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。( x: G- I# h% _# g7 P
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?' _+ T1 e `- [/ t8 o" G
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!+ T' \; K6 A$ }/ o
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!" `% z F, u# b" E
/ j( j6 m3 ~9 r) d; i, w$ UM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!1 t8 f% u/ q/ l. `5 C9 {2 Q
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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? 0 A! Z# ^4 Z" E0 L 3 T7 m" g. L7 x. p8 yM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. ! p' }% k) r) _) V% b k* y, A & ^' d- c4 r. B, L9 _" k' r' QL: 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?+ L3 E. o) t! E9 {$ o1 u: K, Q
& p/ @( ]' [7 i* \7 ~, TM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. / d( Q. `! ^# A* ~$ Z9 u- \/ P2 ^& E r5 f6 H- n
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? & w* x0 d1 m7 i$ k1 D% P/ O * b( W* d" U K7 E5 J8 UM: 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.) z$ _. k C2 l+ z. u
1 Q1 R# G6 Z" {' ^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?$ P1 l K6 _8 G8 `5 J1 ^% b
) D1 A" C+ z0 MM: I aced my last job interview. # W( Y' i2 F% u1 E9 v; |3 h% B( c3 n# d3 f. o O* k6 Y" ]9 U$ b
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 $ v: J6 b+ i. `% Q* j5 g t1 Y5 D7 H% Z
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 [5 P9 j# I2 ~% e% U3 \8 o. J z" C m
7 t/ X9 N* J6 K) |. _2 t6 RL: 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。- R7 L8 @! C. q2 v/ H2 t7 ^
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M: Yes, you're right!9 K1 ~" e/ v4 C" z9 | c* q
6 I+ G- K+ n `4 `# J7 t" N$ KL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?, |9 G& m2 a4 b6 w
) A2 s8 j# w/ y! EM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? / v4 e& J1 B& B3 E5 L- P. ` 6 \; e9 e+ |6 hL: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。1 ^9 _$ V, I5 @& I* l( G
4 l; | p& }' N6 cM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!9 F! c3 o( d! t, g
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? " O6 d# ^& j& p+ ^1 }, j: V: ^% j, h0 D
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 4 V h e0 A9 |$ S5 v7 L) o/ R: z+ n
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! i- p: D$ [2 w - u) d, ?: {/ Z7 V* f6 `2 pM: That's right. , s6 A% D* G. T* m3 y% d5 }1 x1 s8 t9 m n9 @% a2 F9 J
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。9 M3 B% S! F4 O8 b
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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. # O! _& z& B! r h2 L& R4 N& e+ J4 O$ R2 s' P) P6 I! l" X
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.5 a0 o" Y4 {9 s' {; W8 ]: k# |- F
% J# w" y8 g" Y8 u G* K, nM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. ) m3 y/ Z, l& \+ f$ m5 S + j2 d0 H0 e5 \1 LL: 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。 3 T2 A, K% H7 ^) \# J2 @7 H4 v# r% I2 i* r$ B3 d3 \& l- j0 w
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...' U* A u& c* ~, [$ h! d
K$ L5 e7 o/ K9 FL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! $ @ f/ S% R. U1 @ R , q1 w. O5 ~8 W( f4 A) J: ?- ~M: I'm just kidding!, _- M- V! E# |" }$ _+ o