在光明消逝之前（初级）

在今天这期节目开始前，你会听到一些广告，正是这些广告让我能靠做这个节目谋生。不过如果你愿意支持我，又不想听广告，我也完全理解。

Before today's episode you're going to hear some advertisements which help make it possible for me to do this as my job, but if you want to support me and would rather not hear adverts I completely understand.

你可以试试 EasyStoriesInEnglish 的高级版。

You should try EasyStoriesInEnglish premium.

高级版意味着更多专属内容，加入后你不仅能无广告收听所有节目，还能获得额外的福利，比如更多故事和对话类播客。

Premium means extra special and by joining you not only get all the episodes without adverts but also extra special bonus content like extra stories and conversational podcasts.

直接访问 easystoriesinenglish.com/supportsupport，即可开始你的七天免费试用。

Just go to easystoriesinenglish.com/supportsupport to start your seven day free trial.

如果你是在 Apple 播客上收听，只要在节目列表顶部点击‘免费试用’就能加入。

If you're listening on Apple podcasts just click try free at the top of the episode list to join.

接下来，让我们听听赞助商的消息。

And now a word from our sponsors.

别人说英语太快的时候，你是不是觉得很难听懂？

Is it hard for you to understand English when people speak fast?

我是 Connor，来自《Listening Time》播客，我的目标就是帮你更好地理解英语。

I'm Connor from the Listening Time Podcast, and my goal is to help you understand English better.

所以我才做了《Listening Time》这个播客，专门帮助英语学习者自然地提升听力。

That's why I created Listening Time, a podcast designed to help English learners improve their listening naturally.

每期节目里，我会用缓慢清晰的语速，聊聊旅行、美国文化这类不同的话题，还会提供完整的文字稿，让你看到我说的每一个词。

In each episode, I talk slowly and clearly about a different topic like travel or US culture, and I give you the transcript that shows every word that I say.

《Listening Time》是帮你更好理解英语的绝佳工具。

Listening Time is the perfect tool to help you understand English better.

《Listening Time》这个播客在所有主流平台都能找到。

The Listening Time podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

真相虽然刺耳，但谎言却能撕裂时间本身。

The truth hurts, but lies can break time itself.

我们的过去，往往藏着最深的秘密。

Often our past contains the deepest secrets of all.

继续听下去，慢慢提升你的英语。

Keep listening to learn English.

你好，亲爱的英语学习者们，欢迎来到《EasyStoriesInEnglish》，这个能帮你把英语从还行提升到不错，再从不错带到出色的播客。

Hello, my lovely learners, and welcome to EasyStoriesInEnglish, the podcast that will take your English from okay to good and from good to great.

我是阿里尔·古德贝迪，这档节目的主持人。

I am Ariel Goodbody, your host for this show.

今天的故事是初级水平的，名叫《在光灭之前》。

Today's beginner level story is called Before the Light Dies.

和往常一样，文本和PDF版都可以在 easystoriesinenglish.com 上找到，链接也在简介里。

As always, the transcript and PDF are available at easy stories in english dot com and you can find the link in the description.

好了。

Okay.

我先解释一下今天故事里的一些词。

I'll just explain some words that are in today's story.

钟表匠就是做钟表的人。

A clockmaker is someone who makes clocks.

就是那种挂在墙上，滴答、滴答、滴答响的东西，你懂吧？

You know those things that sit on the wall and go tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock?

那种东西就叫钟。

Those are clocks.

过去，在工厂出现之前，钟表的制作非常复杂。

In the past, before factories, clocks were very complicated to make.

瑞士钟表至今仍然很昂贵，瑞士钟表匠必须学习很长时间。

Swiss clocks are still very expensive and Swiss clockmakers have to study a long time.

你的祖先，就是很久以前去世的家族成员。

Your ancestor, a n c e s t o r, is a relative, a family member who lived a long time before you.

有些人对家谱特别感兴趣，也就是研究家族历史，他们会花很多功夫去查清自己的祖先是谁。

Some people are very interested in genealogy, the study of family history and do lots of research to find out who their ancestors were.

比如说，你的曾曾祖父就是你的祖先。

So for example, your great great great grandfather is your ancestor.

我奶奶以前总说：‘哎呀，我们跟罗伯特·布鲁斯是亲戚呢。’

My grandmother used to always say, oh, well, we are related to Robert the Bruce.

