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New Words
新单词
Babylon n.
巴比伦(古代巴比伦王国首都)
temple n.
庙宇，专供某种活动场所
(the) Renaissance n.
文艺复兴，
ancient adj.
古代的
Greece n.
希腊
breakup n.
分裂，崩溃
decline n.
下降，衰落
usury n.
高利贷，高利
illegal adj.
不合法的；非法的
Belgium n.
比利时
function n.
功能，作用
complex adj.
复杂的
especially adv.
特别地
expand v.
扩大
partially adv.
部分地
Venice n.
威尼斯(意大利港市)
semi-public adj.
半公立的
Phrases & Expressions
短语
Roman Empire
罗马帝国
emerge from
出现，冒出
feudal system
封建体制
Middle Ages
中世纪
bill of exchange
汇票
regulatory function
常规作用
Z:Good afternoon!
张：下午好！
A:Good afternoon!
全体：下午好！
Z:Today I'll introduce something about the history of banking in the west.
张：今天我要讲点西方银行史。
Well, that's very interesting, the earliest banks started in Babylon almost 4 000 years ago.
这是很有意思的，最早的银行大约是四千年前在巴比伦建立的。
They were really temples which collected deposits and made loans.
实际上，那些银行只是一种收集存款并进行的放款的场所。
S1:I see, but I had always thought that banking started during the Renaissance in Europe.
学1：我明白了，但我原来一直以为银行业务始于欧洲文艺复兴时期。
N:No, it was much earlier than that. Then, there were banks in ancient Greece and Rome, too.
周：不，比那个时期早多了。古希腊和罗马都有许多银行，
It wasn't until the breakup of the Roman Empire and the decline in trade and commercial transactions that banking lost its previous importance.
直到罗马帝崩溃和商贸业务的衰落，银行业才失去了它以往的重要性。
S2:What about the laws against usury during the Middle Ages?
学2：中世纪时，放禁止放高利贷是怎么回事？
Didn't such laws make it illegal to charge interest on loans?
这些法律没有规定贷款收取利息是非法的吗？
Z:Yes, they did, but these laws were gradually changed during the 14th and 15th centuries and banking functions started appearing again in Italy and Belgium and later in France,
周：是的，规定了，但是这些法律在14，15世纪时逐步地改变了，银行的作用又在意大利和比利时开始出现，后来又在法国，
Germany and England.
德国和英国。
S3:So we can really say that banking restarted during the Renaissance.
学3：所以实际上我们可以说，银行业在文艺复兴时期又重新开始了。
Z:You are right. We can easily see the need for the development of the banks during that period.
张：对的。显而易见，银行的发展正是出于那个时期的需要。当欧洲从中世纪封建制度的禁锢中挣脱出来时，
Commercial and financial transactions had once again started to become more complex as Europe emerged from the feudal system of the Middle Ages.
商业和金融交易再一次开始变得复杂起来了。
S4:Could you tell us more in detail?
学4：您能说得再具体些吗？
Z:Yeah. For one thing, many banks started that way, especially in France and England,
周：是的。一方面很多银行就是这样兴起的，特别是在法国和英国。
but they gradually expanded their activities to handling deposits and loans,
可是他们逐渐地扩展他们的经营活动，发展到从事储蓄，贷款，
issuing and trading bills of exchange and even issuing their own notes;
发行和买卖汇票，甚至发行他们自己的货币。
for another thing, they started the fractional reserve system which is the central feature of modern banks.
另一方面他们开始建立起部分储备制度，而这一点正是现代银行的主要特征。
S5:When did the idea of central banks get started?
学5：建立中央银行的想法是什么时候开始的？
Z:Well, the first bank that was partially owned and controlled by a state government was established in Venice in 1587.
张：哦，第一个由国家政府部分拥有和控制的银行是1587年在威尼斯建立起来的。
Then, the bank of England appeared. We could call them semi-public.
后来英格兰银行出现。我们称这种银行为半公立银行。
As a matter of fact, the central banks with specific regulatory functions were created in the middle of 19th century. OK, we call it a day.
事实上在19世纪中叶具有明确常规作用的中央银行已建立起来。好吧！下课。
A:Good-bye!
全：再见！
