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。 ! ~* X/ x3 n( _" h/ K# q! ^7 \; ~5 _4 T
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 7 J5 w& V W4 ~$ q8 h: z7 s6 G g4 |* M$ @% O1 Y/ s& C; _9 Y% w
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!3 h. b4 J4 M% t4 }- Z
0 i" H# d! s4 n. h/ cL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 1 `: z: z' ^* i % D0 G6 S L ~ A! } r; P3 MM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! # O" _# B9 y2 t; K% A. `( C9 e: H- H9 c, x% ^" y* Q4 k* M
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? + H' j% ]! i5 q# ^9 i 2 }' z. @9 G% O; V1 ?M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. & ?* T5 D# O6 e; x/ P8 y- j1 w3 g6 {: F5 ~
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?) X# U& G) D- h6 Z
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M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. - A1 `/ \5 y+ i) c8 [' J0 { 1 R4 V; V& M' S; {# u4 n( E3 b2 FL: 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? 1 C( ~) N' Z4 C- N8 ?8 v. Z/ R4 [1 @
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./ H' U8 R. ?3 u r- ?( C/ O
6 C4 O, K5 S2 Z3 \, k8 | @1 zL: 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? 2 v) ]$ R3 d' w3 k6 S; ]8 M0 { " b7 `/ E& {/ N/ X5 K% H BM: I aced my last job interview.1 e! t6 [ H, |# W- i7 ]
6 z4 V& V# l* X. DM: 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 Z, l) ], U7 X" ~
7 I/ Q$ x5 S5 n3 [+ p% PL: 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。: o$ A) j& r9 ]& W
- S7 M" K7 A7 _/ y# CM: Yes, you're right! 9 }/ ?3 H4 C7 [3 L 4 u; ]. g+ B; @) F' S- tL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?- R& g0 \$ e, w. l
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?& H7 a. ~" l2 E- U( z0 d! u" Z! l
7 Z$ R! C: s% H0 w' w4 TL: 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。 9 u# C) c' `, K , V( g9 ]7 ?4 l- p9 wM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!+ L6 l3 _! q6 {. M" m
0 s% m. N' d4 x$ u FL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?4 {2 ^4 ], A* T! G. X/ v' O7 l! j
2 V1 ^' `5 j. VM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! " y F3 y) c+ \; ~$ {/ C3 l* X' N9 Y
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?1 L# m9 P" g- }+ H4 x
$ ]8 S- q* Y$ L9 V( TM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.' Q# R8 ?, r+ {. X) x }
+ Z. A, a- _, C+ n: jL: 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. 4 o3 l' Q) T. G) \0 ^) F& G2 j! V / _ q4 Y/ V% G7 H1 E$ _. cM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.% H8 ^% P: R; } g- j3 r* ?2 t