For the next four years the Big Ben will be silent. A restoration project will silence the Big Ben, which has marked the passage of time since the Victorian era. Crowds gathered around to hear its final set of bongs. The Big Ben is a constant presence in London daily life and all around the world as the broadcaster BBC uses the sound in two news bulletins each day. During World War II the sound of Big Ben gave hope to the troops and lifted the morale.
The restoration work comes in a time of upheavals with Brexit still going on. During the work the big clock will be dismantled piece by piece. Each cog will be examined and restored. That process alone is expected to take about two years. Some people were angry that the important landmark of London will be silent for so long. However, the process of starting and stopping the mechanism takes half a day. Furthermore, the clock is so loud it could permanently damage the workers hearing.
But there will be a temporary solution to allow the clock to chime on New Year´s Eve. And the main bell will be left alone despite a few cracks. Apparently those cracks are what give it its distinctive sound. But the tower itself, the clock mechanism and the faces show signs of aging. The metalwork is rusting, the roof is leaking and the masonry is cracking. The Big Ben was opened in 1859. This will be the fourth time the Big Ben fell silent due to maintenance.
silent (ˈsaɪlənt) – still, ruhig
restoration (ˌrestərˈeɪʃən) – die Restaurierung
to mark (mɑ:k) – etw kennzeichnen, markieren
passage (ˈpæsɪʤ) – das Voranschreiten
crowd (kraʊd) – die Zuschauermenge, (Menschen)menge
to gather (ˈgæðəʳ) – sich versammeln
news bulletin (nju:z ˈbʊlətɪn) – die Nachrichten
upheaval (ʌpˈhi:vəl) – der Aufruhr
to dismantle (dɪsˈmæntl̩) – etw zerlegen, demontieren
to examine (ɪgˈzæmɪn) – etw prüfen, untersuchen
to restore (rɪˈstɔ:ʳ) – etw wiederherstellen
landmark (lænd mɑ:k) – das Wahrzeichen
permanently (ˈpɜ:mənəntli) – standing, immer
temporary (ˈtempərəri) – zeitweilig, vorübergehend
solution (səˈlu:ʃən) – die Lösung
despite (dɪˈspaɪt) – trotz
apparently (əˈpærəntli) – hier: anscheinend
distinctive (dɪˈstɪŋ(k)tɪv) – charakteristisch, unverwechselbar
face (feɪs) – hier: das Ziffernblatt
to rust (rʌst) – rosten
to leak (li:k) – lecken, undicht sein
masonry (ˈmeɪsənri) – das Mauerwerk
maintenance (ˈmeɪntənən(t)s) – die Wartung, Instandhaltung