★valiant
adj. 英勇的  
brave adj. 勇敢的
The boy is brave.
During war,soldiers are valiant.
fearless adj. 大無畏的，無所畏懼的
We are fearless in time of danger.
courageous adj. 有膽量的，有勇氣的
      
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
How did Haywood make in times of peace?

    There was a tine when the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago that to pay large sums of money to gangsters in return for 'protection.' If the money was not paid promptly, the gangsters would quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop. Obtaining 'protection money' is not a modern crime. As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.
    Six hundred years ago, Sir Johan Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of soldiers and settled near Florence. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto. Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other, Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to princes who were willing to pay the high price he demanded. In times of peace, when business was bad, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state and, after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away protection money was paid to them. Hawkwood made large sums of money in this way. In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero. When he died at the age of eighty, the Florentines gave him a state funeral and had a pictured with as dedicated to the memory of 'the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni Haukodue.'

參考譯文

    曾經有一個時期,芝加哥的店主和商行的老板們不得不拿出大筆的錢給歹徒以換取"保護"。如果交款不及時,歹徒們就會很快搗毀他的商店,讓他破產.榨取"保護金"并不是一種現代的罪惡行徑.早在14世紀,英國人約翰.霍克伍德就有過非凡的發現:"人們情愿拿出大筆的錢,也不愿畢生的心血毀于歹徒之手.
    600年前,約翰.霍克伍德爵士帶著一隊士兵來到意大利,在佛羅倫薩附近駐扎下來,很快就出了名.意大利人叫他喬凡尼.阿庫托.每次意大利各城邦之間打伏,霍克伍德把他的士兵雇傭給愿給他出高價的君主。和平時期,當生意蕭條時,霍克伍德便帶領士兵進入某個城邦,縱火燒毀一兩個農場,然后提出,如向他們繳納保護金,他們便主動撤離。霍克伍德用這種方法掙了大筆錢.盡管如此,意大利人還是把他視作某種英雄。他80歲那年死去時,佛羅倫薩人為他舉行了國葬,并為他畫像以紀念這位"驍勇無比的戰士、杰出的領袖喬凡尼.阿庫托先生."

【課文講解】

pay large sums of money to sb.　向某人付大筆大筆的費用
in return for 目的是為了換取----作為對……的回報
Eg.: He gave me some books in return for my help.
when 引導狀語從句修飾time
There was a time when mini skirt was in fashion.

promptly: immediately
put a man out of business: 使某人失業
put sb./sth.out of...使某人失去……
Eg.: You are putting me out of patience.
Eg.: You have already put everything out of order.

put it out of your mind 忘記這件事情吧
by destroying his shop 通過……手段
Eg.: You are putting me out of patience by disturbing me.

obtaining...
obtaining: getting

as long ago as 追溯回到；　dating back to
Eg.: I knew Jane as long ago as the year 1980.

John Hawkwood's discovery was quite remarkable
make the remarkable discovery 做出不同尋常的發現
would rather ...than...寧愿而不
Eg.: He would rather die than surrender.
Eg.: I would rather play tennis than swim.

would prefer to do ... than do...
would prefer doing ... to doing...
Eg.: He would prefer to die than surrender.
Eg.: He would prefer dying to surrendering.

would rather: sooner+ that 賓語從句（過去式）
Eg.

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