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 @7 N4 R, `4 f& Y: z " M. B; ]$ f+ r( D) mL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?: O2 V2 |% q4 S( M, y9 Q
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!; I% T) A) o2 y" ]) T" k R
- E6 n7 u! ?& |0 ?5 C+ OL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 9 a' X7 b- x& j7 T% b3 Z6 e) o( Y0 B. O( w+ z6 u
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! 7 ?2 ^1 B; Y$ k7 R l, [6 H 2 F6 V& t7 E# x3 @1 bL: 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? ( i. r. L/ ?) U w' e" U2 d. P9 J f( D
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. + \) f8 m2 h' b5 c$ j+ k9 d8 s4 p& I+ e' W/ ], Y0 w
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?' D* p8 u2 O7 f. f3 ^+ C
/ u: Q8 R7 m% r2 k) i) F2 t- [M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.( _3 v% H4 D2 V4 b1 r x1 S
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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?; T+ m6 g6 D3 M5 E$ ^( t( t' N8 D/ v
) Z: Y. k( ? k9 m1 B& BM: 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. : U4 e" M% c8 `9 y5 m) n6 `1 r" C+ g# J
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? ; A4 J: w; w# P& H / ~, V( U% I9 ]3 u; XM: I aced my last job interview. - `' }, ^( I$ w; W& |* H! L( X0 a% R; G' @# d
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。) e) M% L3 g# B& p# C. i* D- w
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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.3 X" p/ f6 D) V2 _0 R, n0 H
( [5 N8 z2 d1 \3 kL: 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。8 G6 t4 ?" y$ H* c+ C1 u
+ Y. O- _: G- a: AM: Yes, you're right! 8 X) `& E# w; I! g. X& \* r: ?$ n; A5 r, a
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?" v' T5 ?1 X+ p: G" |
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?+ \! G' ]6 s* B9 t& T8 N4 a
5 [3 D q- y- R" H* f1 C z+ gL: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 ' u$ r6 }6 U# C N" U( _- [" @) v" B9 X/ w6 b8 A* |
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! % R" n' [, f" S) A) M4 n, D & B% @& J# O3 y* M1 c9 `L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?- C9 J5 _+ o' W7 H' J3 _
C/ c. D [. V7 K/ w& qM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!& u) o- x( P. l3 U' Q% B2 ~ s
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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? : t! V/ ]; {1 R3 J+ b+ c/ h! y# k$ a/ k: Z8 o
M: That's right. : Q# T: [0 u/ S% H* s : i: z/ o# }% [0 r1 S0 B, gL: 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。 ; \2 N. D/ p* |( \, Z" E& v " V1 v# O: g& mM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. : e3 N$ u0 T# t5 W) G0 V8 o" E! f( J# ?' }
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./ V' B# y6 b4 V! H
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. _* t% g/ E4 [* B8 L# _( ~. h' d) w, N. W8 H9 `
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。- z0 n* o! j' c1 F2 Y+ C$ I
1 Z7 b6 Z2 X, H; O9 rM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... & I8 @0 a4 Z" x . ?4 s' C; \' t6 aL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!- r# Q9 b8 `5 d