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。5 E' j; M' E: r, u( ~* F
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? * c# {' z1 ^/ i5 J) C& \* e( w% H5 ~' t
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!3 L; K) T$ z3 h. B8 ~
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! ( i- b6 z- f3 [2 K- Y3 Z/ n2 q/ \. b- N5 H- {# d' R2 o
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!; u5 n0 L* N# C* I! |% `
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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?8 ~* h* l: @8 B
8 u% F _8 I3 ?' O) B* [9 QM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.- B& Z7 _5 R& i; i
' t8 h5 S% x: R( X2 f) N0 Z$ [. ?9 AL: 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? ) ^/ U, U: ^$ U) p) N y: u6 ?" ?" F1 _M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.+ `* A6 L! v# i+ g1 j
3 ]9 x; K' Z% M" U/ n3 UL: 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? ' l, V, M$ v) ~9 z0 x+ ?6 p % A7 U" U: o; J( Z+ y' [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. ) i" N$ r4 t+ ~1 h' w4 e% P, m' X1 e) C8 T! y% f! j. W5 U5 z/ w, A/ Y3 P
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?/ @& g: n( {; g% l0 X0 l
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M: I aced my last job interview. 9 u9 p0 p9 C: d. [5 P+ b0 ], \( o4 T
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 " ]/ V1 @0 ], C$ g9 Y; o) W1 X# _4 B& D D1 v- G
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. 4 g0 P6 N; b0 e0 K2 @ * h( J' u& p6 N4 E* rL: 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。 9 T; \6 j! m$ o) Z* d. M G' O& i( p7 ~( u( p" T) P
M: Yes, you're right! , A$ I) a" F. ^. C/ q" b+ L! `/ V6 w ' D; c5 ]8 o; S- ]8 h. X1 a* UL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?1 U* s" \, @- k/ H) m
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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?' s# h' D4 A+ d, n) ^/ [
5 N/ i% k0 V1 t9 dL: 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。( B2 g _ e# ` t! d' u; o
N9 \( u9 O8 q- x# Z/ y' e7 zM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! + f y/ p0 ]+ q% H( K ; s0 K. Z2 d2 [+ B/ a, EL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?2 q4 @+ h) e# L2 G
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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"! # j! ~2 q/ |% f& _4 L% p- g$ ?) F2 X5 q5 V5 w& V* T% ?
L: 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 n" M: l- ~6 z- S) r" S
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M: That's right. ' G. A, N' V) B( N( d u) z ' D# d' Q' o: l4 n U8 XL: 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。' Z" U+ _3 ?7 f: y2 S
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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.( ~0 Q& f+ ]7 Q( P8 M4 p4 X+ ?- v
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L: 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./ ]4 ]' p* \. w. T% U; `
' U7 Q8 M6 A" NM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 7 Q9 u& V: L. @" S' [1 S8 M- i. C: w% V) E% _* Y& 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。. ^3 c1 ?8 C$ R7 h9 b2 \
9 G* [" T) t8 r3 m% Z2 QM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... 9 [5 o2 S& S' d1 F( ] * X/ D! ~, M& Y$ s! G2 I! wL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! - K. B+ W1 k9 Y# E1 \ 5 l$ q! ]7 S( y( `* H1 M" y2 Y" g- aM: I'm just kidding!$ b" q8 L; s* D1 l& S