It is the summer of 1903.Two old and wealthy brothers, Roderick and Oliver, have made a bet.Oliver believes that with a million pound bank note a man could survive a month in London.His brother Roderick doubts it.At this moment, they see a penniless young man wandering on the pavement outside their house.It is Henry Adams, an American businessman, who is lost in London and does not know what he should do.
RODERICK: Young man, would you step inside a moment, please?
羅德里克:年輕人，請進來一會兒，好嗎?
HENRY: Who? Me, sir?
亨 利:先生，你叫誰來呀?是叫我嗎?
RODERICK: Yes, you.
羅德里克:是的，就是你。
OLIVER: Through the front door on your left.
奧利弗:從你左側的前門進來。
HENRY: (A servant opens a door) Thanks.
SERVANT: Good morning, sir. Would you please come in? Permit me to lead the way,sir
僕 人:早上好，先生，請進。先生，請讓我來帶路吧。
.OLIVER: (Henry enters) Thank you, James. That will be all.
。
RODERICK: How do you do, Mr ... er ...?
羅德里克:你好，先生，你貴姓?
Adams. Henry Adams.
亨 利:亞當斯，亨利.亞當斯。
OLIVER: Come and sit down, Mr Adams
奧利弗:來，請坐，亞當斯先生。
HENRY: Thank you.
RODERICK: You"re an American?
羅德里克:你是美華人?
HENRY: That"s right, from San Francisco.
亨 利:是的，從舊金山來。
RODERICK: How well do you know London?
羅德里克:你對倫敦熟悉嗎?
HENRY: Not at all, it"s my first trip here.
亨 利:一點兒也不熟，這是我第一次來倫敦。
RODERICK: I wonder, Mr Adams, if you"d mind us asking a few questions.
羅德里克:亞當斯先生，不知你是否介意我們問幾個問題?
HENRY: Not at all. Go right ahead.
亨 利:不介意，請問吧。
RODERICK: May we ask what you"re doing in this country and what your plans are?
羅德里克:可不可以問問，你在這個國家乾點兒什麼?你的計劃又是什麼呢?
HENRY: Well, I can"t say that I have any plans. I"m hoping to find work.As a matter of fact, I landed in Britain by accident.
OLIVER: How is that possible?
奧利弗:這怎麼可能呢?
HENRY: Well, you see, back home I had my own boat.About a month ago, I was sailing out of the bay ...(his eyes stare at what is left of the brother"s dinner on table)
HENRY: Oh, yes. Well, towards nightfall I found myself carried out to sea by a strong wind.It was all my fault. I didn"t know whether I could survive until morning.The next morning I"d just about given myself up for lost when I was spotted by a ship.
OLIVER: And it was the ship that brought you to England.
羅德里克:正是那艘船把你帶到了英國。
HENRY: Yes. The fact is that I earned my passage by working as an unpaid hand,which accounts for my appearance.I went to the American embassy to seek help, but ...(The brothers smile at each other.)
RODERICK: Well, you mustn"t worry about that. It"s an advantage.
羅德里克:嗯，這一點你倒不必擔心，這還是優點呢。
HENRY: I"m afraid I don"t quite follow you, sir.
亨 利:對不起，先生，你的話我沒有聽懂。
RODERICK: Tell us, Mr Adams, what sort of work did you do in America?
奧利弗:亞當斯先生，請你告訴我們，你在美國幹哪個行當?
HENRY: I worked for a mining company.Could you offer me some kind of work here?
亨 利:我在一家礦業公司工作。你們能不能給我提供一份工作呢?
RODERICK: Patience, Mr Adams.
If you don"t mind, may I ask you how much money you have?
羅德里克:耐心點兒，亞當斯先生，如果你不介意，我能不能問問，你手頭兒有多少錢?
HENRY: Well, to be honest, I have none.
亨 利:嗯，老實說，我一分錢都沒有了。
OLIVER: (happily) What luck! Brother, what luck! (claps his hands together)
奧利弗:(高興地)老兄，真走運!真有運氣!(鼓起掌來)
HENRY: Well, it may seem lucky to you but not to me!On the contrary, in fact. If this is your idea of some kind of joke, I don"t think it"s very funny.(Henry stands up to leave) Now if you"ll excuse me, I think I"ll be on my way.