罗伯特·布鲁斯是一位重要的苏格兰国王。

Robert the Bruce was an important Scottish king.

所以她一直为罗伯特·布鲁斯是我们祖先这件事感到特别自豪。

So she used to be very proud of the fact that Robert the Bruce was one of our ancestors.

但其实，我们家有个人去查了，发现我们的祖先不是罗伯特·布鲁斯，而是他哥哥。

But actually, one of our family members looked into it and it's not Robert the Bruce who is our ancestor but his brother.

所以你看，真相就是这样。

So there you go.

当你修理某样东西的时候，就是把它修好或者补好。

When you repair something, r e p a I r, you fix it or mend it.

简单说，就是把坏的东西重新弄回能用的状态。

Basically, you take something broken and make it good again.

过去人们经常自己修车，现在大多数人都是把车送去修理厂，让别人来修。

In the past, people often repaired their own cars, but now people often go to a garage and have other people repair their cars.

如果你和伴侣经常吵架，然后对方突然不理你了，那你们可能就得好好修复一下关系了。

If you fight a lot with your partner and then your partner stops talking to you, you might need to repair the relationship.

如果你禁止某件事，就是让它变得不被允许。

If you ban something, b a n, then you make it so it is not allowed.

要下禁令，你得有足够的权力才行。

You have to have a lot of power to ban something.

比如，也许你的办公室禁止吸烟，是你老板下令禁止在办公室吸烟的，所以你现在不能在那里抽烟。

For example, maybe smoking is banned in your office, your boss banned smoking in the office and now you can't smoke in the office.

现在在英国和许多国家，大多数建筑物里都禁止吸烟。

Well, now in The UK and in many countries, smoking is banned in most buildings.

另一件可能被禁止的事情是在考试时跳舞，我觉得这很荒谬，因为跳舞其实能帮你考得更好。

Another thing that might be banned is dancing during an exam, which I think is silly because dancing can really help you do better in your exam.

下次你参加雅思考试时，不妨试试看。

Try it the next time you do IELTS.

学徒是指正在学习某项特定技能的人。

An apprentice a p p r e n t I c e is someone who is learning to do a specific job.

学徒会向一位精通这项工作的人学习，并在工作中得到对方的帮助。

The apprentice learns from someone very good at that job and they help them with the work.

比如，一位厨师可能会带一个学徒，教他做饭；一位钟表匠也可能带一个学徒，教他制作钟表。

For example, a chef, a cook might have an apprentice who they teach to cook or a clockmaker might have an apprentice who they teach to make clocks.

通常来说，学徒在熟练掌握这项工作之前，收入都会比较低。

Usually an apprentice makes less money until they have learned to do the job well.

所以本质上，他们一边工作一边学习。

So essentially they are working and studying at the same time.

齿轮，g-e-a-r，是机器里的一个部件。

A gear, g e a r, is a part of a machine.

齿轮是带齿的小圆片，通常由金属制成。

Gears are small circles with teeth, and gears are usually made of metal.

齿轮彼此相邻安装，一个齿轮转动时，另一个也会跟着转。

Gears sit next to other gears, and when one gear turns, the other gear turns with it.

齿轮在机器里用来同时带动多个部件运转。

Gears are used in machines to move lots of parts at the same time.

当你赶时间，r-u-s-h，就是动作太快了。

When you rush, r u s h, you move too quickly.

如果你睡过头没听到闹钟，就得赶紧出门，不然上班要迟到了。

If you sleep through your alarm, you might have to rush or you'll be late for work.

如果总是赶时间，只会让自己越来越紧张。

If you're always rushing, you'll make yourself stressed.

但有时候你确实得赶一赶。

Sometimes you need to rush though.

比如，如果你赶着去机场，而航班马上就要起飞，你就得赶紧过安检，再冲到登机口。

For example, if you're late to the airport and your flight is going very soon, you'll need to rush through security and rush to the gate.

符号，S-Y-M-B-O-L，是一种代表其他事物的图案或形状。

A symbol, SYMBOL, is a picture or a shape that represents something else.

比如，十字架就是耶稣基督和基督教的象征。

For example, the cross is the symbol of Jesus Christ and Christianity.

所以很多基督教教堂里都有十字架，因为它象征着耶稣基督。

So many Christian churches have crosses in them because it is a symbol of Jesus Christ.

