L2 Thirteen equals one
课文理解
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.
- be always doing sth 经常做某事
- be able to = manage to do 设法做某事，反义词fail to do: 没能完成某事
- one .... or another 一个……或另一个，cause可以变更成为另外一个环境，例如in one way or another各种各样的方式
- one ... after another 一个……又一个，one day after another日复一日
2）The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since
- which关系代词引导定从修饰先行词clock
- used to sth. 习惯做某事 = be accustomed to (doing) sth.
- ever since: adv. / prep. / conj. 从那以后，一直……(用完成时）
3）One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours!
- however逗号分隔用于喘气
- with + 名词做状语修饰谓语动词，wake (up) with a start
4）Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped.
- looking主动态现在分词形式。非谓语动词做状语时，一般情况下隐含的主语应该和主句主语保持一致
- before 的译法
- 强调主句的时间比预期的长时,译为才
- It will be a long time before we meet again.
- 强调主句的时间比预期的短时,译为就
- I hadn’t waited long before he came.
5）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.
- recognize … as … 认为是
6）Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.
- Whatever肯定句表无论，疑问句表到底
7）'I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.'
- have been doing 现在完成进行时，表持续性动作一直到现在，可能延续
8）'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar. 'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.'
- 强调肯定式 (emphatic positive) 在肯定句和祈使句中，在谓语动词前加上助动词 do 以加强语气。只用于一般现在时 (do, does) 和一般过去时 (did) 中。
9） '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."
