第 7 课 · Mutilated Ladies

Mutilated Ladies

残钞鉴别组

Has it ever happened to you?

这种事在你身上发生过吗？

Have you ever put your trousers in the washing machine and then remembered there was a large bank note in your back pocket?

你有没有把裤子塞进洗衣机，过后才想起后兜里还放着一张大额钞票？

When you rescued your trousers, did you find the note was whiter than white?

等你把裤子抢救出来时，有没有发现那张钞票已经白得发白？

People who live in Britain needn't despair when they make mistakes like this (and a lot of people do)!

住在英国的人遇到这种失误不必绝望（而且犯这种错的人还真不少）！

Fortunately for them, the Bank of England has a team called Mutilated Ladies which deals with claims from people who fed their money to a machine or to their dog.

所幸英国央行设有一个名叫『残钞鉴别组』的团队，专门受理把钱喂给机器或喂给狗的人提出的索赔。

Dogs, it seems, love to chew up money!

看来，狗就是爱嚼钞票！

A recent case concerns Jane Butlin whose fiance, John, runs a successful furniture business.

最近的一个案例与简·巴特林有关：她的未婚夫约翰经营着一家生意红火的家具店。

John had a very good day and put his wallet containing ￡3,000 into the microwave oven for safekeeping.

约翰那天进账颇丰，便把装着3,000英镑的钱包放进微波炉里妥善保管。

Then he and Jane went horse-riding.

随后他和简骑马去了。

When they got home, Jane cooked their dinner in the microwave oven and without realizing it, cooked her fiance's wallet as well.

到家后，简用微波炉做晚饭，不知不觉连未婚夫的钱包也一起『烹』了进去。

Imagine their dismay when they found a beautifully-cooked wallet and notes turned to ash!

可以想见，看着一个『烹调得恰到好处』的钱包和化为灰烬的钞票，他们是何等沮丧！

John went to see his bank manager who sent the remains of wallet and the money to the special department of the Bank of England in Newcastle: the Mutilated Ladies!

约翰去见他的银行经理，经理把钱包和钞票的残骸寄往英格兰银行设在纽卡斯尔的特别部门——『残钞鉴别组』！

They examined the remains and John got all his money back.

他们查验了残留物，约翰领回了他的全部款项。

'So long as there's something to identify, we will give people their money back,' said a spokeswoman for the Bank.

『只要还有东西可以辨认，我们就会把钱退还给大家，』银行的一位女发言人说。

'Last year, we paid ￡1.5 million on 21,000 claims.'

『去年，我们就21,000起索赔支付了150万英镑。』