塘栖中学高中英语 The Million Pound Bank Note教学素材 必修3.docx

1、塘栖中学高中英语 The Million Pound Bank Note教学素材 必修3浙江省杭州市塘栖中学高中英语 The Million Pound Bank Note教学素材 新人教版必修3The 1,000,000 pound Bank-Note Mark Twain When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a mining-brokers clerk in San Francisco, and an expert in all the details of stock traffic. I was alone in the world, an

2、d had nothing to depend upon but my wits and a clean reputation; but these were setting my feet in the road to eventual fortune, and I was content with the prospect.My time was my own after the afternoon board, Saturdays, and I was accustomed to put it in on a little sail-boat on the bay. One day I

3、ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. Just at nightfall, when hope was about gone, I was picked up by a small brig which was bound for London. It was a long and stormy voyage, and they made me work my passage without pay, as a common sailor. When I stepped ashore in London my clothes were ra

4、gged and shabby, and I had only a dollar in my pocket. This money fed and sheltered me twenty-four hours. During the next twenty-four I went without food and shelter.About ten oclock on the following morning, seedy and hungry, I was dragging myself along Portland Place, when a child that was passing

5、, towed by a nurse-maid, tossed a luscious big pearminus one biteinto the gutter. I stopped, of course, and fastened my desiring eye on that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it, my stomach craved it, my whole being begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it some passing eye detected m

6、y purpose, and of course I straightened up then, and looked indifferent, and pretended that I hadnt been thinking about the pear at all. This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldnt get the pear. I was just getting desperate enough to brave all the shame, and to seize it, when a windo

7、w behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying:“Step in here, please.”I was admitted by a gorgeous flunkey, and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. They had just finished their breakfast, and

8、 the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it, I had to bear my trouble as best I could.Now, something had been happening there a little before, which I did not know anything about until a

9、 good many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before, and had ended by agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way of settling everything.You will remember that the Bank of England once issued

10、two notes of a million pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. For some reason or other only one of these had been used and canceled; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to ge

11、t to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B

12、 said he wouldnt. Brother A said he couldnt offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, anyway, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. Brothe

13、r A took him up. Brother B went down to the Bank and bought that note. Just like an Englishman, you see; pluck to the backbone. Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man t

14、o give it to.They saw many honest faces go by that were not intelligent enough; many that were intelligent, but not honest enough; many that were both, but the possessors were not poor enough, or, if poor enough, were not strangers. There was always a defect, until I came along; but they agreed that

15、 I filled the bill all around; so they elected me unanimously, and there I was now waiting to know why I was called in. They began to ask me questions about myself, and pretty soon they had my story. Finally they told me I would answer their purpose. I said I was sincerely glad, and asked what it wa

16、s. Then one of them handed me an envelope, and said I would find the explanation inside. I was going to open it, but he said no; take it to my lodgings, and look it over carefully, and not be hasty or rash. I was puzzled, and wanted to discuss the matter a little further, but they didnt; so I took m

17、y leave, feeling hurt and insulted to be made the butt of what was apparently some kind of a practical joke, and yet obliged to put up with it, not being in circumstances to resent affronts from rich and strong folk.I would have picked up the pear now and eaten it before all the world, but it was go

18、ne; so I had lost that by this unlucky business, and the thought of it did not soften my feeling towards those men. As soon as I was out of sight of that house I opened my envelope, and saw that it contained money! My opinion of those people changed, I can tell you! I lost not a moment, but shoved n

19、ote and money into my vest pocket, and broke for the nearest cheap eating house. Well, how I did eat! When at last I couldnt hold any more, I took out my money and unfolded it, took one glimpse and nearly fainted. Five millions of dollars! Why, it made my head swim.I must have sat there stunned and

20、blinking at the note as much as a minute before I came rightly to myself again. The first thing I noticed, then, was the landlord. His eye was on the note, and he was petrified. He was worshiping, with all his body and soul, but he looked as if he couldnt stir hand or foot. I took my cue in a moment

21、, and did the only rational thing there was to do. I reached the note towards him, and said, carelessly:“Give me the change, please.”Then he was restored to his normal condition, and made a thousand apologies for not being able to break the bill, and I couldnt get him to touch it. He wanted to look

22、at it, and keep on looking at it; he couldnt seem to get enough of it to quench the thirst of his eye, but he shrank from touching it as if it had been something too sacred for poor common clay to handle. I said:“I am sorry if it is an inconvenience, but I must insist. Please change it; I havent any

23、thing else.”But he said that wasnt any matter; he was quite willing to let the trifle stand over till another time. I said I might not be in his neighborhood again for a good while; but he said it was of no consequence, he could wait, and, moreover, I could have anything I wanted, any time I chose,

24、and let the account run as long as I pleased. He said he hoped he wasnt afraid to trust as rich a gentleman as I was, merely because I was of a merry disposition, and chose to play larks on the public in the matter of dress. By this time another customer was entering, and the landlord hinted to me t

25、o put the monster out of sight; then he bowed me all the way to the door, and I started straight for that house and those brothers, to correct the mistake which had been made before the police should hunt me up, and help me do it. I was pretty nervous; in fact, pretty badly frightened, though, of co

26、urse, I was no way in fault; but I knew men well enough to know that when they find theyve given a tramp a million-pound bill when they thought it was a one-pounder, they are in a frantic rage against him instead of quarreling with their own near-sightedness, as they ought. As I approached the house

27、 my excitement began to abate, for all was quiet there, which made me feel pretty sure the blunder was not discovered yet. I rang. The same servant appeared. I asked for those gentlemen.“They are gone.” This in the lofty, cold way of that fellows tribe.“Gone? Gone where?”“On a journey.”“But whereabo

28、uts?”“To the Continent, I think.”“The Continent?”“Yes, sir.”“Which wayby what route?”“I cant say, sir.”“When will they be back?”“In a month, they said.”“A month! Oh, this is awful! Give me some sort of idea of how to get a word to them. Its of the last importance.”“I cant, indeed. Ive no idea where

29、theyve gone, sir.”“Then I must see some member of the family.”“Familys away, too; been abroad monthsin Egypt and India, I think.”“Man, theres been an immense mistake made. Theyll be back before night. Will you tell them Ive been here, and that I will keep coming till its all made right, and they nee

30、dnt be afraid?”“Ill tell them, if they come back, but I am not expecting them. They said you would be here in an hour to make inquiries, but I must tell you its all right, theyll be here on time and expect you.”So I had to give it up and go away. What a riddle it all was! I was like to lose my mind.

31、 They would be here “on time.” What could that mean? Oh, the letter would explain, maybe. I had forgotten the letter; I got it out and read it. This is what it said:“You are an intelligent and honest man, as one may see by your face. We conceive you to be poor and a stranger. Enclosed you will find

32、a sum of money. It is lent to you for thirty days, without interest. Report at this house at the end of that time. I have a bet on you. If I win it you shall have any situation that is in my giftany, that is, that you shall be able to prove yourself familiar with and competent to fill.”No signature, no address, no date. Well, here was a coil to be in! You are posted on what had preceded all this, but I was not. It was just a deep, dark puzzle to me. I hadnt the least idea what the game was, nor whether harm was meant me or a kindness. I went into a park, and sat down to try to thi