奇速英语微信公众号qisuen新概念三Lesson14Anoblegangster贵族歹徒TherewasatimewhenTherewasatimewhentheownersofshopsandbusinessesinChicagohadtopaylargesumsofmoneytogangstersininreturnforreturnfor'protection.'Ifthemoneywasnotpaidpromptly,thegangsterswouldquicklyputamanoutofbusinessoutofbusinessbydestroyinghisshop.Obtaining'protectionmoney'isnotamoderncrime.AslongagoasAslongagoasthefourteenthcentury,anEnglishman,SirJohnHawkwood,madetheremarkablediscoverythatpeoplewouldratherwouldratherpaylargesumsofmoneythanhavetheirlifeworkdestroyedbygangsters.Sixhundredyearsago,SirJohanHawkwoodarrivedinItalywithabandofsoldiersandsettlednearFlorence.HesoonmadeanameforhimselfmadeanameforhimselfandcametobeknowntocametobeknowntotheItaliansasGiovanniAcuto.WhenevertheItaliancity-stateswereatatwarwithwarwitheachother,Hawkwoodusedtohirehissoldierstoprinceswhowerewillingtopaythehighpricehedemanded.InIntimesoftimesofpeace,whenbusinesswasbad,Hawkwoodandhismenwouldmarchintoacity-stateand,afterburningdownburningdownafewfarms,wouldoffertooffertogoawayifprotectionmoneywaspaidtothem.Hawkwoodmadelargesumsofmoneymadelargesumsofmoneyinthisway.InInspiteofthisspiteofthis,theItaliansregardedhimasasortofhero.Whenhediedattheageofattheageofeighty,theFlorentinesgavehimastatefuneralandhadapicturedpaintedwhichwasdedicatedtothememoryoftothememoryof'themostvaliantsoldierandmostnotableleader,SignorGiovanniHaukodue.'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"。如果交款不及时,歹徒们就会很快捣毁他的商店,让他破产.榨取"保护金"并不是一种现代的罪恶行径.早在14世纪,英国人约翰.霍克伍德就有过非凡的发现:"人们情愿拿出大笔的钱,也不愿毕生的心血毁于歹徒之手.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,很快就出了名.意大利人叫他乔凡尼.阿库托.每次意大利各城邦之间发生战争,霍克伍德把他的士兵雇佣给愿给他出高价的君主。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,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。霍克伍德用这种方法挣了大笔钱.尽管如此,意大利人还是把他视作某种英雄。他80岁那年死去时,佛罗伦萨人为他举行了国葬,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."Lesson17Thelongestsuspensionbridgeintheworld世界上最长的吊桥Verrazano,anItalianaboutwhomlittleisknown,sailedintoNewYorkHarbourin1524andnameditAngouleme.Hedescribeditas'averyagreeablesituationlocatedwithintwosmallhillsinthemidstofwhichflowedagreatriver.'ThoughVerrazanoisbynomeansbynomeansconsideredtobeagreatexplorer,hisnamewillprobablyremainimmortal,foronNovember21st,1964,thelongestsuspensionbridgeintheworldwasnamedafternamedafterhim.TheVerrazanoBridge,whichwasdesignedbyOthmarAmmann,joinsBrooklyntoStatenIsland.Ithasaspanof4,260feet.Thebridgeissolongthattheshapeoftheearthhadtobetakenintoaccounttakenintoaccountbyitsdesigner.Twogreattowerssupportfourhugecables.Thetowersarebuiltonimmenseunderwaterplatformsmadeofmadeofsteelandconcrete.Theplatformsextendtoextendtoadepthofover100feetunderthesea.Thesealonetooksixteenmonthstobuild.Abovethesurfaceofthewater,thetowersrisetorisetoaheightofnearly700feet.Theysupportthecablesfromwhichthebridgehasbeensuspended.EachofEachofthefourcablescontains26,108lengthsofwire.Ithasbeenestimatedthatifthebridgewerepackedwithpackedwithcars,itwouldstillonlybecarryingathirdofitstotalcapacity.However,sizeandstrengtharenottheonlyimportantthingsaboutthisbridge.Despiteitsim...
