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。 1 Y N4 r% _, \! b0 Z/ I+ ?) x3 V7 H, H& \" x
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?, e( Z3 |$ I, V7 q/ ~& ^7 S
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! / m. F, B/ N! v, ]# v+ C x9 E6 L( |. D. X5 S z$ \
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 4 w8 {! `+ H/ e/ `+ x& P: ` k$ e6 Y4 t. l A6 ]
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! % W. _" y4 ]8 b2 [! j $ f% S" i' Z# x- j8 OL: 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? z1 {2 H" x L3 _7 i+ { / ^) Q$ p# k2 c- C( l% L6 ~M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. ' W; ^. C% |6 H7 j4 N) K( W& M/ o: a! s* K) \5 O/ D r
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?3 E: `8 W" v+ x+ f- _1 y; k
, D: b) A1 B) g, S S8 d$ sM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.; @# O7 n2 Z5 y f f6 v# g
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L: 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: [7 b5 O! b! Y1 _9 {4 [
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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. ; }0 j9 Y* o& p* E' m6 O) z 4 K1 \' d" r" ?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? % ~4 u% p7 W! R$ f6 x: ~$ m & G: v; u- @# P4 K+ a- `M: I aced my last job interview. . O7 W- Z' I- _. k, s% | 1 w, g8 l! ]$ E1 S; JL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 : [. W! |: B7 m4 R3 [ ) ^8 v( a7 e! U. i6 T3 XM: 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. 6 e& a4 F9 B! u - _9 }) r [# ~0 L+ f0 @2 f7 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。1 @4 d& a1 p* ?- ]' R. r, d
/ f2 v3 o9 ]' z: q/ h: ^4 Q1 gL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? $ e/ m& [" v9 L. H- f6 b! n2 W/ J5 y# v# ~- J1 A! y7 g
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?7 h' a# R% I" `! d* t7 P
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L: 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。 2 ~$ t! o; \( h j + R' f; g' x" k8 l6 IM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! ' V6 p: E4 f/ {5 \+ U% O" _0 W
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?8 @# }+ [" V# [0 U; [9 A
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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"!9 ~$ v' b) W5 G' I- q _+ ]
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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? " v8 }8 q8 I* n0 C& V" Y. e% a! H " V/ r8 d; ~* u: K: @M: That's right.+ Q0 d' [( _! k) u$ A- E5 r) ~
& h& l6 W* W0 ?8 j% f8 ~, TL: 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。: y* E6 O [8 T% w9 P. l/ r
, M# @& w+ V( H. \: OM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.; W# I# ^& O1 T) M
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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.( V2 m9 D8 w! J0 A
% @+ @1 k% ^5 _# R* I) _M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. ! E1 m% G+ W+ q. P% S 4 i4 C1 F: E( y$ L! {0 FL: 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。4 \3 I0 P) e# p; i1 ]
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... 6 I1 o% Y& \6 f " ]5 Y8 z& P: ]. A( C. N8 ]L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! 5 A u, z; _( l* }7 ?% m# u5 R) @: j5 H* D' h& l. a7 l
M: I'm just kidding!4 g) H% k( j' ~- ^