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/ `; y. o8 x( }' P6 w7 d! U7 i( j% W- C8 }' m
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 1 J) G6 ^/ l( V" J( q" L+ G& N7 ]+ ?" y' n3 w
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!5 l4 u R% Z! k! o8 ^' n
' \$ E% y+ z K7 I% a! n8 k* d% e9 e+ |L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 5 _. `% o& _1 V }8 a Y4 n ; |* |3 T2 d( A) C! Z4 n* p) BM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! # ?7 o& Z9 s$ o' Z + x1 J; ], A Y" ?9 x K% PL: 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? ! b7 U' j1 B) l( G) [; C9 w$ q% ^ ! L/ J' N9 l' Z* K+ t4 ?- }/ YM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. $ U% g% P& _, _0 ?$ r7 O; S: ]; U
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?( a- N6 d3 [9 S$ Z9 f- _, m$ C
* n u! z8 {* ~- D/ \" C5 RM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 9 }) f% n2 ^! h9 ]1 b! Z! t- o/ D4 [2 }
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? $ v4 {2 O, Q& m2 D1 J8 B! w2 g# h; b ^8 K. a/ V
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. 2 b l# w0 {# c" I + W* ^2 e8 E/ I r/ OL: 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?$ H; y$ j% @3 w, ?
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M: I aced my last job interview. ! [: U- Y/ _( p3 \1 X $ `9 w7 p1 i, U" R, l; m1 uL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 * ?. A5 q6 q* D# @- n' G0 F! B9 N) A
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 @( S. E5 `; O" d7 y* S9 ]: A8 O: k
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。 ; h& B4 v# E& e8 |+ {9 U1 T ) M. N; q9 c- k' s1 `' kM: Yes, you're right! . {5 A" ^* z; E/ e7 P- Y- k7 A9 v5 ]. |/ @5 ~ v, J& {, F H
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? " B0 w8 q9 x! {; J, m: z7 _4 B- T# B% C5 U) [
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?$ P, B, m" u0 `( x/ _- w
, l! c' g5 u9 h+ H1 ^; E8 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。5 R a$ R, i2 i
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!. u. T& w% O5 O$ E6 @# R
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?& J! q; N3 [' w
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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"! , h: [* C. w. B/ e2 c % f/ ]" S3 d! q# DL: 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? ! r3 a7 v3 ~: |7 q- z: I3 ]) C) O) T. K
M: That's right.) n7 C' t$ E7 [9 b% j& @
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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。3 B6 h0 X$ E& U/ @
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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. ( o5 O+ M( G5 w/ f3 R/ }% G4 e- k& M" s
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. ! x0 ?+ K' ?% g' R+ p! C! h9 K : N4 e* H9 p% `# P+ b+ k, O+ KM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.4 S6 u, H' Z1 z
' T4 h. u6 s+ `( B3 ^9 NL: 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。 ; [2 p% I' f7 C& M' u / k- N6 Q2 `0 _2 L- R, h* c% D' EM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...7 n& P3 B' E' m6 m/ v, v