1、Unit 3 The Million Pound Bank-Note,Mark Twain,The author: Mark Twain,Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as the author Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. Major works by Mark Twain:The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras country (1867)The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (18
2、76)Adventure of Huckleberry Finn (1884),马克吐温（Mark Twain l8351910）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
3、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
4、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（191
5、6）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。,The background of the Million Pound Bank-Note,The bank of England once issued two notes of a million pounds, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. For some reason or other only one of these had been used and canc
6、eled; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wonder what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million pound bank-not, and no w
7、ay to account for his being in possession of it.,Brother A said he would starve to death; brother B said he wouldnt. Brother A said he couldnt offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pou
8、nds that the man would live thirty days. They thought “me” to be the right person, a poor, honest and intelligent stranger. They handed “me” an envelope that contained 1,000,000 pounds bank-note. “I”,dressed in rag, with nothing but a bank-note, got into a restaurant. “I” took the banknote to pay fo
9、r the bill and asked for changes. The boss who looked down upon me at first changed his attitude completely. He flatted me that I could have anything I wanted, any time I chose, and let me account run as long as I pleased. They all treated me as honored guest. Then “I”got into a tailors shop, the sa
10、me thing happened. “I” drifted naturally into buying,whatever I wanted, and asking for change. “I” owned the respect and fell in love with a girl, Portia. Everything went well having 1,000,000 pounds bank-note on “me”. After a month, Brothers returned, to my surprise, one of them was my Portias papa
11、. He took that friendly and hospitable bill back to the Bank of England and cashed it, then the Bank canceled it and make him a present of it, and he gave it to us at our weeding.,Watch the movie,Language points,1. a large amount of: a large quantity of2. make a bet: make an arrangement to risk mone
12、y3. permit sb. to do sth. : allow sb. to do sth.4. by accident: as a result of chance5. stare at: look at sb. with the eyes wide open in a fixed gaze6. to be honest: to tell you the truth,Retell the story,Key words:Summer, 1903, Herry Adams, American businessman, rescued, British ship, London, witho
13、ut money, lost, walk down, street, led to, two rich brothers, make a bet, a letter, a million-pound bank-note, open, two ooclock,Listen to the tape and answer some questions,Page 21-221. Whats the Henrys appearance when he stepped into the restaurant?2. Whats the waiters look before 2 oclock?3. What
14、s the waiters look after 2 oclock?4. When they saw the one million pound bank-note, what did they thought about Henry and his behavior?,Listening,1. Why does Henry worry after he leave the restaurant?2. Why does he go back to the two brothers house?3. Why cant he see the two brothers again?4. What do they ask him to do?,Imagine what might happen to Henry in the next room as he tries to use the bank-note but not get into trouble. Make a short list of things that might happen to him.,
