Richard Thomas, a professional clock maker living in London, came here specifically to hear Big Ben strike noon for the last time possibly for several years.
"It's very symbolic to everyone in Great Britain, but it's especially symbolic for people like me. I'm a member of the British Horological Institute. It's a very important organization for training clock makers and looking after them. My colleagues will be in the tower today, looking after the clock and stopping it to strike. So it's very symbolic for me," he told Xinhua.
"It is reasonable to shut down the strikes and the chimes for the safety of the people working in the tower, but perhaps not for four years," he added.
For many Britons, the four-year silence of the symbolic bell seems unacceptable. The Great Bell of Big Ben has chimed across London since July 11, 1859, and, though it has occasionally been halted for repair or maintenance, this will be the longest period of silence in the bell's history.
The initial announcement of Big Ben's four-year shutdown provoked angry headline news in national newspapers and an outcry from a number of politicians.
Even Prime Minister Theresa May intervened to question why the bells needed to be silenced until 2021, while Brexit Secretary David Davis joined the backlash saying stopping the chimes was "mad".
Heritage minister John Glen warned that silencing the clock could deter visitors and it should continue to bong for tourists at least once a week.
【国际英语资讯:Feature: Big Ben falls silent amid noise from angry politicians】相关文章:
★ 惠普吞下收购苦果
最新
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15