INTRODUCTION

This play is about a group of five friends. They are fed up because they haven't got any money. But this is all going to change soon. One of the group, Harry, has a plan – a very good plan.

CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

Harry

Sid

Wilf

Gladys

Ron

Three people reading in a library

Woman working in a library

PERFORMANCE NOTES

Scene 1: A room in the friends' home. There are chairs and a table. Everything looks very old and dirty. Wilf and Gladys are drinking tea. Ron is looking out of the window. Sid is watching the television, but it is not working.

Scene 2: Inside a library. There is a woman sitting at a table. She works in the library. Three other people are standing or sitting, holding books in their hands and reading.

You will need a table, chairs, an old television, two library cards and some books.

SCENE 1

The plan

Harry comes into the room. His friends look up at him.

HARRY

Hello, everyone. What are you doing?

SID

Nothing, Harry, nothing! What can we do? We haven't got any money.

HARRY

I know, I know. But it's OK. I have some work for us. We can make a lot of money.

WILF

Work? But you don't like work, Harry.

HARRY

Ah, but this work is different.

GLADYS

How, Harry? What are we going to do?

HARRY

We're going to rob a bank.

GLADYS

Rob a bank? But how can we?

HARRY

I have a plan, a very good plan.

I have a plan, a very good plan.'

WILF

Which bank are we going to rob?

HARRY

The Capital Bank.

WILF

Which one is that?

HARRY

The one next to the library in the High Street.

SID

That's a very big bank!

HARRY

Be quiet and listen. Now, I want Wilf to drive the car, and Gladys to stand outside the bank and watch the street.

WILF AND GLADYS

OK, Harry.

HARRY

Sid—

SID

(Excitedly) Yes, Harry? What do you want me to do?

HARRY

You must go into the bank and speak to everyone there. Say to them, 'Stay there! Don't move! I've got a gun in my pocket.'

SID

But Harry, we haven't got a gun.

HARRY

I know that! You just put your hand in your pocket like this. Move your hand up and down in your pocket and say, 'This is a gun!'

SID

I understand.

HARRY

Good. Now, Ron, I want you to go with Sid—

RON

Yes, Harry, and then what?

HARRY

Go to one of the bank workers and say, 'My friend has a gun. Give me the money!'

GLADYS

What are you going to do, Harry?

HARRY

I'm going to wait in the car with Wilf. Do you have any questions?

ALL

No.

HARRY

OK. So let's look at the plan again...

SCENE 2

The robbery

Sid and Ron run into the library. The people there look up from their books.

SID

Listen to me, all of you. This is a robbery. Don't move. I've got a gun in my pocket.

PEOPLE

Oh, don't shoot! Please don't shoot! We don't want to die.

SID

Nobody's going to die, but you must do what I say. (To Ron) Go on, Ron. What are you waiting for? Get the money! Quick!

Ron goes over to the woman who works there.

RON

Listen, my friend over there has got a gun. Give me the money! Give it to me now!

WOMAN

What money?

RON

What do you mean, 'What money?' The money in this bank, of course!

WOMAN

I'm sorry, this is not a bank. This is a library.

RON

What did you say – a library?

WOMAN

That's right. People come here to borrow books. We don't have any money here.

RON

Er, you don't have any money... Oh dear!... Sid! Sid!

SID

What? Have you got the money?

RON

There isn't any money. It's not a bank, Sid. We're not in a bank. This is a library!

SID

A library?

RON

That's right. They've only got books – lots and lots of books!

SID

Books? Well, get some of those, then. We must take something, or Harry's going to be angry.

RON

(To the woman) Give me lots of books!

WOMAN

Have you got a library card?

Have you got a library card?'

RON

A card? No, I haven't.

WOMAN

I'm sorry, you can't borrow books without a library card.

RON

Look, you don't understand, we're not borrowing books, we're stealing them!

WOMAN

I'm sorry, but you can't do that.

RON

Sid, we can't steal books, she says.

SID

I've got a gun. Tell her that!

RON

My friend's got a gun and he knows how to shoot!

WOMAN

Look, it's not a problem. I can give you and your friend a library card. Then you can borrow the books and not steal them. What are your names?

RON

Oh, all right. I'm Ronald Savage, and he's Sidney Dupree.

WOMAN

(Writing) Ronald Savage... Sidney Dupree. And what's your address?

RON

27 Dunfore Road, Hamley.

WOMAN

(Writing) 27 Dunfore Road, Hamley. Good, here you are. (She gives Ron two library cards.) Now you can borrow some books.

RON

But I don't know anything about reading. You must help me. Which books are best?

