小说搜索     点击排行榜   最新入库
首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Helping Himself » CHAPTER X — A DAY IN WALL STREET
选择底色: 选择字号:【大】【中】【小】
CHAPTER X — A DAY IN WALL STREET
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
 Grant went at once on his arrival in the city to Mr. Reynolds' office. He had in his hand a well-worn valise containing his small stock of clothing. The broker1 was just leaving the office for the Stock Exchange as Grant entered.
“So you are punctual,” he said, smiling.
“Yes, sir, I always on time.”
“That is an excellent habit. Here, Harry2.”
In answer to this summons, Harry Becker, a boy two years older and correspondingly larger than Grant, came forward. He was a pleasant-looking boy, and surveyed Grant with a friendly glance.
“Harry,” said Mr. Reynolds, “this is your successor. Do me the favor of initiating3 him into his duties, so that when you leave me he will be qualified4 to take your place.”
“All right, sir.”
The broker hurried over to the Exchange, and the two boys were left together.
“What is your name?” asked the city boy.
“Grant Thornton.”
“Mine is Harry Becker. Are you accustomed to the city?”
“No, I am afraid you will find me very green,” answered Grant.
“You are not the boy to remain so long,” said Harry, scrutinizing5 him attentively6.
“I hope not. You are going to Europe, Mr. Reynolds tells me.”
“Yes, the governor is going to take me.”
“The governor?”
“My father, I mean,” said Harry, smiling.
“I suppose you are not sorry to go?”
“Oh, no; I expect to have a tip-top time. How would you like it?”
“Very much, if I could afford it, but at present I would rather fill your place in the office. I am the son of a poor country minister, and must earn my own living.”
“How did you get in with Mr. Reynolds?” asked Harry.
Grant told him. “Is he easy to get along with?” he inquired, a little anxiously.
“He is very kind and considerate. Still he is stanch7, and expects a boy to serve him faithfully.”
“He has a right to expect that.”
“As I am to break you in, you had better go about with me everywhere. First, we will go to the post-office.”
The two boys walked to Nassau Street, where the New York post-office was then located. Harry pointed8 out the box belonging to the firm, and producing a key opened it, and took out half a dozen letters.
“There may be some stock orders in these letters,” he said; “we will go back to the office, give them to Mr. Clark to open, and then you can go with me to the Stock Exchange.”
Ten minutes later they entered the large room used by the brokers9 as an Exchange. Grant looked about him in undisguised astonishment10. It seemed like a pandemonium11. The room was full of men, shouting, gesticulating and acting12 like crazy men. The floor was littered with fragments of paper, and on a raised dais were the officers of the Exchange, the chief among them, the chairman, calling rapidly the names of a long list of stocks. Each name was followed by a confused shouting, which Grant learned afterward13 to be bids for the stock named. There were several groups of brokers, each apparently14 interested in some leading security. In each of the galleries, one at each end, overlooking the stock room, curious spectators were watching what was going on.
Harry Decker was amused at Grant's look of surprise and bewilderment.
“You'll get used to it in time,” he said. “Say—there is Mr. Reynolds. I must speak to him.”
Mr. Reynolds stood near a placard on which, in prominent letters, was inscribed15 “Erie.” Harry handed him a paper, which he took, glanced at quickly, and then resumed his bidding.
“He has just bought one thousand Erie,” said Harry, aside, to Grant.
“One thousand?”
“Yes, a thousand shares, at fifty-five.”
“Fifty-five dollars?”
“Yes.”
“Why, that will make fifty-five thousand dollars,” ejaculated Grant, in wonder.
“Yes, that is one of the orders I brought over just now.”
“A man must have a great deal of capital to carry on this business, if that is only an item of a single day's business.”
“Yes, but not so much as you may imagine. I can't explain now, but you'll understand better as you go on. Now we'll go back and see if there's anything to do in the office.”
Not long afterward Harry had to come back to the Exchange again, and Grant came with him. He found something new to surprise him.
A tall man of dignified16 presence was walking across the floor, when a fellow member with a sly stroke sent his tall hat spinning across the floor. When the victim turned the mischief-maker was intent upon his memorandum17 book, and the tall man's suspicions fell upon a short, stout18 young man beside him. With a vigorous sweep he knocked the young man's hat off, saying, “It's a poor rule that don't work both ways.”
This led to a little scrimmage, in which a dozen were involved. The brokers, staid, middle-aged19 men, most of them, seemed like a pack of school boys at recess20. Grant surveyed the scene with undisguised astonishment.
“What does it mean, Harry?” he asked.
“Oh, that's a very common occurrence,” said Harry, smiling.
“I never saw grown men acting so. Won't there be a fight?”
“Oh, it's all fun. The brokers are unlike any other class of men in business hours,” explained Harry. “It's one of the customs of the place.”
Just then, to his astonishment, Grant saw his employer, Mr. Reynolds, pursuing his hat, which was rolling over the floor. He was about to run to his assistance, but Harry stopped him.
“No interference is allowed,” he said. “Leave them to their fun. I used to think it strange myself, when I first came into the Exchange, but I'm used to it now. Now we may as well go back to the office.”
