介绍:
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，
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。
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，但在很多年前遭到毁坏，从此便无声无息了。
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！
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。
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。
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店主比尔.威尔金斯。
'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。
'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.
“我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。
'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。
You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.
“嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar.
“你确实使我大吃了一惊！”牧师说，
'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.
“也许同时你把村里所有的人都吵醒了。
Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.
“不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
'That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.
“问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。
'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。”
'We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar.
“大家慢慢就习惯了，比尔，”牧师说。
'Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.
“13下是不如1下好，但总比1下也不敲强。
Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.
“来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”
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