国际英语资讯:Feature: Big Ben falls silent amid noise from angry politicians
<p><span word="LONDON">LONDON</span>, <span word="Aug">Aug</span>. 21-- <span word="Britain">Britain</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="famous">famous</span> <span word="bell">bell</span>, <span word="Big">Big</span> <span word="Ben">Ben</span>, <span word="fell">fell</span> <span word="silent">silent</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="noon">noon</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="hundreds">hundreds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="gathered">gathered</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="London">London</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Parliament">Parliament</span> <span word="Square">Square</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bongs">bongs</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="time">time</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="bells">bells</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Elizabeth">Elizabeth</span> <span word="Tower">Tower</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Houses">Houses</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Parliament">Parliament</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="again">again</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="apart">apart</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="rare">rare</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="occasions">occasions</span>, <span word="unless">unless</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="heart">heart</span>.</p><p><span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="chimes">chimes</span> <span word="sounded">sounded</span>, <span word="local">local</span> <span word="media">media</span>, <span word="residents">residents</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tourists">tourists</span> <span word="held">held</span> <span word="video">video</span> <span word="recorders">recorders</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="smart">smart</span> <span word="phones">phones</span>, <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="moment">moment</span>.</p><p>"<span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="memorial">memorial</span> <span word="day">day</span>," <span word="one">one</span> <span word="visitor">visitor</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Bristol">Bristol</span>, <span word="Maria">Maria</span> <span word="Droulias">Droulias</span>, <span word="told">told</span> <span word="Xinhua">Xinhua</span>, "<span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="sad">sad</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="chime">chime</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="Big">Big</span> <span word="Ben">Ben</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="monumental">monumental</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="go">go</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="London">London</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sudden">sudden</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="stopped">stopped</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="sort">sort</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="weird">weird</span> <span word="feeling">feeling</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="bell">bell</span> <span word="mechanism">mechanism</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="switched">switched</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="enable">enable</span> <span word="essential">essential</span> <span word="repair">repair</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="restoration">restoration</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="clock">clock</span> <span word="tower">tower</span>, <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="symbols">symbols</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>.</p><p><span word="Steve">Steve</span> <span word="Jaggs">Jaggs</span>, <span word="keeper">keeper</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Great">Great</span> <span word="Clock">Clock</span>, <span word="said">said</span>: "<span word="This">This</span> <span word="essential">essential</span> <span word="program">program</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="works">works</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="safeguard">safeguard</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="clock">clock</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span>-<span word="term">term</span> <span word="basis">basis</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="protecting">protecting</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="preserving">preserving</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="home">home</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Elizabeth">Elizabeth</span> <span word="Tower">Tower</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Great">Great</span> <span word="Bell">Bell</span> <span word="weighs">weighs</span> 13.7 <span word="tonnes">tonnes</span>, <span word="is">is</span> 2.2 <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="and">and</span> 2.7 <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="diameter">diameter</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="hammer">hammer</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="strikes">strikes</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bell">bell</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="weights">weights</span> 200 <span word="kg">kg</span>.</p><p><span word="Officials">Officials</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Houses">Houses</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Parliament">Parliament</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bell">bell</span> <span word="mechanism">mechanism</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="dismantled">dismantled</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="health">health</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="safety">safety</span> <span word="reasons">reasons</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="risks">risks</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="damage">damage</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hearing">hearing</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="exposed">exposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="constant">constant</span> <span word="chiming">chiming</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bells">bells</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="ring">ring</span> <span word="every">every</span> 15 <span word="minutes">minutes</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="piercing">piercing</span> <span word="gongs">gongs</span> <span word="measure">measure</span> 118-<span word="decibels">decibels</span>.</p>
页:
[1]