大家可能还记得Michael 这个美国学生以往几次考试都考糟了,这一次情况可大不相同。今天他和他的中国同学李华约好了在图书馆见面。李华会学到两个常用语,一个是:to ace;另一个是:peanuts。 2 C' t- Y7 |) k : H) V* g7 [1 W ]# IL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?8 X! {6 u6 q* L, h
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 8 @, K6 J- C) s/ z+ M7 L- r* {# D5 d4 q! m, e8 A @' V7 L1 }7 ]/ p
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! - I& H$ U# N! i* _+ I R& J8 U$ S" [: w; u
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!3 ]! A6 h9 i# @. I* ]* e% [
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L: 你考得很好,那太好了,Michael!最近你每天都到图书馆来念书, 我知道你会考得比以前好的。你刚才用的是哪个字啊?3 P) O) K2 X/ [ S5 C0 n- `9 N
" |+ F8 S0 [7 } XM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.& W, ]7 U! F" |3 r
5 G4 L0 s' d( `# }# S9 zL: 噢,在这里,ace是个动词,过去时就是在后面加一个字母 "d",变成 了aced。这个字是不是和扑克牌里的那张牌A,或者叫"尖子"的那 张牌一样的呢? 8 E& H; X1 H; l E + ? f$ o# }! v+ M rM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.2 F; ?) Z. i3 A! y
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L: 对,在玩扑克的时候ace往往是价值最高的一张牌,所以ace就是 指某件事做的很好。那ace作为动词还能用在什么场合呢?4 }$ Z' ~/ A( }2 J" \9 r
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M: Usually we can use "ace" to describe how we did on a test, or on things similar to tests. For example, I can say I aced my last job interview.0 n2 V4 z" Y, \7 ^. k$ e
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L: 噢,一般都用在和测验考试之类的情况,你上次找工作去面谈谈 得很好也能用"ace" 这个词。再说一遍你刚才说的那句话,好 吗? $ u3 a( r# Y5 F9 N- W& U2 P, L4 M0 M0 ]# q/ a, D: g+ B" p/ w/ @
M: I aced my last job interview. 1 t) G7 b. K& U+ K( N F! G # `, \# \( V6 l9 r& `2 kL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 / V- p4 b) I4 _. d & N1 T r" R& x" V" G9 x) c: }M: That's right. Li Hua, if someone is very good at something, we can call him an "ace". I can say, for example, you are an ace at taking tests. & {3 Q+ F# ]% c . H+ w/ e- T8 A$ S! XL: I'm an ace at taking tests, 你说我非常会考试!这也不见得,我考糊 的时候也有的。不过,比你少一点就是了。: q4 J) i$ D5 x, c' r
" Y$ e/ h' d& ~# O9 z) C; JM: Yes, you're right! ( V! E8 i" h. b/ ~$ N7 c0 @ ' B* u) d& [9 Q" k) O F4 C2 a; hL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?8 Q f8 z' c! N4 W" z
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? ) m' S' d N1 q% I; e$ E$ w* q! {/ Y, v7 I! c% \2 X
L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 G0 e$ O' T5 b' A! c- ?5 g ! M) l- ]& Y6 DM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 0 t' y; L. T: w3 R. ?8 k# z3 T: P5 V U1 y" a5 X# |5 m
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?( d h8 Z# p+ Z; l. X& H
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M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! + O3 F% z: d( a" T& P3 c% `8 d" y % q3 l* m5 V) D' e8 Y" jL: 原来你的意思是我的工资很低。你说的peanuts是不是和我们吃的 花生一个字吗? ( s" S" F' I. g , A6 a* H! Y4 T i3 qM: That's right. ' W/ _* N0 n( K6 q) o7 A0 z; w) p5 ^
L: 我在想另外找个工作呢。我的同学王燕在图书馆工作,一个小时 就有十美元。3 e8 P& x; U. v" T; p, V
0 v0 S9 e8 u4 j3 N6 C: lM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.! V9 n# @1 x4 Q! j" c A9 `( n
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L: 哟,你一个小时赚13美元呐! 真不公平,你赚那么多钱,而我 只赚peanuts. + ^+ F0 R$ q4 k$ z# O/ }5 X# F. O# Z0 L6 ~2 _; e6 M0 Y& u* s9 x9 x5 ~
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.% K8 X+ i% C' R W# ~
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L: 赚那么点钱是怎么过的日子呀?我还有奖学金呐,每个月给我四 百美元生活费。 " t/ B8 c( Z0 @0 i 9 p/ A0 o! [) Z3 ]: m- ]/ X* @M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... # T3 x% C- |" _; r4 ^2 l- f) i4 E ]6 U9 g! p
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!3 @! _" z+ i/ ?/ |, V N