ringing the changes敲奏钟乐；用种种办法做；用种种方式重复同一意见

【使用地区】：英国

【释义】：

A change in the ancient art of bell ringing is the order in which a series of bells are rung．Theoretically it would be possible to ring 479，001，600 changes with twelve church bells without repeating their ringing orderalthough it would take nearly thirty—eight years to do so．Ringing the changes has long been a competitive sport among bell ringers，and the present champions are eight ringers and their conductor，who rang a peal，all the possible changes on a series of bells，on eight bells in 1963．The peal consisted of 40，320 changes and took two minutes short of eighteen hours．Past feats like this inspired the expression to ring the changes，to try every possible way of doing something，to state something again and again in different ways，or even to work something to death．

古代敲钟艺术在于敲出各种调子，其艺术真谛是按一定顺序敲奏一组钟。从理论上说，12口教堂大钟不能重覆敲钟顺序，能敲出479，002，600种不同的调子，差不多要花费38年。因此，敲钟人一直把这当作一种比赛。当今的纪录是1963年由8个敲钟人和一个指挥在一组8个编钟上敲击创造的。他们在这一组钟乐上敲击出40，320种调子，共花7小时58分钟时间完成。由此派生出to ring the changes这个词组，意思是“用种种方法做某事，用种种方式重复同一意见”，甚至有“把……累死”之意。(注：此短语to work something to death可能有误，应为to work someone to death。)