Big Ben
大本钟

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower as well. It is the third-tallest free-standing clock tower.
大本钟是对坐落于英国伦敦威斯敏斯特宫北部钟塔上大钟的昵称，后来也指该时钟及钟塔。大本钟是世界第三高的独立钟楼。

The original Clock Tower was built in 1288-1290 during the reign of King EdwardⅠ. A terrible fire destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster in 1834. The architect Sir Charles Barry was selected for the chief architect of the Palace. He turned to Augustus Putin for the design of the clock tower. The construction of the Clock Tower began in September 1843. It is designed in the Victorian Gothic style, and is ninety-five meters high. The clock dials are set in an iron frame twenty-three feet (seven meters) in diameter, supporting three hundred and twelve pieces of opal glass, rather like a stained-glass window. The surround of the dials is gilded.
钟塔的原型建造于1288年至1290年爱德华一世统治期间。1834年的一场大火毁掉了大部分威斯敏斯特宫。建筑设计师查尔斯·巴里被选为威斯敏斯特宫的总设计师。巴里向奥古斯塔斯·普京寻求钟塔的设计方案。钟楼于1843年9月开始建设，按照维多利亚哥特式风格设计，楼高95米。时钟的表盘镶嵌在直径23英尺(7米)的铁框里，支撑着312块猫眼石，看起来像彩色窗户。表盘的周边以镀金装饰。

On June 2rd 2012, The Daily Telegraph reported that three hundred and thirty-one Members of Parliament, including senior members of all three main parties, supported a proposal to change the name from Clock Tower to “Elizabeth Tower” in tribute to the Queen in her Diamond Jubilee year. On June 26, the House of Commons confirmed that the name change could go ahead. The tower is officially known as the Elizabeth Tower.
2012年6月2日，《每日电讯报》报道了包括三大主要党派高级成员在内的331名议会成员支持将“钟楼”改成“伊丽莎白塔”的议案，用以纪念女王的钻石禧年。6月26日，下议院确认此次改名的议案可以执行。钟楼正式更名为“伊丽莎白塔”。