There is no occasion to follow the boys through the day's routine. Grant found his companion very obliging, and very ready to give him the information he needed. Many boys would have been supercilious21 and perhaps been disposed to play tricks on a country boy, but Harry was not one of them. He took a friendly interest in Grant, answered all his questions, and did his best to qualify him for the position he was to assume.
Before the office closed, Grant and his new friend went to the bank to make a deposit of money and checks. The deposit amounted to about twenty thousand dollars.
“There must be plenty of money in New York,” said Grant. “Why, up in Colebrook, if a man were worth twenty thousand dollars he would be considered a rich man.”
“It takes a good deal more than that to make a man rich in New York. In the stock business a man is likely to do a larger business in proportion to his capital than in the mercantile business.”
On their way back from the bank, Grant came face to face with Tom Calder. Tom was busily engaged in talking to a companion, some years older than himself, and didn't observe Grant. Grant was by no means prepossessed in favor of this young man, whose red and mottled face, and bold glance made him look far from respectable.
“Do you know those fellows?” asked Harry Becker.
“The youngest one is from Colebrook.”
“He is in bad company. I hope he is not an intimate friend of yours?”
“Far from it. Still, I know him, and am sorry to see him with such a companion.”
At four o'clock Mr. Reynolds proposed to go home. He beckoned22 to Grant to accompany him.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 broker ESjyi     
n.中间人,经纪人;v.作为中间人来安排
参考例句:
  • He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
  • I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。
2 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
3 initiating 88832d3915125bdffcc264e1cdb71d73     
v.开始( initiate的现在分词 );传授;发起;接纳新成员
参考例句:
  • He is good at initiating projects but rarely follows through with anything. 他善于创建项目,但难得坚持完成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Only the perchlorate shows marked sensitiveness and possibly initiating properties. 只有高氯酸盐表现有显著的感度和可能具有起爆性能。 来自辞典例句
4 qualified DCPyj     
adj.合格的,有资格的,胜任的,有限制的
参考例句:
  • He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
  • We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。
5 scrutinizing fa5efd6c6f21a204fe4a260c9977c6ad     
v.仔细检查,详审( scrutinize的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • His grandfather's stern eyes were scrutinizing him, and Chueh-hui felt his face reddening. 祖父的严厉的眼光射在他的脸上。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
  • The machine hushed, extraction and injection nozzles poised, scrutinizing its targets. 机器“嘘”地一声静了下来,输入输出管道各就各位,检查着它的目标。 来自互联网
6 attentively AyQzjz     
adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神
参考例句:
  • She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时,她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着,把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 stanch SrUyJ     
v.止住(血等);adj.坚固的;坚定的
参考例句:
  • Cuttlebone can be used as a medicine to stanch bleeding.海螵蛸可以入药,用来止血。
  • I thought it my duty to help stanch these leaks.我认为帮助堵塞漏洞是我的职责。
8 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
9 brokers 75d889d756f7fbea24ad402e01a65b20     
n.(股票、外币等)经纪人( broker的名词复数 );中间人;代理商;(订合同的)中人v.做掮客(或中人等)( broker的第三人称单数 );作为权力经纪人进行谈判;以中间人等身份安排…
参考例句:
  • The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司,经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分
10 astonishment VvjzR     
n.惊奇,惊异
参考例句:
  • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
  • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
11 pandemonium gKFxI     
n.喧嚣,大混乱
参考例句:
  • The whole lobby was a perfect pandemonium,and the din was terrific.整个门厅一片嘈杂,而且喧嚣刺耳。
  • I had found Adlai unperturbed in the midst of pandemonium.我觉得艾德莱在一片大混乱中仍然镇定自若。
12 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
13 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
14 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
15 inscribed 65fb4f97174c35f702447e725cb615e7     
v.写,刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 );内接
参考例句:
  • His name was inscribed on the trophy. 他的名字刻在奖杯上。
  • The names of the dead were inscribed on the wall. 死者的名字被刻在墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 dignified NuZzfb     
a.可敬的,高贵的
参考例句:
  • Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中,他始终沉默以保持尊严。
  • He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。
17 memorandum aCvx4     
n.备忘录,便笺
参考例句:
  • The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
  • The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。
19 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句:
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
20 recess pAxzC     
n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处)
参考例句:
  • The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
  • Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。
21 supercilious 6FyyM     
adj.目中无人的,高傲的;adv.高傲地;n.高傲
参考例句:
  • The shop assistant was very supercilious towards me when I asked for some help.我要买东西招呼售货员时,那个售货员对我不屑一顾。
  • His manner is supercilious and arrogant.他非常傲慢自大。
22 beckoned b70f83e57673dfe30be1c577dd8520bc     
v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
  • The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》


欢迎访问英文小说网

©英文小说网 2005-2010

有任何问题,请给我们留言,管理员邮箱:[email protected]  站长QQ :点击发送消息和我们联系56065533