时间:2018-12-04 作者:英语课 分类:现代大学英语精读


英语课

 


Lesson Four


TEXT A


The Boy and the Bank Officer Philip Ross


Pre-class Work I


Read the text once for the main idea. Do not refer to the notes, dictionaries or the glossary 1 yet.


I have a friend who hates banks with a special passion. "A bank is just a store like a candy store or a grocery store", he says . "The only difference is that a bank's goods happen to be money, which is yours in the first place. If banks were required to sell wallets and money belts, they might act less like churches."

I began thinking about my friend the other day as I walked into a small, over lighted branch office on the West Side. I had come to open a checking account.

It was lunchtime and the only officer on duty was a fortyish black man with short, pressed hair, a pencil mustache, and a neatly 2 pressed brown suit. Everything about him suggested a carefully dressed authority.

This officer was standing 3 across a small counter from a young white boy who was wearing a V-necked sweater, khakis, and loafers. He had sandy hair, and I think I was especially aware of him because he looked more like a kid from a prep school than a customer in a West Side bank.

The boy continued to hold my attention because of what happened next.

He was holding an open savings 4-account book and wearing an expression of open dismay. "But I don't understand," he was saying to the officer. "I opened the account myself, so why can't I withdraw any money?"

"I've already explained to you," the officer told him, "that a fourteen-year-old is not allowed to withdraw money without a letter from his parents."

"But that doesn't seem fair," the boy said, his voice breaking. "It's my money, I put it in. It's my account."

"I know it is," the officer said, "but those are the rules. Now if you'll excuse me."

He turned to me with a smile. "May I help you, sir?"

I didn't think twice. "I was going to open a new account," I said, "but after seeing what's going on here, I think I've changed my mind."

"Excuse me?" he said.

"Look," I said. "If I understand what's going on here correctly, what you're saying is that this boy is old enough to deposit his money in your bank but he's not old enough to withdraw it. And since there doesn't seem to be any question as to whether it's his money or his account, the bank's so-called policy is clearly ridiculous."

"It may seem ridiculous to you," he replied in a voice rising slightly in irritation 5, "but that is the bank's policy and I have no other choice but to follow the rules".

The boy had stood hopefully next to me during this exchange, but now I was just as helpless. Suddenly I noticed that the open savings book he continued to grasp showed a balance of about $100. It also showed that there had been a series of small deposits and withdrawals 7.

I had my opening.

"Have you withdrawn 8 money before by yourself?" I asked the boy.

"Yes," he said.

I moved in for the kill.

"How do you explain that?" I zeroed in on the officer. "Why did you let him withdraw money before, but not now?"

He looked annoyed. "Because the tellers 9 were not aware of his age before and now they are. It's really very simple".

I turned to the boy with a shrug 10. "You're really getting cheated," I said. "You ought to get your parents to come in here and protest."

The boy looked destroyed. Silently, he put his savings book in a rear-pocket and walked out of the bank.

The officer turned to me. "You know," he said, "you really shouldn't have interfered 12."

"Shouldn't have interfered?" I shouted. "Well, it damn well seemed to me that he needed someone to represent his interests."

"Someone was representing his interests," he said softly.

"And who might that be?"

"The bank."

I couldn't believe what this idiot was saying. "Look," I concluded, "we're just wasting each other's time. But maybe you'd like to explain exactly how the bank was representing that boy's interests?"

"Certainly," he said. "We were informed this morning that some neighborhood bully 13 has been shaking this boy down for more than a month. The other guy was forcing him to take money out every week and hand it over. The poor kid was apparently 14 too scared to tell anyone. That's the real reason he was so upset. He was afraid of what the other guy would do to him. Anyway, the police are on the case and they'll probably make an arrest today."

"You mean there is no rule about being too young to withdraw money from a savings account?"

"Not that I ever heard of. Now, sir, what can we do for you?"


Read the text a second time. Learn the new words and expressions listed below.


Glossary


a series of

一系列的


account

n. a sum of money kept in a bank 银行账户; an ~ book: 存折; a checking ~ : (美)活期存款;支票账户


alternative

n. a choice


anyway

adv. to suggest a statement is true or relevant in spite of other things that have been said


apparently

adv. as it appears


authority

n. a person whose knowledge or information is respected 权威


balance

n. 通常作“平衡”解;Here: the amount of money one has in a bank account


belt

n. a strip of leather, cloth, etc. that you tie round your waist; money ~ : 挎在腰间的钱包


branch office

n. smaller bank offices located throughout the community for the customer's convenience(银行的)分行;支行


bully

n. a person who bullies 15

v. to pick on someone less powerful in a cruel manner


candy

n. a sweet


conclude

v. 下结论;Here: to come to the end


damn

adv. used for emphasis in spoken English; ~ well: certainly


deposit

v. to put (money) in a bank

n. money put in a bank


dismay

n. a strong feeling of fear, worry or sadness that is caused by sth. unpleasant and unexpected


