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。 ! U+ k% h$ M5 w+ e6 N8 D9 X8 N8 c$ M8 W- N
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? - T) ^! ~0 z" s, ~ , n. \" [/ |+ F- H/ MM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! ) @6 [8 H! x! e2 H . D/ G1 J$ ?$ d ^" |% H" k$ lL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! . f/ C1 ^' ~3 @3 t " q2 N" L6 O" E: }, h% V- wM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! . ~# L" y! h# }% N Z4 E + W, W# ~( u4 D* I% fL: 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?5 }' T( _7 h2 Q) t& |
' a/ t+ ~" J$ c6 X& _2 _; t IM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 1 g% R9 ?1 _8 x1 \* `' I# } $ ~) v6 t5 j5 U3 a7 ?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?8 U' x! R7 B# Q/ S
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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. 4 v- ^/ i2 ^ F : @! ]1 S2 E: OL: 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? M& i( z, X2 I8 D' x- x h
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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. 9 K& O0 z4 g2 T% h( `" d % g& b1 o, w( s0 a: ]: CL: 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?) Z7 Z6 V: H0 B f7 P
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M: I aced my last job interview.* r6 `* |- Z! m: r
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 & e/ ^& }" x& @ 8 m0 l0 |- C; `3 ^( PM: 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.: Z: z! Y; B, P5 p1 s9 u3 z, T
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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。 N4 R' r) w4 e" U% d7 p
2 P8 ?+ p0 L9 L1 {M: Yes, you're right! # r1 z, S/ g) C 4 \3 J4 ?5 y6 y+ |) RL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? # ?6 h2 M: s+ |0 @: h2 _& m3 x0 O5 ^1 [: @
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? K4 I9 P; Q) { 4 j# N6 B) |5 ?2 D$ [1 o+ VL: 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。. F, c) V# @1 y3 d _
! p3 I! Q+ z1 s; \, T; J5 R9 |M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 9 k, S1 X- u: g. L2 ~; A% R# S1 P1 h" w8 d
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? ( M/ j* O8 H5 o+ U* m9 X! C* {, S4 S; }9 X, h# P" n
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! ) y# U/ c' [/ v' u9 T1 M8 C ' Z1 m% b. ^7 fL: 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? 7 g9 q* P! x) a: Q- d2 ], u3 d: ~$ m4 Z1 o# ~3 p7 G
M: That's right. * V5 b; h* H5 O8 |# c& k L8 l! |: l2 ~' r" t. |# B! [" \- e: f5 `
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。; u: R; q! J! G3 J$ G
9 r7 v8 m& N; Q, z' h, T: IM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.; D0 r" D- u# J4 E7 r. u6 n2 A: p
$ O2 c. R; D$ B) \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.3 Q0 c$ ^, @; g0 M" d
" ~1 i) f7 _+ I, @" ?; g% x4 vM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.5 g- b* `" t( c; A7 H" P5 x! P
4 j1 e9 g/ o1 A/ {+ u+ vL: 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。 4 D3 c3 Z! D" ~6 z. @+ |3 b' l, s" N# O+ l5 z0 b9 t
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...1 h C+ v. H! A1 @