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。, N9 r d4 C e: J0 B: j
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?4 w. Q: v. j% ^0 k7 H
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!# s4 }, O1 E3 F
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! ! o! @! W+ n- n5 |' g6 n 9 A2 b! a5 ]! d* ]( S+ l/ F' L; wM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! 4 t ?* L, f$ _% y: y7 u% t" w0 e/ Y1 v O8 _8 f4 W& E9 F
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?3 {8 z3 D' h. G
6 z. E n: ~8 ~- z! X) W( j9 ]8 _$ T# nM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.7 X$ j" {6 ]3 v5 ]1 {4 V8 T+ J( i7 Y
' M+ s3 U* |' h5 D7 h+ v& U9 Y$ 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? " V: s- X7 I- a3 u% a ( V- k, |. U: C$ EM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. ' I0 N+ ~1 N+ g' f4 r% [- t" j+ ?6 Q8 D! Z0 V9 D- \ z+ N1 Z
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?0 T! K9 C( B7 Y; z' y; d7 y
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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.1 A- Z/ k( Q0 v# D6 h v
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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? 9 S- F) |& K. I: N* l4 o! d ' k: t& L: @, k2 C' p2 s9 dM: I aced my last job interview. 4 E% V; l; ~' j$ D! D+ J) B # b: p% h+ P8 c! E" vL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。8 X4 w% A6 e* S3 L' h; m! H) G
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M: 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." {8 {1 B* e3 ^
1 {7 A. ^- U0 C% TL: 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。 - b! @8 Y& D4 l! z/ v" g! x7 h H3 }$ y. c* k: S1 @& V, r9 x& a3 k- V
M: Yes, you're right! 4 d1 C+ i3 Q2 R7 A9 U0 B5 S$ U. t% C) E5 U. g
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? " C% e* c. g! @9 U3 g4 p2 U' c & t# I2 o+ R7 t0 @* `: EM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? & k9 v; W* A1 B8 y- W . T& `( H3 {7 ~" R6 `L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 9 T1 j& j" ?7 w/ Y1 m% C% o 1 o' V4 d! @( v+ s; nM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! & O" Y( Q5 ~! j- [2 O6 {, w A4 x! e( o/ w, y4 |/ \L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? \5 L& b5 p. Q- D0 c/ x+ ] " q5 J& Q# }% b' H4 l4 ]" ?M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 1 ^6 p* L& c) S" Q' ~& b6 @. L7 M' k7 @/ x% y2 g& m3 o
L: 原来你的意思是我的工资很低。你说的peanuts是不是和我们吃的 花生一个字吗? 0 M& a+ d7 N, x( K" O/ u" t6 K4 g8 \8 _
M: That's right.2 G/ j, L; b+ b8 z
5 r* C2 }- w& d; j% {: W! t' YL: 我在想另外找个工作呢。我的同学王燕在图书馆工作,一个小时 就有十美元。- j! G9 y) p) C1 k4 B+ Y
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M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.+ K3 x( ?5 t8 M4 l X8 _4 r
( M3 N$ l* X8 x5 F6 p1 OL: 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 ~+ n) k7 v! C7 C+ o4 }% }3 N7 e+ n / p ^$ h' m( W4 O2 q. ]9 [, mM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. & o9 `2 D. M+ ~ ! c; J, _8 z; }) D- P0 rL: 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。$ [6 ~# U5 A1 i9 P; k
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... ! Z. j6 u H* p. G/ Y1 n* s : Q* i+ \: L# CL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! ) g3 l4 D& Q2 C1 g- c' b. n$ J( J$ q# l2 F2 F
M: I'm just kidding!; X0 \, [( d8 B, L' @