表情符号是具有多种含义的符号。

Emojis are symbols that have lots of different meanings.

比如，心形表情符号代表爱，但也可能表示‘我爱你’。

For example, the heart emoji is the symbol for love, but it can also mean I love you.

日记，D-I-A-R-Y，是你记录内心感受的本子，也就是你的个人日记。

A diary, d I a r y, is a book you write your feelings in, your journal.

有些人每天都会写日记，记录当天做过的事情。

Some people write a diary every day and in their diary they write what they did that day.

有些人只用日记来记重要事项，比如约好的安排。

Some people only use a diary to write about important things like when they have appointments.

我经常写日记，记录自己的想法。

I journal, write in a diary quite often.

诚实就是说实话，不骗人。

Honesty means being honest, telling the truth.

如果你总是说真话，那你就是个诚实的人。

If you tell the truth, then you are an honest person.

但如果你撒谎，那就是不诚实。

But if you tell lies, then you are dishonest.

比如，你向朋友借了十英镑，几个月后他问你还钱。

For example, maybe you borrow 10 pounds off your friends and then months later your friend asks for the 10 pounds back.

你却说：我只借了五英镑啊。

Then you say, but I only borrowed five pounds.

那样就太不诚实了。

That would be dishonest.

你在说谎。

You are telling a lie.

你明明借了十镑，却说只借了五镑。

You are saying that you borrowed five pounds when actually you borrowed 10 pounds.

诚实非常重要。

Honesty is very important.

我们都希望生活在一个诚实的社会和世界里。

We want to live in an honest society and an honest world.

我是这么想的。

Well, I do.

也许你希望生活在一个人人都说谎的世界里。

Maybe you want to live in a world where everyone lies.

那是你的选择。

That's your business.

当你知道一些别人不知道的事，你就有了一个秘密，S-e-c-r-e-t。

When you know something that other people don't know, you have a secret, S e c r e t.

比如，你看到你妹妹没写作业，可她却对妈妈说她写完了。

For example, maybe you saw that your sister didn't do her homework, but she told your mother that she did her homework.

她有个秘密——其实没写作业，而这个秘密你都知道。

She has a secret that she didn't actually do her homework and you know her secret.

不过，秘密通常没这么简单。

Usually secrets are more important than that.

比如，有人偷了东西，然后对谁都不说。

For example, someone might steal something and keep it a secret from everyone.

如果某个秘密特别重要，我们就会说这是个深藏的秘密。

If a secret is very important, we can say it is a deep secret.

我最深的秘密是‘boop’。

My deepest secret is boop.

哦，看来你永远都不会知道了。

Oh, I guess you'll never know.

好的。

Okay.

仔细听，好好感受。

So listen and enjoy.

在天黑之前。

Before the light dies.

从前有个钟表匠。

Once there was a clockmaker.

他是全天下最厉害的钟表匠。

This clockmaker was the best clockmaker in all the land.

他做的钟表美得惊人，人们都觉得他准是用了魔法。

He made clocks that were so beautiful, people thought he must use magic.

有一天，国王召见了这位钟表匠。

One day, the king asked the clockmaker to visit him.

钟表匠心里很紧张。

The clockmaker was nervous.

他以前从没去见过国王。

He had never been to see the king before.

国王虽然买他的钟，但平时从不叫他亲自去宫里。

The king bought clocks from the clockmaker, but normally, the king never asked the clockmaker to go and see him.

国王邀请你，你哪能推辞啊，于是钟表匠就去见了国王。

Well, you can't say no when the king invites you somewhere, so the clockmaker went to see the king.

我听说你是全国最厉害的钟表匠，”国王说。

I hear you are the best clockmaker in all the land, said the king.

我想让你看看这个。

Well, I want you to look at this.

国王给他看了一座钟。

The king showed him a clock.

这座钟很漂亮，但已经坏了。

The clock was beautiful, but it was broken.

这座钟是我祖先留下的，”国王说。

This clock belonged to an ancestor of mine, said the king.

我听说这是一块有魔力的钟。

I have been told that it is a magical clock.

它能在夜里亮得像星星一样。

It can shine as bright as a star in the night sky.

如果你能修好它，那就完美了。

If you could repair this clock, it would be perfect.

我特别喜欢家族的历史，真希望能看到这钟发出美丽的光芒。

I love family history, and I would so love to see the beautiful shine of this clock.

