Words & Phrases
[L96P1 & L96P2]

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Lesson [L96P1]

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Translation[L96P1]

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Lesson [L96P2]

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Translation[L96P2]

Index10

English USA
Lesson 96, Part 2

  音 L96P2J.MP3[622KB]

 

HERMANN:

Do you like the sound of clocks?

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Yes, I do. They're comforting.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

They are. People my age grew up with clocks in the house. We had a large clock in our living room. My father brought it with him from Switzerland.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Do you have clocks in your home?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

Too many. My wife says we have too many.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

OK. First you make the clock.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

I put it together. I assemble it. 

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Right. That must take a lot of skill.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

In the beginning it was difficult. Now it's easy.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Then you make the case.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

Usually I work that way. First, I make the clock. Next, I make the case.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Tell me how you make the case.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

First, I select the wood.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

What kind of wood do you like?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

I use all kinds. For the clocks with chimes, I use hard woods.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Why is that?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

It sounds better. The hard woods make the chimes sound very nice. Soft woods make the chimes sound dull, uninteresting.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

What next?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

Then I measure everything. Next I cut the wood.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

What about the glass?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

That's next. I put the wood pieces together first. Then I cut the glass and fit it into the wooden case.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

And then you put the clock inside?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

Not yet. I have to finish the wood first. That's easier before I put the clock inside.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

I can't believe there are so many skills. You have to know so many things.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

That's right. I have to put the clock together.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

You have to be a skillful clockmaker.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

Then I have to make the case out of wood.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

You have to be a skillful wood worker.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

Next I have to cut the glass.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

That means you're a skillful glass cutter.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

Then I have to finish the wooden case.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Finally, you're a skillful wood finisher.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

Oh, not finally. It isn't done yet.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

There's more.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

I have to make sure that the clock runs properly.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Tell me about that.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

I can't correct the clock until it's finished. After I put it all together, I correct the clock.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

What does that mean?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

The clocks always run too fast or too slow. I have to correct them.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

That's another skill.

 

 

 

HERMANN:

It's not difficult. It usually takes a few days to get it right.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Why is that?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

I change it a little one day. Then I check it the next day. Then I change it a little more. Then the next day a little more, until it's correct.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

And they sound terrific.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Mr. Hermann, how many clocks do you have in this shop?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

I don't know. Probably three hundred.

 

 

 

MARTIN:

Are they all for sale?

 

 

 

HERMANN:

No, I like some of them too much. That's a problem, isn't it?

 

 

 

MARTIN:

I would want to keep them all. It takes unusual skill to make such beautiful clocks.

 

 

English USA L96P2J
Courtesy of Voice of America