A young man went to a mountain village for his holiday. One night he stayed at a small hotel near a train station.
Before going to bed, he went to the owner of the hotel and said to him, "Excuse me, sir, Will you please wake me up at half past four tomorrow morning? I'm going to take the five o'clock train tomorrow morning."
Oh, sorry, the owner said, "I am afraid I can't. I don't get up that early." The young man started to go back to his room when he stopped and asked, "Do you have an alarm clock? That would help me"
Yes, here it is, Youngman.
The young man took the clock happily and thanked the owner of the hotel. But when he looked at it carefully, there appeared to be something wrong with it.
Does it ring1 on time? the young man asked.
Sure! Just shake2it when it's time to get up, and it'll ring.
Notes:
1. ring 響鈴
2. shake 搖晃
一位小伙子去山村度假,晚上住在一家離火車站不遠(yuǎn)的小旅館里。睡覺(jué)之前,他找到旅館的老板,請(qǐng)求說(shuō):“打攪您了,請(qǐng)問(wèn)您可以在明晨四點(diǎn)半時(shí)叫醒我嗎?我要趕五點(diǎn)鐘的火車?!?
“真是抱歉,”老板說(shuō),“恐怕不行,那么早我起不來(lái)?!?
小伙子剛要回屋卻又轉(zhuǎn)身問(wèn)道:“請(qǐng)問(wèn)您有鬧鐘嗎?我可以靠它叫醒我?!?
“給,小伙子,拿去吧?!?
小伙子謝過(guò)老板,高興地接過(guò)鬧鐘。他仔細(xì)地看了看鬧鐘,總覺(jué)得有什么不對(duì)勁。
“請(qǐng)問(wèn)它能準(zhǔn)時(shí)響鈴嗎?”小伙子問(wèn)道。
“當(dāng)然!到了該起床的時(shí)間,你搖一搖它,它就響了?!?
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1656年,荷蘭科學(xué)家惠更斯應(yīng)用伽利略的等時(shí)性理論設(shè)計(jì)了鐘擺。第二年,在他的指導(dǎo)下,年輕鐘匠科斯特成功制造了第一個(gè)擺鐘。1675年,游絲取代了原始的鐘擺,于是出現(xiàn)了以發(fā)條為動(dòng)力、以游絲為調(diào)速裝置的小型鐘。