被惊醒了，大钟又在“打点”报时了！
# ]# M% M7 M) R, j4 _$ E  c& {. W21. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.
        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.
4 ?7 c9 I# D1 N$ V' C" N$ V        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.
        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。
24. '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。
2 j% Y2 y- K- P, C0 Y* g8 d25. 'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.
        “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.
( ~, L+ B% f: [2 d        “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.
  F/ `: r) S  _5 y, }  I( A        嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
% |) n; T, ~1 y6 V& W: i28. 'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.
  c6 i9 o  e  O7 s        “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.
: B* S  K; T" i1 `0 c) f1 [, H4 A        “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.
6 `3 l! x9 h: q* X( a$ g        不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
- P) e2 ?' N; Y9 A" a. Z31. That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
2 J( _2 A  N8 s/ k, e9 E. u        “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。”
4 d) q. f9 c* [8 k) o33. We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar.
        “大家慢慢就习惯了，比尔，”牧师说。
34. Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.
1 q) S6 |/ k, p7 M0 v9 Y- ~  E        “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。”