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。 . n; |9 t: i: K; a3 F$ m! r* c* P% Z a. j! X' t, m
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?: B) b8 ~9 `2 i3 T( w
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!0 {. h( p* c3 W( m* T4 n
Z. U* @2 u" r: w6 zL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!' v0 i$ L8 {$ ]
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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!. O0 ^+ d. A- P0 a" f
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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?6 Q4 H3 w4 G5 G8 @. y) |
& c' N, K, R! p, F7 lM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.0 ?* n2 k$ u& p% H1 @
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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? : E1 s2 T: L/ D# E ^! X% Z T; c, d7 P Z
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. x8 M" ]; p& n2 d* N. D" _& s' { % s6 Q+ S9 K! D2 i8 \4 P0 xL: 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?$ T0 v+ Z) D. y1 A/ h
! X0 Z8 q8 _$ C% T1 rM: 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. " q6 p x) X7 s3 c & I# ^4 v6 o0 N- eL: 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? + K% w. j6 Q8 N7 k6 b' F+ Q5 u" Y8 a3 e" q" Z- s
M: I aced my last job interview. $ E% P& E5 T7 F9 @; n. T4 R5 b: l# X. h- A, {) e. j
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 2 R# z4 }6 ]6 K) P# H 3 f9 h a+ o1 y) _; w. B3 CM: 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. * U4 }- \$ O( h9 V9 V# Z( N' \7 a) L* C: F
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。 7 h" f2 B4 \5 n7 O# ?* |, t, o( C+ Z) J: L0 `, l' m1 ]1 V1 |
M: Yes, you're right! . k4 R" F! R; _5 j0 q8 Y- n0 T# R+ N% i
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 2 O: P# R! e z% ^0 B' t |; ~, A) D2 Y& P" D: b( X) P: B
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? p+ H, G. J& ]- O2 x7 v3 {
4 e- M- u# m$ q# e* zL: 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。6 k% a+ [0 q9 Z
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! - D) m ^% _$ K. a1 z7 N % l* @3 F6 j. i2 _1 KL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?# }1 @# V/ n5 Z
! T3 L ~8 s+ {5 G: M2 CM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!) R( b& T8 r A# K
1 m5 o2 H3 N9 a. SL: 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。 0 ]9 h3 D, Y; b0 `6 K8 N2 } & i) t. x- N6 O# f8 C. hM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.3 `+ p% z x- v- O& w4 j
2 e$ c( _5 G5 uL: 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 e$ I+ W8 \) v: Z# x" Z% m2 o h- R% o* Y2 |* v1 z4 e' Q' Z
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 6 E( M3 f5 \5 e8 z( [1 n* {! T+ N) ], W
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。8 J0 d% {2 V, e( W' I& I! |* c) K3 |6 o
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...& g: L. v D# }" p; m+ v8 k! l4 o