VOA慢速英语：伦敦大本钟静音四年

London’s Big Ben to Go Silent for Four Years

伦敦大本钟静音四年

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欢迎收听今日热点。

That is the sound of Big Ben.

这就是大本钟的声音。

People from London like to call the ringing of Big Ben “bongs.” They mark the start of a new hour.

伦敦人喜欢将这个声音称之为“bongs”它标志着一个新的时间的开始。

Big Ben is the name of the large bell inside the clock tower above Britain’s Houses of Parliament. The tower is part of the Palace of Westminster. There are other smaller bells, too.

大本钟是镶嵌在英国国会钟塔上的一枚巨大的钟摆。该塔是威尼斯特宫的一部分。上面还有其他的小一点的钟摆。

The structure that houses Big Ben is one of the most famous sights in the country. It is called the Elizabeth Tower.

大本钟的建筑结构是该国家最著名的街景之一。它叫做伊丽莎白塔。

Big Ben started making its bongs 158 years ago. But beginning on August 21, it will go silent for four years. The bell will ring for the last time at 12 noon.

158年前，大本钟开始发声报时。但自8月21日开始，它将静音四年时间。该钟声将在午后12点整发出最后的响声。

The bell will be disconnected from the clock as crews launch a major repair project in the tower.

当人们在维修该塔的时候，该钟摆将和钟分离。

The clock, however, will continue to tell the time, silently.

尽管如此，大本钟将继续沉默的显示着时间。

The only time people in London will hear the bells will be on Remembrance Sunday, which falls on November 12th this year, and New Year’s Eve.

伦敦人能够听见钟声的时间仅仅为每年11月11日前的星期日，今年将是11月12日，以及新年前夕。

Some people are making plans to be in London for the final bongs before the four-year silence.

一些人为了最后的钟声，计划着在四年沉默之前来伦敦参观大本钟。

The renovation project will cost about $40 million, said Steve Jaggs. He is known as “The Keeper of the Great Clock.”

史蒂夫·贾格斯表示：维修工程将花费四千万美金。他被称为“大钟的守护者”。

Jaggs said the goal is to keep the building safe and the famous timepiece working for future generations to enjoy.

贾格斯表示：该维修旨在保护建筑的安全以及为了子孙后代们可以更好的享受这个著名的计时器。

The clock faces and many of the clock’s moving parts will be taken apart and cleaned. Rust will be removed and an elevator will be built for workers to use.

钟面和许多钟的移动部件将被拆开和清洗。铁锈将被移除，将会为工人们建造一个电梯。

The last time the bell stopped ringing for repairs was in 2007. It was also silent for the funerals of former Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

上一次铃响的时候是在2007年。对于前首相温斯顿丘吉尔和玛格丽特撒切尔的葬礼，大本钟也保持沉默。

There was reaction to the silencing of Big Ben on social media.

在社交媒体上对大本钟的沉默是有反应的。

Joana reacted to the news on Twitter. She proposed that there be “one minute of silence for the lost bongs of Big Ben.”

乔安娜在推特上对这一消息做出了回应。她提议说，“为大本钟的沉默默哀一分钟”。

And that’s What’s Trending Today.

这就是今日热点的全部内容。

I’m Dan Friedell.

丹·弗雷德报道。