SID

Quick, Ron! I can't stand here much longer.

WOMAN

Here are some good books for you. (She takes three books from the shelves.) The Great Train Robbery, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, and The Adventures of Robin Hood. They're all very famous books.

RON

Oh, that's nice. They look interesting. Thanks.

SID

Ron, come on! Quick!

RON

It's OK, Sid, I've got the books.

SID

All right. (To the people in the library) We're going now, but don't move. Don't move or talk for five minutes.

PERSON 1

Can we read?

SID

Er, all right. But you must read quietly, OK?

RON

Come on, Sid! Let's go. Harry and the others are waiting.

WOMAN

Goodbye, and happy reading!

RON

Oh yes, thank you. All right, Sid. I'm coming.

They run out of the library.

PERSON 2

Oh dear! I was so afraid!

WOMAN

Oh, they weren't so bad. The one called Sid – he didn't really have a gun, you know.

PERSON 3

Perhaps. But they were robbers. They wanted to rob the bank!

WOMAN

(Laughing) Yes, but they came into the wrong building!

PERSON 1

Why do you look so pleased?

WOMAN

Well, it's important for everybody to read books – not just you and me, but everybody... even bank robbers!

PERSON 2

But you aren't going to get those books back, are you?

WOMAN

Oh yes, I am. Remember, I've got their names and their address!

Remember, I've got their names and their address!'

* * *

different adj. not like something or someone else, or not like before 不同的，不一样的

rob v. to steal money or things from a bank, shop etc, especially using violence 抢劫

library n. a room or building containing books that can be looked at or borrowed 图书馆

high street the main street of a town where most of the shops and businesses are （市镇商业区的）大街

understand v. to know the meaning of what someone is telling you, or the language that they speak 懂得，明白

shoot v. to make a bullet come out of a gun 开枪，射击

borrow v. to use something that belongs to someone else and that you must give back to them later 借，借入

steal v. to take something that belongs to someone else 偷，偷盗

address n. the details of the place where someone lives or works, that you use to send them letters, emails etc 地址

adventure n. an exciting experience in which dangerous or unusual things happen 冒险活动，冒险经历

quietly adv. without making much noise 轻声地

robber n. someone who steals money or property 抢劫者

important adj. having a big effect or influence on people's lives or on events in the future 重要的

remember v. to keep a particular fact about a situation in your mind 记住

抢劫

内容简介

本剧是关于五个朋友的故事。他们感觉厌烦透顶，因为他们身无分文。但这一切很快就会改变。这五人组当中的一个，哈里，有一个计划——一个非常不错的计划。

剧中人物

哈里

锡德

维尔夫

格拉迪丝

罗恩

图书馆里的三个读者

图书馆里的一个女馆员

场景说明

第一场：五个朋友家中的一个房间。有若干椅子和一张桌子。所有东西看起来都非常陈旧和邋遢。维尔夫和格拉迪丝在喝茶。罗恩正望向窗外。锡德在看电视，不过电视坏掉了。

第二场：图书馆里。一个女人坐在桌旁，她是图书馆馆员。另外有三个人，有的站着，有的坐着，手里都拿着书在读。

你将需要一张桌子、若干椅子、一台旧电视、两张借书卡和一些书。

第一场　计划

哈里走进房间，他的朋友抬头看他。

哈里：

嗨，大家好。你们在做什么呢？

锡德：

没什么，哈里，没什么！我们能做什么呢？我们身无分文。

哈里：

我知道，我知道。但没关系，我给咱们找了些工作。我们可以大赚一笔。

维尔夫：

工作？你可不喜欢工作，哈里。

哈里：

啊，但是这工作可不一样。

格拉迪丝：

怎么个不一样呢，哈里？我们要做什么？

哈里：

我们要去抢劫银行。

格拉迪丝：

抢劫银行？可我们能怎么做呢？

哈里：

我有一个计划，一个非常棒的计划。

维尔夫：

我们要抢哪家银行？

哈里：

资本银行。

维尔夫：

那是哪一家？

哈里：

商业街上图书馆隔壁的那一家。

锡德：

那是一家很大的银行！

哈里：

安静一下，大家听我说。嗯，我想让维尔夫开车，格拉迪丝站在银行外面观察街道上的动静。

维尔夫和格拉迪丝：

好的，哈里。

哈里：

锡德——

锡德：

（兴奋地）怎么，哈里？你想让我做什么？

哈里：

你得走进银行里面，朝那里所有的人喊话。对他们说：“待在原地！不许动！我口袋里有枪。”

