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。0 y3 _, t& }3 v2 U# J& C+ @
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? ' L7 E& ?+ m$ z* c' l" A! r% @$ `/ k; A! e. m
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!7 _4 k5 _1 [1 [- T: ?( U" [; v& Y
3 B1 w8 B9 M( I: r- xL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!) D7 T9 d+ g! ~, l) S& p7 O
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M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! ( p6 s5 }8 j! r$ M/ R. ] . A- y* {' x" V. F8 K# x0 P8 }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? * B: I5 I' l7 s& r% |( a \3 d; d $ D, h* h- m& cM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.5 |/ a7 c/ A9 a
! t/ }9 J1 P6 d9 @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?& Q2 K: A h! B5 S }
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M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.3 ?& F; X% p" B
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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? 0 f8 K0 n1 _7 ~3 [. D2 e9 i* p 9 d$ U# x- [% nM: 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 e+ k" D7 n q& }) P) i
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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?" A2 F; p/ T L" ^6 o! o1 S9 w
" h3 V9 R# u0 y8 P5 iM: I aced my last job interview. . c9 w" n# Q, _ 9 d. H5 Z9 d7 d9 gL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。% [7 x ]9 t+ N; G8 r
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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. ' L1 r6 |- }* x0 u3 H" R2 B% [- P; T
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。. F2 ~5 Q" ^, K% S9 h- s
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M: Yes, you're right! + @0 B. ]$ |/ r# d: S% j2 f( D 4 Y) E- A- q6 g8 ^! c9 `) HL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? : M) m8 m/ ^/ y5 B! c- G3 } % C$ o) h$ _* TM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?; }2 ^0 o; B1 x( v6 u# X
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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。. C) _0 W6 ~ ^
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!; ]& w7 @4 s% ?! X8 {% @! m
5 ~ e! @) v3 q2 GL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? & e# z) {$ U2 f. @6 c7 ~; g: E; S# P# M8 M
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 7 x4 W! ~4 w9 a/ o" f; P 6 y0 O, L9 H+ {8 sL: 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? 3 O& a/ R' c. v, J4 @* u5 [: u7 F3 O5 v: v
M: That's right.+ z% u# A; t' s5 }* C9 K, ^
3 c3 P/ M* |$ D A* u iL: 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。 - _' v& h7 @1 @, d7 c- N. R% V3 ~0 F: V; L% F# B# F' ?
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. g, J: s# Y0 a8 C' _9 h+ O) O4 c) {" X/ e
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. $ i( n% a- D# V( ]# d% B# f5 U , u, K( {* H7 lM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. # T8 o2 }# D6 J- i, U0 l/ s( H6 B2 r# {- A% c9 v# X2 f+ ^
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 h6 _: b. V; i" L5 ^ d' W2 {+ l( P) _2 z! |M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... ; ]) j# e z" m O' j" q+ p# \ C" F; ^* I/ L; `
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! 6 E& O& x/ \$ d/ {" v$ S. e ; p% M& x6 S: {3 i2 HM: I'm just kidding!3 c: s" Z5 |0 E& M8 x