钟表匠明白了国王真正想修好钟的原因。

The clockmaker understood why the king really wanted the clock repaired.

最近，国内的人们开始对国王产生怀疑。

Recently, people in the land had started to doubt the king.

他接连打了败仗，去年还闹了大饥荒，那会儿全国都缺粮食。

He was losing wars and last year there was a terrible famine, a time when there was very little food in the land.

很多人挨了饿，也有不少人因此去世了。

Many people had gone hungry and many people had died.

所以人们开始怀疑国王。

So they doubted the king.

他们说，也许他不是真正的国王，万一出现一个更称职的君主呢。

They said that maybe he was not the true king and if someone came along who was a better king.

因此，国王希望修好这座钟，因为这台神奇的钟能证明他是正统的君主。

So the king wanted the clock repaired because this magical clock would show that he was the true king.

它能显示他的家族世代为王的传承。

It would show that his family had been kings for generations.

它能证明他既强大又聪慧。

It would show that he was strong and clever.

它能展示他拥有一座无比精美的时钟。

It would show that he had a very beautiful clock.

当然，陛下，钟表匠说。

Of course, your majesty, said the clockmaker.

我会尽全力把它修好。

I will work very hard to repair it.

于是，钟表匠带着那座坏掉的钟回到了自己的作坊。

And so the clockmaker took the broken clock and went back to his workshop.

那时候，大多数钟表制作都不靠魔法。

In those days, most clockmaking was done without magic.

国王的父亲讨厌魔法，曾下令在全国禁止使用魔法。

The king's father had hated magic, and he had banned magic from the land.

钟表匠曾经有个年轻学徒，特别喜欢用魔法。

The clockmaker had once had a young apprentice who loved using magic.

那学徒在魔法方面非常在行。

The apprentice was very good at magic.

钟表匠试过禁止学徒使用魔法，可学徒还是偷偷地用。

The clockmaker tried banning his apprentice from using magic, but the apprentice used magic in secret.

最后，钟表匠把学徒打发去了东方的一个国家。

So finally, the clockmaker sent the apprentice away to a country in the East.

那是个艰难的决定，但他现在尽量不去想这件事。

That had been a very hard decision But he tried not to think about that now.

他专心修理这座钟。

He focused on repairing the clock.

他也不清楚钟为什么会坏，只好一个个尝试不同的办法。

He was not sure why it was broken, so he needed to try lots of things.

他先换掉了钟里的齿轮。

First, he replaced the gears of the clock.

他发现这些齿轮是用假金做的。

He noticed that the gears were made with fake gold.

说不定有人把真金齿轮拆走，换上了假的。

Maybe someone had taken the gold gears out and replaced them with fake gold gears.

以前黄金很贵，人们常从旧钟里拆下黄金拿去卖。

In the past, gold was very expensive, and people would take gold out of old clocks to sell it.

如果这是一座魔法钟，可能非得用真金才能运转。

If this was a magical clock, it might need real gold to work.

于是钟匠把假金齿轮换成了真金的。

So the clockmaker replaced the fake gold gears with real gold.

钟开始滴答作响，还发出光芒。

The clock started ticking, and it began to shine.

但钟走得太快了。

But the clock ticked too fast.

钟表匠一出门，就发现镇上所有人都在匆忙赶路。

When the clockmaker went outside, he saw that all the people in the town were rushing.

钟走得快，人也跟着急匆匆的。

Just as the clock was ticking too fast, the people were moving too fast.

他们到处奔忙，做每件事都急不可耐。

They rushed everywhere, doing everything too quickly.

国王也一样，行色匆匆。

The king also rushed.

他催促王后赶紧准备。

He told his wife, the queen, to get ready more quickly.

他还说她说话太慢了。

He told her that she was speaking too slowly.

他还说她吃饭太慢了。

He told her that she was eating too slowly.

可想而知，女王并不高兴。

Well, as you can imagine, the queen was not happy.

钟表匠听说后，意识到得换个办法了。

When the clockmaker heard about this, he knew he had to try something else.

女王的事让钟表匠开始思考钟面上的装饰。

The problems with the queen made the clockmaker think about the decorations on the clock.

钟的外表有很多精美的装饰。

The clock had lots of beautiful decorations on the outside.

上面有很多玫瑰图案。

There were many rose decorations.

