长14英尺，每个数字高2英尺。钟摆上有一叠硬币随时调校时刻，因此大
伦敦塔 Tower of London
The Tower of London, one of the most famous buildings in the world, was constructed following the Norman conquest in the 11th century.
Ceremonies at the Tower 在伦敦塔举行的仪式
Each night at 10:00 the Tower of London is made secure by means of a 600-year-old ritual called the Ceremony of the Keys. The Chief Warder, wearing a Tudor bonnet and scarlet coat, marches with a rifle-armed guard to lock first the outer gate, and then the gates of the Middle Tower and the Byward Tower, both of which are on the perimeter. The Warder‘s party marches back to the Bloody Tower, where a sentry challenges them with the words, ―Halt! Who goes there?‖ The exchange then runs its historic course, as follows: ―The keys.‖ ―Whose keys?‖
―Queen Elizabeth‘s keys. All is well.‖ The chief Warder and his escort next meet the main guard, who present arms to them. The Chief Warder raises his bonnet arid cries, ―God preserve Queen Elizabeth.‖ The others reply, ―Amen.‖ A bugler sounds the ―Last Post‖ and the keys are lodged with the Resident Governor, as the chief officer of the Tower is called. The Tower is now deemed secure for the night, and only those equipped with the password mat come and go.
To see the Tower‘s other principal ceremony ,that of Beating the Bounds,
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笨钟是一个准确异常的时计，几乎从没停过。
伦敦塔是世界上最出名的建筑之一，是在11世纪诺曼底人占领伦敦后建造的。
the visitor may have to wait nearly three years. Every third Ascension Day the ancient boundaries of the Tower are proven by a party of boys who tour the grounds and tap the thirty-one Crown Boundary Marls with willow wands. The boys are members o families living in the Tower; the ceremony has its origin in the Middle Ages, when there were few reliable maps, and the physical act of marking the boundaries was thought to carry greater weight.
An odd story surrounds the Tower‘s ravens. It is said that should they leave, the Tower will fall, and with it the nation. Six ravens are therefore kept, the responsibility of the Raven Master, who ensures the survival of Britain by keeping their wing feather clipped so that they cannot fly off at will.
每个晚上十点伦敦塔会举行一项具有600年历史的安全守卫仪式“钥匙仪式”。守卫领队头戴都铎式无边帽，身穿鲜红色外套，与一位配备来福枪的守卫一起齐步走去关闭大门，然后锁好塔周围的中塔和偏塔的门。接着，守卫们齐步操回红塔，一位岗哨会问他们：“停！谁在哪儿？”他们的对话穿过历史的长河，如下： “钥匙。 ”
“谁的钥匙？ ”
“伊丽莎白女王的钥匙。” 群男孩在塔内游走，用柳枝轻敲31个“通过，伊丽莎白女王的钥匙。一切皇家边界标志，以此来证实伦敦塔的正常。” 古老界线。那些男孩都是住在塔内的过了一会儿，守卫领队和他的护卫队人家的孩子。该习俗起源于中世纪，看见主守卫官向他们展示武器。领队那时很少有准确地图，手工测边界便举起帽子大声说：“上帝保佑伊丽莎白显得相当重要。 女王。”其他人便回答道：“阿门。”喇 有一个古怪的故事是关于伦敦塔的叭手吹奏《夜间点名》，钥匙便被交到乌鸦的。据说如果它们飞走了，塔就长驻长官（伦敦塔的最高负责官员）会崩塌，国家也会瓦解。因此伦敦塔手里。现在人们相信伦敦塔晚上是戒内养着6只乌鸦，养鸦人的职责便是严的，只有知道通行密码的人才能出把乌鸦的翅膀夹住，使它们不能自由入。 飞走，这样，英国就得以保存。 游客如果想看伦敦塔其他的如“巡堪教区边界”之类的特别仪式，可能要等上三年。每隔两个耶稣升天节，一
开怀一笑Jokes
There are three restaurants on the same block. One day one of them put up a sign which said ― The Best Restaurant in the City.‖
The next day ,the largest restaurant on the block put up a larger sign which said ―The Best Restaurant in the World.‖
On the third day, the smallest restaurant put a small sign which said ―The Best Restaurant on this Block.