exchange

n. 交换;Here: (formal) a brief conversation, usually an angry one


fortyish

adj. about 40


fund

n. (常用复数)money in one's possession 资金(此处指银行存款、现款)


grocery

n. a shop that sells all kinds of food and things for the home 食品和日用杂货


helpless

adj. unable to react normally to a situation because you have no power or strength


idiot

n. a foolish person


interfere 11

v. to deliberately(故意地)get involved in a situation that does not concern you and in a way that annoys people 干涉


khakis

n. (常用复数)卡叽布裤子


loafer

n. leather shoes one can slip on easily 平底便鞋


mustache

n. hair growing on the upper lip


neighborhood

n. all the various homes and businesses in a small area within a larger town or city 邻里


passion

n. strong feeling of hate, anger or love


prep school

n. (in the U. S.) preparatory school 预备学校


protest

v. to say or do sth. publicly to show that you disagree or are angry about sth. that you think is wrong or unfair 抗议


rear

adj. the back part of sth. ; ~ pocket: 裤子后面的口袋


represent

v. to act officially for another person 代表


ridiculous

adj. very silly, foolish and unreasonable 16


saving

n. (常用复数)存款;a ~ s account: (银行)储蓄账户;定期存款


scared

adj. frightened 受惊吓的


shrug

n. 耸肩(表示冷淡,怀疑等)


slightly

adv. a little bit


so-called

adj. 所谓的


upset

adj. worried and unhappy


wallet

n. pouch 17 (a small bag) that holds one's money 男用钱袋


withdrawal 6

n. the act of taking out/ away


withdraw

v. to take away; Here: to take money away from a bank


TEXT B


My Bank Account Stephen Leacock


When I go into a bank I get frightened. The clerks frighten me; the desks frighten me; the sight of the money frightens me; everything frightens me. The moment I pass through the doors of a bank and attempt to do business there, I become an irresponsible fool.

I knew this before, but my salary had been raised to fifty dollars a month and I felt that the bank was the only place for it.

So I walked unsteadily in and looked round at the clerks with fear. I had an idea that a person who was about to open an account must necessarily consult the manager.

I went up to a place marked "Accountant." The accountant was a tall, cool devil. The very sight of him frightened me. My voice sounded as if it came from the grave.

"Can I see the manager?" I said, and added solemnly, "alone." I don't know why I said "alone."

"Certainly," said the accountant, and brought him.

The manager was a calm, serious man. I held my fifty-six dollars, pressed together in a ball, in my pocket.

"Are you the manager?" I said. God knows I didn't doubt it.

"Yes," he said.

"Can I see you," I asked, "alone?" I didn't want to say "alone" again, but without this word the question seemed useless.

The manager looked at me with some anxiety. He felt that I had a terrible secret to tell.

"Come in here," he said, and led the way to a private room. He turned the key in the lock.

"We are safe from interruption here," he said. "Sit down."

We both sat down and looked at each other. I found no voice to speak.

"You are one of Pinkerton's detectives, I suppose," he said.

My mysterious manner had made him think that I was a detective. I knew what he was thinking, and it made me worse.

"No, not from Pinkerton's," I said, seeming to mean that I was from a rival agency.

"To tell the truth," I went on, as if someone had urged me to tell lies about it, "I am not a detective at all. I have come to open an account. I intend to keep all my money in this bank."

The manager looked relieved but still serious; he felt sure now that I was a very rich man, perhaps a son of Baron 18 Roth's child.

"A large account, I suppose," he said.

"Fairly large," I whispered. "I intend to place in this bank the sum of fifty-six dollars now and fifty dollars a month regularly."

The manager got up and opened the door. He called to the accountant.

"Mr. Montgomery," he said, unkindly loud, "this gentleman is opening an account. He will place fifty-six dollars in it. Good morning."

I stood up.

A big iron door stood open at the side of the room.

"Good morning," I said, and walked into the safe.

"Come out," said the manager coldly, and showed me the other way.

I went up to the accountant's window and pushed the ball of money at him with a quick, sudden movement as if I were doing a sort of trick.

My face was terribly pale.

"Here," I said, "put it in my account." The sound of my voice seemed to mean, "Let us do this painful thing while we feel that we want to do it."

He took the money and gave it to another clerk.

He made me write the sum on a bit of paper and sign my name in a book. I no longer knew what I was doing. The bank seemed to swim before my eyes.

"Is it in the account?" I asked in a hollow, shaking voice.

"It is," said the accountant.

"Then I want to draw a cheque."