The million pound bank note（馬克吐溫的《百萬英鎊》）課文翻譯如下
：
It is the summer of 1903.Two old and wealthy brothers, Roderick and Oliver, have made a bet.Oliver believes that with a million pound bank note a man could survive a month in London.His brother Roderick doubts it.At this moment, they see a penniless young man wandering on the pavement outside their house.It is Henry Adams, an American businessman, who is lost in London and does not know what he should do.
旁白:1903年的夏天。一對年老又富有的兄弟，羅德里克和奧利弗，打了一個賭。奧利弗認為，一個人靠一張百萬英鎊的鈔票在倫敦能活一個月。他的兄弟羅德里克對此表示懷疑。這時，他們看見一個身無分文的年輕人在房子外面的人行道上游蕩。他叫亨利.亞當斯，一個美國商人，在倫敦迷了路，不知道該怎麼辦。
RODERICK: Young man, would you step inside a moment, please?
羅德里克:年輕人，請進來一會兒，好嗎?
HENRY: Who? Me, sir?
亨 利:先生，你叫誰來呀?是叫我嗎?
RODERICK: Yes, you.
羅德里克:是的，就是你。
OLIVER: Through the front door on your left.
奧利弗:從你左側的前門進來。
HENRY: (A servant opens a door) Thanks.
SERVANT: Good morning, sir. Would you please come in? Permit me to lead the way,sir
僕 人:早上好，先生，請進。先生，請讓我來帶路吧。
.OLIVER: (Henry enters) Thank you, James. That will be all.
。
RODERICK: How do you do, Mr ... er ...?
羅德里克:你好，先生，你貴姓?
Adams. Henry Adams.
亨 利:亞當斯，亨利.亞當斯。
OLIVER: Come and sit down, Mr Adams
奧利弗:來，請坐，亞當斯先生。
HENRY: Thank you.
RODERICK: You"re an American?
羅德里克:你是美華人?
HENRY: That"s right, from San Francisco.
亨 利:是的，從舊金山來。
RODERICK: How well do you know London?
羅德里克:你對倫敦熟悉嗎?
HENRY: Not at all, it"s my first trip here.
亨 利:一點兒也不熟，這是我第一次來倫敦。
RODERICK: I wonder, Mr Adams, if you"d mind us asking a few questions.
羅德里克:亞當斯先生，不知你是否介意我們問幾個問題?
HENRY: Not at all. Go right ahead.
亨 利:不介意，請問吧。
RODERICK: May we ask what you"re doing in this country and what your plans are?
羅德里克:可不可以問問，你在這個國家乾點兒什麼?你的計劃又是什麼呢?
HENRY: Well, I can"t say that I have any plans. I"m hoping to find work.As a matter of fact, I landed in Britain by accident.
OLIVER: How is that possible?
奧利弗:這怎麼可能呢?
HENRY: Well, you see, back home I had my own boat.About a month ago, I was sailing out of the bay ...(his eyes stare at what is left of the brother"s dinner on table)
亨 利:嗯，你看，在美國的時候，我有我自己的船。大約一個月前，我開船駛出海灣……(他的眼睛盯著兄弟倆留在餐桌上的殘羹剩菜上)。
OLIVER: Well, go on.
羅德里克:往下說呀。
HENRY: Oh, yes. Well, towards nightfall I found myself carried out to sea by a strong wind.It was all my fault. I didn"t know whether I could survive until morning.The next morning I"d just about given myself up for lost when I was spotted by a ship.
亨 利:哦，好的。嗯，傍晚時分我發現我被一陣大風颳到海上去了。這都是我的錯。我不知道是否能活到早晨。第二天早上，我正感到絕望的時候，一艘海船發現了我。
OLIVER: And it was the ship that brought you to England.
