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。8 F$ Q# s5 @5 x2 ^: q
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? ) R- b M) y+ F$ m I" Z6 Y. ~: `. B- P9 r. F! r7 h# b
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! ( |% i3 I" c( }1 m$ y7 A, S# @' W- ~9 G: w
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!: p+ O4 L' [5 {, T& x
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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!0 T C! l5 M- N" l* @( Z
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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?* c, ~$ _5 w- e3 g0 F% r- S
9 N$ q: S# o5 H2 J* {! Y eM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.5 y1 d, ^8 H# a r( z" G, M& Q9 p
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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? ; h6 K7 Y: j& w! W1 ^, w. M' v S8 Y 3 c6 J1 M& W* l2 w, s, yM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. & ~. Q6 V% `8 Y; c1 N$ B9 t8 v- W+ Y3 u. @. 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?6 Z) F) g" i9 r' Z+ B. S
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M: 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. 4 p" n0 e) Z/ w% E $ a% M4 `+ N+ i# a. [# wL: 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- N8 T: D: w) O) M+ g9 v! e
/ D& g0 G5 |/ i; t4 kM: I aced my last job interview. ; F" z# S! I! C* Q! I& u0 B m! W/ ]. u8 n' w6 N: p0 y# GL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 : O) f" M0 t% b" V9 Y; R/ B : m6 ]; e/ Q, y( h. q5 e/ pM: 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.& ^. U* ?7 o% G# n$ f
0 `( P1 \5 D9 N# w8 Q6 NL: 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。 Q& e6 Z* ? V+ E9 {, O N0 K1 \; c4 E, {6 x
M: Yes, you're right! ; {, w9 |' R- u $ U1 j+ J% |! p4 NL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?! D, H* ^; y0 x0 Q
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? ; s# Z c' O- i2 M: ` ; @) N: x5 U0 y ]1 ^, j8 SL: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。( r3 _$ @/ I* b
1 F2 p4 H9 B. `' s1 Y; N# s' mM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 6 ^ O& T5 w5 a8 Q$ Z4 t# ~9 {( j/ l# m( l$ H
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? ; U5 m5 ]$ e, d" [$ j. D1 `" Z2 J- X0 b. S( z
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 2 i6 ~9 z; r) F3 Z' [/ Z9 N! X/ o% @+ g2 l- b O, n4 \2 t) g, e$ Y* S
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? 8 U# r: [( U% W) v2 G" I% b2 E6 Q% F q
M: That's right. ( n* Z' P: ?" f# o. z8 R) C, V7 H2 m
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 B5 }2 I$ w0 h* r3 |) ~, |2 Q5 O& x: k5 M
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.7 V* e$ ?3 [; x# O. v/ b
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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. ( O$ F: u9 ^1 H+ S- R1 ~ ^ % D. A1 `0 P2 ?8 P Z$ XM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.8 B8 q7 i( M5 M' O, p
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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。 g* V: n7 f8 O: n3 b' y
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... U G( d, D0 N5 a; { ^- e. z; O2 B7 s+ N* m& k4 N0 {& @
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! $ ~ a F( B$ c; e4 e' o" X 9 h7 O9 Z; U1 R/ ]8 vM: I'm just kidding! ' I$ `0 p- S6 {) b, J" @( U " _, m; H) ?' T. i! v5 X" J今天李华学到两个常用语,一个是:to ace,就是某件事做得很好,特别是象考试之类的事;另一个是:peanuts,这里不是指花生,而是指数量很小,价值很低。今天的[流行美语]就学习到这里,我们下次节目再见。 5 b/ H+ T7 Z# p6 _& G& s# cAudio As Following: t. n* I% v/ A% @/ p" C8 v