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。 # M$ B8 v" z8 ~' R1 l; Y% J. ~8 q & p) j+ K: o6 L; sL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? - X' e1 o' I9 l V, A l9 {6 N" c/ P+ O
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! ! O. B" E: Z* p% E" ~4 w# v9 i' ^( m8 W" U
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!$ `7 `8 j1 l* a$ d9 u
+ G8 L& e: |; B- I- }- f
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!( I$ G# ]! M4 K6 F: a& M$ h9 h
3 ^8 t/ K. E) U$ R$ JL: 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# ^+ k9 ]3 W6 S) {; K8 S
8 {0 U$ K& d5 h3 JM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 6 [6 c2 f& [+ o" c% ^ " X& {3 w5 q+ q4 V; V: i( X4 ?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?+ u6 N' z+ r4 s
/ V* S5 g C8 s( r) fM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.& L# k$ x7 J! p! q2 u2 x. n( i0 [
4 w/ u- K4 `6 J0 o7 E$ a
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?( ~7 W6 `/ I( w L- k* Q
2 l$ R: I7 w$ @0 D( 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.4 Z- B; ~0 y- i+ _" G8 J
0 }: |0 F' j$ ^$ ~: K5 }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? & h D- z3 X8 N2 i8 F( H4 H l: \! R. L3 i2 v; Y3 ?$ y6 f1 D
M: I aced my last job interview. / J9 f3 n n0 P9 O" C! H" M* i P0 t9 V {: X9 N+ S- u, Y5 k1 J
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。, `, b+ m" X3 P ?% y5 t
( @, B5 y9 G; q* b8 l- W; f1 ]
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. * b; Q! _, S& D7 W4 s 2 m0 ^( b+ k7 B+ X2 gL: 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 {1 K# P- x5 {
/ E9 K0 ]0 L8 j) `- Z) J( n# Z- y; A& u
M: Yes, you're right!+ X$ z) N2 y! M
4 t) @6 W9 A2 k8 M9 M, D
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? ! a( p8 _4 `3 z) r 6 H' l( x+ k2 v+ P+ zM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 3 P9 t' ]% d2 n" Z. Q. ?. ^ 7 A' g+ L& W; YL: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。; ~& \0 Y8 O2 I: R
% O% l+ p) R0 d) D; t5 `/ vM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! ! H. B- B3 \5 s) X6 o4 q$ r 8 l" l u/ m# x: q) S& P2 ^L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? 8 V, w" U3 d) [8 O# N5 X( r+ L5 b+ u" G7 v; |7 ^
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 1 |. C9 Y2 J% ^. ` * U6 F1 D% `' _# r. z/ J; M8 s, ML: 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? , a1 q% D. J+ G: o. ~- f , a) \$ C# ^% s) W5 r# CM: That's right. ( m8 e4 Z: I* a/ R) B5 B " w: {- V0 _2 O8 d: dL: 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。, e) x+ B( r$ U; r2 k. `& ?
3 x, y: k2 f! h: a; O+ z% |) GM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. / \9 _5 {: Z! ^/ v- o7 J6 g+ |$ X9 G( z) ]
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.! Y, p& }4 J: V3 ]5 K3 F3 x
6 A% \! J9 |9 z$ Q. E$ f$ }* q, _2 D9 {
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. . {$ ?/ z9 z1 e" |' v$ E7 r% Q$ r1 S/ _ T$ K: o# a- @
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。2 ~' u+ H! Y4 _2 `
% g7 n7 X% L+ Y9 G$ x `M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...' r5 }+ H& i3 d4 s+ M' U. w& i# Z T
% G z6 K6 x' {; fL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! $ T! w2 O) k, X. ]+ z; m& @- G! d' v8 i- \% G+ y! ^* p. u
M: I'm just kidding!' g: Q6 o5 q9 c2 ]+ O