维修大本钟，大猩猩生子
Big Ben and gorilla surprise
today’s news stories:
今日新闻摘要：
London’s Big Ben to stop chiming for repairs
伦敦大本钟停止报时 进行维修
Gorilla surprise at Prague Zoo
布拉格动物园大猩猩生子 众人惊喜
fall silent
停止报时，静音
scaffolding
脚架
glimpse
匆匆一面
delivery
分娩，生产
Here in London, the chimes of Big Ben are going to fall silent next year
位于伦敦的大本钟明年将“静音沉默”，
because the famous parliamentary clock tower – the Elizabeth Tower – needs essential repairs.
这是因为著名的议会塔楼，也被称为伊利莎白塔，需要大规模的必要维修。
This sound has chimed almost uninterrupted for about 150 years but it's only going to be reserved for special occasions.
大本钟已经几乎连续不断地报时150年之久，但在维修期间除了特殊庆典以外，大本钟将停止运转。
It’s part of a project that’s going to cost more than $US40m.
整个维修工程将耗资4000多万美金。
The tower is going to be partially cladin scaffolding for about three years…
从明年开始，在接下来的三年内，
It’s part of a project that’s going to cost more than $US40m.
整个维修工程将耗资4000多万美金。
The tower is going to be partially cladin scaffolding for about three years…
从明年开始，在接下来的三年内，
the last significant repair work on Big Ben – that was more than 30 years ago.
塔楼外部部分区域会搭起脚架。大本钟最后一次接受大型维修工作是30多年前。
Let’s go to Prague Zoo, because visitors have had their first glimpse of this little baby gorilla.
让我们来布拉格动物园看看。游客们第一次看到了这只大猩猩幼崽。
Her birth took everyone by surprise.
她的降生让所有人出其不意。
Nobody had even noticed that her 24-year-old mum Shinda was pregnant.
此前，没有任何人注意到她24岁的妈妈辛达已怀孕。
Shinda had already had a number of miscarriages – being a little overweight she wasn’t expected to ever have a baby.
人们并没期待略有超重的辛达能有朝一日诞下幼崽，此前她还有过数次流产。
The delivery went well.
分娩过程很顺利。
She and her new-born baby are said to be doing very well.
据说，现在辛达和她的新生宝宝身体状况良好。