玫瑰是以前一位女王的象征。

Roses were the symbol of one of the past queens.

但那位女王做过很多坏事，最终被驱逐出了王国。

But that queen had done some very bad things, and she was sent away from the land.

如果这是一块魔法钟，上面还刻着那位坏女王的标志，那它出问题可能就是因为这个。

If this was a magical clock and it had the symbols of a bad queen on it, maybe that was why it was working badly.

要是钟表匠把标志换掉，说不定钟就能正常走了。

If the clockmaker changed the symbols, maybe the clock would work better.

于是钟表匠把所有玫瑰图案都拆了下来。

So the clockmaker took off all the roses.

他换上了天鹅的图案。

He replaced them with swans.

天鹅是现任女王的象征。

Swans were the symbol of the current queen.

钟表的光芒变亮了，滴答声也变了，但这回它走得又太慢了。

The clock shone brighter and its ticking changed, but this time it ticked too slowly.

第二天，钟表匠出门去买吃的，可到了市场却发现一个人影都没有。

The next day the clockmaker went outside to buy food, but in the market he found no people.

所有人都待在家里睡觉。

Everyone was at home sleeping.

钟走得慢，人也跟着慢了下来。

Just as the clock ticked too slowly, the people moved too slowly.

大家都躺着睡觉、放松，没人干活儿。

Everyone was sleeping and relaxing and nobody was working.

钟表匠这才意识到，这问题可不小。

This was a big problem, the clockmaker realized.

国王正和西方的国家打仗。

The king was at war with the country to the West.

要是国王的军队都在睡觉，敌军从西边杀过来，他们可就全完了。

If the king's army was sleeping, the other army might come from the West and kill them all.

幸运的是，西方的军队也慢得像蜗牛。

Fortunately, the western army also moved slowly.

三天后，传来消息说两边军队都在睡觉，钟表匠这才松了口气。

Three days later, news came that the two armies were both asleep and the clockmaker could relax.

但他还是得赶紧把钟修好。

Still, he needed to repair the clock, and he needed to repair it fast.

钟表匠决定去了解那位制造这台神奇钟表的原始钟表匠是谁。

The clockmaker decided to learn about the original clockmaker, the man who made this magic clock.

他去问国王是谁造了这钟，但国王也不知道。

He asked the king who had made the clock, but the king didn't know.

于是他去了图书馆，翻阅了大量书籍。

So he went to the library and read many books.

最后，他得知那位原始钟表匠早已被驱逐出这片土地。

Finally, he learned that the original clockmaker had been sent away from the land.

他不清楚为什么那人会被赶走，但他觉得这背后一定有重要原因。

He didn't know why the original clockmaker had been sent away, but he thought that it must be important.

那位原始钟表匠已经去世，但他留下了一个玄孙女。

The original clockmaker was dead, but he had a great, great granddaughter.

钟表匠决定去拜访这位玄孙女。

The clockmaker decided to go and visit the original clockmaker's great, great granddaughter.

这位玄孙女住在国王正在交战的西方国家。

The great great granddaughter lived in the country that the king was at war with, the country to the west.

去那里旅行非常艰难，路途也很遥远，而且因为钟的魔力，一切都变得缓慢无比。

It was very difficult to travel there and it was a long journey And because of the clock's magic, everything moved slowly.

连马都走得特别慢。

Even the horses moved slowly.

于是钟表匠下了马，开始步行。

So the clockmaker got off his horse and walked.

他走过静止的马匹和人群，穿过一座座城镇和城市，那里所有人都在沉睡。

He walked past horses and people, and he walked through towns and cities where everyone was asleep.

最终，钟表匠找到了那位曾曾孙女。

Finally, the clockmaker found the great great granddaughter.

他向她打听关于那座钟的事。

He asked her about the clock.

我有我祖先的日记，

I have my ancestor's diary, she said.

让我找找看。

Let me find it.

她拿出了祖先的日记。

She pulled out her ancestor's diary.

钟表匠仔细读了下去。

The clockmaker read through it.

字迹很难认，因为书写风格变了，但他很擅长读这种老式写法。

It was hard to read because the style of writing had changed, but he was good at reading the old style of writing.

他发现，这座钟需要诚实。

He learned that the clock needed honesty.

如果钟的主人不诚实，钟的光就会熄灭。

If the owner of the clock was dishonest, then the clock's light would die.

