新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
17. Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,
  p* E3 {, Q/ u3 K3 x% k( W        我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。
18. but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
* p4 ^7 o* h; ]        但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。
; E( O& h- t5 A( Y8 N# {19. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
0 v# E; y: T! j$ W2 u        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。
' c  G0 K/ b, w1 \20. One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours!
# \6 q2 D" w5 M2 r3 K! ~- p+ r, X1 r        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。
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。
23. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.
; l( r7 m& Y/ j- q( V5 y- }        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。
9 J) A6 ?( _; J  w24. '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。
- D- a% X; I  H; e4 e3 B; W25. 'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.
: H  p1 }( c4 J4 z        “我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。
" w+ h/ {7 c5 ~1 ^3 f: L26. 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。
$ Y8 i' ]. U; ?" a, d0 @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.
& ]/ \' a) x2 r* C+ u: C* o' F        “也许同时你把村里所有的人都吵醒了。
" z" n4 X+ |" P30. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.
  t) \, }) }* C+ W7 i$ y, v        不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
31. That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
6 t( n9 a% R. u( d# P        “问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。
( q9 m6 S7 @3 e- [0 [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。
$ p) [8 p( O+ O: v8 {& U* U  t8 i. W34. Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.
" d8 c) U  b! r/ c3 _0 a        “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.
# r; a' R; u& M% C: ^- Q        来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”