---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-4/12-banks-and-their-customers.md
description: 新概念英语第四册：Banks and Their Customers。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 12 · 银行和顾客

### 第1段

When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money, repayment of which he may demand at any time, either in cash or by drawing a cheque in favour of another person. Primarily, the banker-customer relationship is that of debtor and creditor—who is which depending on whether the customer's account is in credit or is overdrawn. But, in addition to that basically simple concept, the bank and its customer owe a large number of obligations to one another. Many of these obligations can give rise to problems and complications but a bank customer, unlike, say, a buyer of goods, cannot complain that the law is loaded against him.
The bank must obey its customer's instructions, and not those of anyone else. When, for example, a customer first opens an account, he instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn by himself. He gives the bank specimens of his signature, and there is a very firm rule that the bank has no right or authority to pay out a customer's money on a cheque on which its customer's signature has been forged. It makes no difference that the forgery may have been a very skillful one: the bank must recognize its customer's signature. For this reason there is no risk to the customer in the practice, adopted by banks, of printing the customer's name on his cheques. If this facilitates forgery, it is the bank which will lose, not the customer.

中文理解：一个人在银行开立活期账户，就等于把钱借给银行；他可以随时要求归还，既可以提取现金，也可以开一张以他人为收款人的支票。银行与顾客的关系，首先是债务人与债权人的关系；究竟谁欠谁的钱，要看顾客的账户是有余额，还是已经透支。除了这一基本关系，银行和顾客还对彼此负有许多义务。这些义务可能引发各种问题和纠纷，不过，银行顾客不能像某些商品买家那样，说法律一味偏向对方、对自己不公。
银行必须遵从顾客本人的指令，而不是其他任何人的指令。例如，顾客初次开户时，会要求银行只凭本人签发的支票从账户扣款。他会向银行留下签名样本，而一条十分明确的规则是：银行无权凭伪造顾客签名的支票支付顾客的钱。即使伪造得再高明，也不能改变这一点；银行有责任认出顾客的签名。正因如此，银行把顾客姓名印在支票上的做法，并不会使顾客承担风险。即使这方便了伪造，蒙受损失的也会是银行，而不是顾客。

* **a current account**：活期账户；current account是英式常见说法，美式多用checking account。

* **in cash**：以现金形式；cash前通常不加冠词，区别于by card。

* **drawing a cheque**：开支票；draw不是画图，而是签发支票。

* **in favour of**：以……为收款人；本课是收款指向，不是赞成某观点。

* **debtor and creditor**：债务人与债权人；undefined

* **in credit**：账户有余额；与overdrawn透支形成对照，不等于信用评分高。

* **is overdrawn**：处于透支状态；银行账户余额已被透支，不是把draw理解成画图。可连记an overdrawn account。

* **owe a large number of obligations**：负有许多义务；undefined

* **give rise to**：引起；较正式，常接问题、疑虑或争议。

* **obey its customer's instructions**：遵从顾客指令；obey直接接对象，不加to。

* **in respect of**：就……而言；针对；本课限定哪些支票可扣款，不是尊敬。

* **no right or authority**：没有权利或权限；undefined

* **pay out**：支付出去；可指支付一笔资金，别与pay for购买对象混淆。

* **makes no difference**：并无影响；说某事实不改变关键结论，而非所有差异都不存在。

* **For this reason**：正因如此；undefined

* **facilitates forgery**：使伪造更方便；较正式，意思是促成或便利，不表示赞同。

#### When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money, repayment of which he may demand at any time, either in cash or by drawing a cheque in favour of another person.

复合句，when 引导的时间状语从句为主谓宾结构.

主句为主谓+双宾语结构，bank 和 money 为两个宾语，后面跟一个非限制性定语从句，该从句把宾语 repayment of which 提前了. 最后是方式状语，是取现还是开支票.

境外的银行开户，普遍会给客户开两个户口，一个 savings account，活期账户；另一个是 current account，在美国又称 checking account，往来账户，可用于开支票的扣款，因往来账户连活期利息都没有，所以作者认为，这相当于把钱借给了银行.

#### Primarily, the banker-customer relationship is that of debtor and creditor—who is which depending on whether the customer's account is in credit or is overdrawn.