羅德里克:正是那艘船把你帶到了英國。
HENRY: Yes. The fact is that I earned my passage by working as an unpaid hand,which accounts for my appearance.I went to the American embassy to seek help, but ...(The brothers smile at each other.)
亨 利:是的。事實上我靠做義工來頂替船費。這就是我為什麼衣冠不整的原因了。我上美國大使館求助，但是……(兄弟倆相顧而笑)。
RODERICK: Well, you mustn"t worry about that. It"s an advantage.
羅德里克:嗯，這一點你倒不必擔心，這還是優點呢。
HENRY: I"m afraid I don"t quite follow you, sir.
亨 利:對不起，先生，你的話我沒有聽懂。
RODERICK: Tell us, Mr Adams, what sort of work did you do in America?
奧利弗:亞當斯先生，請你告訴我們，你在美國幹哪個行當?
HENRY: I worked for a mining company.Could you offer me some kind of work here?
亨 利:我在一家礦業公司工作。你們能不能給我提供一份工作呢?
RODERICK: Patience, Mr Adams.
If you don"t mind, may I ask you how much money you have?
羅德里克:耐心點兒，亞當斯先生，如果你不介意，我能不能問問，你手頭兒有多少錢?
HENRY: Well, to be honest, I have none.
亨 利:嗯，老實說，我一分錢都沒有了。
OLIVER: (happily) What luck! Brother, what luck! (claps his hands together)
奧利弗:(高興地)老兄，真走運!真有運氣!(鼓起掌來)
HENRY: Well, it may seem lucky to you but not to me!On the contrary, in fact. If this is your idea of some kind of joke, I don"t think it"s very funny.(Henry stands up to leave) Now if you"ll excuse me, I think I"ll be on my way.
亨 利:嗯，這對你們來說可能是運氣，但對我來說可不是。事實上，正好相反。如果你們認為這是一個笑話，我可不覺得很好笑。(亨利起身準備走)好了，請原諒，我想我該上路了。
RODERICK: Please don"t go, Mr Adams.You mustn"t think we don"t care about you. Oliver, give him the letter.
羅德里克:亞當斯先生，請別走。你千萬不要以為我們不在意你的感受。奧利弗，把信給他。
OLIVER: Yes, the letter. (gets it from a desk and gives it to Henry like a gift) The letter
奧利弗:是，那封信。(從桌上把信拿起來，像送禮品一樣遞給亨利)給你信。
HENRY: (taking it carefully) For me?
亨 利:(小心翼翼地接過信)是給我嗎?
RODERICK: For you. (Henry starts to open it) Oh, no, you mustn"t open it.Not yet. You can"t open it until two o"clock.
羅德里克:是給你的。(亨利要拆信)啊，別拆，你不要拆，現在不是時候，到兩點鐘你才能開啟。
HENRY: Oh, this is silly
亨 利:噢，這真可笑。
RODERICK: Not silly. There"s money in it. (calls to the servant) James?
羅德里克:這不可笑，這裡邊有錢呢。(叫僕人)詹姆斯?
HENRY: Oh, no. I don"t want your charity. I just want an honest job.
亨 利:噢，不，我不需要你們的施捨，我只要一份老老實實的工作。
.RODERICK: We know you"re hard-working.That"s why we"ve given you the letter. James, show Mr Adams out.
羅德里克:我們知道你工作是很賣力的，這正是我們給你這封信的原因。詹姆斯，請送亞當斯先生出去。
OLIVER: Good luck, Mr Adams.
奧利弗:祝你好運，亞當斯先生。
HENRY: Well, why don"t you explain what this is all about?
亨 利:嗯，怎麼不給我講講，這究竟是什麼回事呢?
RODERICK: You"ll soon know. (looks at the clock) In exactly an hour and a half.
羅德里克:你很快就會明白的，(看看鐘)一個半小時以後。
SERVANT: This way, sir.
僕 人:請這邊走，先生。
RODERICK:Mr Adams, not until 2 o"clock. Promise?
羅德里克:亞當斯先生，兩點鐘以前不要拆信，答應嗎?
HENRY: Promise. Goodbye