伦敦的大本钟已沉寂四年

 

This is What’s Trending Today.

That is the sound of Big Ben.

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

Big Ben is the name of the large bell inside the clock tower above Britain’s Houses of Parliament¹. The tower is part of the Palace of Westminster. There are other smaller bells, too.

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

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.

The bell will be disconnected from the clock as crews launch² a major repair project in the tower.

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

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.

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

The renovation³ project will cost about $40 million, said Steve Jaggs. He is known as “The Keeper of the Great Clock.”

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

The clock faces and many of the clock’s moving parts will be taken apart and cleaned. Rust⁴ will be removed and an elevator will be built for workers to use.

The last time the bell stopped ringing for repairs was in 2007. It was also silent for the funerals of former Prime⁵ Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher⁶.

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

Joana reacted to the news on Twitter. She proposed⁷ that there be “one minute of silence for the lost bongs of Big Ben.”

And that’s What’s Trending Today.

I’m Dan Friedell.

Words in This Story

tower – n. a tall, narrow building or structure that may stand apart from or be attached to another building or structure

rust – n. a reddish color that can form on objects made of iron

clock – n. an instrument for measuring time; a timepiece

noon – n. the middle of the day; 12 o'clock in the daytime

1 Parliament   

n.议会，国会

参考例句：

• She won a seat in Parliament at the election.她在选举中赢得了议会中的席位。
• The drug was banned by an act of parliament.议会的法案明令禁止该药品。

2 launch   

vt.发动，推出；发射；n.发射，下水，投产

参考例句：

• The makers are about to launch out a new product.制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。
• Would it be wise to launch into this rough sea?在这样汹涌的大海中游泳明智吗？

3 renovation   

n.革新，整修

参考例句：

• The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
• The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。

4 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

5 prime   

adj.首要的，主要的；最好的，第一流的

参考例句：

• The prime minister spoke of the general insecurity in the country.总理谈到了全国普遍存在的不安全。
• He met with the Prime Minister of Japan for an hour.他和日本首相会见了一个小时。

6 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

7 proposed   

被提议的

参考例句：

• There is widespread discontent among the staff at the proposed changes to pay and conditions. 员工对改变工资和工作环境的建议普遍不满。
• an outcry over the proposed change 对拟议的改革所发出的强烈抗议