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.
我們教區的牧師總是為各種各樣的事籌集資金，但始終未能籌組資金把教堂的鐘修好。
- 語言點1:句子結構分析:but連接兩個轉折關系的并列句，轉折的目的一般為否定前一個分句的意思，多為閱讀中的考點。to have the church clock repaired作目的狀語。
- 語言點2:for one reason or another表示說不清楚的原因或者不想一一說明的原因。
- 語言點3:manage to do sth是“設法做某事”的意思。
- 語言點4:在have the church clock repaired中，have sth done表示“讓別人做某事”。
2.The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.
教堂的鐘很大，以前不分晝夜打點報時，但在很多年前遭到毀壞，從此便無聲無息了。
- 語言點1:句子結構分析:which引導定語從句，修飾clock。第二個and連接兩個并列的分句，說明大鐘前后兩種截然不同的情況。
- 語言點2:在used to strike the hours中，used to do sth表示過去常常做某事而現在不再做了。
- 語言點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，我們的牧師突然被驚醒了，大鐘又在“打點”報時了！
語言點1:句子結構分析:however表示轉折。With a start接冒號及一個解釋性的從句，說明牧師被驚醒的原因。
語言點2:由strike the hours還可以引申學習以下短語:
Strike the clock敲鐘
Beat/play a drum打鼓
Ring the bell搖鈴
Alarm clock鬧鐘
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點鐘，可是那鐘一連敲了13下才停。
語言點1:句子結構分析:that引導賓語從句，說明saw的內容。But連接兩個轉折關系的句子，后面接before引導的時間狀語從句，looking at his watch是現在分詞短語，作伴隨狀語，其邏輯主語與主語一致，且動作是被動的。
語言點2:but引導的分詞可以轉換成一個強調句式: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.
牧師拿著一支手電筒走上鐘樓想去看看究竟發生了什么事情。
語言點1:句子結構分析:armed with a torch是過去分詞短語作伴隨狀語，其邏輯主語與主句主語一致，且動作是被動的。To see what was going on是動詞不定式短語作目的狀語，what was going on為賓語從句，說明see的內容。
語言點2:armed with sth意思是“拿著/帶著某物”。另外，arm oneself/sb with sth的意思是“某人用某物武裝自己”。
例句支持: Hearmed himself with a big stick while going out. 他出門時帶了一根大手杖防身。
語言點3:go on表示“發生”，多用于進行時態。另外，日常口語中我們也可以用這個結構“打招呼”，例如:What's going on？(最近過得如何啊？)
除此之外，我們還可以這樣說:
（1）How is everything with you/going?你一切都好嗎？
（2）How is the world around you?你周圍的情況怎樣？
（3）What is happening?最近在忙些什么？
（4）How is life treating you?你過得怎樣？
6.In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.
借著電筒光，他看見一個人，馬上認出那是本地雜貨店店主比爾威爾金斯。
語言點1:句子結構分析:in the torchlight作狀語。Whom引導定語從句，修飾figure。Our local grocer作Bill Wilkins的同位語。
語言點2:由短語in the torchlight
補充學習以下短語:
In the sunshine/sunlight在太陽光下
In the moonlight在月光下
In the candlelight在燭光下
語言點3:catch sight of表示“看見”。
語言點4:recognise as表示“認出是”，recognise是個瞬間動詞，不能用于進行時態。
例句支持:The policeman recognised her as a pickpocket.警察認出她是個小偷。
7．Whatever are you doing up here Bill? asked the vicar in surprise.“
你究竟在上面干什么，比爾？”牧師驚訝的問。
語言點1:句子結構分析:這是一個典型的直接引語句式。Up here在此是兩個副詞連用，意思是“在這兒”。In
surprise為方式狀語。
語言點2:whatever常用于疑問句中，用以加強what的語氣，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?他究竟發生了什么？
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.'
“我想把這口鐘修好，”比爾回答說。“好幾個星期了，我天天夜里到鐘樓上來。恩，我是想讓你大吃一驚。”
語言點1:句子結構分析:第一句中的be trying to并非一個簡單的現在進行時態，它是用現在進行時態強調一個反復做的動作；第二句是用現在完成時have been coming表示一個非專業人士修鐘的艱難。
語言點2:本句中的come up here和第7句中的do up here形成呼應，說明在鐘樓上修鐘這件事情。
語言點3:以下動詞常用其現在完成進行時形式表示不斷重復進行的某個動作（延續性動詞）: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.我看了一整晚的書。
9.You certainly did give me a surprise!said the vicar.
你確實使我大吃一驚。牧師說。
語言點1:句子結構分析:這個句子為本文的重點語法—強調肯定式修辭格。
語言點2:certainly是一個非常典型的強調副詞，表示“當然，確實”，相當于indeed/surely。但是在回答“同意”時，英式英語常用certainly,美式英語則多用sure/surely。
例句支持:
May I use your book?我能用一下你的書嗎？
Certainly.當然可以。（英式英語）
Sure/Surely.當然可以。（美式英語）
語言點3:give sb a surprise的意思是“給某人一個驚喜”，take sb by surprise的意思是“使某人大吃一驚”。
例句支持:
His sudden resignation took us all by surprise.他突然辭職，我們都為之愕然。
10.You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.
也許同時你把村里所有人都吵醒了。不過，鐘又能報時了，我還是很高興的。
語言點:句子結構分析:as well放在句尾時相當于too，而且實際表達的效果比too更好。Still放在句首時，用逗號隔開表示轉折，相當于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."
“問題就在這里，牧師，”比爾回答說。“不錯，鐘是能耗報時了，但是，恐怕每到1點鐘，它總要敲13下，對此我已無能為力了。”
語言點1:句子結構分析:這是一句直接引語，that引導賓語從句，說明afraid的內容。I can do about it前省去了引導詞that。
語言點2:There is nothing I can doabout it.I can do nothing about it.
請特別注意:nothing,anything,something,everything等關系代詞之后只能用that引導定語從句。
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."
“大家慢慢就習慣了，比爾，”牧師說道。“13下是不如1下好，但總比1下也不敲強。來，咱們下樓去喝杯茶吧。”
語言點1:get used to表示“習慣做某事”。此句中的that指代鐘在凌晨1點敲13下這個事實。
語言點2:be as good as為形容詞原級的肯定比較，意思是“和…一樣好”。
例句支持:
His little son is good as gold.He has never been as
rebellious as other children.他的小兒子非常乖，從不像別的小孩子那樣不聽話。
語言點3:have a cup of tea表示“喝一杯茶”。補充學習關于tea的短語:
Black tea紅茶
Green
tea綠茶
Afternoon
tea下午茶
