A cold welcome(L9)

On Wednesday evening, we went to the Town Hall. It was the last day of the year and a large crowd of people had gathered under the Town Hall clock.

周三晚上，我们去了市政厅。那天是这年最后一天，一大群人聚集在市政厅的大钟之下。

PS: Town hall, 城镇大厅，市政厅

It would strike twelve in twenty minutes' time. Fifteen minutes passed and then, at five to twelve, the clock stopped. The big minute hand did not move.

这台大钟会在12分钟之内敲12下。然而15分钟过去了，距离12点还有5分钟的时候，这台钟停了。巨大的分针悬挂着，不走了。

We waited and waited, but nothing happened. Suddenly someone shouted. 'It's two minutes past twelve! The clock has stopped!' I looked at my watch.

我们等啊等，但什么也没发生。突然某人大喊，"已经12点零2分啦！大钟停啦！"我于是看了看我的表。

It was true. The big clock refused to welcome the New Year. At that moment, everybody began to laugh and sing.

果然是真的。这台钟拒绝迎接新年。这时候，每个人才开始欢笑并且唱歌。

知识点：

时间的表示：past and to

past，几点过几分，常用于每小时前三十分钟，比如3：10，ten past three，3点过10分

to，差几分到几点，常用于每小时后三十分钟，比如3：50，,ten to four，差10分钟到4点

quarter: 1/4小时，15分钟，比如3:15, quarter past three, 或者three fifteen

half: 半小时，30分钟，比如3:30，half past three, 或者three thirty