精选新概念英语必背36篇文章新概念三Lesson14Anoblegangster贵族歹徒TherewasatimewhenTherewasatimewhentheownersofshopsandbusinessesinChicagohadtopaylargesumsofmoneytogangstersinreturnforinreturnfor'protection.'Ifthemoneywasnotpaidpromptly,thegangsterswouldquicklyputamanoutofbusinessoutofbusinessbydestroyinghisshop.Obtaining'protectionmoney'isnotamoderncrime.AslongAslongagoasagoasthefourteenthcentury,anEnglishman,SirJohnHawkwood,madetheremarkablediscoverythatpeoplewouldratherwouldratherpaylargesumsofmoneythanhavetheirlifeworkdestroyedbygangsters.Sixhundredyearsago,SirJohanHawkwoodarrivedinItalywithabandofsoldiersandsettlednearFlorence.HesoonmadeanameforhimselfmadeanameforhimselfandcamecametobeknowntotobeknowntotheItaliansasGiovanniAcuto.WhenevertheItaliancity-stateswereatwarwithatwarwitheachother,Hawkwoodusedtohirehissoldierstoprinceswhowerewillingtopaythehighpricehedemanded.IntimesofIntimesofpeace,whenbusinesswasbad,Hawkwoodandhismenwouldmarchintoacity-stateand,afterburningdownburningdownafewfarms,wouldoffertooffertogoawayifprotectionmoneywaspaidtothem.Hawkwoodmadelargesumsofmoneymadelargesumsofmoneyinthisway.InspiteofthisInspiteofthis,theItaliansregardedhimasasortofhero.Whenhediedattheageofattheageofeighty,theFlorentinesgavehimastatefuneralandhadapicturedpaintedwhichwasdedicatedtothetothememoryofmemoryof'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...
