段落分折：
這一大段主要圍繞著皮愽迪想盡辦法讓馬里蘭州恢復(fù)支付利息而展開(kāi)蛙粘。商業(yè)銀行家的一個(gè)顯著特點(diǎn)就是擔(dān)保自己經(jīng)手的債券构挤。而面對(duì)馬里蘭州和賓夕法尼亞州逃票涨颜，皮慱迪開(kāi)始使出各種手段希望扭轉(zhuǎn)這個(gè)局面实蔽。這些手段包括給記者好處費(fèi)讓他們發(fā)表對(duì)馬里蘭州有利的報(bào)導(dǎo)上炎，與巴林銀行聯(lián)手促使馬里蘭州恢復(fù)還款?
原文段落：
A hallmark of merchant bankers was that they vouched for the securities they sponsored. At first, Peabody merely sent letters to Baltimore friends, scolding them about the need for Maryland to resume interest payments. Then he tired of persuasion and rewarded reporters with small gratuities for favorable articles about the state. At last, in 1845 he conspired with Barings to push Maryland into resuming payment. They set up a political slush fund to spread propaganda for debt resumption and to elect sympathetic legislators; they even drafted the clergy into giving sermons on the sanctity of contracts. By means of a secret account, the two firms transferred ￡1,000 to Baltimore, 90 percent from Barings and 10 percent from Peabody—a strategy Barings duplicated in Pennsylvania. Most shocking of all, Barings bribed Daniel Webster, the orator and statesman, to make speeches for debt repayment. The bankers conducted this shabby campaign with a skulking sense of guilt; it wasn’t their preferred style. “Your payment to Mr. Webster would not appear very well if it should get out,” Joshua Bates, the senior Baring partner, warned Thomas Ward, American bagman for the operation.12 Bates, a sober, diligent Bostonian, cringed at what they were doing: “I have a sort of instinctive horror of doing one thing to effect another, or using any sort of subterfuge or reserve,” he confessed to Ward.13
單詞與短語(yǔ)：
Hallmark n. a mark indicating quality or excellence 品質(zhì)證明，特點(diǎn)
Voucher v. to give personal assurance; guarantee 擔(dān)保
securities n. stocks, shares, bonds, or other certificates 證劵
Slush fund n. a fund raised for undesignated purposes, espeically a fund raised by a group for corrupt practices, such as bribery or graft 賄賂金
Draft v. to engage someone to 使某人從事
Orator n. an eloquent and skilled public speaker 演說(shuō)家
Shabby ajd. despicable; mean 卑鄙的
Skulk v. to lie in hiding, as out of cowardice or bad sonscience 躲避
sober adj. strightforward and serious 冷靜
cringe v. to shrink back, as in fear 畏縮
Subterfuge n. deception used to achieve an end 詭計(jì)
金立群譯文：
商人銀行家們的一個(gè)特點(diǎn)就是他們?yōu)樽约喊l(fā)售的債券作擔(dān)保蕊程。起初椒袍，皮博迪只是寫(xiě)信責(zé)備巴爾的摩的朋友們，說(shuō)服馬里蘭州必須恢復(fù)利息償付存捺。后來(lái)槐沼，他厭倦了勸說(shuō)曙蒸，轉(zhuǎn)而用小賬酬謝發(fā)表對(duì)馬里蘭州有利報(bào)道的記者們。最后岗钩，在1845年纽窟，他和巴林銀行一道密謀促使馬里蘭州恢復(fù)償還債務(wù)。他設(shè)立了用于收買(mǎi)政治官員的資金兼吓，以擴(kuò)大恢復(fù)還債的宣傳臂港，選舉同情他們的議員。他們甚至拉攏牧師视搏，就合同的神圣性布道审孽。通過(guò)秘密賬戶的方式，這兩家公司轉(zhuǎn)給巴爾的摩1000英鎊浑娜，巴林兄弟公司出90%佑力，皮博迪出10%。巴林兄弟公司對(duì)賓夕法尼亞州也用了同樣的策略筋遭。最讓人吃驚的是打颤，巴林兄弟公司賄賂演說(shuō)家和政治家丹尼爾?韋伯斯特，請(qǐng)他就債務(wù)的償還問(wèn)題作演說(shuō)漓滔。銀行家們懷著一種躲躲閃閃的內(nèi)疚情感進(jìn)行這場(chǎng)卑鄙的活動(dòng)编饺，而這不是他們喜歡的方式∠炻浚“你給韋伯斯特先生塞錢(qián)的事一旦泄漏出去透且，將很不光彩』砝穑”巴林高級(jí)合伙人喬舒亞?貝茨這么告誡賄賂事件的美方中間人托馬斯?沃德秽誊。(12)貝茨是波士頓人，他冷靜且勤快琳骡，對(duì)他們正在做的事情有些畏畏縮縮养距。他向沃德坦白說(shuō)：“對(duì)于舉一事以成另一事或利用任何詭計(jì)和儲(chǔ)備金，我都有一種直覺(jué)上的恐懼日熬。”(13)
