普通高中课程标准实验教科书 英语必修3 Unit 3 The Million Poun

Act I, Scene 3

NARRATOR: It is the summer of 1903. Two old and wealthy brothers, Roderick and Oliver, have made a bet¹. Oliver believes that with a million pound bank note a man could survive a month in London. His brother Roderick doubts it. At this moment, they see a penniless young man wandering on the pavement² outside their house. It is Henry Adams, an American businessman, who is lost in London and does not know what he should do.

RODERICK:   Young man, would you step inside a moment, please?

HENRY:          Who? Me, sir?

RODERICK:   Yes, you.

OLIVER:          Through the front door on your left.

HENRY:           (A servant opens a door) Thanks.

SERVANT:      Good morning, sir. Would you please  come in? Permit³ me to lead the way, sir.

OLIVER:           (Henry enters) Thank you, James. That will be all.

RODERICK:     How do you do, Mr ... er ...?

HENRY:            Adams. Henry Adams.

OLIVER:          Come and sit down, Mr Adams.

HENRY:           Thank you.

RODERICK:    You're an American?

HENRY:           That's right, from San Francisco.

RODERICK:    How well do you know London?

HENRY:           Not at all, it's my first trip here.

RODERICK:   I wonder, Mr Adams, if you'd mind us asking a few questions.

HENRY:          Not at all. Go right ahead.

RODERICK:   May we ask what you're doing in this country and what your plans are?

HENRY:          Well, I can't say that I have any plans. I'm hoping to find work. As a matter of fact, I landed in Britain by accident.

OLIVER:         How is that possible?

HENRY:          Well, you see, back home I had my own boat. About a month ago, I was sailing⁴ out of the bay⁵ ... (his eyes stare at what is left of the brother's dinner on table)

OLIVER:         Well, go on.

HENRY:          Oh, yes. Well, towards nightfall I found myself carried out to sea by a strong wind. It was all my fault. I didn't know whether I could survive until morning. The next morning I'd just about given myself up for lost when I was spotted⁶ by a ship.

OLIVER:         And it was the ship that brought you to England.

HENRY:          Yes. The fact is that I earned my passage by working as an unpaid⁷ hand, which accounts⁸ for my appearance⁹. I went to the American embassy¹⁰ to seek help, but ... (The brothers smile at each other.)

RODERICK:  Well, you mustn't worry about that. It's an advantage.

HENRY:          I'm afraid I don't quite follow you, sir.

RODERICK:  Tell us, Mr Adams, what sort of work did you do in America?

HENRY:          I worked for a mining company. Could you offer me some kind of work here?

RODERICK:  Patience, Mr Adams. If you don't mind, may I ask you how much money you have?

HENRY:          Well, to be honest, I have none.

OLIVER:         (happily) What luck! Brother, what luck! (claps his hands together)

HENRY:          Well, it may seem lucky to you but not to me! On the contrary¹¹, in fact. If this is your idea of some kind of joke, I don't think it's very funny. (Henry stands up to leave) Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll be on my way.

RODERICK:   Please don't go, Mr Adams~ You mustn't think we don't care about you. Oliver, give him the letter.

OLIVER:         Yes, the letter. (gets it from a desk and gives it to Henry like a gift) The letter.

HENRY:          (taking it carefully) For me?

RODERICK:   For you. (Henry starts to open it) Oh, no, you mustn't open it. Not yet. You can't open it until two o'clock.

HENRY:          Oh, this is silly.

RODERICK:  Not silly. There's money in it. (calls to the servant) James?

HENRY:         Oh, no. I don't want your charity¹². I just want an honest job.

RODERICK:  We know you're hard-working. That's why we've given you the letter. James, show Mr Adams out.

OLIVER:        Good luck, Mr Adams.

HENRY:         Well, why don't you explain what this is all about?

RODERICK: You'll soon know. (looks at the clock) In exactly an hour and a half.

SERVANT:    This way, sir.

RODERICK:  Mr Adams, not until 2 o'clock. Promise?

HENRY:          Promise. Goodbye.

1 bet   

v.打赌，以(与)...打赌；n.赌注，赌金；打赌

参考例句：

• I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说，你解决不了这个难题。
• I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。

2 pavement   

n.铺砌，铺设，铺筑；铺路石，铺石路，人行道，车道

参考例句：

• He stopped his bike just off the pavement.他把自行车就停在人行道旁边。
• There are trees on each side of the pavement.人行道两边有树。

3 permit   

n.许可证，许可，执照；vt.允许，容许；vi.容许

参考例句：

• The doctor will not permit mother up until her leg is better.在母亲的腿好些之前,医生不允许她起床。
• The soldiers had orders to permit no stranger through.士兵们接到命令不许任何陌生人通过。

4 sailing   

n.航行，航海术，启航

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• The operation was plain sailing.手术进行得顺利。

5 bay   

n.海湾，狗吠声，月桂；vt.吠，使走投无路；vi.吠

参考例句：

• I enjoy the view of the bay in the starlight.我喜欢星光下的海湾风景。
• Dogs sometimes bay at the moon.狗有时会朝着月亮吠叫。

6 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

7 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

8 accounts   

n.往来帐目

参考例句：

• Contemporary accounts attest to his courage and determination. 当时的报道证实了他的勇气和决心。
• They confused me with conflicting accounts of what happened. 他们对发生的事所作的陈述自相矛盾，使我迷惑不解。

9 appearance   

n.出现，露面；容貌

参考例句：

• In appearance, he was a little like his father.他看起来有点像他的父亲。
• She was a young woman of good appearance.她是一位年轻貌美的女子。

10 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。

11 contrary   

adj.相反的；adv.相反的(地)；n.反面，相反

参考例句：

• My sister's taste in dresses is contrary to my own.在服装方面，我妹妹的爱好和我完全不同。
• The result is contrary to expectation.结果跟预料恰好相反。

12 charity   

n.慈悲，博爱，慈善团体，施舍

参考例句：

• He founded the charity in memory of his late wife.他兴办那个慈善机构以纪念他已故的妻子。
• He gave a handsome sum of money to charity.他向慈善团体捐了一笔相当可观的钱款。