Lesson 2 Thirteen equals one

'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.

“不錯，鐘能報時了，但是，恐怕每到1點鐘，它總要敲13下，對此我已無能為力了。”

Lesson 2 Thirteen equals one

We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar.

“大家慢慢就習慣了，比爾，”牧師說。

Lesson 2 Thirteen equals one

Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing.

“13下是不如1下好，但總比1下也不敲強。

Lesson 2 Thirteen equals one

Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.'

來，咱們下樓去喝杯茶吧。”

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

Some time ago, and interesting discovery was made by archaeologists on the Aegean island of Kea.

不久之前，在愛琴海的基亞島上，考古工作者有一項有趣的發現。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

An American team explored a temple which stands in an ancient city on the promontory of Ayia Irini.

一個美國考古隊在阿伊亞。依里尼海角的一座古城里考察了一座廟宇。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

The city at one time must have been prosperous, for it enjoyed a high level of civilization.

這座古城肯定一度很繁榮，因為它曾享有高度的文明，

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

Houses -- often three storeys high -- were built of stone.

房子一般有3層樓高，用石塊修建。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

They had large rooms with beautifully decorated walls.

里面房間很大，墻壁裝飾華麗。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

The city was equipped with a drainage system, for a great many clay pipes were found beneath the narrow streets.

城里甚至還敷設了排水系統，因為在狹窄的街道底下發現了許許多多陶土制作的排水管道。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

The temple which the archaeologists explored was used as a place of worship from the fifteenth century B. C. until Roman times.

考古工作者考察的這座廟宇從公元前15世紀直到羅馬時代一直是祭祀祈禱的場所。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

In the most sacred room of temple, clay fragments of fifteen statues were found.

在廟中最神圣的一間殿堂里發現了15尊陶雕像的碎片。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

Each of these represented a goddess and had, at one time, been painted.

每一尊雕像代表一位女神，而且一度上過色。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

The body of one statue was found among remains dating from the fifteenth century B.C.

其中有一尊雕像，她的軀體是在公元前15世紀的歷史文物中發現的，

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

It's missing head happened to be among remains of the fifth century B.C.

而她那身異處的腦袋卻碰巧是在公元前5世紀的文物中找到的。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

This head must have been found in Classical times and carefully preserved.

她的腦袋一定是在古希臘羅馬時代就為人所發現，并受到精心的保護。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

It was very old and precious even then.

卻使在當時，它也屬歷史悠久的珍奇之物。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

When the archaeologists reconstructed the fragments, they were amazed to find that the goddess turned out to be a very modern-looking woman.

考古工作者把這些碎片重新拼裝起來后，驚奇地發現那位女神原來是一位相貌十分摩登的女郎。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

She stood three feet high and her hands rested on her hips.

她身高3英尺，雙手叉腰。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

She was wearing a full-length skirt which swept the ground.

身穿一條拖地長裙，

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

Despite her great age, she was very graceful indeed,

盡管上了年紀，但體態確實優美。

Lesson 3 An unknown goddess

but, so far, the archaeologists have been unable to discover her identity.

不過，考古工作者至今未能確定這位女神的身份。

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs

These days, people who do manual work often receive far more money than people who work in offices.

如今，從事體力勞動的人的收入一般要比坐辦公室的人高出許多。

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs

People who work in offices are frequently referred to as white-collar workers' for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work.

坐辦公室的之所以常常被稱作“白領工人”，就是因為他們通常是穿著硬領白襯衫，系著領帶去上班。

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs

Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white-collar workers.

許多人常常情愿放棄較高的薪水以換取做白領工人的殊榮，此乃人之常情。

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs

This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.

而這常常會引起種種奇怪的現象，在埃爾斯米爾公司當清潔工的艾爾弗雷德。布洛斯就是一個例子。

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs

When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife about his job.

艾爾弗結婚時，感到非常難為情，而沒有將自己的職業告訴妻子。

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs

He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation.

他只說在埃爾斯米爾公司上班。

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs

Every morning, he left home dressed in a smart black suit.

每天早晨，他穿上一身漂亮的黑色西裝離家上班，

Lesson 4 The double life of Alfred Bloggs

He then changed into overalls and spent the next eight hours as a dustman.

然后換上工作服，當8個小時清潔工。