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。 ( b5 r; i& z9 b$ a) Q3 C' U C! \ / f$ Y# N: Q* n/ x+ p9 O; ?% vL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 3 F* G* J# @$ O1 I ! \6 t7 v; N* A" d% e. ]- ?M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 5 t) U% @5 D/ s 7 y% |9 j% r; A) `L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! & X& k- R' i3 D$ J8 L' W 3 ?2 q- U4 U: o# j# ]M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!% N* H6 |7 p7 z/ L# h. Z
0 X. |- P4 l9 S. Z" u7 d/ UL: 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? w9 G F) { ?7 a3 P, |0 n: \ _! S1 |. y# ?; g; h. S9 h& p% Y g. X
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 9 R0 e5 ^3 k: t4 _ . T5 v. m4 K( y% }6 @& OL: 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?' R* D f7 i9 F- @* w; P
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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.7 |" q. u' ?2 L, y* X& Z) R
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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?4 F+ t+ q9 L5 E* G* p# n
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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. / _" y: _! b, z$ W2 G9 W7 C" w }& {& i0 K; e& M2 C2 y' t- H, G
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?6 w' I* t/ q( t5 i: p# U! h7 R3 f
8 _/ t) \: [9 q# OM: I aced my last job interview. 2 ?. D( v% E0 D7 P) T$ y8 R ( @3 z; @$ [3 c" X3 y" gL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。5 }0 y6 g+ C+ U8 ]. f
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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.: g) W" Z6 c0 p- v9 J/ d
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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 M( P+ m) q3 @3 {4 b+ j4 X- v) @9 ]) I% s4 e! z: t
M: Yes, you're right!1 E5 y! H1 v5 t# @# p6 {
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?" |- ^! v2 O. H3 [
* g0 }. i! H2 O+ v# SM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 5 b; z) F% @( C. ?- q+ Q1 Y- q8 L1 _, T6 z
L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。: S2 R9 P- J# P/ f! {0 E8 ]
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!8 N6 l! j. t/ t& h
" O# Z) V. ^0 q1 ~- ~8 o* e i* ]& w( rL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?: r/ q$ n, ^4 [# @6 f% W
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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 x% ?' ]2 @% B7 J# Z' o- b( W) P7 H9 m
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& E9 M# I _5 r4 X" H( r
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M: That's right. / N$ h4 T# y1 k+ k7 F : T' C1 w- P3 j) F, @ H5 _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。 & f" f2 Q; X/ a7 p4 M4 q3 J# T4 w4 ^4 J1 N
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.1 }. [% e9 R& J
) B0 k. B% o0 x7 ^& C gL: 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. P# b" o- s/ a
5 v( H7 T2 i1 i$ J2 L" U$ X' fM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.4 x: A( I& _, x- G
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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。& [, Z/ r) `+ D8 s
# b0 o3 e! g+ R+ Z1 KM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... $ Q* T# v5 {0 z, s k; ^ N# [, y0 H" r* V8 u
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!8 Y! F; A) V$ O' o& ?+ @ Z W
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M: I'm just kidding!/ w5 f: w. \" \