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。) @! f2 ~( _* e7 K5 z/ t2 J
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?6 t( c2 H3 [0 X B$ x" W7 w
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!# v) j6 `7 i0 v3 b
# F+ _, z2 P2 E+ A; GL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!. q* K e- v$ @# j' X# B+ w* c
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M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!8 G8 M9 Z1 n: k3 E( R. L' f5 |
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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? 9 ^$ \1 k5 ` n: [2 m' x# G3 u Z: u2 G
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. ! J9 I7 |% b+ E1 }! r 6 u5 v3 [/ h& F) T* k0 B0 b: p9 sL: 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? 1 L3 Z3 f/ P! \& z( |) E; d ) B( ]8 D; C2 a2 {, WM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 3 \. W4 b+ q- H) [ b8 o5 i: B! A( U& _
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? ( r- K( }5 Q6 u, T% F$ [& f ) _, c9 e# g3 J4 V, qM: 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. } }" g$ l! M0 B5 i1 \
# C' T' V/ t6 d4 |- R# vL: 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?" R5 B: ]( V1 |3 Q& `1 r( j" i; m
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M: I aced my last job interview. 4 [# }8 B* F9 x: {* j6 v+ M9 M; S' R' s
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 ( o/ g9 M; v6 C3 ]5 n3 P % {' W4 a( x4 B) S7 L0 r. q- tM: 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. & A0 w. D8 y4 h$ Q* E* U8 ]4 t* q: \ J
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。* ^2 g; {9 L6 D+ C- `5 @5 v! @
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M: Yes, you're right! : a' c8 D& H5 b1 x' L" x2 x) | p! v1 m0 j& d5 ?6 k$ p' J
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 4 t, }2 N, c. u. y4 M' {+ M ' h/ p# h8 k) _ Y& G; Q9 }3 tM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?2 j& o0 Z% a: B# K5 h
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L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 % T' X& {3 q3 J4 k . s5 w" B; v) r2 G* }M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!$ ?5 |( B8 ]0 ]" Y7 f1 K# P
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? / R" q$ c) @: ] * a. B# v( ~1 J& p9 iM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 4 d; v# U+ i2 c0 ]" L# G # v* j5 P0 k( HL: 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? 1 z3 U( Q5 ~+ W. i% P0 c- A) Q, o$ u+ R7 m7 Y
M: That's right.# B3 O4 o$ @ r- C1 ?( I
' F% \ |, \* @1 s& cL: 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。 1 E/ M# \& Q* T& h1 p0 d$ h- w) Y * H1 l0 k. y6 X J/ G6 e# q8 a( d, EM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. 7 }: ?+ _. |+ p8 ?: ?; [' \ 5 ^7 M, O& \( V" cL: 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. - t8 Q8 P" R8 `8 r; S% _8 e& H) n# f* ~, z6 ?5 z+ p/ H
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. ) }% I# `+ K: S3 C, ~+ ^) C, L. I" Q; V( g! v( l
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。 0 E8 E& P; S! P# f/ n& w/ b. t3 h/ o/ q
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... $ e8 B3 S2 ~7 z* f6 o( B; p' a' q. T- l* |& G" j* e- B
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!) f! o* U! a$ \2 F$ v
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M: I'm just kidding!+ |1 y& S+ f2 T