第 2 课 · Thirteen Equals One

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.

我们的牧师总是为这桩那桩的事情筹款，可他始终没能筹到足够的钱，把教堂的大钟修一修。

The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.

教堂里那座过去日夜报时的大钟，许多年前就被损坏了，从那以后一直沉默无声。

One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start:the clock was striking the hours!

然而一天夜里，我们的牧师猛然惊醒：大钟正在报时！

Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.

他看了看表，时间才一点钟，可那口钟一连敲了十三下才停下来。

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

牧师带上手电筒，登上钟楼，去看看究竟是怎么回事。

In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.

借着电筒的光，他看见一个人影，立刻认出那是本地杂货店老板比尔·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呢，比尔？”牧师惊讶地问。

'I'm trying to repair the bell, ' answered Bill.

“我正想法子修那口钟呢，”比尔回答。

'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.

“都好几个星期了，我天天夜里都上这儿来。”

You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.'

“要知道，我本来是想给你一个惊喜的。”

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

“你可真给了我一个大大的‘惊喜’！”牧师说。

'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.

“只怕你把全村的人也都吵醒了。”

Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.'

“话虽如此，钟又能响了，我还是挺高兴的。”

'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.'

“问题恰恰就在这儿，牧师，”比尔回答，“它走得倒是好好的，可恐怕到一点钟的时候，它会敲十三下，对此我毫无办法。”

'We'll get used to that, Bill, 'said the vicar.

“我们会慢慢习惯的，比尔，”牧师说。

'Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.

“十三下是不如一下好，可总比没有强。”

Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.'

“现在咱们下楼去喝杯茶吧。”