My idea was to draw out six dollars of it for present use. Someone gave me a chequebook and someone else seemed to think that I was a man who owned millions of dollars, but was not feeling very well. I wrote something on the cheque and pushed it towards the clerk. He looked at it.

"What! Are you drawing it all out again?" he asked in surprise. Then I realized that I had written fifty-six dollars instead of six. I was too upset to reason now. I had a feeling that it was impossible to explain the thing. All the clerks had stopped writing to look at me.

Bold and careless in my misery 19, I made a decision.

"Yes, the whole thing."

"You wish to draw your money out of the bank?"

"Every cent of it."

"Are you not going to put any more in the account?" said the clerk, astonished.

"Never."

A foolish hope came to me that they might think something had insulted me while I was writing the cheque and that I had changed my mind. I made a miserable 20 attempt to look like a man with a fearfully quick temper.

The clerk prepared to pay the money.

"How will you have it?" he said.

"What?"

"How will you have it?"

"Oh" —I understood his meaning and answered without even trying to think—"in fifty-dollar notes."

He gave me a fifty-dollar note.

"And the six?" he asked coldly.

"In six dollar notes," I said.

He gave me six dollars and I rushed out.

As the big door swung behind me I heard the sound of a roar of laughter that went up to the roof of the bank. Since then I use a bank no more. I keep my money in my pocket and my savings in silver dollars in a sock.


 



1 glossary
n.注释词表;术语汇编
  • The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
  • For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便,我们在附录中也提供了术语表。
2 neatly
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
3 standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
4 savings
n.存款,储蓄
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
5 irritation
n.激怒,恼怒,生气
  • He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
  • Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说,但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。
6 withdrawal
n.取回,提款;撤退,撤军;收回,撤销
  • The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
  • They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。
7 withdrawals
n.收回,取回,撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 );撤退,撤走;收回[取回,撤回,撤退,撤走]的实例;推出(组织),提走(存款),戒除毒瘾,对说过的话收回,孤僻
  • He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句
8 withdrawn
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出
  • Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
  • All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。
9 tellers
n.(银行)出纳员( teller的名词复数 );(投票时的)计票员;讲故事等的人;讲述者
  • The tellers were calculating the votes. 计票员正在统计票数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The use of automatic tellers is particularly used in large cities. 在大城市里,还特别投入了自动出纳机。 来自辞典例句
10 shrug
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
  • With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩,走出了房间。
  • I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
11 interfere
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰
  • If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
  • When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
12 interfered
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉
  • Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 bully
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮
  • A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
  • The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
14 apparently
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
15 bullies
adj.不讲道理的,不合情理的,过度的
  • I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
  • They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。
16 pouch
n.小袋,小包,囊状袋;vt.装...入袋中,用袋运输;vi.用袋送信件
  • He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它们缝制一个烟草袋。
  • The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.这老汉总是随身带着烟袋。
17 baron
n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王
  • Henry Ford was an automobile baron.亨利·福特是一位汽车业巨头。
  • The baron lived in a strong castle.男爵住在一座坚固的城堡中。
18 misery
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦
  • Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
  • He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
19 miserable
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
学英语单词
Adenauer, Konrad
ammonobasic mercuric chloride
an end to
annealing colour
audubon warblers
Bagac B.
bath towels
beldams
Beth-tappuah
binary coded message
biscuitroots
Bissau, Ilha de.
bitter pill
cafemic
cambace
caryochrome cells
child-porn
Chirita speluncae
Choti
close push-button
data storage and retrieval system
depakote
desoxycodeine
diphenyl arsine oxide
double weighing method
down-regulate
droops
dunlaps
eco economic comprehensive benefit
enclines
Euonymus gracillimus
favourable for
flins
flooders
front lintel
genus clinopodiums
Hapsiphyllidae
hedenbergite
high tension rectifier
high-gravity environment
HST
hysteresis static
inlaid
interpour
iodonio
kaolack
lestrigonus crucipes
long length additional
lower curtage
mesocotyl
Mlicrococcus fuscus
mosche
mucous membrane glands
multichanger
non-overflow
operation center
oral rib
pakora
paradise jasper
pearlins
persimmon bezoar
pitches out
posttraumatic osteoporosis
preen oil
proof of conviction
pulliron
quasi-traditio
radio pulsar
Reevesia longipetiolata
remap
requisition
respond to sth
rocket tester
roughing cut
ruffini's-corpuscle
scarlatinoid
second check character flip-flop
seecatchie
self-image in competition
sell someone a packet
shonkier
simplex wave winding
sister chromatid
stable potential
stack-cutting
stannic sulfate
stilets
stone finish
subpolar low-pressure belt
summit plane
tarnally
udensis
unapprehending
Urbilat
uriza
urm
Uspatux
Uusikaupunki
vapour tension thermometer
vitriolum
weight in volume
yakity-yakking