# 第四册 Lesson 12 Banks and their customers 银行与顾客

## 一、课文原文

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.

—GORDON BARRIE and AUBREY L. DIAMOND *The Consumer Society and the Law*

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| current account | /ˈkʌrənt əˈkaʊnt/ | n. | 活期账户 | = checking account（美式） |
| repayment | /rɪˈpeɪmənt/ | n. | 偿还，还款 | repayment of which 其偿还 |
| cheque | /tʃek/ | n. | 支票 | = check（美式） |
| in favour of | /ɪn ˈfeɪvər əv/ | phr. | 以...为受益人 | in favour of another person 以另一人为受益人 |
| debtor | /ˈdetə/ | n. | 债务人 | 反义词 creditor 债权人 |
| creditor | /ˈkredɪtə/ | n. | 债权人 | 反义词 debtor 债务人 |
| overdraw | /ˌəʊvəˈdrɔː/ | v. | 透支 | overdrawn 过去分词作形容词 |
| obligation | /ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃn/ | n. | 义务，责任 | owe obligations to 对...负有义务 |
| complication | /ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃn/ | n. | 复杂情况，纠纷 | give rise to complications 引起纠纷 |
| loaded against | /ˈləʊdɪd əˈɡenst/ | phr. | 对...不利 | the law is loaded against him 法律对他不利 |
| debit | /ˈdebɪt/ | v./n. | 记入借方 | debit one's account 记入账户借方 |
| specimen | /ˈspesɪmɪn/ | n. | 样本，标本 | specimens of signature 签名样本 |
| forge | /fɔːdʒ/ | v. | 伪造 | forged signature 伪造的签名 |
| forgery | /ˈfɔːdʒəri/ | n. | 伪造品，伪造罪 | a skillful forgery 高明的伪造 |
| authority | /ɔːˈθɒrəti/ | n. | 权力，职权 | no right or authority 无权 |
| facilitate | /fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/ | v. | 使便利，促进 | facilitate forgery 使伪造更容易 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 介词+关系代词引导的定语从句

> ...he is lending the bank money, repayment **of which** he may demand at any time...

| 结构 | 说明 |
|------|------|
| 介词 + which | 介词取决于从句中的搭配 |
| of which = whose | repayment of which = whose repayment |
| in respect of which = regarding which | 关于...的 |

### 2. 分词独立结构

> ...**who is which** depending on whether the customer's account is in credit or is overdrawn.

- who is which + depending on... = 分词独立结构
- depending on 的逻辑主语是前面的整个情况

### 3. 强调句型

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

- It is + 被强调部分 + which/that + 句子剩余部分
- 强调"银行"才是受损方

### 4. It makes no difference that... ...无关紧要

> **It makes no difference that** the forgery may have been a very skillful one.

- = It doesn't matter that...
- It作形式主语，that从句为真正主语

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. give rise to 引起，导致

> Many of these obligations can give rise to problems and complications...

- = cause, lead to, result in
- 仿写：His remarks gave rise to a heated debate.

### 2. loaded against 对...不利

> ...cannot complain that the law is loaded against him.

- = biased against, weighted against
- 仿写：The system is loaded against small businesses.

### 3. in respect of 关于，涉及

> ...he instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn by himself.

- = with regard to, concerning
- 较正式的表达

### 4. pay out 支付

> ...the bank has no right or authority to pay out a customer's money on a cheque...

- = disburse, make a payment
- 反义词：pay in 存入

## 五、课文翻译

任何人在银行开活期账户时，就是把钱借给银行，他可以随时要求偿还，可以用现金，也可以开一张以他人为受益人的支票。根本上说，银行与客户的关系就是债务人与债权人的关系——谁是债务人谁是债权人，取决于客户的账户是有结余还是透支。但是，除了这个基本简单的概念之外，银行和客户彼此还负有许多义务。其中许多义务可能引起问题和纠纷，但银行的客户与比方说商品的买主不同，不能抱怨法律对他不利。

银行必须服从客户的指示，而不是任何其他人的指示。例如，客户首次开立账户时，他指示银行只凭他本人签发的支票从其账户上付款。他给银行留下签名字样，有一条非常严格的规定：银行无权也无资格凭客户签名被伪造的支票支付客户的钱。伪造即使非常高明也无关紧要：银行必须辨认客户的签名。因此，银行在客户支票上印上客户姓名的做法对客户没有任何风险。如果这样做使伪造更容易了，受损失的将是银行，而不是客户。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：法律说明文的严密逻辑

- 先定义基本关系（债务人与债权人）
- 再说明附加义务
- 最后以伪造签名为例，论证银行的责任
- 逻辑链条：定义→补充→举例→结论

### 2. 文化背景

- **英美银行法**：银行与客户关系的法律基础是合同法
- **支票签名制度**：英国银行严格依赖签名验证，美国则更多使用PIN码
- **活期账户（current account）**：英国用法，美式英语称checking account

### 3. 修辞分析

- **法律文体**：用词精确（debtor, creditor, debit, forge, authority）
- **让步论证**：It makes no difference that the forgery may have been very skillful——先承认对手观点，再坚持立场
- **对比**：bank vs customer 的风险对比

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **理解题**：Why is there no risk to the customer when a bank prints the customer's name on his cheques?（因为伪造损失由银行承担）
2. **语法题**：介词+which引导的定语从句的介词选择
3. **词汇题**：区分 debtor/creditor, debit/credit 的对应关系
4. **翻译练习**：法律文体中被动语态和长句的翻译

## 八、本课小结

本课讲解**银行与客户的法律关系**，核心论点：银行与客户本质上是债务人与债权人关系，银行必须服从客户指示，伪造签名的损失由银行承担。语法重点包括介词+which定语从句、分词独立结构、强调句型、It makes no difference that结构。文体上属于法律说明文，逻辑严密，用词精确。