在同一个街区里有三间餐馆，一天，其中一间竖起牌子自称自己是“这个城里最好的餐馆”
第二天，其中最大的一间竖起一个更大的牌子“全世界最好的餐馆”。 第三天，其中最小的一间竖起一个小牌子“这个街区最好的餐馆”。
Chapter5 Education教育
The School System学校体系
Education is compulsory from the age of five to sixteen, and there is usually a move from primary to secondary school at about the age of eleven, but schools are organized in a number of different ways. The Department of Education maintains overall control although local education authorities and head teachers have considerable powers in planning and administration. Plans were
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introduced into Parliament in 1988 for more centralized control, introducing a national curriculum for all schools.
5到16岁为义务教育阶段。通常孩子们在11岁从小学升上中学。但是学校的形式多种多样。尽管当地教育部门和校长们有相当大的自由进行计划和管理，但是所有的学校都由教育部全面控制。1988年，一项关于加强教育中央控制的议案提交国会讨论，引
入了全国性的课程设计。
Until the 1960s most children took an examination at the end of primary school. Those who passed went to grammar schools while those who did not went to secondary modern schools. A few areas still select at the age of eleven, but about 90 percent of 在20世纪60年代之前，大多数学secondary schools in Britain are now 生在小学毕业时要参加升学考试。通comprehensive, taking children of all 过考试的学生进入文理学校，没通过abilities from their local area. 的就进入现代中学。 Most parents choose to send their 现在某些地区仍然在11岁时举行children to free state schools financed 升学考试，但是如今约90%的英国中学from public funds but an increasing 是综合性学校，接受不同区内不同能number of secondary pupils attend 力的学生入学。 fee-paying independent schools outside 多数家长把他们的小孩送进免费the state system. Many of these are 的公立学校，但越来越多的中学生进boarding schools, which provide 入公立体制以外的收费独立学校念accommodation for pupils during term 书。这当中很多是寄宿学校，在学习time. Many independent boarding 期间为学生提供住宿。英格兰和威尔schools are confusingly called public 士的许多独立寄宿学校被称作“公众schools in England and Wales. Schools 学校”，很容易引起混淆。英国的学校in Britain have three terms a year, each 一年有三个学期，每学期中有一个短with a short half-term break in the 短的期中假，在圣诞节、复活节和夏middle, and longer holidays at 季才放长假。 Christmas and Easter and in the summer.
资料链接
英国中学的种类 Different Types of Secondary Schools in Britain Comprehensive schools: Over 85% Secondary modern schools caters for of secondary school pupils go to a small minority of children (around comprehensive schools. These take 4%). These schools provide a more children of all abilities, and provide a general and technical education for wide range of secondary education for children aged 11-16. all or most of the children in a district City Technology Colleges (CTCs) from the age of 11 to 16 or 18. aim to give boys and girls a broad Grammar schools offer a mainly secondary education with a strong academic education for the 11 to technological and business slant. They 18-yearr age group. Children enter are non-fee paying independent schools grammar schools on the basis of their set up by the government with the help abilities, first sitting the ―11‖plus or of business sponsors who finance a large entrance examination. Grammar schools proportion of the initial capital costs and cater for 4% of children in secondary develop links with the schools. There are education. now 15 such colleges in operation in
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England and Wales. 占中学生总认输的4%）。这些中学为Specialist schools, which only 11-16岁的学生提供一般的及技术教operate in England, give pupils a broad 育。 secondary education with a strong 城市技术学院 侧重技术和商业的emphasis on technology, languages, arts 培训旨在为男孩女孩们提供广泛的中or sports. There are over 250 specialist 级技术教育。这类学校是免费的，由schools. They charge no fees and any 政府建立，上家赞助出资作为启动资secondary school can apply for specialist 金并帮助学校发展各学校间的联系。school status. 现在英格兰和威尔士有15家城市技术综合学校 有超过85%的中学生进入学院。 就读。这类学校不分资质招生，为当专才学校 只见于英格兰，为学生提地所有或大多数11到16乃至18岁的供全面的中级教育，但是侧重于技术、孩子提供中学教育。 语言、艺术或体育。此类学校超过250文理学校 招收11到18岁的学生。间。特色学校不收费，任何一家中学孩子首先参加“甄选考试”或入学考都可以申请成为特色学校。 试，再根据能力进入文理学校。文理学校的学生占中学生总人数的4%。 现代中学 就读的学生人数很少（约
