新概念英语3--（一天学一篇）---课2

ltlong52010

$课文2  十三等于一
17. Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,
        我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。
: D# h& I' F3 y' w; P/ F  o18. but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.
        但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。
( l) P) @; o" v  j) |8 [/ B/ y19. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
        教堂的钟很大，以前不分昼夜打点报时，但很多年前遭到毁坏，从此便无声无息了。
# }' v' S$ a% }, p& f% f20. 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。
' ~* _4 k6 [. u- n7 M22. 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。
+ U7 ?& l" w7 t/ j7 t9 _) m23. 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。
+ V; j/ R$ A& z; a6 k24. 'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
+ N& L* b* U+ ^7 F# F: M8 B( N        “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。
' x8 q# W8 |4 Q. z3 ]4 N. R26. 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。
) P) t# N" A( O9 E27. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.
        嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
- `' ~3 g- P& g# n/ ^. Z( `1 A# u28. 'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.
1 @/ i; [" C* k( Q1 p& w2 ^. \        “你确实使我大吃了一惊！”牧师说，
& I" k; t! g" Y' ?& H; l3 s29. You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.
! E' b' V, t4 U3 @, C! {" |- y: ?& Z# x        “也许同时你把村里所有的人都吵醒了。
. j  h& o' v* W30. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.
: g& G( ]8 K* m2 O0 W        不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
31. That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
' \& Z' @$ i' R: _" J        “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。”
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.
( r6 J. e) t) u9 L4 g% |$ X        “13下是不如1下好，但总比1下也不敲强。
0 j$ ], H' t2 v2 n" l# X( N! m35. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.
9 Q* ?4 g' l! J7 c        来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”