锡德：

但是哈里，我们并没有枪。

哈里：

这我知道！你只要把手像这样放在口袋里，上下动一动，然后说：“这是支枪！”

锡德：

我明白了。

哈里：

明白了就好。嗯，罗恩，我想让你和锡德一起去——

罗恩：

是的，哈里，然后呢？

哈里：

然后你走到其中一个银行工作人员面前说：“我的朋友有枪，把钱给我！”

格拉迪丝：

那你打算做什么，哈里？

哈里：

我会和维尔夫在车里等着。你们有什么问题吗？

所有人：

没有。

哈里：

好的，那就让我们再来看看这个计划……

第二场　抢劫

锡德和罗恩跑进图书馆，馆里的人从书本上抬起头来。

锡德：

你们所有人都听好了。这是抢劫，不许动，我口袋里有枪。

众人：

哦，别开枪！请不要开枪！我们不想死。

锡德：

没有人会死，可你们得按我说的做。（对罗恩）动手呀，罗恩。你还在等什么？去拿钱！快点！

罗恩走到那个女馆员面前。

罗恩：

听着，我那边的朋友有枪。把钱给我！现在就给我！

女馆员：

什么钱？

罗恩：

你说“什么钱”是什么意思？当然是这个银行里的钱！

女馆员：

我很抱歉，这里不是银行，这里是图书馆。

罗恩：

你说什么——图书馆？

女馆员：

没错。大家来这里是借书的，我们这里一分钱也没有。

罗恩：

呃，你们一分钱也没有……天哪……锡德！锡德！

锡德：

怎么啦？你拿到钱了没有？

罗恩：

这里一分钱也没有。这不是银行，锡德。我们不是在银行，这里是图书馆！

锡德：

图书馆？

罗恩：

没错。他们只有书——好多好多的书！

锡德：

书？好吧，那就拿些书。我们一定得带点什么东西走，要不然哈里会发火的。

罗恩：

（对女馆员）给我好多的书！

女馆员：

你有借书卡吗？

罗恩：

卡？我没有卡。

女馆员：

我很抱歉，没有借书卡的话不能借书。

罗恩：

听着，你没搞明白，我们不是要借书，我们是要偷书！

女馆员：

我很抱歉，可你们不能那样做。

罗恩：

锡德，她说我们不能偷书。

锡德：

我有枪，你告诉她！

罗恩：

我朋友有枪，而且他知道怎么开枪！

女馆员：

听我说，这不是问题。我可以给你和你的朋友办一张借书卡。这样你们就能借书了，不用偷书。你们叫什么名字？

罗恩：

噢，好吧。我叫罗纳德·萨维奇，他叫锡德尼·杜普雷。

女馆员：

（写下）罗纳德·萨维奇……锡德尼·杜普雷。你们住在哪里？

罗恩：

哈姆利区邓福路27号。

女馆员：

（写下）哈姆利区邓福路27号。好的，给你。（她递给罗恩两张借书卡。）现在你们可以借书了。

罗恩：

可是我对读书一窍不通。你得帮帮我。哪些书最好？

锡德：

快点，罗恩！我可不想在这里待下去了。

女馆员：

这里有些不错的书。（她从书架上取下三本书。）《火车大劫案》、《福尔摩斯归来记》和《罗宾汉历险记》，它们都是非常有名的作品。

罗恩：

哦，那太好了。它们看上去很有趣，谢谢。

锡德：

罗恩，好了！快点！

罗恩：

可以了，锡德，我拿到书了。

锡德：

好。（对图书馆里的人）我们现在要走了，不过别动。五分钟之内不许动，不许说话。

读者甲：

我们可以看书吗？

锡德：

呃，好吧。不过你们得安安静静地看书，懂吗？

罗恩：

好了，锡德！我们走吧。哈里和其他人在等着呢。

女馆员：

再见，祝你们读书愉快！

罗恩：

哦，好的，谢谢你。行了，锡德，我来了。

他们跑出图书馆。

读者乙：

天哪，吓死我了！

女馆员：

哦，他们也不是太坏。那个叫锡德的人——你们知道，他并没有真的拿枪。

读者丙：

也许吧。可他们是抢劫犯，他们想抢劫银行！

女馆员：

（笑起来）是啊，不过他们进错了地方！

读者甲：

为什么你看起来很高兴的样子？

女馆员：

嗯，读书对每个人来说都很重要——不仅仅是你和我，而是每一个人……甚至是银行抢劫犯！

读者乙：

不过你那些书可是拿不回来了，不是吗？

女馆员：

啊，不，拿得回来。别忘了，我有他们的姓名和地址！