| A:
Helen: Victor, there's a good review of your article on pollution in today's paper.
Victor: Really? Maybe I should go pick up a few extra copies.
Helen: Do you have change1?
Victor: No! I'm totally broke2 as usual. But I did notice a dollar on your dad's desk when I was sharpening my pencil in the study3.
Helen: I hardly think he's going to miss it. Help yourself.
Victor: I'll grab it, and be back in a flash4.
B: (Soon)
Helen: Hi, dad! I'd better warn you. Victor's here. He just stepped out for a minute.
Dad: Wonderful! I'll be in my study!
(Helen walks in the study when she hears her dad's shouting.)
Helen: Dad? Are you okay?
Dad: My dollar! It's gone! It was on my desk and now it's gone!
Helen: Dad, it was just a dollar! There's millions5 moreswheresthat came from!
Dad: That was my lucky dollar! The first one I ever made in business! I had it out to frame it!
Helen: Uh…maybe Victor sort of borrowed it.
Dad: He what?
Helen: He said he saw a dollar on your desk, so I told him he could borrow it.
Dad: Without my lucky dollar I'll lose everything! I should have known Victor would be the cause of my downfall6!
(Victor walks in.)
Victor: I'm back. Here's your change, Mr.Dodge. I'll pay you back tomorrow.Dad: Get out! Right now!
Helen: Dad, try to control yourself!
C: (Helen and Victor walk out.)
Helen: Victor, it seems that dollar was the first one dad ever made. It's a 1965 dollar and my dad signed and dated it on the back. We have to get it back for him!
Victor: Sure!
D: (In the storeswheresVictor bought the newspaper awhile ago)
Cashier: I don't see a dollar like that in here. I must have given it to someone else.
Helen: Oh, no!
Victor: Who's been in here since me?
Cashier: Let's see…old lady Sedgewick and Reggie!
Victor: Helen, you take Mrs. Sedgewick. I'll take Reggie.
Helen: Gotcha!
(Mrs.Sedgewick answers the door.)
Mrs.Sedgewick: A 1965 dollar, huh? Come on in, dearie, and I'll check. How about some tea first?
(Victor runssintosReggie.)
Victor: Reggie, you were just at the corner store7, weren't you?
Reggie: What's it to you, Victor?
Victor: I gave the guy a wrong dollar by mistake and he might have given it to you as change.
Reggie: A special dollar, huh? Let's see if I have it and then we'll talk terms8!
(Reggie takes several dollars out of his pocket.)
Victor: It's not there! Were these the only ones you had?
Reggie: Well, I did just pay back Richard a dollar I owed him!
Victor: I've got to find Richard fast! A dollar won't last long in his hands!
(At Mrs. Sedgewick's)
Mrs.Sedgewick: Let's see!swheresdid I put my purse?
Helen: Oh, brother!
(Richard is walking on the street.)
Victor: Richard! Hold it right there!
Richard: Huh? What is it?
(Victor grabs the dollar bill from Richard's hand and the bill is torn apart.)
Victor: Mr. Dodge is really going to kill me now. I only have half of his lucky dollar!
Richard: You mean this one with his name and a date on it?
Victor: That's it! Richard, you're the greatest!
(At Helen's home)
Victor: Helen, I've got it!
Helen: Thank goodness!
Dad: At last! My lucky dollar is safe from Victor forever! Let me put it in this stamp album. I can relax now! Oh, gee! Helen! A rare 1806 uncancelled stamp must have fallen out of my album, did you find it?
Helen: My goodness! Victor just left to mail a letter! You don't think…
注解
1 change:零钱,找头
2 broke:没有钱；一个子儿也没有；破产
用法：Could you lend me ? I'm completely broke!
你能借给我10美元吗？我一个钱也没有！
3 study: a room for studying and writing(家里的)书房
4 in a flash:即刻；一瞬间
5 There's millions: <口语> 有很多
6 downfall: a sudden loss of wealth衰败,垮台
用法：The downfall of the company was caused by secret disclosure.公司的垮台是由于泄密。
7 at the corner store:住宅区附近的商店
8 terms: conditions with regard to payment付款条件，此句中talk terms为口语说法，意思是：谈谈条件看怎么回报我。 | 