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。 ' @+ Q: l( Z1 X3 M V( g' A$ s 1 K. J1 R& u! Z. [5 WL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? - ~% S6 H- I) V- C & ]% u2 z: A" J6 g. f# TM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!$ Z/ g, h' [% c4 H0 O$ |2 s5 S
& W2 g6 Z$ `- L+ rL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! / Z. T7 \. Z- Y- e! M5 D' \$ [9 N9 ?: u' S% v, v" u0 q4 I7 P
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!% z: C5 m; ^9 [
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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?2 w3 }& X. A$ a' S3 @+ Z; u
, f; L2 L M: G% GM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.$ ~7 J6 p: ^" H6 x0 @# T
6 K4 _; n! n6 e8 ? UM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. ; @7 @9 p& l* C& u A# z E2 L + x) i4 L4 [0 j& 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?, Q5 g# H \0 d, e
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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. ( D' ]6 j( \' t* `5 L* ~% \" X* E9 V 5 |' Z$ Q G4 S4 a# C7 A8 sL: 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? 5 V. a" T+ s L' A , P/ F3 T! J% c& P5 M; DM: I aced my last job interview.9 m% U7 d3 V% ?9 S7 B0 B
2 F4 p- x8 X- U! k0 aL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。4 ^2 X8 r* s7 ^8 T. w
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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 M) u, P! L3 A+ s y
, g+ C7 g1 C1 d) X- x0 oL: 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。 4 F1 ]1 L4 T7 } X: t+ g + K( |2 x1 ~# ]3 F8 Q6 v: A8 ]M: Yes, you're right!; |' C5 C& h9 n. H
/ x$ g8 h* {5 x: b2 t( {9 @1 aL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? / c1 @+ O7 D6 g1 h7 B( {7 [( L, m; M8 B4 Q: r" h
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 6 f. [ F9 X5 `/ |4 p& V # y6 l( ^6 j/ K& Q6 D* GL: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 c$ H+ g, ~8 F+ x+ T) t, s
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!+ }2 F/ G1 g% m( T0 y* X, V
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? # R' Z* w6 \) j) M U& K7 K4 L, \7 X
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! + y8 ]7 U, S6 |3 k4 L5 F' A5 ] , i8 g. _6 S% v) z- bL: 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: r! B* e5 w! u3 F4 H2 z
+ v4 V$ z, A" L9 X5 p/ h3 A1 aM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. ' Y- P! d1 |# Q5 } 4 n9 B9 d! Y* H9 KL: 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. + N: L/ `. C5 T' m1 s' ]+ W 3 @* l+ M+ B: y! m7 L" OM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.. a+ m+ z& P) j" t3 R9 }' A' l& a3 M: ]
; V1 P3 t6 g. b; L; wL: 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 }$ M0 s6 w! ~& d }' s
/ @+ H; O A" M9 h9 M% E3 D* cM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... ; O9 M G; E& r% i 7 r9 E, ?8 [" T' L5 ^+ }" j, s; ^L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!* P5 h( t5 l2 z9 T' G/ U