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。 7 z% m" _& I$ K" C , O, f' o, _, o5 d! rL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 2 ^( M# _8 A# m9 T6 F0 q1 O 3 l4 J6 y: S0 ^M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! ' P; I6 m1 C8 D1 i; ^- y& R" Q5 |; C* d1 D% P
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! $ Y3 Z3 P3 N1 y5 k# A( m9 M+ R% n" Y2 Q
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! 6 v- [2 I% q# n; }; o1 H/ Y- ~ I# G$ p) z }3 A) ~
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?$ |. A, m" F% l& n3 u- s
& e2 a( z% p6 Y) K8 y- {" T9 m% D: hM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.' |8 }# E" u2 ~( d" Y4 t
( s- I9 s" p/ `6 Y1 Y0 \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? + d B i* r8 w- l0 }: `8 M! Q 3 s8 [3 e! p* P3 G) }M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 0 [, E) h: w! u3 D/ A: M& u$ ?: k6 m' g' [% l$ u2 e" |5 x
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? ( K( t0 |/ R& M' e0 o$ m) K' S, ~) d/ L- u4 F
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.+ j9 _7 N" `& q+ u5 D, a+ u
* y$ E0 o9 g7 IL: 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? 8 J' W1 ~+ J. ?2 M" w1 P7 U" G1 `/ n' O! L2 g
M: I aced my last job interview. , o. [% l: }' @2 B8 S$ Q7 J3 m5 N1 A4 u, x
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 ) S. Y1 K& J K$ l3 m) t) |7 ?$ T9 h8 M j/ ]" i. d
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.- a7 b) ^+ Y: E$ |, \# O2 z
& X( z) M) n* h+ |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。' _% G$ d3 o* y+ k9 U( G
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M: Yes, you're right!5 w1 T u! F$ t7 Y2 R
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?$ J* c. r( _; g) t
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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?' k* [& V8 b0 ~) B f
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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。 5 R% e- N% ^# ~. j2 _- r7 U# w0 T& \+ n5 y! Q
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!" l$ X3 W) X6 y |
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?& g6 P4 u" C6 n: o7 S
9 t3 }- W |2 }1 `7 L! Y yM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 3 E8 r, b* S X+ \ 0 R; S! c0 ~0 ^, ~6 s3 WL: 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? 6 w" \7 x' t) U( d5 Q4 ^4 q8 _* f; J
M: That's right.) G7 F5 \& m; e1 c# H3 i) ?6 F& Y
0 w4 {* b. z( f+ x0 H% \( ^ @- fM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.8 c. K6 V9 p0 `# @; L% v8 L
; `& o# q0 @4 d/ X4 S0 Z8 CM: I don't see how you can live on so little money./ T$ d& r. ^( W) h: V: K
[ V5 y3 }9 U- u" @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。1 A/ o; G; x! C4 g& ?. a; v
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... 9 r- o% H; v0 ?3 N' K* M w& e+ A- \9 G, X
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!! w, |9 ]/ u q! M( o
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M: I'm just kidding!" e6 l+ o7 }$ f1 Z