听力每日练习 listen 4250 Big Ben

 
2--Oh, that's funny. Really  it's  one  of London's  best-known  tourist  landmarks.
 
1--Yes, now I know it's the name of the huge clock tower at the House of Parliament.
 
2--Oh，no, it's not. Most people think Big Ben is the House of Parliament's clock tower, but actually it refers  to the bell hung inside the clock tower.
 
1--Big Ben is the name of a big bell!
 
2--That's right!  It weighs over thirteen tons.
 
1--Thirteen tons!  That's amazing. Why was it called Ben rather than Blake or  Bruce?
 
2--It got its nickname from Sir Benjamin Hall,who supervised its casting.
 
1--I see. When was Big Ben made?
 
2--In 1850s,at a foundry in east London.
 
1--So Big Ben is more than one hundred years old. Does it still work today?
 
2--Yes. It strikes every hour on the hour with great accuracy.
 
1--Has it ever stopped ringing?
 
2--Yes. It stopped a few times for various reasons, but the chimes resumed ringing again over London.
 
1--It must have a great sound!
 
2--Yes. When there were air raids over London during the World War II，the chimes  of  Big  Ben  brought  people  comfort and hope.
 
1--Oh,so Big Ben must be much loved by the British people.
 
2--Not only the British people but people of various countries too. Now visitors from all over the world come to  see it and hear its chimes.
 
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注解：
 
1.grisly可怕的
2.best-known最著名的
3.accuracy准确(性)
 
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译文：
 
1--我第一次听到别人说“大本钟”时，还以为是在说一头可怕的熊呢。
2--哈哈，是吗?大本钟可是英国最有名的旅游景点之一。
1--嗯，现在我知道了，它原来是指英国议会大厦的钟楼。
2--其实不是这样的。很多人都以为大本钟是指英国议会大厦的钟楼，但它其实是钟楼里那口大钟的名字。
1--原来“大本钟”真的是指一口大钟啊!
2--是的。大本钟十分巨大，有13多吨重。
1--13吨?真是太惊人了!那它为什么叫“大本”而不是叫“布莱克”或者“布鲁斯”之类的呢?
2--大本钟由当年负责工务的专员本杰明?豪尔监制，故名“大本”。
1--我知道了，那大本钟是什么时候造的呢?
2--它是19世纪50年代的时候，在伦敦东部的一个铸造厂里造的。
1--那距今也有100多年的历史了，它现在还能正常工作吗?
2--能啊，大钟每逢整点敲响一次，十分精确。
1--每个小时都敲响，一次也没有停过吗?
2--也由于种种原因停过几次，但是钟声不久就又在伦敦上空响起。
1--大本钟的钟声一定很好听吧?
2--嗯。即使是第二次世界大战的时候，伦敦遭到空袭，大本钟也会准时响起，深沉而铿锵的钟声给英国人民带去了鼓励和希望。
1--难怪大本钟深受英国人的喜爱。
2--不仅深受英国人喜爱，也吸引了各个国家的人。现在世界各地的游客来到伦敦，一睹大本钟的风采，聆听它的钟声。