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。 ' }- I" s. @& d6 ^/ v, g4 C" q + Z# ?; X0 `* b& O6 V W. ~, O3 [$ tL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 3 F2 i( Q6 r* \ ^" {0 T) _$ H% q( u% x
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! & L8 ~; j5 ^4 P/ c3 J 0 q. y/ X: A8 y' J4 Z% o% V eL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!$ Q6 C+ y# Z; T9 ^8 m, \
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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! / Z) ?2 ^1 }- U# `' ` 1 R/ m9 c$ ^* C! g6 XL: 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? 6 Z% H5 n% V9 d% X( b2 w+ I7 Z' ]0 \3 ?1 @
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.7 I+ h8 k& m" p( w+ `7 A( {- J$ }2 y! Y
5 n1 ]! T! V% IL: 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?. M9 G6 U" \: `5 k
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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. / N% N) M! W& t7 }& O5 E8 V/ I0 p# i. d) z# W, H
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?+ b9 W, Z6 r; ]
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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 M( z& C$ i- x% o( e$ x9 G8 ? S
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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? ) k% i- I0 O8 g % \1 x! O, F8 r$ b& _- BM: I aced my last job interview.) ~) p* Q A9 o3 T) C0 S8 ~# A2 n
& |$ F; x4 f+ ZL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 $ c: J7 a/ j5 A3 G) ? O8 S 9 `" x/ {% n* BM: 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.! I& E6 ^" i* N% C
2 m% i; ^! n% r0 b# z8 I0 \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。 ! D3 t8 {. O' M, O6 f7 t( j* v3 P& r% \0 `7 R- i; T
M: Yes, you're right! ) }/ k) w( L3 ~; c- y" I `( g# c% b1 p! ?0 A T- w" w( w
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 5 I; l' B/ q& k# l. H, C6 v3 D2 A: k: s! y( m$ h
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?, a3 a/ a" A9 J) ]
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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。$ z% V+ A' c9 l4 X( g! N* Z7 @
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!) _0 X: u# C( R
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?: o/ |. S* [; J
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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"!' e; K' d4 z+ T& \( r. c9 n5 W
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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? r1 U! j4 M+ U9 F0 @! X3 j, ^ J) N: ^+ e, d/ R9 \
M: That's right.( a; p) }9 S" k" Y9 ^. }2 l v8 Y
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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。 " c1 |4 t/ R* u& d2 e. A W6 {) {
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.! [( ~3 s1 M9 T( C/ M
, z, F* q) x$ M4 x/ P% e3 e4 x. LL: 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.% b, w' P' ^1 y8 T
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.) @; ~' X8 r6 Y1 e1 V4 S; z9 n5 s2 E
1 V* N; S5 v# y# e( d: uL: 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。 f. J7 ~& P. R- Y; k5 y: Q( v2 M& s" [ g1 j8 }/ g
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...8 D3 r* P+ n0 O) K