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。$ O. t* y) I; P( a5 f4 L6 ~
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?5 b' U0 g/ O# l
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! & k0 C9 z( m1 c! K; W' I5 h. P% |$ w0 b
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 2 u/ Z; G6 ~+ d; G0 |/ r4 b( f) D4 c7 t2 O
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!' d1 B0 v6 c* k3 {' T; T
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L: 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?$ H6 W& Z1 \% w3 k" y
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.5 N# }4 w$ W* s* g& L7 r5 z g
8 ^1 h; u. ?: n) W* m$ l. v9 zL: 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? 4 h& ?: N4 J! ^+ ~: r: p: F( m8 I& O4 W7 `+ o* ^
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. . ]; V7 [0 q" o- A* `6 L3 a6 T$ z/ q- C
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?3 Y1 Y& E5 Q1 o* Q' Q+ v7 m1 E
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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.* O9 X) r0 G. q# m+ G6 a
* b D/ {8 Z1 Y; k/ K+ L% gL: 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? S! s7 _. j2 X5 B ' y: D \' u" t* H8 OM: I aced my last job interview.3 O$ \6 j& C$ G( E
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。+ g; `* r' `6 T' j
" H0 m8 y" s5 H6 uM: 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." m4 s3 c/ G0 E7 n3 p3 Q' V
2 v* i5 d2 g( N7 E! Z0 OL: 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。: p+ O% p/ i9 H) y F
& P- F; ?, j% b! g; vM: Yes, you're right!. d/ h: [' r' r0 w
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?& E, I. y* c z# A
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?( Q7 j: A- x ^8 o( @0 W
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L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 " \# x0 e6 V. B( ^+ M: D8 u7 {4 |5 g- P/ J2 R7 W4 R
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 3 |3 G5 T. t$ v & O9 s+ Z( D, P: ~* C/ G N' AL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?6 D% m$ x& ]' L% j5 a" `
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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"! # x- ~, u! `% V 0 z) q I1 O' ^3 Y1 X JL: 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?3 a8 F$ V/ a/ C. m3 g3 i/ Z8 u% K/ c
% C; N/ z0 T! Y" G8 NM: That's right.7 O3 r# r% P: w( k. K C
: V: X; V. W3 J5 l) \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 A+ v- Q+ ]* l2 x/ z* j" c' b- L1 @; T6 ^
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.% A6 Y8 a1 l; J. k
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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.1 A+ r/ e% j" j& A$ F9 @8 _1 S
1 V& V" k$ d& ?4 R! l6 ?9 a1 CM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.& Z7 @3 w! s. ?