新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
17. Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,
        我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。
- M% j" _) r3 ~. f18. but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
        但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。
7 l2 m( _% d! b: S3 Y' F19. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
1 C+ ?" f6 ~! |1 D% G        教堂的钟很大，以前不分昼夜打点报时，但很多年前遭到毁坏，从此便无声无息了。
20. One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours!
. r9 [. F( }- M+ F6 J        一天夜里，我们的牧师突然被惊醒了，大钟又在“打点”报时了！
21. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.
        他一看表，才1点钟，可是那钟一边敲了13下才停。
7 ?" t$ f6 k" B7 `4 w) y22. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.
# H9 c- l$ |# y2 `+ R  {7 I        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。
/ G( K0 u* M2 G% u* p23. 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。
$ U, M3 u# U; i. m4 z! U24. 'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
9 A" Z& H2 s4 s6 U        “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。
26. 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。
27. 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.
        “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.
' D' h* j/ e) f/ y        “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。”
31. That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
        “问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。
% s3 h3 Z) ^- c5 c$ ?0 L% |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。”
33. 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.
7 R/ h, d0 J" ?4 r3 o2 O        “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。”