Thirteen equals one

十三等于一

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?' askedthe vicar in surprise.
'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answeredBill. 'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I washoping to give you a surprise.'
'You certainly did give me a surprise!' saidthe 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 strikethirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it."
We'll get used to that, Bill,' said thevicar. "Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing. Nowlet's go downstairs and have a cup of tea."

---

1.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.

我们教区的牧师总是为各种各样的事筹集资金，但始终未能筹组资金把教堂的钟修好。

- 语言点1:句子结构分析:but连接两个转折关系的并列句，转折的目的一般为否定前一个分句的意思，多为阅读中的考点。to have the church clock repaired作目的状语。

- 语言点2:for one reason or another表示说不清楚的原因或者不想一一说明的原因。

- 语言点3:manage to do sth是“设法做某事”的意思。

- 语言点4:在have the church clock repaired中，have sth done表示“让别人做某事”。

2.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。

- 语言点1:句子结构分析:which引导定语从句，修饰clock。第二个and连接两个并列的分句，说明大钟前后两种截然不同的情况。

- 语言点2:在used to strike the hours中，used to do sth表示过去常常做某事而现在不再做了。

- 语言点3:day and night表示“日日夜夜地”。

3.One night, however, our vicar work 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！

语言点1:句子结构分析:however表示转折。With a start接冒号及一个解释性的从句，说明牧师被惊醒的原因。

语言点2:由strike the hours还可以引申学习以下短语:

Strike the clock敲钟

Beat/play a drum打鼓

Ring the bell摇铃

Alarm clock闹钟

4.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，可是那钟一连敲了13下才停。

语言点1:句子结构分析:that引导宾语从句，说明saw的内容。But连接两个转折关系的句子，后面接before引导的时间状语从句，looking at his watch是现在分词短语，作伴随状语，其逻辑主语与主语一致，且动作是被动的。

语言点2:but引导的分词可以转换成一个强调句式:It wasnot until the thirteenth stroke that the bell stopped.

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

牧师拿着一支手电筒走上钟楼想去看看究竟发生了什么事情。

语言点1:句子结构分析:armed with a torch是过去分词短语作伴随状语，其逻辑主语与主句主语一致，且动作是被动的。To see what was going on是动词不定式短语作目的状语，what was going on为宾语从句，说明see的内容。

语言点2:armed with sth意思是“拿着/带着某物”。另外，arm oneself/sb with sth的意思是“某人用某物武装自己”。

例句支持: Hearmed himself with a big stick while going out. 他出门时带了一根大手杖防身。

语言点3:go on表示“发生”，多用于进行时态。另外，日常口语中我们也可以用这个结构“打招呼”，例如:What's going on？(最近过得如何啊？)

除此之外，我们还可以这样说:

（1）How is everything with you/going?你一切都好吗？

（2）How is the world around you?你周围的情况怎样？

（3）What is happening?最近在忙些什么？

（4）How is life treating you?你过得怎样？

6.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。

语言点1:句子结构分析:in the torchlight作状语。Whom引导定语从句，修饰figure。Our local grocer作Bill Wilkins的同位语。

语言点2:由短语in the torchlight

补充学习以下短语:

In the sunshine/sunlight在太阳光下

In the moonlight在月光下

In the candlelight在烛光下

语言点3:catch sight of表示“看见”。

语言点4:recognise as表示“认出是”，recognise是个瞬间动词，不能用于进行时态。

例句支持:The policeman recognised her as a pickpocket.警察认出她是个小偷。

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

你究竟在上面干什么，比尔？”牧师惊讶的问。

语言点1:句子结构分析:这是一个典型的直接引语句式。Up here在此是两个副词连用，意思是“在这儿”。In

surprise为方式状语。

语言点2:whatever常用于疑问句中，用以加强what的语气，表示“究竟什么”。

例句支持:Whatever do you mean?你究竟是什么意思？

Whatever did it happen to him?他究竟发生了什么？

8.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.'

“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。恩，我是想让你大吃一惊。”

语言点1:句子结构分析:第一句中的be trying to并非一个简单的现在进行时态，它是用现在进行时态强调一个反复做的动作；第二句是用现在完成时have been coming表示一个非专业人士修钟的艰难。

语言点2:本句中的come up here和第7句中的do up here形成呼应，说明在钟楼上修钟这件事情。

语言点3:以下动词常用其现在完成进行时形式表示不断重复进行的某个动作（延续性动词）:wait,study,learn,live,stand,stay,keep,read,listen,lie,watch。

例句支持:

What have you been doing last whole night?你昨晚一整夜在干什么呢？

I have been reading this book all night.我看了一整晚的书。

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

你确实使我大吃一惊。牧师说。

语言点1:句子结构分析:这个句子为本文的重点语法—强调肯定式修辞格。

语言点2:certainly是一个非常典型的强调副词，表示“当然，确实”，相当于indeed/surely。但是在回答“同意”时，英式英语常用certainly,美式英语则多用sure/surely。

例句支持:

May I use your book?我能用一下你的书吗？

Certainly.当然可以。（英式英语）

Sure/Surely.当然可以。（美式英语）

语言点3:give sb a surprise的意思是“给某人一个惊喜”，take sb by surprise的意思是“使某人大吃一惊”。

例句支持:

His sudden resignation took us all by surprise.他突然辞职，我们都为之愕然。

10.You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.

也许同时你把村里所有人都吵醒了。不过，钟又能报时了，我还是很高兴的。

语言点:句子结构分析:as well放在句尾时相当于too，而且实际表达的效果比too更好。Still放在句首时，用逗号隔开表示转折，相当于but或者however。

11.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."

“问题就在这里，牧师，”比尔回答说。“不错，钟是能耗报时了，但是，恐怕每到1点钟，它总要敲13下，对此我已无能为力了。”

语言点1:句子结构分析:这是一句直接引语，that引导宾语从句，说明afraid的内容。I can do about it前省去了引导词that。

语言点2:There is nothing I can doabout it.I can do nothing about it.

请特别注意:nothing,anything,something,everything等关系代词之后只能用that引导定语从句。

12.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."

“大家慢慢就习惯了，比尔，”牧师说道。“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。”

语言点1:get used to表示“习惯做某事”。此句中的that指代钟在凌晨1点敲13下这个事实。

语言点2:be as good as为形容词原级的肯定比较，意思是“和…一样好”。

例句支持:

His little son is good as gold.He has never been as

rebellious as other children.他的小儿子非常乖，从不像别的小孩子那样不听话。

语言点3:have a cup of tea表示“喝一杯茶”。补充学习关于tea的短语:

Black tea红茶

Green

tea绿茶

Afternoon

tea下午茶