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 ^' k2 w8 B) Y8 l2 L1 y" c8 }8 f
! @: D% n" u2 E1 N1 dL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?+ L( F$ }4 k! n3 Y) y5 w$ L C
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! E3 w& p0 v r/ P
3 T& t+ }: }. x `+ cL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!5 O7 l q% ^6 E5 v
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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! 3 N/ \0 F+ l! [- c: z " g" z" w S. q; C/ _. F& ?4 ~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? 2 H- L. |5 a8 F# V8 c- i" \, a/ ^* g/ E" j! h
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. , S j+ Y$ W" ~2 V9 @0 d" i# R 1 i. W3 Z0 C6 G" T. n% N2 gL: 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? 1 m3 y6 Z" L) M8 ] : x7 K% ]" b" X% I' ]M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.$ L4 I) b2 V4 Y
( m( O, D$ G9 B; C$ K7 CL: 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? ! z8 W) F$ Y1 G' D G; W* }" y& [1 ?- j" g1 ?4 D, `
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.+ A) C: T# s G0 K2 ~- r) |
$ A8 t Z3 Q* F& S/ 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?7 o! o! ]' h L$ @
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M: I aced my last job interview. 3 e+ K; K, W, H6 u" t: T) C8 I. W8 o9 {4 x2 u) l! l
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 0 P4 K4 K! v; |! C3 q$ _7 Q7 M4 [) n
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. 9 p8 Q; [5 O6 W , c. c4 P |0 D8 L) d/ QL: 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。 8 Q3 a9 f8 l# P, F I0 e" h W" o3 Q0 f; lM: Yes, you're right!4 {& @1 `& g h! U+ A" W
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?; g4 h) o7 K$ k- Q/ y" o
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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?* V8 C3 Z; }: i
3 s0 |# ]$ o" {2 K" p: H" v! U6 fL: 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。 , i8 D; w: Q# b7 s1 t& t % F2 P4 Y. k; F$ X/ T* TM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 1 w2 ~8 F& ]' r3 E5 }! Y2 \4 {1 m* ~* i9 c. U* {! p
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?8 C4 ~! c# M8 ~# N; t8 {# d2 {, }, t
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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"!" h1 S$ z# i0 x, [% c. B
# T2 j3 o/ a2 m7 H1 kL: 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? 5 k' P! V% C: k- f! S8 N ]# V2 W/ Z0 B! ?M: That's right. 9 z: w' L/ E; G8 E+ A + U$ T& `- z% a; LL: 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 f% |. i8 i: h; Q9 y
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M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. 3 h7 E, `! o& _: Y" F$ T: V 1 w: i& ?; I: M3 oL: 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.! o/ D% k5 w0 w! i6 x; J
8 m$ b% C7 z7 o* w- t9 H4 BM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 6 b+ F |1 s: j$ A0 R 6 @& ` Z* o$ R( q! pL: 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, y$ _1 Q; o k7 J
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...) t/ @0 r4 ~# ^# Y2 }% K" Q