The story happened during the Second World War. Rick worked for American Intelligence Agency[1] in Paris. One day he met with Ilsa in Paris. They soon fell in love and planned to marry. However, with the German's march into Paris, they had to give up the plan and wished to get to Marseilles by train and married there. But just before the leaving by train, Rick received a letter from Ilsa, saying that she couldn't go with him. So he had to pass through many places to Casablanca and runs a Cafe[2] there. One night, he met Ilsa at his Cafe, who escaped with her husband to Casablanca. They hoped to obtain exit visas here and escaped to the New World At first, Rick can't forgive that Ilsa's gone back on[3] her word. At first he refuses to help them get the exit visas. Learning this Ilsa determines to go alone to see Rick.

　　Then Ilsa tells Rick that why she had to leave him without any explanation. In fact when Ilsa met Rick, she had married Laszlo, one of the leaders of French underground Party organization. Shortly after their marriage, Laszlo was apprehended by Gestapo[4]. Soon the word came that Laszlo was shot to death when trying to escape the concentration camp[5]. When she met Rick, she found he is her true love. But when she planed to leave Paris with Rick, her friend came to tell her that Laszlo was alive. He was very sick and needed her. She had no choice but left without saying goodbye. Another important reason is that she dared not tell anybody she had married Laszlo, an important leader of the French Resistance. If Gestapo found out she was Laszlo's wife, it would be dangerous for her and Rick. Learning this Rick forgives Ilsa. When Rick see that Laszlo also loves Ilsa deeply, and for their more important cause, he decided to sacrifice his love. Rick takes a risk to[6] help the Laszlos get the exit visas. At the airport Rick see off[7] his loved women and her husband leave Casablanca。

　　注释：

　　1. Intelligence Agency：情报局。美国鼎鼎大名的中央情报局CIA就是Central Intelligence Agency的缩写。

　　2. run a cafe经营一家咖啡店。run不仅有“跑”的意思，还有“使…跑起来、动起来”的意思，比如：使船、车跑起来，就是“开船”“开车”，使牛羊跑起来就是“放牧”，使商店运转起来就是“经营商店”等等。

　　3. go back on：背叛；go back on one's word：违背诺言。

　　4. Gestapo：盖世太保，纳粹德国的秘密警察。

　　5. the concentra-

　　tion camp：集中营。 6. takes a risk to do ...：冒着风险做某事。另外risk本身还是及物动词，我们也可以直接说risk doing...，也是冒险做某事的意思。

　　7. see off：送行，告别。

　　故事发生在二战期间。力克是前美国驻巴黎情报员。在巴黎和伊尔莎相遇，他们很快坠入爱河并计划结婚。但由于德军攻入巴黎，他们只好改变计划，决定乘火车到马赛再结婚。然而就在登车前，力克收到伊尔莎的字条，说她无法跟随力克而去。力克只好辗转来到卡萨布兰卡，并在那里经营了一家咖啡店。一天晚上，他在自己的咖啡店里遇到了和丈夫逃离到卡萨布兰卡的伊尔莎。他们希望能在这里得到出境证后逃离到美洲新大陆去。开始，力克无法原谅伊尔莎当初违背誓言的行为，拒绝帮助他们得到出境证。听到这个消息，伊尔莎决定单独找力克谈一次…… 然后伊尔莎告诉力克为什么会不辞而别。事实上，在遇见力克前，她已经嫁给了法国地下军领袖拉兹洛。但婚后不久，拉兹洛就被盖世太保抓走了。很快有消息说拉兹洛在逃离集中营的时候被枪杀了。当伊尔莎遇到力克时，发现他才是自己的所爱。但当他们计划离开巴黎时，有个朋友告诉他拉兹洛还活着而且病得很严重，非常需要她。所以她没有别的选择，只好和力克不辞而别。另外一个重要的原因就是她不敢告诉任何人自己嫁给了拉兹洛，一个重要的法国反抗军领袖。如果盖世太保知道她是拉兹洛的妻子，那对她自己和力克来说都是相当危险的。知道了这些后，力克原谅了伊尔莎。看到拉兹洛也是深深爱着伊尔莎,也为了他们更重要的事业，力克决定牺牲自己的爱情。他冒险帮助拉兹洛夫妇搞到出境证。在飞机场，力克目送自己心爱的人和她的丈夫离开卡萨布兰卡……