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。! z8 r2 {9 l; e" j1 z. ~8 m9 X
1 ]5 k4 S5 @' k# tL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 1 R4 v2 n' W9 ]) z0 N% y , c# a; K4 R# w9 T2 iM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! & t% ~$ q c# C7 I& N. u " v$ A; p. d% u1 YL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 7 q1 _3 @% S- f( M" E% v 3 M, s# E$ C& ~3 xM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!9 Y/ ~5 O+ K2 I+ ~" E" |1 _
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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? 3 Z9 v+ q$ J4 C+ L- ] : _: i" A/ {8 b& n1 M: w) EM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.8 N5 H% q, `, i) `. V
% {: C7 q/ }8 ]% ~1 @! D* PL: 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? : W+ ^# G! E& ]8 O) S& N7 z9 T : G% [* U( ?9 ~5 TM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.' d2 \! v0 i6 z/ x+ H
, j- o( t" K7 lL: 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? / M8 P1 ~( \: h, N; y * v+ j9 M5 m, G N* j, 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. " ?2 e. N& G, t( d# |; o D3 E ! K% Y3 N( A1 y n ]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? X/ r( ~; C# J3 S }# w
4 r, ?) y" S/ i; E/ PM: I aced my last job interview. 8 m! H3 o# p' o: L( [- o) C% { ) C8 r; N' k# [2 |$ v: `5 tL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 # H& ?, I0 Y* u9 v1 Y) E, ^0 m6 O. } Y, [2 X0 x
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. - Q6 t; O$ e7 c) w' T# y! K2 W- ]' j, n; ]5 [" v! `/ N% Q) X: C
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。 9 ^5 G6 r( [9 V$ A4 j& x( G$ o0 V( @; @/ z# x8 e: a7 ]
M: Yes, you're right! / b% l0 x- _+ a. a7 g5 w! G - a7 t, M, ^& Y6 |$ J4 b- q! vL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?2 I7 @$ J- R k- m- m* M
& t7 L% @/ s5 B( LM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 0 ]0 q5 ?# q4 E' A . E. Q8 z5 b. `) dL: 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。& w+ |% V+ ~/ F" A' N" p3 N# a0 K
: a; ~% V' M( g. X4 G1 eM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!. @4 u, \9 o0 X n/ p
. R( l( e1 N4 yL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? 7 B% b9 I# g" K9 L5 o# L8 R, P' Y8 m* _* i3 j M \1 c
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!) g7 M: M" f1 Q' _, `, Y
" ^- _% l2 [& }( kL: 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? , x( \( g, S5 H8 i0 Z3 O6 w6 [4 K @0 D
M: That's right.; A! q$ ?3 j! E. l
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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。 j# g9 ]8 I7 s
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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. & ]' S M$ _* D/ p ( e' C( V, t% X# UL: 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. 4 s4 y$ U0 I1 A5 l4 R( O. \5 C) `2 _2 d+ U4 _% l; z: O
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.0 {0 s$ c2 b: w& ?$ ?+ l9 i F
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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。) f v% u$ @( m3 h% l
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...5 i/ F# t4 l* }3 N
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L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! . U' m4 E$ `/ S2 q; v N& r9 _( w5 k1 w4 g/ L6 {" U$ Q3 _) |
M: I'm just kidding!" L" i3 J5 i: l5 h. W