新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
0 V0 U7 v" Q; U. `17. Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,
        我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。
  N' d5 i+ x$ t4 n8 C18. but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
6 z0 i9 B$ Q/ T5 Q8 W! F3 Z# r        但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。
5 ^7 z3 k! x. P0 S; y19. 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。
! W0 G* _2 J7 I: T" X20. 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！
# A' x* c/ K* v% M4 ~; ^! C21. 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.
        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。
+ s" I! o/ t- k6 Y! Q( l9 l! I23. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.
9 n+ j$ u" ]( m. t6 t        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。
2 p" a) I: G9 e0 x2 n% C24. '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。
25. 'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.
0 `, g# p5 q7 J. ^9 I        “我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。
$ x. z4 S5 N# c( T, P3 p$ S26. I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.
6 p2 |6 j0 {6 D0 i        “好几个星期了，我天天夜里到钟楼上来。
& v% m3 f) }: s* k  _27. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.
/ `2 T/ _" A% F2 a4 m2 H- j        嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
28. 'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.
        “你确实使我大吃了一惊！”牧师说，
- o& `" }& M# F0 ?% N% A# W29. 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。”
) F* U% P( e$ s7 l) N31. That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
8 l5 c4 U+ [7 E9 `- Y% x8 L        “问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。
& l! W8 v7 E; _6 L. l32. 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.
1 W/ l0 b; r& D+ Z; k        “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.
7 j  h" F8 e7 q( Y! W3 m- w        “13下是不如1下好，但总比1下也不敲强。
6 e  t. U' D" V# ~3 h  T# a1 q3 r) V35. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.
        来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”