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。) W9 Q! I: w' H. s: a' b+ P
% K) \* e/ n0 h; oL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?# d5 \. p/ U7 @6 A
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!: g5 T8 a& e3 \! `8 s; ^: o0 g! \7 w( q
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! - s6 B T& n2 U( L% Q, K% w/ w& E8 V& g
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! 3 S' s1 S& p4 T: I7 A 4 Y( x2 c" }) ML: 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?! Q; p T6 G3 y' Q$ S0 j
5 ]9 N4 u: r( r! G% [) |( HM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.5 G9 A6 B9 z; J, @& B% Z
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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?; E; r- X$ q3 y9 w! P" q2 r L# h
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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.* D5 Z* r1 E1 N2 W9 Q
0 ]; r5 s8 Y: x- y5 r! hL: 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? # N, J. h+ F; ?9 b; ^9 f# p5 Y& r. H4 E
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. 9 f7 q# J/ F4 u0 L& m, R7 K7 v- i* v) s2 W; Z" B
L: 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?) j; i( E2 f5 h" ^/ B
) _& V; o% f: e; a# l' a7 q8 A+ UM: I aced my last job interview. i. I9 S. X. _+ f2 W# Q+ L0 z& ?9 @+ `2 e" l9 K
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。6 G: r# U2 W- Y; M+ q
$ I& G7 ^ t1 h- bM: 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. ' j# {0 q6 _3 d+ J: `: I: M, I. e- e" g
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。 ; N1 P- z4 J2 k+ o! W% u1 h0 x; m! t9 w& C, _8 I- |0 b# y
M: Yes, you're right! $ `" R5 X7 C" k9 S % d8 ~* J0 S. Z" t6 @L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 4 @+ x w+ U# d( w' M5 L! R I2 B, a . X g! U5 R$ SM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?$ b9 r6 I, Q- E0 f5 N/ L+ [
- z/ r9 l# d5 E1 s& s! S# M! g8 [* oL: 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。- Y) ~, }6 G: E4 f h; @$ E+ _
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 8 D( o, ^9 }! D" b/ ? + g% P- a5 w. g8 b) _6 b- ]- P. ? iL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?2 y P0 \1 D' U# i
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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"!) z' K, Q! u, y
' }8 S! m; I" xM: That's right. - Q$ j4 V' u. [( s. U( C/ J! P& c. ^
L: 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。 - Q' J; Y2 n9 Z i: B; ]0 ^+ p3 j3 D
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. % ^9 {% b. o' V6 G: x ! f6 w8 h3 B: 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. ; t4 J( [: P5 I1 Q. K' o/ f. Z6 B \& s5 \4 v
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. U, W& s: E7 w4 n* I3 X+ o7 _
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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。 E8 P: `/ D+ R1 A+ x9 s
4 T& P0 ~! g% Y5 V4 zM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...4 |. H+ q8 B ]( [
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L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!; |7 v, }2 j! z6 s
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M: I'm just kidding!0 [5 F6 s+ @5 ^& }' y, ]