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。, Y1 F' F' B" V) s- Z
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? " u( {( h+ Q. ^5 K) i/ [, c) x* }6 z: W0 U+ P! @: K, ?
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!# v, l8 U" b1 J, e: L0 X
8 G' M6 e" ?5 L/ R/ X- KL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!- u2 f' y, N3 f; o% D
9 r3 S6 R/ J0 l2 q3 @M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!" U$ ^ M8 F7 e3 J. ]) V
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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?2 b' g7 ]4 d3 e$ R0 a
0 m1 C% S# U, J ]- r) rM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.8 q4 U: N( a# h( B& A: Z+ L
1 H! S) V: ]' i y$ [% g8 }( 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? / w' r, ] J9 d( Z; D 3 @3 p8 ~- n0 n% h x) z9 w8 R9 }1 qM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.& \& A( ?5 A5 ?
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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? i- K9 c9 z. s# a, H8 ~4 ? 8 t p* b' l( JM: 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. + r/ ]8 K; L2 Q) p. _ ! T' m t8 _6 \. k% D2 J$ U7 {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?- w E+ [ S; y8 ]- t5 `2 w# B
8 P/ q: Z e/ I0 l( o3 o0 XM: I aced my last job interview. 6 o1 w6 [1 Y' h' L G3 E, ^6 y7 [! M7 d6 P C/ H! Z6 x- \- l$ w
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 , ^' B3 \& N9 V( C$ H' F- q3 a ~( h, ?% v5 k/ a& q k% L: B
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. 0 |2 U$ p! t6 V n9 }; g, g, v0 A7 y! p; g- w
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。 0 q) O, k6 Z# g9 @4 r1 k8 a& O4 w. J$ G3 R9 S. r; D \
M: Yes, you're right!' T9 i2 P- w( N, [
8 h: Z' ]( A& j0 c% u( w- CL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 6 @2 y( O1 ^/ g$ _: @' H; I: {2 [
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?- G+ I( w1 _; B0 o& ^
. G' C2 u/ ]& u7 o+ p5 J0 fL: 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。# v7 e0 K4 G+ Q) A! l
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! + A6 D% k" C0 B# s3 j# t( M" ]5 I ~ V% l5 X
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? 1 B8 @" F( L. N( b4 o. k. L! b l% X9 l, A0 d1 O! |6 ]1 H
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!/ X/ V2 s2 H4 ?: t
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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?/ K0 V2 f3 e, m8 G
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M: That's right. 9 y2 C5 F3 r; o. j7 {( j% K. }5 r( B v
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。 4 ^# u7 p$ D4 ~# f0 C: _$ P. _) _/ j( k: e$ l; r% [
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.9 E" Q8 E$ B0 {/ c' w. w
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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. . F3 Z( ^+ G% R$ h/ N* g1 K 8 d$ E- E8 U9 f/ s: i% s& HM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. - w4 w& _, _/ l9 d& B* f 9 I! E, I! @3 O$ @3 qL: 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。 1 n, Y+ r0 d& G8 r) p& U! E, l! P5 A- x+ Z: W# T
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...& \1 V; ^) T6 l8 R
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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!& M5 i: _! U: P
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M: I'm just kidding!; h- ^# u, r7 W% b7 I3 H1 H5 j) b0 p