新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
' |" n) z+ e4 d17. 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。
18. but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
( H8 O2 r7 X( B0 i        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。
# a( @2 I+ V9 F- _( D20. 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.
  I2 f: C6 r) E, n" Q7 \        他一看表，才1点钟，可是那钟一边敲了13下才停。
2 F' ^+ N& S; F2 {22. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.
! J+ e3 Y; O* k# ^        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。
9 \- e  @* z& k/ r" @# z/ e23. 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。
+ i: P8 K- Y1 g' f" E3 B6 A24. 'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
: A5 H5 d* D9 ~/ [        “你究竟在这上面干什么，比尔?”牧师惊讶地问。
1 u, k7 O4 U" c5 l5 Q4 g+ H: [25. 'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.
        “我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。
, B5 n* @) N' ?: P; i+ {% ?26. I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.
0 z" Q' }# a: y5 e- i- {        “好几个星期了，我天天夜里到钟楼上来。
8 k3 D3 Q3 D3 j0 G27. 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.
0 d1 _+ M5 [+ h& i        “你确实使我大吃了一惊！”牧师说，
3 Y% f4 {4 |, N3 z29. You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.
( r# I2 V4 r3 ~3 `4 l2 K: g3 u        “也许同时你把村里所有的人都吵醒了。
& M" B  A& g& w) ^4 V7 T30. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.
% z4 R7 G" i! Q5 A        不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
31. That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
0 [3 ]6 ]3 K+ b        “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.
/ S) q' p4 Z5 B* X; L2 y        “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 W* r. }: b& a  i+ V- B0 i33. 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.
" |5 U$ c- r9 D0 j0 N9 |7 N/ ]3 d        “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。”