【課文】
There was a time when the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters in return for 'protection.' If the money was not paid promptly, the gangsters would quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop. Obtaining 'protection money' is not a modern crime. As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable
discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.
Six hundred years ago, Sir Johan Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of soldiers and settled near Florence. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto. Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other, Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to princes who were willing to pay the high price he demanded. In times of peace, when business was bad, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state and, after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away if protection money was paid to them. Hawkwood made large sums of money in this way. In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero. When he died at the age of eighty, the Florentines gave him a state funeral and had a pictured painted which was dedicated to the memory of 'the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni Haukodue.'
【課文翻譯】
曾經(jīng)有一個(gè)時(shí)期,芝加哥的店主和商行的老板們不得不拿出大筆的錢給歹徒以換取"保護(hù)"。如果交款不及時(shí),歹徒們就會(huì)很快搗毀他的商店,讓他破產(chǎn).榨取"保護(hù)金"并不是一種現(xiàn)代的罪惡行徑.早在14世紀(jì),英國(guó)人約翰.霍克伍德就有過(guò)非凡的發(fā)現(xiàn):"人們情愿拿出大筆的錢,也不愿畢生的心血?dú)в诖跬街?
600年前,約翰.霍克伍德爵士帶著一隊(duì)士兵來(lái)到意大利,在佛羅倫薩附近駐扎下來(lái),很快就出了名.意大利人叫他喬凡尼.阿庫(kù)托.每次意大利各城邦之間打伏,霍克伍德把他的士兵雇傭給愿給他出高價(jià)的君主。和平時(shí)期,當(dāng)生意蕭條時(shí),霍克伍德便帶領(lǐng)士兵進(jìn)入某個(gè)城邦,縱火燒毀一兩個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng),然后提出,如向他們繳納保護(hù)金,他們便主動(dòng)撤離?；艨宋榈掠眠@種方法掙了大筆錢.盡管如此,意大利人還是把他視作某種英雄。他80歲那年死去時(shí),佛羅倫薩人為他舉行了國(guó)葬,并為他畫(huà)像以紀(jì)念這位"驍勇無(wú)比的戰(zhàn)士、杰出的領(lǐng)袖喬凡尼.阿庫(kù)托先生."
【生詞和短語(yǔ)】
gangster n. 歹徒,強(qiáng)盜
Chicago n. 芝加哥(美國(guó)城市)
protection n. 保護(hù)
promptly adv. 準(zhǔn)時(shí)地
destroy v. 毀掉;消滅
remarkable adj. 不尋常的
band n. 幫,團(tuán)伙
Florence n. 佛羅倫薩(意大利城市)
city-state n. (古代)城邦
hire v. 租出,雇給
prince n. 君主,諸候
funeral n. 葬禮
dedicate v. 奉獻(xiàn),題獻(xiàn)給
memory n. 紀(jì)念
valiant adj. 英勇的
brave adj. 勇敢的
【知識(shí)點(diǎn)分析】
詞匯
【promptly】
還原：prompt→promptly
例句：
1.Any orders you place with us will be processed promptly.
貴方與我方的所有訂購(gòu)都將迅速辦理。
2.Mr Brown promptly backtracked, giving the panel flexibility over how it will operate.
布朗很快作出反應(yīng)，將計(jì)就計(jì)，給予了調(diào)查小組更多的自主權(quán)。
【destroy】
英英：do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of
例句：
1.If we continue to destroy the countryside many more animal will become extinct.
我們?nèi)衾^續(xù)破壞自然環(huán)境，將會(huì)有更多的動(dòng)物絕種。
2.If I waste today I destroy the last page of my life.
如果我浪費(fèi)了今天的時(shí)光，我就撕毀了我生活的后一頁(yè)。
3.It can drain your energy, destroy your good mood, and challenge your outlook.
壓力讓精力枯竭，破壞好心情，對(duì)前景發(fā)出挑戰(zhàn)。
近義：undermine, founder
【remarkable】
還原：remark→remarkable
例句：
1.He is indeed a remarkable painter.
他確實(shí)是個(gè)杰出的畫(huà)家。
2.Even this was remarkable, considering that she had had so many delays.
但考慮到路上的多次耽擱，這個(gè)成績(jī)也已很不容易了。
近義：excellent, prominent, extraordinary, significant, wonder
【hire】
英英：hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services
例句：
1.They hire out glassware for parties.
他們出租玻璃器皿供宴會(huì)用。
2.They also let bicycles out on hire.
他們還出租自行車。
3.Boats for hire.
有小船出租。
短語(yǔ)：
for hire 供出租
hire purchase n. 分期付款購(gòu)買
on hire 出租的
hire out 出租
近義：rent
【dedicate】
英英：inscribe or address by way of compliment
例句：
1.The monument was dedicated to the memory of the national hero.
這座碑是為紀(jì)念那位民族英雄而建造的。
2.She dedicated her first book to her father.
她將她的第一本書(shū)獻(xiàn)給了她父親。
3.The ancient Greek dedicated many shrines to Aphrodite.
古希臘人為愛(ài)神阿弗羅狄特造了許多神廟。
【memory】
例句：
1.They will strike a medal in memory of the great victory.
他們將沖制一枚紀(jì)念章紀(jì)念這場(chǎng)偉大的勝利。
2.They dedicated the library to their grandfather's memory.
他們用這座圖書(shū)館來(lái)紀(jì)念他們的祖父。
【valiant】
還原：valiance(valiancy)→valiant
例句：
1.The valiant hero saved the little girl's life.
那個(gè)英勇“的”英雄拯救了小女孩“的”生命。
2.Necessity and opportunity may make a coward valiant.
需要和機(jī)會(huì)可使懦夫變得勇敢。
近義：bold, game, brave, gallant
【brave】
例句：
1.However, don't you think it's a brave idea?
不管怎樣，你不認(rèn)為這是一個(gè)大膽的想法嗎?
2.Your journey to the Arctic is a brave venture.
你去北極旅行是一個(gè)大膽的行動(dòng)。
搭配
【in return for...】
【put sb. out of business】
【as long ago as...】
【make a discovery】
【make a name for sb.】
【regard sb. as...】
【dedicate to the memory of...】