事情果然就是这样发生的。

That is exactly what happened.

曾经拥有这座钟的国王，总是把钟揣在口袋里。

The king who had owned the clock always kept the clock in his pocket.

他深爱着王后，但随着王后年老，他渐渐觉得她不再美丽了。

He loved his wife, the queen, but as his wife got older, he stopped thinking she was beautiful.

他妻子问他是不是还觉得她漂亮，他每次都回答是。

His wife asked if he still thought she was beautiful, and he always said yes.

这不过是个小谎而已。

That would be just a small lie.

还没大到能让钟表熄灭的程度。

It wasn't a big enough lie to break the clock.

但国王的不诚实远不止于夸赞王后的美貌。

But the king wasn't just dishonest about the queen's beauty.

他心里藏着一个更深的秘密。

He had a much deeper secret.

国王不仅爱女人，也爱男人。

The king did not only love women, but also men.

随着妻子日渐年老、容颜褪去，国王也开始与其他女人和男人有染。

And as his wife got older and less beautiful, the king began to sleep with other women and men too.

每次王后问起，他都撒谎，而这次，是个大谎。

Every time the queen asked him about it, he lied, and this was a big lie.

每次国王说谎，钟表的光就暗淡一分。

Every time the king lied, the light of the clock died a little.

终于，钟表的光彻底熄灭了，钟也坏了。

Finally, the clock's light went out, and the clock broke.

那时候，知道钟表有魔力的，只有国王和钟表匠。

At that time, the only people who knew about the clock's magic were the king and the clockmaker.

如果王后发现了这钟的奥秘，她就会明白丈夫一直在骗她，还会知道他不仅和其他女人有染，或许也和男人有往来。

If the queen found out about the magic, then she would know her husband had lied to her, and she would know that her husband had slept with other women and perhaps with men too.

国王担心钟表匠会把这事告诉王后，于是决定除掉他。

The king thought the clockmaker might tell the queen about the magic, and so he decided to have the clockmaker killed.

但在钟表匠被杀之前，他逃走了。

But before the clockmaker could be killed, he escaped.

他逃到了西方的另一个国家，知道自己再也回不来了。

He escaped to the other country in the West, and he knew he could never come back.

钟表的修复方法，只有一种，

There is only one way to repair the clock, said the great great granddaughter.

求你了，”钟表匠说，“告诉我吧。

Please, said the clockmaker, tell me.

你得告诉它一个别人不知道的真相。

You must tell it a truth that nobody else knows.

你得把内心最深的秘密告诉这个钟。

You must give the clock your deepest secret.

钟表匠简直不敢相信。

The clockmaker couldn't believe it.

他只是个普通人，根本没有那么深的秘密。

He was a simple man, and he had no deep secrets.

不过，他还是向那位女士道了谢，然后回家了。

Still, he thanked the woman and went home.

在漫长的回家路上，钟表匠一直在想：一个别人不知道的真相……

During the long journey home, the clockmaker thought, a truth that nobody else knew.

他根本没有什么这样的秘密。

He didn't have any secrets like that.

但慢慢地，他开始回顾自己的一生。

But slowly, he started thinking through his life.

渐渐地，他意识到自己其实藏着一个秘密。

Slowly, he realized that there was a secret.

这个秘密太深了，连他自己都没察觉过。

In fact, it was such a deep secret that he didn't even know it himself.

可读了那位老钟表匠的日记后，他终于看清了这个隐藏的真相。

But reading the diary of the old clockmaker had shown him his own secret.

回到家后，钟表匠把钟抱上了床。

When the clockmaker came home, he took the clock into bed with him.

他紧紧抱着它，轻声说：我爱过他。

He held it close to his heart and he said, I loved him.

因为他曾经爱过那个多年前在他店里当学徒的年轻人，他爱着那个孩子，可他又害怕爱，所以把那孩子打发去了东方。

Because he had loved him, the young apprentice who had worked for the Clockmaker all those years ago, he had loved the apprentice, and he was scared of love, so he had sent the young man away to the East.

这么多年来，他一直把这个真相瞒着自己。

All these years, he had kept the truth a secret from himself.

钟开始发出更明亮的光。

The clock began to shine more brightly.

光芒太强了，钟表匠根本不敢直视。

It shone so brightly that the clockmaker couldn't look at it.

他只好把它放在床边的抽屉里。

He had to put it in a drawer by his bed.

