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Unit3TheMillionPoundBank-NoteMarkTwainTheauthor:MarkTwain•SamuelLanghorneClemens,betterknownastheauthorMarkTwain,wasbornonNovember30,1835,inFlorida,Missouri.•MajorworksbyMarkTwain:•TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverascountry(1867)•TheAdventuresofTomSawyer(1876)•AdventureofHuckleberryFinn(1884)•马克·吐温（MarkTwainl835～1910）美国作家。本名塞谬尔·朗赫恩·克莱门斯。马克·吐温是其笔名。出生于密西西比河畔小城汉尼拔的一个乡村贫穷律师家庭，从小出外拜师学徒。当过排字工人，密西西比河水手、南军士兵，还经营过木材业、矿业和出版业，但有效的工作是当记者和写作幽默文学。马克·吐温这个笔名取自水手的行话，意思是“12英尺深”，指水的深度足以使航船通行无阻。他在1875年为《大西洋月刊》写的《密西西比河上》（1883年出版）就以早年的舵手生活为题材。•马克·吐温是美国批判现实主义文学的奠基人，世界著名的短篇小说大师。他经历了美国从“自由”资本主义到帝国主义的发展过程，其思想和创作也表现为从轻快调笑到辛辣讽刺再到悲观厌世的发展阶段。••1865年因幽默故事《卡拉韦拉斯县驰名的跳蛙》一举成名，成为闻名全国的幽默大师。他的早期创作，如短篇小说《竟选州长》（1870）、《哥尔斯密的朋友再度出洋》（1870）等，以幽默、诙谐的笔法嘲笑美国“民主选举”的荒谬和“民主天堂”的本质。中期作品，如长篇小说《镀金时代》（1874，与华纳合写）、代表作长篇小说《哈克贝里·费恩历险记》（1886）及《傻瓜威尔逊》（1893）等，则以深沉、辛辣的笔调讽刺和揭露像瘟疫般盛行于美国的投机、拜金狂热，及暗无天日的社会现实与惨无人道的种族歧视。•《哈克贝里·费恩历险记》通过白人小孩哈克跟逃亡黑奴吉姆结伴在密西西比河流浪的故事，不仅批判封建家庭结仇械斗的野蛮，揭露私刑的毫无理性，而且讽刺宗教的虚伪愚昧，谴责蓄奴制的罪恶，并歌颂黑奴的优秀品质，宣传不分种族地位人人都享有自由权利的进步主张。作品文字清新有力，审视角度自然而独特，被视为美国文学史上具划时代意义的现实主义著作。•19世纪末，随着美国进入帝国主义发展阶段，马克·吐温晚年在作品中流露对现实的失望和对“人类”（实为对有产阶级）的悲观态度。马克·吐温一些游记、杂文、政论，如《赤道环行记》（1897）、中篇小说《败坏了哈德莱堡的人》（1900）、《人是怎么回事？》（1906）、最重要的著作是他口授而由秘书笔录的《自传》、《神秘来客》（1916）等的批判揭露意义也逐渐减弱，而绝望神秘情绪则有所伸长。ThebackgroundoftheMillionPoundBank-Note•ThebankofEnglandonceissuedtwonotesofamillionpounds,tobeusedforaspecialpurposeconnectedwithsomepublictransactionwithaforeigncountry.Forsomereasonorotheronlyoneofthesehadbeenusedandcanceled;theotherstilllayinthevaultsoftheBank.Well,thebrothers,chattingalong,happenedtogettowonderwhatmightbethefateofaperfectlyhonestandintelligentstrangerwhoshouldbeturnedadriftinLondonwithoutafriend,andwithnomoneybutthatmillionpoundbank-not,andnowaytoaccountforhisbeinginpossessionofit.•BrotherAsaidhewouldstarvetodeath;brotherBsaidhewouldn’t.BrotherAsaidhecouldn’tofferitatabankoranywhereelse,becausehewouldbearrestedonthespot.SotheywentondisputingtillBrotherBsaidhewouldbettwentythousandpoundsthatthemanwouldlivethirtydays.Theythought“me”tobetherightperson,apoor,honestandintelligentstranger.Theyhanded“me”anenvelopethatcontained1,000,000poundsbank-note.“I”•dressedinrag,withnothingbutabank-note,gotintoarestaurant.“I”tookthebanknotetopayforthebillandaskedforchanges.Thebosswholookeddownuponmeatfirstchangedhisattitudecompletely.HeflattedmethatIcouldhaveanythingIwanted,anytimeIchose,andletmeaccountrunaslongasIpleased.Theyalltreatedmeashonoredguest.Then“I”gotintoatailor’sshop,thesamethinghappened.“I”driftednaturallyintobuying•whateverIwanted,andaskingforchange.“I”ownedtherespectandfellinlovewithagirl,Portia.Everythingwentwellhaving1,000,000poundsbank-noteon“me”.Afteramonth,Brothersreturned,tomysurprise,oneofthemwasmyPortia’spapa.HetookthatfriendlyandhospitablebillbacktotheBankofEnglandandcashedit,thentheBankcanceleditandmakehimapresentofit,andhegaveittousatourweeding.WatchthemovieLanguagepoints•1.alargeamountof:alargequantityof•2.makeabet:makeanarrangementtoriskmoney•3.permitsb.todosth.:allowsb.todosth.•4.byaccident:asaresultofchance•5.stareat:lookatsb.withtheeyeswideopeninafixedgaze•6.tobehonest:totellyouthetruthRetellthestory•Keywords:•Summer,1903,HerryAdams,Americanbusinessman,rescued,Britishship,London,withoutmoney,lost,walkdown,street,ledto,tworichbrothers,makeabet,•aletter,amillion-poundbank-note,open,twoo’oclockListentothetapeandanswersomequestions•Page21-22•1.What’stheHenry’sappearancewhenhesteppedintotherestaurant?•2.What’sthewaiter’slookbefore2o’clock?•3.What’sthewaiter’slookafter2o’clock?•4.Whentheysawtheonemillionpoundbank-note,whatdidtheythoughtaboutHenryandhisbehavior?Listening•1.WhydoesHenryworryafterheleavetherestaurant?•2.Whydoeshegobacktothetwobrother’shouse?•3.Whycan’theseethetwobrothersagain?•4.Whatdotheyaskhimtodo?•ImaginewhatmighthappentoHenryinthenextroomashetriestousethebank-notebutnotgetintotrouble.Makeashortlistofthingsthatmighthappentohim.