复合句，该句以破折号分为前后两句，首句为简单句，主系表结构，表语中的 that 指 the relationship.

who…overdrawn 在这里并非定语从句，而是独立主格结构. 可以从 who is which 是分词短语 depending…overdrawn 的逻辑主语，得知 who is which 自然是指前面的 debtor 或 creditor. 关于独立主格结构，可参考语法书非谓语动词部分，独立主格结构是一种特殊的结构，可以理解为一个在句中作状语的短语，主要由逻辑主语和逻辑谓语构成，其所修饰的对象为整个句子. 独立主格结构与主句之间不能使用任何连接词，其特点有两个：独立主格结构的逻辑主语与句子的主语不同，而是独立存在；独立主格结构一般以逗号与主句分开.

独立主格结构的组成有三种，其一，逻辑主语+非谓语动词；其二，逻辑主语+名词/形容词/副词/介词短语等；其三，with+复合宾语结构.

本书其它地方出现独立主格结构用法的还有：

在这个独立主格结构中，有一个介词宾语从句，由 whether 引导，作介词 on 的宾语，该宾语从句予以细分，为主系表结构.

信用卡的结单里面，CR 表示有结余，DR 表示透支.

#### But, in addition to that basically simple concept, the bank and its customer owe a large number of obligations to one another.

简单句，主谓宾结构.

句中 that 指前文的 debtor and creditor 关系.

#### Many of these obligations can give rise to problems and complications but a bank customer, unlike, say, a buyer of goods, cannot complain that the law is loaded against him.

复合句，并列结构，以 but 连接两个句子，首句为主谓宾结构，but 后句为主谓+ 宾语从句结构，该句中 unlike 为介词，与 a buyer of goods 一起作为非限定性后置定语. say 为插入语，可以看作是省略了的 let’s say.

宾语从句为主系表结构，表语由一个习语的变体担任，习语本身是 load the dice against sb.，掷骰子，结果不利于某人，占某人便宜之意，这里 loaded against him 位于 cannot complain 的否定范围内，整句表示客户不能抱怨法律偏向银行、对自己不利；作者的意思恰恰是法律给予客户充分保护.

这里的 complain 应翻译为投诉，如果仅仅是抱怨，则不存在不允许抱怨的情况.

#### The bank must obey its customer's instructions, and not those of anyone else.

简单句，主谓宾结构，and 后面也是宾语.

#### When, for example, a customer first opens an account, he instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn by himself.

复合句，when 引导的时间状语从句为主谓宾结构，主句为主谓宾+宾补结构. debit his account 在这里指“从客户账户扣款”，与贷记入账相反；这不等于客户产生了还款义务。此处的关键是：银行应当仅凭客户签发的支票，扣减该账户的余额。

\[When your bank account is debited,] it means money is taken out of the account. The opposite of a debit is a credit, (\[in which case] money is added to your account.)

#### He gives the bank specimens of his signature, and there is a very firm rule that the bank has no right or authority to pay out a customer's money on a cheque on which its customer's signature has been forged.

复合句，and 前句为主谓+双宾语结构，and 后句为 there be 句型，其中包含一个 that 引导的同位语从句，该从句为主谓宾结构，后面还带有一个 on which 引导的定语从句，为主谓结构.

#### It makes no difference that the forgery may have been a very skillful one: the bank must recognize its customer's signature.

复合句，以冒号分为两句，前句 that 引导的主语从句作真正的主语，该从句为主系表结构，而主句为主谓宾结构.

冒号后的句子为主谓宾结构. 该句中教材用了 skilful 的拼法，美国英语更倾向于 skillful 的拼法，两者意思一致，文中我改用了 skillful 的拼法.

\[1] EMILY NORRIS. Bank Account Debit: What's Really Happening.

#### For this reason there is no risk to the customer in the practice, adopted by banks, of printing the customer's name on his cheques.

there be 句型. 现在的支票签名处都印有客户的姓名.

#### If this facilitates forgery, it is the bank which will lose, not the customer.

复合句，if 引导的条件状语从句，为主谓宾结构. 主句为强调句. 如果捡到空白支票，人们可以通过印刷的名字尝试不同的签名样式，比不知道姓名要更容易冒签.

## 学完这一课

用定语从句解释一笔款项何时、如何归还。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-4/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第50—53页，2022年2月第2版。*