4 P' x1 E( o$ P+ _& IM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!$ W' C$ ?/ g$ p( D! Y V- |: ]. K
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! , ]* r! N% S* H0 ~3 a7 `) r) W y9 w
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!/ ~/ t# d |: v+ R
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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 v! b+ g! [( M( e0 ~! b+ d% J: L3 \4 P3 E$ g8 N* w3 W
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 4 |) \" J+ ?0 F; c / N) {# G% c& f8 h: zL: 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? 8 m4 ?+ X- u& z) [' ~" I( p % _* o" _' T# R+ gM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. . v# V0 p) G1 z; j/ G$ J9 y$ U B0 F& X& x) u" K8 cL: 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?: F: F: o* K' C5 L* n- U/ v
" _0 t4 @5 X0 [4 A# o. A6 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.8 n- e/ u g. q
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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? + U+ Q6 A" D# D, z& P2 i" A! }. c6 t3 p" K, w6 Y
M: I aced my last job interview.8 a& ]" W3 V: D( R
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。6 @3 B/ ?1 S8 | m. k5 D- d
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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., o2 F+ B" I2 u
5 C- d/ G! m! h5 u" I: G7 b0 s: L9 uL: 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。 ' x' E3 i2 a" `0 R - s$ x( p0 ^1 T H, @8 e8 X- DM: Yes, you're right!7 V2 V8 w u( E0 r. l
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? ' m2 t, |: A. x+ c$ y- q6 O- a0 p1 X, c, Q
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? / _; W# b Y2 C& \0 f7 i; t# p! {8 D& |" C8 D, t
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。5 R3 a9 _$ M/ k# B2 r' b' S
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!0 V; P: J' j& A0 a8 @+ [1 G9 T
$ {0 N/ i. k3 b% @% T& S/ _L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?* H1 d0 W9 y8 n1 {7 Q; z
0 N5 ?) S# U4 E- I0 oM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!* B4 ~6 d! [ I; N
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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? & k- F. v3 g8 R H; A9 y! t" ?% Z( D- Y1 |7 p5 w0 Z6 N
M: That's right." k4 V5 @' Z9 V8 k2 m
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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。# E4 u& ?; P$ R
& |6 Q1 p* B5 r% b& }% r( \# m# VM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. 7 D0 p, }4 V7 L ) n* s2 X2 p) T! a" u' K/ tL: 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.: g" a6 Z3 _8 `/ w
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 4 n, F1 c# x1 p, H& a1 [" R& J2 B# s1 d, V& G$ s
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。 8 [! F# v, Y6 ^- L8 j6 M/ E% D; Y / C6 y; p: n* JM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... 6 \, L# w( G T6 Q; X5 ?' j0 F+ v8 c' x* w6 E4 ]- m
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! - b o2 r! y5 z: [& r4 c' Z; j; k" \3 v" r
M: I'm just kidding!; P# w- B# f% P