英语词汇ringing the changes的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

ringing the changes. A change in the ancient art of bell ring- ing is the order in which a series of bells are rung. Theoretically it would be possible to ring 479,001,600 changes with 12 church bells without repeating their ringing order—although it would take nearly 38 years to do so. Ringing the changes has long been a competitive sport among bell ringers, and the present cham- pions are eight English 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 18 hours. Past feats like this inspired the ex- pression 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. The expression is also the name of a con game in which the swindler completely confuses his mark by continually changing money so that the victim loses track of what he gives out.

词汇	ringing the changes
词源	ringing the changes. A change in the ancient art of bell ring- ing is the order in which a series of bells are rung. Theoretically it would be possible to ring 479,001,600 changes with 12 church bells without repeating their ringing order—although it would take nearly 38 years to do so. Ringing the changes has long been a competitive sport among bell ringers, and the present cham- pions are eight English 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 18 hours. Past feats like this inspired the ex- pression 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. The expression is also the name of a con game in which the swindler completely confuses his mark by continually changing money so that the victim loses track of what he gives out.
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