Ranging from the candle clock to the word clock， this instrument has been used to indicate， keep， and co-ordinate time， becoming an essential part of everyday life. Although nowadays clocks are mostly used to show time， they have also become the symbols of important cities， attracting thousands of tourists every year.

从蜡烛时钟到字时钟，时钟这一工具已经成为我们日常生活中必不可少的一部分，它告诉我们时间，记录并协调时间。虽然现在时钟主要用来报时，但有一些时钟已成为重要城市的标志，每年吸引成千上万的游客。

Spasskaya Tower Clock， Moscow， Russia

俄罗斯 莫斯科 斯帕斯卡亚塔钟

The Kremlin chiming clock is a historic clock placed in 1852 on the Spasskaya Tower Clock in Red District， Moscow. Major restoration of the chimes and the entire clock mechanism were carried along time， so now one can listen to Russias National Anthem while admiring the renovated Kremlin clock. The musical theme is played four times a day with six-hour intervals.

克里姆林宫的报时钟历史悠久，于1852年被安置在位于莫斯科红区的斯帕斯卡亚塔钟上，其报时装置以及整个时钟机械装置的主要修缮工作与时俱进，所以我们现在可以在观赏修葺一新的克里姆林宫时钟的同时聆听俄罗斯的国歌。这个音乐主题一天播放四次，每六小时播放一次。

Shepherd Gate Clock， Greenwich， UK

英国 格林尼治 谢泼德门钟

The Shepherd Gate Clock adorns the wall outside the gate of the Royal Greenwich Observatory building in Greenwich， London. This fine looking 24-hour clock whose divisions are marked with Roman numbers is famous as it provides the Greenwich Mean Time which is the standard measurement of time zones.

谢泼德门钟镶嵌在伦敦格林尼治的格林尼治皇家天文台门外的墙上。这座精美的24小时制时钟的刻度用罗马数字标示，所显示的时间被称为格林尼治标准时间，即各个时区的时间标准，这座钟也因此闻名世界。

The Abraj Al Bait Tower Clock， Mecca， Saudi Arabia

沙特阿拉伯 麦加 皇家钟塔

In Mecca， Saudi Arabia， one can easily find the Abraj Al-Bait Towers， also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower. Just imagine that the hotel tower is 601 meters tall （1972 feet）， no less than 120 floors. Believe it or not， the four-faced clock is visible from 25 kilometers （16 miles） away.

在沙特阿拉伯的麦加，你很容易就能发现这座皇家钟塔（又被称为“麦加皇家酒店钟塔”）。想象一下，这座酒店塔楼高601米（1972英尺），相当于120多层楼的高度。信不信由你，你在25千米（16英里）之外都能看见这座有四个钟面的塔楼。

Big Ben Clock， London， UK

英国 伦敦 大本钟

Being without a doubt the most famous clock in the world， the Big Ben is located in the clock tower in the House of Parliament （Palace of Westminster） in London. Seen as an excellent symbol of London， the Big Ben is actually the nickname used for the main bell， also known as Great Bell， the largest of the clocks five bells. The clock is known for its reliability， as even after the nearby House of Commons was destroyed by bombing during World War II， the clock kept on chiming.

位于伦敦议会大厦（威斯敏斯特大教堂）附属塔楼上的大本钟无疑是世界上最著名的时钟。大本钟被看作是伦敦绝佳的象征，而“大本钟”这个名字其实是对钟楼最主要的钟（五个钟里最大的一个）的昵称。大本钟因可靠而著名，二战时，钟楼附近的下议院被炮弹炸毁，这座钟也没有停止报时。

The Astronomical Clock， Prague， Czech Republic

捷克 布拉格 天文钟

The oldest Astronomical Clock is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Prague， Czech Republic. Situated on the southwest wall of the Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square， it is full of artistic beauty. Its technological complexity is remarkable： the clock keeps pace with the earth， moon， sun and stars. Moreover， when it strikes the two blue windows on the clock tower open and show the processions of the wooden figures.

这座世界上最古老的天文钟是捷克布拉格最受游客欢迎的景点。布拉格天文钟在老城广场的老市政厅西南墙上，不仅富于艺术美，而且其技术复杂性也令人赞叹——它能与地球、月亮、太阳和星星运动同步。而且，当钟声敲响时，钟楼上的两扇蓝色窗户就会打开，人们就可以看到木刻人像列队祈祷的场景。

Strasbourg Cathedral Clock， Strasbourg， France

法国 斯特拉斯堡 斯特拉斯堡教堂天文钟

The Strasbourg Clock is located in the cathedral tower of Cathedral Notre-Dame of Strasbourg， one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in all Europe. Behind the shell of the clock lays a mathematical demonstration： the clock is able to show the official time， indicate solar time， the day of the week， the month， the year， the sign of the zodiac， the phase of the moon and the position of several planets or as foreseeing upcoming leap years. Moreover， animated characters launch into movement at different hours of the day. This amazing clock as well as the cathedral are a must see！

斯特拉斯堡天文钟位于斯特拉斯堡圣母大教堂的钟塔内，这座大教堂是欧洲最美的哥特式教堂之一。在时钟的装饰壳后面有精确的图示——这座钟能显示标准的时间，指示太阳时、星期、月份、年份、黄道十二宫的符号、月相、一些行星的位置，还能预告即将到来的闰年。而且，在一天中不同的时段，这座钟里都会有栩栩如生的人偶突然动起来。这座令人惊叹的天文钟以及它所在的大教堂都是必游之处！

The Rathaus-Glockenspiel， Munich， Germany

德国 慕尼黑 市政厅钟琴楼

This chiming clock can be found in the central Marienplatz in Munich. Tourists gather to see the Glockenspiel. With its 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures， it chimes every day at 11 a.m. （as well as 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. in summer）. The upper part tells the story of one of the most expensive weddings of the Middle Ages， whereas on the lower level you can see the Schafflertanz performed by the red-coated citys coopers. The show last for around 15 minutes， to the pleasure of the crowd.

你可以在慕尼黑的玛丽恩广场中央看到这个报时钟，游客们聚集而来，一览这座钟琴楼。钟琴内装有43个钟铃和32个真人大小的玩偶，每天上午11点（夏季在中午12点和下午5点）钟琴就会报时（玩偶们这时会开始表演）。钟琴楼的上面部分展现的是中世纪最奢华的婚礼之一，下面部分则是由穿红衣的制桶工人表演的夏夫乐舞（一种宗教仪式舞蹈）。整场表演持续大约15分钟，供钟楼下的人们欣赏。