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两美元纸币背后的故事

来源:可可英语 编辑:hepburn   可可英语APP下载 |  可可官方微信:ikekenet

Open up your wallet

打开你的钱包
and you'd expect to find ones, 10s, 20s, and maybe even a hundo.
你的钱包里可能会装着面额为一美元、十美元、二十美元的,甚至可能还有一百美元的纸币
The last thing you'd ever expect is a Tom, also known as a $2 bill.
最不寻常的要数你的钱包里有汤姆,也就是两美元的纸币
Here's why: Let me show you the money
原因是这样:让我掏钱给你看
It was 1862,
那是1862年
the federal government had just started printing its first paper money.
联邦政府刚刚开始印刷第一批纸币
The first and only denominations were the $1 and $2 bills.
最早也是唯一的面额就是一美元和两美元
And keep in mind, at the time, people were making about $15 a month.
记住了,那个时候,大家的工资大约在15美元一个月
To pay using a $2 bill was a status symbol
用两美元面额的纸币付账是身份的象征
only the wealthiest of Americans could afford,
因为只有最有钱的美国人才付得起
and a lot of the time
而且很多时候
they used them for under the table transactions like political bribes,
他们都用这种面额的钱来做一些见不得光的交易,比如政治贿赂
prostitutes, and gambling.
嫖娼和赌博
2

The Tom ultimately got a bad rap and was deemed unnecessary.

最后,汤姆的名声就被搞臭了,变得可有可无了
In 1966, the government took a 10-year hiatus
1966年,美国爆发了长达10年的经济危机
and stopped printing those bad boys.
并不再印刷这些坏小子了
But in 1976, the government gave them another try,
然而,1976年,政府决定给他们一次改过自新的机会
this time classing them up a bit, issuing a special bicentennial bill.
这一次,政府发行了两百周年纪念版的两美元纸币,让它看上去更漂亮一点儿,
A little too classy, some would argue.
有人可能会说,是不是有点儿太漂亮了
People began hiding them away as collectors items,
人们变纷纷把它当收藏品一样珍藏起来
leading to less bills in circulation, which brings us to present day.
这下,市面上流通的两美元就少了,也就成了今天这个样子
Though rare, Toms are still being printed
虽然数量不多,政府现在仍在印刷汤姆,
and there are over a billion in circulation.
而且,市面上还是有超过10亿张两美元在流通呢
Most people keep them as keepsakes,
大部分人都把它当纪念品一样收藏起来
though there is a sub-culture of $2 ambassadors
虽然美国已经形成了一种由两美元使者带动起来的亚文化
who are set on keeping the Tom alive by using them every chance they get.
这些人一心想让这一面额流通起来,所以他们一有机会就用两美元
So, the next time you're paying with cash, go ahead, use a Tom.
所以,下次结账的时候,请吧,把你的汤姆拿出来吧

重点单词   查看全部解释    
status ['steitəs]

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n. 地位,身份,情形,状况

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symbol ['simbəl]

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n. 符号,标志,象征

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wallet ['wɔlit]

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n. 皮夹,钱包

 
unnecessary [ʌn'nesisəri]

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adj. 不必要的,多余的

 
ultimately ['ʌltimitli]

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adv. 最后,最终

 
rare [rɛə]

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adj. 稀罕的,稀薄的,罕见的,珍贵的
ad

 
circulation [.sə:kju'leiʃən]

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n. 流通,循环,发行量,消息传播

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hiatus [hai'eitəs]

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n. 空隙,裂缝,间断,停顿

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