新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
17. Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,
        我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。
: I) N* B; K  B1 n. j1 y18. but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
+ E, M( q& I& R2 J9 y; N        但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。
19. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
        教堂的钟很大，以前不分昼夜打点报时，但很多年前遭到毁坏，从此便无声无息了。
5 Z  R- G! }7 R8 i5 v20. One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours!
        一天夜里，我们的牧师突然被惊醒了，大钟又在“打点”报时了！
21. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.
        他一看表，才1点钟，可是那钟一边敲了13下才停。
7 Z" b" }; A  t0 a* v) `2 e22. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.
9 R  L9 t; i( O; b/ X( {4 I        牧师拿着一支电筒走上钟楼想去看看究竟发生了什么事情。
23. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.
        借着电筒光。他看见一个人，马上认出那是本地杂货店主经比尔.威尔金斯。
8 c! K$ ]4 h4 |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。
, ?' q& ]9 X9 |% N25. 'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.
8 @+ c* T4 y: L) }9 A. ~        “我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。
. t" A% e6 _0 w( d6 W1 T26. I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.
1 C1 i7 b/ S! f) L  ?3 u5 ?7 w        “好几个星期了，我天天夜里到钟楼上来。
6 C- S) q0 I$ l+ V; k27. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.
        嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
2 @5 Z$ ^5 |- |' ]$ r, W& X28. 'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.
/ N( v5 s" k1 x+ _0 B4 m        “你确实使我大吃了一惊！”牧师说，
) {' {- W" H$ m( Y29. You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.
: p( a- X0 @4 ~+ [' n. g        “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.
! h1 N% E: J$ h5 Z' L4 O  }; p        不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
* u# P$ C( H. q31. 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。”
) H0 O4 O' t0 V2 `" }33. We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar.
. p- C. j' K" D; d, e$ }( 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.
, @" Y* g/ g% w& @" v) v6 H3 Q+ U        “13下是不如1下好，但总比1下也不敲强。
+ O' Y0 o1 T2 b) |; |' D2 B6 l35. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.
- r/ D: i" U0 |( l6 V        来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”