Lesson 71 A famous clock

【New words and expressions】(9)

parliament n. 议会，国会

erect v. 建起

accurate adj. 准确的

official n. 官员，行政人员

Greenwich n. 格林尼治

observatory n. 天文台

check v. 检查

microphone n. 扩音器，麦克风

tower n. 塔

【Text】新概念英语学习机

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!

参考译文

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!

【课文讲解】

1、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.

the B.B.C. =British Broadcasting Corporation 英国广播公司

2、If the Houses of Parliament had not been burned down in 1834, the great clock would never have been erected.

the Houses of Parliament 国会大厦(英国议会是由上议院(House of Lords)和下议院(House of Commons)组成)

burn down (使)烧成平地，烧毁

The hospital was burned down last month.

3、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.

take one’s name from 以……命名

Sir用于英国人的全名(或名字)之前时表示“爵士”(不单独用于姓之前)，如Sir John Gilbert(约翰.吉尔伯特爵士)或Sir John(约翰爵士)，但不能称为Sir Gilbert。

be responsible for 对……需负责任/承担责任的

Who is responsible for the accident?

John is responsible for the building of the bridge.

-ing形式前面无冠词时可直接跟宾语：making the clock;-ing前有冠词时则其后不能直接跟宾语，而必须用of：the making of the clock。

4、It is not only of immense size, but is extremely accurate as well.

be of… 表示人或物的特征

We are of the same age/size.

This letter is of great importance.

5、Big Ben has rarely gone wrong.

go wrong (机器等)发生故障，出毛病

My watch/the engine of the car has gone wrong.

Something has gone wrong with my car.

6、A painter who had been working on the tower hung a pot of paint on one of the hands and slowed it down!

slow down (使……)慢下来/减速(可分开使用)

He slowed his car down while driving in heavy traffic.

【Letter Writing】

常见开头语：

I wonder how you learnt that…

You will never guess who/what…

【Special Difficulties】

Official, Employee and Shop assistant

official n. 官员，公务员，高级官员

Bank officials get high salaries.

Before he retired, Jeremy had been a government/city official.

employee n. 雇员，雇工(包括各个层次的)

Later he became a government employee.

shop assistant 零售店的店员(美语中用salesclerk)

The shop assistant who served her did not like the way she was dressed.

Hang/Hung and Hang/Hanged

hang(hung，hung) vt. 悬挂

I’m hanging this picture on the wall.

hang(hanged，hanged) vt. 绞死，吊死，上吊

As he has murdered three men, he ought to be hanged.

I wonder why she hanged herself.