評論
打印
New Words
新單詞
Babylon n.
巴比倫(古代巴比倫王國首都)
temple n.
廟宇，專供某種活動場所
(the) Renaissance n.
文藝復興，
ancient adj.
古代的
Greece n.
希臘
breakup n.
分裂，崩潰
decline n.
下降，衰落
usury n.
高利貸，高利
illegal adj.
不合法的；非法的
Belgium n.
比利時
function n.
功能，作用
complex adj.
復雜的
especially adv.
特別地
expand v.
擴大
partially adv.
部分地
Venice n.
威尼斯(意大利港市)
semi-public adj.
半公立的
Phrases & Expressions
短語
Roman Empire
羅馬帝國
emerge from
出現，冒出
feudal system
封建體制
Middle Ages
中世紀
bill of exchange
匯票
regulatory function
常規作用
Z:Good afternoon!
張：下午好！
A:Good afternoon!
全體：下午好！
Z:Today I'll introduce something about the history of banking in the west.
張：今天我要講點西方銀行史。
Well, that's very interesting, the earliest banks started in Babylon almost 4 000 years ago.
這是很有意思的，最早的銀行大約是四千年前在巴比倫建立的。
They were really temples which collected deposits and made loans.
實際上，那些銀行只是一種收集存款并進行的放款的場所。
S1:I see, but I had always thought that banking started during the Renaissance in Europe.
學1：我明白了，但我原來一直以為銀行業務始于歐洲文藝復興時期。
N:No, it was much earlier than that. Then, there were banks in ancient Greece and Rome, too.
周：不，比那個時期早多了。古希臘和羅馬都有許多銀行，
It wasn't until the breakup of the Roman Empire and the decline in trade and commercial transactions that banking lost its previous importance.
直到羅馬帝崩潰和商貿業務的衰落，銀行業才失去了它以往的重要性。
S2:What about the laws against usury during the Middle Ages?
學2：中世紀時，放禁止放高利貸是怎么回事？
Didn't such laws make it illegal to charge interest on loans?
這些法律沒有規定貸款收取利息是非法的嗎？
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，規定了，但是這些法律在14，15世紀時逐步地改變了，銀行的作用又在意大利和比利時開始出現，后來又在法國，
Germany and England.
德國和英國。
S3:So we can really say that banking restarted during the Renaissance.
學3：所以實際上我們可以說，銀行業在文藝復興時期又重新開始了。
Z:You are right. We can easily see the need for the development of the banks during that period.
張：對的。顯而易見，銀行的發展正是出于那個時期的需要。當歐洲從中世紀封建制度的禁錮中掙脫出來時，
Commercial and financial transactions had once again started to become more complex as Europe emerged from the feudal system of the Middle Ages.
商業和金融交易再一次開始變得復雜起來了。
S4:Could you tell us more in detail?
學4：您能說得再具體些嗎？
Z:Yeah. For one thing, many banks started that way, especially in France and England,
周：是的。一方面很多銀行就是這樣興起的，特別是在法國和英國。
but they gradually expanded their activities to handling deposits and loans,
可是他們逐漸地擴展他們的經營活動，發展到從事儲蓄，貸款，
issuing and trading bills of exchange and even issuing their own notes;
發行和買賣匯票，甚至發行他們自己的貨幣。
for another thing, they started the fractional reserve system which is the central feature of modern banks.
另一方面他們開始建立起部分儲備制度，而這一點正是現代銀行的主要特征。
S5:When did the idea of central banks get started?
學5：建立中央銀行的想法是什么時候開始的？
Z:Well, the first bank that was partially owned and controlled by a state government was established in Venice in 1587.
張：哦，第一個由國家政府部分擁有和控制的銀行是1587年在威尼斯建立起來的。
Then, the bank of England appeared. We could call them semi-public.
后來英格蘭銀行出現。我們稱這種銀行為半公立銀行。
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.
事實上在19世紀中葉具有明確常規作用的中央銀行已建立起來。好吧！下課。
A:Good-bye!
全：再見！