第二天，钟表匠去市场，一切又恢复了正常，不快不慢。

The next day, the clockmaker went to the market, and everything was back to normal, not too fast and not too slow.

人们买菜卖货，说说笑笑。

People were buying and selling food, talking and laughing.

钟修好了。

The clock was repaired.

于是钟表匠带着钟去见国王。

So the clockmaker brought the clock to the king.

钟在这儿，他说。

Here it is, he said.

真漂亮。

It is beautiful.

但你得小心，别在它面前乱说话。

But you must be careful what you say around it.

带着这钟的时候，别说谎，哪怕是一点小谎也不行。

Do not tell lies when you are carrying this clock, not even small lies.

你这话是什么意思？

What do you mean?

国王问。

Said the king.

可钟表匠已经走了。

But the clockmaker was already leaving.

他去牵了匹马，往东边去了。

He went and got on a horse and rode east.

他骑着马往东，去了当年派学徒去的那个地方。

He rode east to where he had sent the Apprentice all those years ago.

也许在钟表的光再次熄灭之前，他还能找到自己深爱的人。

Perhaps before the light of the clock died again, he could find the man he loved.

故事结束。

The end.

感谢你收听这个故事。

Thank you for listening to this story.

希望你喜欢这个故事。

I hope you enjoyed it.

你可能注意到了，我又回到了以前的做法：先介绍词汇，再讲故事，而不是像以前那样把故事讲两遍，中间穿插解释。

You might have noticed that I went back to the old format of stories where I introduced the vocabulary and then tell the story instead of telling the story twice with some explanations.

这次我特别用心，让故事的语法尽量简单，所以词汇量可能比通常的初级故事要多一些。

This time I focused really hard on keeping the grammar of the story simple, so it has maybe a bit more vocabulary than I would normally put in a beginner story.

我正在尝试各种不同的播客形式。

I'm kind of just experimenting with different formats for the podcast.

我做这个已经很久了，如果你当初是从零开始听的，现在大概已经达到中级或高级水平了。

I've been doing this for long enough now that if you started listening as a beginner, you're probably intermediate or advanced at this point.

所以我希望为这些年来一直忠实收听的朋友们保持新鲜感。

So I want to keep things interesting for people who have been listening faithfully all these years.

这个初级故事某种程度上是‘初级+’的版本，如果你想要更简单、更易懂的初级故事，可以回听之前几期节目。

So this beginner story is kind of like beginner plus in a way to get the really accessible beginner friendly stories, you can go back to earlier episodes of the podcast.

但我希望，即使你是第一次听这个播客，也能轻松听懂，而且觉得有趣。

But I hope this was still easy to understand and interesting if you are new to the podcast.

我原本打算把它写成中级或高级水平的故事，但其实用更低的水平来写难度不小，不过我觉得最终的故事效果还不错。

Originally, I was going to write this as an intermediate or advanced level story, but it was quite a challenge actually to write it at a lower level and I think the story still came out good.

我很想听听你们的想法。

I would love to hear your thoughts.

我对这一期节目特别满意。

I'm quite proud of this episode.

我觉得这是一个充满戏剧性和浪漫色彩的故事，我们已经有很长时间没在播客里讲过这样经典的爱情故事了。

I think it's a dramatic and romantic story, and we haven't had a good old love story on the podcast for quite a long time.

是时候再次打开心扉，跟我分享你们最深、最隐秘的心事了。

It's time to open up your hearts once again, and tell me all your deepest, darkest secrets.

给我发封邮件吧。

Send me an email.

留言告诉我你的秘密吧。

Leave me a comment and tell me your secrets.

当然，你也可以不这么做。

Or don't.

其实你不用非得这样。

You know, you don't have to do that.

如果你喜欢这期节目，又想看我书的纸质版，那就买一本《EasyStoriesInEnglish》吧。

But if you enjoyed this episode of the podcast and you want to read my books in a physical format, you should buy my book, EasyStoriesInEnglish.

去 easystoriesinenglish.com/book 查看所有购买信息。

Just go to easystoriesinenglish.com/book to find out all the information about where you can buy my books.

这本书收录了十个故事，分四个难度级别，我相信你一定会喜欢。

It's a collection of 10 stories in four levels and I think you'll really enjoy it.

好了，谢谢收听，再见。

Alright, thanks for listening and bye.