最新新概念英语第二册笔记-第71课

Lesson 71 A Famous Clock 一个著名的大钟

【Text】

When you visit London, one of the first things you will see is Big Ben, the famous clock which can be heard all over the world on the B.B.C. If the Houses of Parliament had not been burned down in 1834, the great clock would never have been erected. Big Ben takes its name from Sir Benjamin Hall who was responsible for the making of the clock when the new Houses of Parliament were being built. It is not only of immense size, but is extremely accurate as well. Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day. On the B.B.C. you can hear the clock when it is actually striking because microphones are connected to the clock tower. Big Ben has rarely gone wrong. Once, however, it failed to give the correct time. A painter who had been working on the tower hung a pot of paint on one of the hands and slowed it down!

【课文翻译】

当你游览伦敦时，首先看到的东西之一就是“大本”钟，即那座从英国广播公司的广播中全世界都可以听到它的声音的著名大钟。如果不是国会大厦在1834年被焚毁的话，这座大钟永远也不会建造。“大本”钟得名于本杰明.霍尔爵士，因为当建造新的国会大厦时，他负责建造大钟。

此钟不仅外型巨大，而且走时也非常准确。格林尼治天文台的官员们每天两次派人矫正此钟。当大钟打点的时候，你可以从英国广播公司的广播中听到，因为钟塔上接了麦克风。“大本”钟很多出差错。然而有一次，它却把时间报错。在钟塔上干活的一位油漆工把一只油漆桶挂在了一根指针上，把钟弄慢了！

New words and expressions 生词和短语

1.parliament 国会

the Houses of Parliament (英国的) 国会大厦

Eg: Parliament today approved the policy, but it has not yet become law.

现在国会通过政策，但是政策还没有变成法律。

2.Erect v. 建造，树立，建起

V. erect a monument建立纪念碑

1) 竖起，搭起

erect a tent搭起帐篷

Eg: The building was erected in 1900-1901.

此建筑是在1900年到1901年间建造的。

Eg: Demonstrators have erected barricades in roads leading to the parliament building.

示威者在去往国会大楼的路上竖起了路障。

Eg: We all unconsciously erect barriers between each other.

我们都不知不觉的在彼此之间竖起了隔阂

2) adj.竖立的，垂直的，直立的

stand erect直立

Eg: Hold your head erect.

把头挺直。

3.accurate adj. 精确的，准确的

an accurate clock, map准确的钟，地图

Eg: His description was accurate.

他的叙述很准确。

Eg: Police have stressed that this is the most accurate description of the killer 警察强调说这就是杀人犯最为精确的描述了。

Eg: Journalists are not always accurate in what they write.

新闻工作者的报道并非一贯准确。

take accurate aim瞄得准

an accurate dimension精确的尺寸

accurately adv.

accuracy n.

4. Official

1）官方的

Official affairs 公务,公事

Official funds 公款

Official documents官方文件

an official announcement官方公告

an official website官方网站

Eg: The official reason given for the President's absence was sickness.

对于总统的缺席，官方给出的原因是生病了。

2）官员

Eg: A senior UN official hopes to visit Baghdad this month..

联合国的一个高级官员希望这个月去访问巴格达。