私立学校与英国“公学”Private Education and “Public Schools” in Britain
Seven percent of British school Most public schools are single-sexed children go to private schools called schools taking boys from the age of independent schools. There are about thirteen to eighteen years, although in 2,4000 independent schools and they recent years girls have been allowed to have been growing in number and join the sixth forms of boy‘s schools. popularity since the mid-1980s. The most eminent ones, are called by The independent school sector is the name of the town or village in which separate from the state educational they are situated. The four most famous system. Parents of pupils attending of all are Eton College, Harrow School, independent schools pay for their Winchester College and Rugby School. education, and in some cases fees can Originally, many public schools amount to several thousand pounds a stressed a classical education, character year. Some pupils gain scholarships and training and sports, but the curriculum is their expenses are covered by the now closely allied to state education. schools. In Northern Ireland there are a few About 250 of the larger independent independent fee-paying schools catering schools are called ―public schools‖ and for a very small proportion of the school they have a long history and tradition. population; they do not receive any Children of wealthy or aristocratic support from public funds. families often go to the same public School in Scotland supported by school as their parents and their public funds are also called ―public grandparents. schools‖ but they are not fee-paying,
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independent schools.
7%的英国小孩进入私立学校即独立学校念书。全英现有约2400间独立学校。自20世纪80年代中以来独立学校越来越多，也越来越流行。 独立学校是独立于公立教育系统的。家长们要付费，有时候学费甚至会达每年几千英镑之多。某些学生可以拿奖学金，他们费用则由学校支付。 约250所较大的独立学校被称作“公学”，它们有悠长的历史和传统。富人和贵族子弟通常入读他们的父母和祖父母的母校。
大多数公学是只招收13到18岁男孩的男校。不过，近年来女孩也允许入读该男校的六年级（相当于中国的高三）。
资料链接
伊顿公学 Eton College
Eton, which was founded in 1440s, is said to have been the first grammar school to be called a ―public school‖ because scholars could come to it fro any part of England and not, as was generally the case, just from the immediate neighborhood.
哈洛公学Harrow School
Founded in 1572, Harrow School is one of Britain‘s leading independent schools, providing a high quality boarding school education for boys. The school combines academic excellence with an outstanding range of opportunities beyond the classroom. In 2003, Harrow School achieved great results in A-level exams: a 100%pass rate, 60%A‘s and average grades of three A‘s, while one in five sixth formers have achieved entry to either Oxford of Cambridge University.
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最著名的几间公学的名字来源于学校所在的城镇或村庄，其中以伊顿公学、哈洛公学、温彻斯特和拉格比公学最广为人知。
起初，许多公学特别注重古典教育、性格塑造和体育运动，但是现在它们的课程设置已经跟公立教育很接近了。
在北爱尔兰，只有少数独立的付费学校，招收很少一部分学生；它们没有得到公共基金的支持。
苏格兰公共资金支持的学校也叫“公学”，但是它们不是付费的独立学校。
伊顿公学建于1440年，据说是第一间被称作“公学”的文理学校，因为那里的学生不仅仅来自附近地区，还来自全英格兰。
哈洛公学建于1572年，是英国最著名的独立学校之一。它为男孩子们提供高质量的寄宿教育。该公学把高学术水平和著名的课余生活结合在一起。在2003年，哈洛公学在“高级普通教育证书”（简称A—level）的考试中成绩瞩目：100%通过率，60%的报考科目得A，平均每名学生的成绩是三个A；五分之一的六年级学生顺利升入牛津或剑桥大学。