大本钟，我想你们一定耳熟能详了！根据最近的一项调查，大本钟是英国最受游客欢迎的旅行目的地，也是伦敦最有标志性的地标建筑。不过，你了解它多少呢？你熟悉它的历史故事和有关数据吗？有些很有趣的事情我想你应该知道，今天就让我当回你们的大本钟导游吧！
先从名字说起吧。大部分习惯用大本钟指代那口钟和那座塔，事实上大本钟指的是最大的那口钟（在塔的内部还有其他四个小点的、没有名字的钟）。我开始也是这样搞错的！‘Big Ben’这个名字起初到底是怎么来的已经无从知晓了。一些人认为它是以一位英国工程师和政治家本杰明-豪尔（个儿很高）命名的，另一些人认为它是以一位重量级拳击手本杰明-康特命名，这位英国佬在当年大本钟在伦敦掀起广泛争议的时候赢得了一场锦标赛。大本钟的真名其实叫做‘伊丽莎白塔’，这是在2012年继‘钟塔’之后重新命名的。不过呢‘大本钟’这个昵称现在显然更好记流传更广（就像‘小蛮腰’之于广州塔，‘大裤衩’之于央视新大楼。。。）
这口大钟有2.28米高（7英尺多），2.75米宽（9英尺）。是的你没看错，钟的宽度大于高度！它重约13.5吨，差不多是一头大象那么重！这口大钟坐落的这座塔呢叫做‘钟塔’，高约97米。是花了34年才建造完成的。如果你想登顶的话，它一共有334级台阶。不过这项登顶任务只有极少数幸运的人才能实现，因为想要预约内部参观的话太难了。你可以选择在网上观看大本钟的介绍视频，或者在英国国会的官网上进行虚拟参观，看看大本钟在这口钟背后的另一面。
可以想象，维护大本钟和钟塔是一项庞大的工程，需要很多人齐心协力。一些钟表工程师和大钟的所有者（大老板）需要不间断地确保大本钟报时精准，并且在夏令时来临时重置时间。他们每周给大本钟上发条三次，并进行内部维护，因为大本钟里面维持夜间照明的灯泡每隔一段时间也要重置。每五年，还有一个特别小组需要完成一项特别任务：给大本钟洗澡。只能用清水和肥皂，清洗大本钟的四面脸。他们需要极度小心不要破坏了那些玻璃，还要掌握好姿势平衡如何搞定这口155岁高龄的世界知名的大钟。
现在你知道为什么大本钟那么宝贝、并且为何我们引以为豪了吧！有机会去伦敦的话一定要去看看大本钟，我肯定你一定会爱上它和这座城市的！
I guess all of you must have heard of Big Ben. According to a recent survey, Big Ben is the UK’s most popular tourist attraction and London’s most famous landmark. However, what else do you know about it? Are you familiar with its history, facts and figures? There are some interesting facts you ought to know, so I will be your tour guide today and I hope you will enjoy your journey.
Let’s start with the name. Most people use it to refer to the clock and the tower, but actually Big Ben is the name of the largest bell (there are four other nameless smaller bells inside the tower). Don’t worry, that was what I initially thought too! The origin of the name ‘Big Ben’ remains uncertain. Some believe that the tower was named after civil engineer and politician Benjamin Hall, who was very tall, while others believe it was named after heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt, an Englishman who won a tournament in the year the tower was at the center of a great debate in London. The real name of the tower is ‘the Elizabeth Tower’, after it has been renamed in 2012 from ‘the Clock Tower’. However, the name ‘Big Ben’ stuck since the nickname is much more recognisable than its real name.
The bell is 2.28 meters tall (just over 7 feet), and 2.75 meters wide (9 feet). Yes, you are right! The bell is wider than is tall! It weighs about 13 and a half tons, about the same as an elephant. The tower where Big Ben sits in is called ‘the Clock Tower’ and is 97 meters tall, took 34 years to build, and has 334 steps, which you would have to climb if you were to reach the top. The latter will be a difficult task to achieve, as only the very lucky people can arrange a visit. However, most people can watch a video on the internet, or take a virtual tour at the Parliament website and see the Clock Tower behind the clock face.
As you can imagine, looking after the Clock Tower and Big Ben itself is a big job and requires a whole team of people. Several clock engineers and the Keeper of the Great Clock (the big boss) are required to work constantly to ensure the clock keeps correct time and is reset for Daylight Saving Time. They wind the clock three times a week, and are responsible for the maintenance of the clock, as every so often those light bulbs which illuminate the faces at night have to be replaced. There also is a special team required about every five years to complete a very unique task. Their job is to wash, with soap and water only, the four faces of the clock. They have to be extremely careful not to break the glass, or to lean on the hands of this over 155 years old world-famous tower.
So there you have it. Now you know what makes Big Ben precious and why we are so fascinated by it! So make sure you visit it while you are in London, as I am sure you will enjoy the visit of this.
看了这篇文章对大本钟有没有更深的了解呢？对英国是不是也有更多的了解了呢？希望读完本文以后能对你有所帮助！
