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课文14 贵族歹徒. E- U& i ^7 W+ q$ z
226. 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.'( L- b! R* q( o y r, K6 n1 L
曾经有一个时期,芝加哥的店主和商行的老板们不得不拿出大笔的钱给歹徒以换取'保护'。3 I' h+ k2 T. g
227. If the money was not paid promptly, the gangsters would quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop.2 V5 q: i$ }/ g5 W
如果交款不及时,歹徒们就会很快捣毁他的商店,让他破产.
; @: ~2 _; A( i228. Obtaining 'protection money' is not a modern crime.( J7 V6 V) m, A
榨取'保护金'并不是一种现代的罪恶行径.
C( V5 c% ]" B% p0 b8 D229. As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery- d) k; \: t3 a: B2 E2 i
早在14世纪,英国人约翰.霍克伍德就有过非凡的发现:' P# k7 j. a8 c1 O! F3 ~0 U2 X
230. that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.$ e$ U$ N% d# I! o4 X( x! \8 K
'人们情愿拿出大笔的钱,也不愿毕生的心血毁于歹徒之手.; V: L% L& _+ W3 [
231. Six hundred years ago, Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of soldiers and settled near Florence.9 r( m' n9 D6 ]" \+ Z/ F
600年前,约翰.霍克伍德爵士带着一队士兵来到意大利,在佛罗伦萨附近驻扎下来,! E1 R& h! c# {
232. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto.; D. ]1 s4 x+ g; a/ Q" _# s
很快就出了名.意大利人叫他乔凡尼.阿库托.) o7 S6 o5 `9 r$ T7 X G4 q6 b& {
233. Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other,
0 V2 X2 c; ]$ n6 `; |* W 每次意大利各城邦之间打伏,) |6 ^! h- k( W0 D4 J$ K( n
234. Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to princes who were willing to pay the high price he demanded.* F9 {* q) T( D8 v1 A) J
霍克伍德把他的士兵雇佣给愿给他出高价的君主。2 X( I; f! E8 c( K; }& b
235. In times of peace, when business was bad, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state and,0 j& G; H5 e% i" H: ~2 J
和平时期,当生意萧条时,霍克伍德便带领士兵进入某个城邦,! i% U R* S9 J9 \2 {) O% E0 W
236. after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away if protection money was paid to them.
, L" @: W/ U1 W" q6 e ` 纵火烧毁一两个农场,然后提出,如向他们缴纳保护金,他们便主动撤离。- f. d- U& i9 L9 j4 e: h
237. Hawkwood made large sums of money in this way.
9 u4 o; G) d+ x8 R# D \ 霍克伍德用这种方法挣了大笔钱.4 j& |3 ?6 b4 J. e8 k
238. In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero.# U, ]/ H! c+ e y* s. J
尽管如此,意大利人还是把他视作某种英雄。/ k8 m* J% A Y: m* c( E. P
239. When he died at the age of eighty, the Florentines gave him a state funeral0 z Z- E& ^! e. c# c, N
他80岁那年死去时,佛罗伦萨人为他举行了国葬,
! Q2 B& m6 o9 V2 d8 \; \- ~240. and had a picture painted which was dedicated to the memory of 'the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni Haukodue.', K! h% ~% V0 n0 h
并为他画像以纪念这位'骁勇无比的战士、杰出的领袖乔凡尼.阿库托先生.' |
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