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。/ N1 I3 T/ @2 s
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? : U- ?# t: i2 F0 _1 _ t7 c) r9 N, m- s
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 7 y: ]* Z m+ _1 |/ g; g* g k b( t; L4 ^+ {! H' p9 U
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!2 _) q+ X( [6 m# j
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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!/ l3 z: c5 Y+ v& H+ R M
9 X8 |) r, p8 [M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense./ m/ V* p# I9 o1 h5 @
$ E0 T: n1 s0 Y4 ?( ^% H' AL: 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? a5 C5 @3 a- Z% D4 }6 G 8 K( k# ~- X9 z( B" \# |8 u1 x9 mM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. ! t* z4 P, {$ K0 H, i3 n2 [4 O: B0 g3 K9 O8 i
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? 9 `8 e9 g6 g0 B1 ^0 j" Y * j* B% N( Q2 M& {$ j9 ~* j- x7 o- [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. : f t7 ~2 Y3 t0 l6 [ 2 a& j5 D9 a0 p% z* c( t: yL: 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? ! G8 Y% }5 f) |% _8 T* |$ |) r8 m7 M; S" i' }
M: I aced my last job interview. ( c6 M5 B5 M; Q3 f* z 3 [- y) ~6 s: U; a% z3 ^L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 * G' j5 ?4 c. O: i3 G% q7 p6 _ * ^! m, o5 ~0 L5 T4 oM: 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. 3 [9 @4 M' W! ^2 x7 G! M4 P0 u* i' ?
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。 9 D, I# {4 R+ }9 p" c7 M0 T# u& p & h! ]7 |; T4 |8 j2 X0 h( ^8 J5 a3 SM: Yes, you're right!2 }0 o4 R. K. b7 F: @. ~/ R
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?0 J/ v( o5 c! z. V0 W; ~
" W* [* x7 y8 J+ I* oM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?( \! L7 y5 K+ i6 A) q" Y/ H" S
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L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 ! G$ h2 p7 A* {, l/ y1 `1 q2 D" d- |3 M" K4 T5 Q; D
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!0 O( x& q8 X- b3 i
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? 6 h; A& q9 G' y. b* z. f* } ]1 q- Y. L. M; a3 l
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! / d% d: h! A" A/ _8 p+ I0 V! Y& A- M' 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?( n o: ], r: ~, R( `: `9 T
- w. I7 ~. K- d9 s% |6 z; p+ X+ sM: That's right. 6 {) j b: W7 T1 ~7 e& {7 h6 s$ @) J& R* S' I S
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。0 I" t. x* O W1 q% P) T7 M7 i! B
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M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. ; ]4 j% [$ O0 H, w! d9 d 2 a* Y6 i/ O4 F+ H9 H+ o% H& e7 ]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. # h+ l1 w+ X, Q) M) K- i1 d" T0 a ! g8 x1 E. ^0 T$ T; zM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.: X# B' D& x( ]; M
( t4 {! k: S3 Z" q& ?( NL: 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。 / N, L: q/ `! |; ^9 o) z: K! H 5 V4 B x6 T4 Y/ J% z: N- SM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... * Q2 d. K: A0 e" a: u4 }# K! N8 N" {0 s! d3 E6 G
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!* _7 V0 Q. a- [& a2 V4 n
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M: I'm just kidding!5 Q! x. M( |! W1 Y6 W