Unit 3

The Million Pound Bank-Note

What do you know about Mark Twain?

Mark Twain (1835—1910)

The greatest humorist of the 19th century in American literature. Also one of the greatest writer in the world.

He was good at writing He was good at writing about children’s adventuresabout children’s adventures

Reading

About Mark Twain

Place he was born in

Places where he lived

famous works

The meaning of “mark twain”

the age of twelve

Working experience

In FloridaHannibal, Missouri, along the MississippiThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Life on the Mississippi

It means the water is two fathoms deep.(=12feet)He left school to look for work.

A printer, a riverboat pilot, a soldier, a gold miner, a business- man and a newspaper reporter.

About the humor of Mark Twain不知道自己坐火车去哪儿马克 · 吐温对生活上的一些琐事常常心不在焉。一天，他坐火车外出，列车员查票时，他翻遍口袋也没找到车票。 列车员认出是作家马克 · 吐温时，很有礼貌地说：“要是真找不到票也没关系。”马克 · 吐温却说：“那可不行啊，我一定要找到那该死的东西，要不然我怎么知道我去哪儿呢。”妙答解尴尬 有一次，马克吐温应邀赴宴。席间，他对一位夫人说：“你太漂亮了，夫人。”不料，那夫人却说：“很遗憾，我不能用同样的话回答你。”头脑机敏 , 言词犀利的马克吐温笑着说：“这没关系，你也可以和我一样说假话。”

his masterpieceshis masterpieces

18761876

The Adventures The Adventures of Tom Sawyerof Tom Sawyer

his masterpieceshis masterpieces

18811881

The Adventures of The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn

his short storieshis short stories

The £ 1,000,000 The £ 1,000,000 Bank-NoteBank-Note

Discussion

1.A rich person gives you a large amount of money to use. What will you do with it? Why?

2.Have you ever made a bet with a friend? If so, what did you bet on? How did you feel about the bet after it was won re lost?

• Henry a lost American businessman

in London

• Roderick a rich Englishman, Oliver’s

brother

• Oliver a rich Englishman, Roderick’s

brother

• Servant the servant of the brothers

• Banker for the Bank of English

Main Characters

Two rich gentlemen made a bet on what would happen to a person if he was given a million pound note.

Act one

Scene 1

N=Narrator B=Banker O=Oliver R=Roderick

N A hundred years ago, when Britain was very rich, there was more gold deep within the Bank of English than anywhere else in the world. Money was safe, people used to say, safe as the Bank of English.

B Here it is, Mr Montpelier. I trust you will not be disappointed with its design. (He hands him a bank note.)

O No, it seems to me a thing of beauty.

R Allow me, Oliver. (He takes the note from his brother.) It looks good, it feels good, it is good.B And there’s only one other like it, which was used for a foreign loan.O Yes, we read about it. That’s what gave us the idea.B The idea?R I suppose it does seem strange that we should need such a large sum in one bank-note.B It certainly is an unusual request. I imagine it’s for business.

O Important business, isn’t it, Roderick? Do we tell this gentleman?R Yes. You see, my brother and I need this pretty, special piece of paper for a bet.B A bet? Did you say a bet?O A very important bet.B I should say it must be-for one million pounds!

Act one

Scene 2

Henry, the hero of the story, an American young man, sailed too far, drifted out to the ocean. Fortunately ,a British ship, for London, passing by, saved him.

N=Narrator H=Henry C=Clerk

N It is the summer of 1903. Henry Adams, an American businessman, had had some very bad luck. He is lost in London. He has no money and does not know what he should do. As Henry is walking down a sidewalk, he sees a family having a picnic in a park. However, he doesn’t look at them but at their food. He keeps walking. Then he reaches the entrance to a large old building and enters.

H “This embassy does not provide money to Americans in London.” well, that’s too bad. (He turns to the clerk.) I thought this would be just the place.

C It doesn’t mean we’re not glad to help you in other ways. You can work on a ship to take you home, if you like. (Henry notices the clerk eating peanuts from a bag. )

H Any chance I can find a work here?

C Well, if you’d like to come back in a week, we ca find out for you.

H A week? That’s a long time. If I can just get money to last me a few days, I can find work for myself.

C We can give you a small loan if you can repay it. Can you offer us anything in exchange?

H Well, I’m smart and I can use my hands. Unless you don’t trust me, isn’t that enough?

C No, I’m afraid not. Many people pass through this office making similar requests. If we help you in this way, other will expect the same.

H I think I’l try to help myself.

C Well, that’s up to you, young man. Come back if you have no money.

H I’ll do that. (He is still looking at the peanuts.) Say, may I have some of those?

C Of course. Oh, sorry, all gone. (He blows into the bag and pops it.)

Homework

Act one

Scene 3

Read this scene and get the main idea of it.