第2课

旁白 neutral

Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another,

我们的牧师总是为这样或那样的缘故筹款，

旁白 neutral

but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired.

但他从未筹集到足够的钱来修理教堂的时钟。

旁白 neutral

The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.

那座日夜报时的大钟多年前损坏了，从那以后就一直沉默不语。

旁白 neutral

One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start:the clock was striking the hours!

然而，一天晚上，我们的牧师突然惊醒：钟正在报时！

旁白 neutral

Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock,

他看了看表，发现是一点钟，

旁白 neutral

but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.

但钟声响了十三次才停下来。

旁白 neutral

Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on.

牧师拿着手电筒，爬上钟楼，想看看发生了什么事。

旁白 neutral

In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.

在手电筒的光束中，他看到一个人影，他立刻认出那是比尔·威尔金斯，我们当地的杂货商。

旁白 neutral

'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.

“比尔，你在这上面做什么？”牧师惊讶地问道。

旁白 neutral

'I'm trying to repair the bell, ' answered Bill.

“我正在努力修理钟，”比尔回答道。

旁白 neutral

'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.

“我来这里已经好几个星期了，夜复一夜。

旁白 neutral

You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.'

你看，我本来希望能给你一个惊喜。”

旁白 neutral

'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.

“你确实给了我一个惊喜！”牧师说。

旁白 neutral

'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.

“你可能也把村里所有人都吵醒了。

旁白 neutral

Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.'

不过，我很高兴钟又响了。”

旁白 neutral

'That's the trouble, vicar, 'answered Bill. 'It's working all right,

“问题就在这儿，牧师，”比尔回答道。“它确实在响，

旁白 neutral

but I'm afraid that at one o'clock it will strike thirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it.'

但我担心一点钟的时候它会响十三次，我对此束手无策。”

旁白 neutral

'We'll get used to that, Bill, 'said the vicar.

“我们会习惯的，比尔，”牧师说。

旁白 neutral

'Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.

“十三次不如一次好，但总比没有好。

旁白 neutral

Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.'

现在我们下去喝杯茶吧。”