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。! N0 L9 F! F8 F$ ]( O3 l, b
& Z6 Q+ J) m4 R
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?0 _: _0 X O/ T3 Y+ M
, s# `# K, `* x- V( `2 v! pM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!% l, J, J( }& s; M& F; z/ G
& k' Q- C+ r" |& ~( A' s
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 3 g/ M) `; m' _6 A% t5 [, Q1 \9 c+ P! A8 z
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! ( }( Q$ N" N; J: _6 O g# e4 o8 `& f! b) g! r0 c" r1 D& J; b; J
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?/ k; s% P7 y3 [2 K8 x- ]5 n
. n" O) D4 R" _* i7 s
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.7 j3 W* `0 X2 S6 \4 j" p) E w/ \
9 e. N% Z. u$ Q# ]( g; O2 i
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?, K X: \" F }
& J5 I' c+ I' _1 H% x1 c! n
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. " Z8 B6 [! Z; r% o* z* `3 y5 H" b3 B. R6 [! C$ |+ s+ l7 Z4 O
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?8 h& @2 X: l7 n L. X# h# V: M+ X
- f+ F* N% {5 F f
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. 3 @ L+ V3 D$ _% O/ P% _# ?3 U7 h; w" k& e9 [
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? ; s. R% Y, o; t7 s0 N" d- W) R ' o2 c. x+ ?$ [/ `% LM: I aced my last job interview.7 ^7 L; q6 @+ q4 N) U
2 m [2 U1 T' N: \2 L/ K
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 4 \( Y9 v% G& l" i- x $ G$ J& Q2 F- I$ E+ qM: 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 S/ P6 X2 V& a
$ ]' b1 [/ W7 Z# U9 N
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。 4 Q$ q( n6 r6 }% L" g0 M! m ( U6 V& S0 [1 B$ \* g6 nM: Yes, you're right! ' W2 C2 Y+ V% \0 @. v% X+ ^ z4 H% y( c
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?/ K( p2 f* V1 Y1 D5 O
1 p) V+ \2 M( Q- i5 `3 m, MM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? $ z+ f, c. K9 J/ r9 o" I7 y& Y % P5 O) G* ]$ e4 P; mL: 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。 - f2 `1 R/ y/ S5 g) v+ l3 q# T8 S P- L" \3 A6 f8 R
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!4 G6 }7 b! I3 d" |$ v* J
; g3 K) N; Y( Y
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? ; h6 s4 ^" G/ P D/ l1 T1 @0 O- ^& _& J2 k1 } G0 P7 M! Z
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 6 m3 p+ }- i/ g% U1 f# a8 P* Z j4 k! Q: `$ I+ ~. o
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) j, M' Q; C( T
* W0 N; c+ e8 |- q3 r* q
M: That's right. % ]. g) V" @; K; Z5 J7 N4 Z1 _3 L' u( v+ J
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 J* T6 R( M, {* S/ T, i* S8 |) M; R/ u2 V% ]
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.+ d! }8 s/ Y' S# _. G- E% q$ L
2 o6 _4 q' P: @7 W; xL: 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. 4 ^2 e9 e6 ~! T7 [/ o2 b / _! U3 O) |8 [6 u J1 PM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.( a5 J4 S: g1 Z: z
+ R) l7 u3 k7 U6 D7 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。: V8 D' c. v- y- J
1 h! o3 C5 [* H, `$ [
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...0 ^( M7 p2 M0 I9 A' s! s
5 [! d5 l0 k. |* M9 `L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!' x) c/ e( J* e6 @6 V