4-5 冬季晚钟节（最后一天）（在线收听）

Lost-in-the-Dark Bells

(Last Day)

In the Lincolnshire village of Burgh-le-Marsh there was once a chunk¹ of land called Bell String Acre. It got its name, the local legend tells, because of a near escape. On a dark winter's night early in the seventeenth century, they say, a ship's captain was threading² his craft along this difficult stretch³ of coast when he suddenly heard church bells. "If I can hear those," the captain reasoned, "then I must be far too close to shore for comfort." Swiftly he adjusted his position, thus saving himself and his ship. In gratitude, he soon afterwards bought a piece of property at Burgh-le-Marsh. Rent on this Bell String Acre, he specified, should go toward the upkeep⁴ of the church bell's pull-rope, so that it might ring out its helpful warnings, he stipulated⁵, "for ever."

Another less charming story tells how the townspeople refused to ring the bell, for they all relished⁶ the idea of plundering shipwrecks, but that a clergyman ran to the tower and clanged⁷ the bell. His heroic act saved the ship, but then the cleric died of exhaustion. (And then it is said, the grateful captain married the clergyman's daughter.)

In any case, the sailor's request is honored all winter long in Burgh-le-Marsh. Beginning every October 10, the "curfew⁸ bell" rings nightly at 8 p.m.. April 7 is the last night of the bells --that is, till the next October.

注释:

1.chunk [tFQNk] n. 〈口〉大块，相当大的部分（或数量）

2.thread [Wred] vt. 穿过，通过

3.stretch [stretF] n. 一段距离（或路程）

4.upkeep [5Qpki:p] n. （房屋、设备等的）保养，维修，维持

5.stipulate [5stipjuleit] vt. 规定，（作为条件）讲定，约定

6.relish [5reliF] vt. 从……得到乐趣，爱好，指望

7.clang [klAN] vt. 使当当响，使铿锵响

8.curfew [5kE:fju:] n. 灭火熄灯就寝的晚钟（声）

冬季晚钟节

（最后一天）

在林肯郡的伯勒马什村里，有一块地叫做“钟绳地产”。根据当地的传说，这个名字是因为一次险情的避免而得来的。据说事情发生在很久以前的17世纪，在一个漆黑的冬夜，有一位船长正驾船沿着这一段危险的海岸航行。突然他听到了教堂的钟声。“如果我能听到钟声，”船长推断，“那真是太危险了：海岸应该是近在咫尺!”他迅速地调整了航向，从而救了自己，也救了船。出于感激，不久他就在伯勒马什买了一块地产。他规定，出租这块地的收入要用来专门维修、保养教堂的钟绳，使教堂的钟“永远”都能发出助人的警报。

根据另一个不那么动人的传说，镇里的人不肯敲钟，因为他们热衷于抢劫失事船的残骸。但是有一位牧师跑上了塔，敲响了钟。他的英雄行为拯救了船，但他自己却累死了。（据说后来满怀感激之情的船长娶了牧师的女儿。）

不管怎么说，在伯勒马什，整个冬天水手的请求都得到尊重。从每年的10月10日起，每天晚上8点“晚钟”就会敲响。4月7日是敲钟的最后一天——也就是说直到第二年的10月。