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" i4 b( {" K* d! E' a% q1 |4 n b) X& h& R& a6 \. u! N
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? & H% T7 N R/ ~5 | K+ N( ?8 {8 L! r, IM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!& f; P5 ~+ f/ }9 ^9 I1 W. j
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 4 ~4 M; ~5 j' A' o ; _3 ?) G) p( W% bM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!! S. k4 [* n* _; M
- X' N" ^! c6 y* d3 M1 g9 TL: 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?% m3 {: O% I6 A# X9 D. @: c1 u
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.! X$ S+ d8 q" b
- @( F$ B, ]6 R9 o+ T. z, K2 p1 nL: 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?) P9 n6 R8 d8 n+ M4 p! u3 M; A7 m1 H) V
0 {* @% x$ j9 C& ~M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.$ h8 q1 E0 U! a8 W* y1 ^$ ~
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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? 1 }! U8 t2 ]# M/ d" N' B. G( }2 ?6 W1 Z
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. 1 B+ Z8 I0 X& c; O X* m' A, S$ c" 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?8 g7 H+ j' o$ h' C9 w& d$ d
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M: I aced my last job interview. z w [, E0 o5 { * `8 v, m9 V& O# l4 |% ^3 HL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。1 L1 W6 G% `2 B( v0 l6 q+ t0 O
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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.( ]# A4 Q1 k: B3 l: Y
" c! n5 a. h# Z- A3 DL: 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。3 R) l- O5 n1 g
! T" @0 U0 X0 X4 n0 s& PM: Yes, you're right! . O, _1 O+ _& l/ t' y8 A3 C 5 I% r9 `; L# J7 @L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?. L' g! |- `& A! n d3 [. c: D6 A, A
" M$ Y& h s4 d! d; N" l9 ?M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 7 t7 e. s5 Q+ s t: x4 ~, D5 n, N2 H( u6 l+ D" q* ], h# e) `
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。 4 a. J' @1 |7 V, l0 l' h) f5 j0 c! P/ E
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!, F* O+ w) A* L$ @
/ U- ^& `# M4 r. T6 K9 IL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?# \- U6 @: Q% g' o4 b0 f
1 C; f" ], Y4 I" {; q; P. B7 gM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!- j8 W% n0 B7 u: P) b
# N" f3 E0 y. O, s: @) T2 NL: 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& \& c3 M* l+ y
# k# E2 Q, D3 ]/ v! Q. BM: That's right. 3 w+ ~7 H* n5 F; a4 l& V2 u5 k0 b. v6 `
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。 6 Q+ ^' f$ s/ ~- l: {' k$ j * k! j, L( X3 F+ r: A% A3 HM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. `( T' l1 a0 {+ w + `3 w( K- k& z. c6 z3 ^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. - |( \# A, i3 k2 I9 Q" ] 4 Y2 V0 q v' k0 ]! zM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. ' y4 F+ D1 ]; A7 w4 ~" i. ^( d; e4 b @1 ^8 y! i
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。7 _* W/ z( n4 _$ w. q2 ]
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... m- C& K! j8 m' a1 T