望采纳
我有个朋友，他特别痛恨银行。
I have a friend who hates banks with a special passion.
银行只不过是个商店，就像糖果店或杂货店一样。
A bank is just a store like a candy store or a grocery store.
唯一的区别是，银行的商品凑巧是钱，那原本就是你的。
The only difference is that a bank's goods happen to be money, which is yours in the first place.
如果银行必须卖的是钱包和钱袋，它们做起事来就不会像教堂那样（盛气凌人）了。
If banks were required to sell wallets and money belts, they might act less like churches."
那天，当我走进西区一家灯光刺眼的小支行时，我开始思考朋友（的话）。我是来开个新活期账户的。
I began thinking about my friend the other day as I walked into a small, over lighted branch office on the West Side. I had come to open a checking account.
当时是午饭时间，唯一值班的职员是个四十来岁的黑人男子，头发又短又平，上唇的胡子像铅笔一样直，一身棕色套装熨得笔挺。It was lunchtime and the only officer on duty was a fortyish black man with short, pressed hair, a pencil mustache, and a neatly pressed brown suit.
他浑身上下都表明，他是个穿着考究的权威人士。
Everything about him suggested a carefully dressed authority.
这个职员隔着个小柜台站在一个年少的白人男孩对面。男孩子穿着V字领的套头衫，卡其布裤子和平底便鞋。
This officer was standing across a small counter from a young white boy who was wearing a V-necked sweater, khakis, and loafers.
他长着浅棕色的头发。我想我之所以特别注意到他，是因为他看上去像个预科学校的孩子，而不像个西区银行的顾客。
He had sandy hair, and I think I was especially aware of him because he looked more like a kid from a prep school than a customer in a West Side bank.
由于后面所发生的事情，那男孩子继续吸引着我的注意力。
The boy continued to hold my attention because of what happened next.
他手持一本打开的定期
存折，脸上露出明显的沮丧表情。
He was holding an open savings-account book and wearing an expression of open dismay.
可我不明白。是我自己开的帐户，为什么我不能去钱呢？
But I don't understand. I opened the account myself, so why can't I withdraw any money?
我已经向你解释过了，十四岁的孩子没有父母的证明，是不允许取钱的。
I've already explained to you that a fourteen-year-old is not allowed to withdraw money without a letter from his parents.
“可那看上去不公平啊，”那孩子说道，声音都变调了，“那是我的钱，我存的，那是我的帐户。”
“But that doesn't seem fair,” the boy said, his voice breaking. “It's my money. I put it in. It's my account.
我知道是你的钱，可这是规定。对不起。
I know it is, but those are the rules. Now if you'll excuse me.
他微笑着转脸朝我说：“您有什么事啊？”
He turned to me with a smile. "May I help you, sir?"
我想都没想就说到：“我要开个新帐户，可看见这里发生的事情之后，我想我改变了主意。”
I didn't think twice. “I was going to open a new account," I said, "but after seeing what's going on here, I think I've changed my mind.”
如果对这里发生的事我没有理解错的话，你是说在你们的银行里，这孩子存钱年龄够了，但取钱年龄却不够。
If I understand what's going on here correctly, what you're saying is that this boy is old enough to deposit his money in your bank but he's not old enough to withdraw it.
既然在是不是他的钱、是不是他的帐户上好像没有任何问题，那银行的所谓政策显然是荒谬的。
Since there doesn't seem to be any question as to whether it's his money or his account, the bank's so-called policy is clearly ridiculous.
“对你来说可能看上去是荒谬的，”他回答道，嗓音由于愤怒略微升高了一些，“但那是银行的政策，我别无选择，只能遵守规定。”
“It may seem ridiculous to you,” he replied in a voice rising slightly in irritation, “but that is the bank's policy and I have no other choice but to follow the rules.”
在这阵子交谈中，男孩子满怀希望地站在我旁边，可此时我和他一样毫无办法了。
The boy had stood hopefully next to me during this exchange, but now I was just as helpless.
突然，我注意到，他一直攥着的那个敞开的存折显示有一百美元的存款余额。
Suddenly I noticed that the open savings book he continued to grasp showed a balance of about $100.
它还显示有一系列小额存取钱的记录。
It also showed that there had been a series of small deposits and withdrawals.
我有了大好机会。
I had my opening.
你自己以前取过钱吗？
Have you withdrawn money before by yourself?
我要致对手于死地了。
I moved in for the kill.
“你怎么解释这个啊？”我瞄准了那个职员，“你们为什么以前让他取钱，可现在却不让了？”
“How do you explain that?” I zeroed in on the officer. “Why did you let him withdraw money before, but not now?”
他看上去很恼火。“因为以前出纳员没有注意到他的年龄，而现在他们注意到了。事情的确非常简单。”
He looked annoyed. "Because the tellers were not aware of his age before and now they are. It's really very simple".
我耸了耸肩，转向那男孩子。“他们真的正在欺骗你，”我说，“你应该带父母来这儿抗议。”
I turned to the boy with a shrug. "You're really getting cheated," I said. "You ought to get your parents to come in here and protest."
这孩子看上去被击垮（绝望）了。他默默地将存折放进后面的裤兜里，走出了银行。
The boy looked destroyed. Silently, he put his savings book in a rear-pocket and walked out of the bank.
职员转向我。“你知道，”他说，“你不该干涉这事。”
The officer turned to me. “You know,” he said, “you really shouldn't have interfered.”
“不该干涉？”我喊叫道，“嗨，我真的觉得他需要有人代表他的利益。”
“Shouldn't have interfered?” I shouted. “Well, it damn well seemed to me that he needed someone to represent his interests.”
“有人代表他的利益，”他轻声地说。
“Someone was representing his interests,” he said softly.
“那会是谁？”“是银行。”
“And who might that be?” “The bank.”
我简直无法相信这白痴说的话。
I couldn't believe what this idiot was saying.
“我说，”我最后说道，“我们真的是在浪费彼此的时间。可是，你可能乐意确切地解释一下，银行是怎样代表那男孩的利益的。”
“Look,” I concluded, “we’re just wasting each other’s time. But maybe you'd like to explain exactly how the bank was representing that boy's interests?”
我们今天早上接到通知，附近有个恶霸一个多月以来一直在敲诈这男孩子。
We were informed this morning that some neighborhood bully has been shaking this boy down for
more than a month.
那家伙强迫他每星期取钱交给他。
The other guy was forcing him to take money out every week and hand it over.
很明显，这可怜的孩子很害怕，对谁也不敢说。这就是他这么烦恼的原因。
The poor kid was apparently too scared to tell anyone. That's the real reason he was so upset.
他害怕那家伙会收拾他。
He was afraid of what the other guy would do to him.
不过，警察正在调查这个案子，他们可能今天要实施逮捕。
Anyway, the police are on the case and they'll probably make an arrest today."
你的意思是说，根本就没有小孩子太小，不能从定期帐户里取钱的规定？
You mean there is no rule about being too young to withdraw money from a savings account?
我还没听说过。好，先生，我能为你做点什么？
Not that I ever heard of. Now, sir, what can we do for you?