A clock that works with sunlight instead of machinery. A flat plate is marked with the hours, and a pointed piece of metal standing up from it casts a shadow; as the sun moves across the sky, the shadow swings round the plate and shows the time.

A clock一種時鐘 that works with sunlight instead of machinery是靠陽光、而不是靠機械運作的。A flat plate一個平面的盤子 is marked with the hours上面標著時刻; and a pointed piece of metal standing up from it而從盤面豎起的一根尖形金屬 casts a shadow會投下影子; as the sun moves across the sky隨著太陽在天空中移動, the shadow swings round the plate影子就會繞著盤面轉動 and shows the time顯示出時間。

People used them for thousands of years before mechanical clocks, and today you mostly see them as ornaments in parks, gardens and old university courtyards, often with a carved motto about time passing. They are countable: 'a sundial', 'two sundials'.

People使用它們的人 used them for thousands of years用了好幾千年 before mechanical clocks在機械時鐘出現之前, and而 today今天 you mostly see them as ornaments大多只會把它們當成裝飾品 in parks, gardens and old university courtyards出現在公園、花園和老大學的中庭裡, often with a carved motto about time passing常常還刻著一句關於時間流逝的格言。They are countable它們是可數名詞: 'a sundial'單數, 'two sundials'複數。

Worth knowing why they are only ornaments now: a sundial only works when the sun is out, it needs to be built for the latitude where it stands, and the time it shows drifts away from clock time through the year — so it is honest but not exact.

Worth knowing值得知道的是 why they are only ornaments now為什麼它們現在只能當裝飾品: a sundial日晷 only works只有 when the sun is out在太陽出來時才能運作, it needs to be built for the latitude where it stands而且要依照所在的緯度建造, and而 the time it shows它顯示的時間 drifts away from clock time through the year一年之中會漸漸偏離鐘錶時間 — so it is honest but not exact所以它很誠實，但不精確。