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。 X8 w5 k) ?9 `" P) \0 f' J) b/ @1 a3 @2 }9 N
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? $ u* J+ B7 C5 {& l5 [8 V) t+ Z # g. q T5 I) Z3 v) w) |M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!" p% _7 ~" b+ f: o5 Q
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! s5 ~. i: @7 Z & F& a9 |6 L2 B* {; UM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!* a0 c% X2 o% g
' O7 ~* `1 g A& P! e- ~M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. $ D9 o8 N0 j- n! m7 U0 S- p$ L7 T5 K% T* {. E
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?( i1 l) E0 w( P2 j. B
) T7 E% _( [2 [3 {- L4 EM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 2 f) x, Z- a- N3 P. C- ? ?& ]2 ]+ }# A. k- x
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 T+ t* m/ L6 G0 s, A
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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.* q& l/ G. x9 t! n& g& J% H, V; {
3 y6 V) _! Q3 O1 T0 ]! b* c( TL: 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 K8 B7 v; r3 e- _) v, c ) A% ~: Y6 \# d* Q- d" J1 ZM: I aced my last job interview. 6 U3 P {. ~* q: E2 c8 ~* Q/ O8 b6 Z! V7 {/ w
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。; C8 l0 p! X$ [) D/ B
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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. 2 ~, q& m, Q# `: W. D% E4 G# \. \0 A& u
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。( {1 t+ U6 W9 `; f
Q# s5 j2 G' H& M$ Q% d1 ], o: vM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? ! w! `. {, u- n. n8 S 8 V4 S! B' B; C$ XL: 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。' `& T+ u1 ?' e* N! w
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!5 [2 y% j8 A# C" o% ]7 e0 ~
: L/ p. F3 J# q P, a6 fL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?5 L) c& f. W) B1 o/ `) K1 P8 ^' L
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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"!( c3 B" {( [% P