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 U: t3 N V' Z. ? j' ?: f; ~0 z \ Z8 b: u' R# h" p
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? Z* H$ Q4 \( V6 N l / A1 Z! ~; P% ~2 j6 | cM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 8 q$ _/ t4 G+ U& P Q! A+ @ 8 g8 z- b+ L8 K# t$ `/ OL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 5 Q+ z9 J' p! k# J1 b }: o4 r: t' R3 l
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!& I. u$ n. I0 n( d k
/ `; D4 W* B% S* ?0 A# WM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. . r6 y( l/ D( F) ? 4 _5 B$ l' q4 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? 5 d' H- X5 I$ ?# S+ R# e' u8 p6 z! k
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.: N% ]6 j/ m( p- `! v9 s
, i& C5 I# R3 S3 W6 hL: 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?: j$ I1 U( g3 R0 Z( z9 c( M* n
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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. Y* T+ l* {( y& K' e& z+ I4 T, l+ U! Y# N& z$ 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?0 Y; H3 v8 @+ d$ k* I) Q# w- S
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M: I aced my last job interview.6 C# o7 B0 R" @+ A2 O7 k2 {; x; l
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。( g2 G J9 ?% k0 e! ?6 T( Y/ V
4 }! S0 v9 `; h5 T8 l3 {% j0 zM: 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. 3 `1 i7 O( v/ H/ f) Q& _; U- ]9 m! Y/ X; W# A( 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。 U" _5 R& H! e2 E; O
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M: Yes, you're right!5 W1 ], W6 O/ a7 O
! C J6 v" H) w5 g% M) V& L; iM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 9 t( [; Y' O8 v4 f. _/ p$ K$ B) x. o$ p# n9 k4 n
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。 . O& ]+ K! J- h* V4 c) `& i : f7 |+ X( M4 P" i! OM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!/ k- i( v3 _7 ?1 L7 F
0 @" |2 {& G7 KL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?$ h- K9 B& h- u. L5 P" M
4 ^0 {" i- J% w. @( gM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!9 |( Q* I0 N" E- m" q6 x2 P. C
+ z" Y6 S- q9 U) I* B+ HM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.$ G. Z! `7 H1 d* B* Z; H+ F
( q0 k+ r' q' r) V. H' k$ i* jL: 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. , S3 T8 ~) f! L8 m ! |3 X8 c( p& K' K/ {) N4 V7 WM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.0 L$ r2 k8 k- y' H$ ]6 ^: M1 [$ e* ?