第2篇精读
1：精读原文和译文摘自新概念英语；
2：新概念英语精读系列旨在通过精读经典教材，夯实英语基础（词汇、长难句、语法点），积攒原汁原味的表达；:
Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
One night, however, our vicar work up with a start: the clock was striking the hours! Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.
'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill. 'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.'
'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar. 'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.'
'That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill. '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."
We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar. "Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.'
精读笔记
Ourvicaris always raising money for one causeor another, but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired. The big clock whichused tostrike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
Vicar/'vɪkə/: 牧师
is always raising money:用现在进行时态表达一般现在时态的内容，往往带有一定的感情色彩（表达厌倦、赞美等）；配上always, forever等副词，则进一步加强感情色彩。如The little girl is alwasys crying.（表示抱怨之意）。
Cause：如My father fought for the Nationalist cause. 我父亲为民族党的事业而奋斗。（以上来源于《朗文当代高级英语辞典》）
have the church clock repaired:使役动词have的用法，此处表达“使某物遭受某事”。
used to：表示过去的习惯性动作或状态。区别used to do sth（过去常常做某事/过去的状态）与be used to (doing) sth（习惯于（做）某事）。如I used to be a teacher./I am used to reading before sleeping.
我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金。但始终未能筹足资金把教堂的钟修好。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。
One night, however, our vicar work upwith a start: the clock was striking the hours!Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.
with a start:吓一跳地，一惊地，修饰谓语动词。如He woke with a start. He realized it had just been a dream.
Looking at his watch：现在分词短语，作时间状语，表示动作同时发生；
Armed with a torch:过去分词短语，作方式状语，逻辑主语与主句主语一致。如Equipped with computers, the staff work more efficiently.配备上电脑后，员工的工作效率提高。
torch/torchlight:手电筒/电筒光
caught sight of...：发现、见到……如I catch the sight of a small rabbit.拓展：hate the sight of讨厌见到；keep sight of 将……保持在视线之内；lose sight of不再看见、失去联系、忘记
一天夜里，我们的牧师突然被惊醒了，大钟又在“打点”报时了！他一看表，才1点钟，可是那钟一边敲了13下才停。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。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。
'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill. 'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.'
'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar. 'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.'
'That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill. '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.
We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar. "Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.'
whatever:=what+ever，另外还有who,which,when,where+ever用于表示语气强调。如Wherever you are, I will be there for you.
in surprise:介词短语，作方式状语。表示惊讶地。如Mary looked at me in surprise.拓展：in dumb surprise惊得目瞪口呆；in grieved surprise.悲伤并意外的
I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now：现在完成进行时，表示一定时间以来一直在进行的动作。如I have been learning English for years
do:助动词do起强调作用，如I do like you!
Still:< in spite of what has just been said or done虽然如此，尽管那样，然而>如The hotel was terrible. Still, we were lucky with the weather. 酒店很糟糕，然而我们有幸遇上了好天气。（以上来源于《朗文当代高级英语辞典》）
“你究竟在这上面干什么，比尔？”牧师惊讶地问。
“我想把这口钟修好，”比尔回答说。“好几个星期了，我天天夜里到钟楼上来。嗯，我是想让你大吃一惊。”
“你确实使我大吃了一惊！”牧师说，“也许同时你把村里所有的人都吵醒了。不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。”
“问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。“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。”
“大家慢慢就习惯了，比尔，”牧师说。“13下是不如1下好，但总比1下也不敲强。来，咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”
感谢阅读
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