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。 % l9 `' M) D& X1 }! b% ~) j9 Q5 b( x/ K- z: F8 t6 S1 Y
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 4 h7 w, ? F, Q* S" _& G$ s; k- d" t( r( e4 \
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! ( v& E9 x: R9 K* C; | M f # K9 l1 b" a" B; z0 TL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!2 y6 c* v: {& I$ B" ~
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M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!# h! W0 h% C' P! i) z: }
0 W( q; ^. Q5 b TL: 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?9 Z0 U: @5 m1 d w0 g
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 0 P5 N' u0 W. h3 ^. y - d, m; P2 s8 i2 b; i* ]0 _L: 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?$ c1 h- L. u& ]
, e+ r$ ~* u7 L) x# X4 BM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 0 N! x9 B1 h K) a0 M - E; T+ I1 u/ W$ e' v1 }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?# v9 ?) y4 @7 V+ k8 K
0 y0 h/ Z1 u) U8 O$ j# P8 _) [) J3 ^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. * F. Z& w5 x# K2 ?4 ~ - r4 J) Y8 b" q, T. X7 P* b) U1 H( OL: 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? 1 V. e9 e9 {- f0 M& O, r/ T/ G : v' X+ W. N p" p2 qM: I aced my last job interview. * q5 o+ q& Q! x7 E2 F1 Q ' k, ]4 B& j# I0 Q% v& V. eL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。! L6 y7 r4 N; u" H* ~
2 H; r( [0 x) w. ?) @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.& r# t) ] ^" Y
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L: 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。 2 n# b: {/ @4 x8 d/ ` 6 J: O+ [7 H; w+ e' |, L! M) rM: Yes, you're right!) ]* ]& G3 X" [4 z9 |5 f# r. {
8 W. o* I& F+ P& x6 u M; S* rL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?, K) D* J: ]1 j! C( i4 i
" `4 z5 l3 L5 m' [- C3 O& \M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?4 o; X) |& `/ E* V9 q; x
( z7 R, l! e' AL: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。" Z% k; y$ v- M, X
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! s2 F/ s% ]/ X* |8 L8 H; U
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?& I% B6 [2 w6 E
, C6 m8 B1 F) S' O9 UM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!' a! n& ^+ }: X; ^3 K
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L: 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?$ W! B) F: i( [4 @, {* f
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M: That's right.. Y( D7 w/ F& Q Z% l4 \! g) I
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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。 & g0 m1 J0 M' H5 j ' f9 n5 \1 U# L. f7 i" jM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.; t0 `% S8 i# W1 v! w D
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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.8 p, j9 H: T' ?
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. + P5 N! X# u" r) |8 _8 r' C l0 j' o: D7 O
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。2 m" h! ]5 T3 [+ v% k7 I" o
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... 9 g0 N: h7 [: n# M- H * F- {" P c. [# ~$ dL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! & A# o9 o$ D! R3 A, b $ P2 Z O0 |/ H% OM: I'm just kidding!& j8 j# G" H1 ^2 G3 d