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。: v# v1 d( I( z& F
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?; x8 a5 E' B& V! J' _0 W" m* {
' C) ?- P4 f. Q# t. u2 yM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 3 p q0 v$ e7 h5 Y) t 3 k8 K5 F- E1 Q; ^L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! ) R, n/ s! z4 @- e% a* M 8 g! d. t Q) L* t6 S5 vM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! $ ?/ I# U: U6 f X2 k, C+ \ * K8 f0 o& w. `+ W5 W4 i0 wL: 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? * ~' s" B: K+ F3 T- t! G7 s) o+ x9 _% e2 {/ a( |( }) l
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense./ H8 G% a6 o5 ]) b* a' C
0 |( A1 ?2 ]9 ]$ g0 `( QL: 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? & d _0 e! Z: ?1 Z( @4 ^8 B8 g& K' f# q0 g
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. & m: l2 ` c) e% T) b% J9 j & S& {. t$ h- w' K2 k* BL: 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? 1 m2 o7 n3 ~! m 5 I5 [: |. F9 J+ c8 ]2 k \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. X- M* f0 U$ O* }$ d
) d$ s: m9 x2 [4 w+ k; lL: 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? 0 G& J2 \$ R! R, t# k( H/ U! D# D6 N
M: I aced my last job interview. ! y! i, U/ S. n& b c 4 j; r. D: \6 ]0 B0 ZL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。1 k! m7 {1 H! E$ ~" z8 ^; Q
; D+ j$ S' y# f1 O. B& a% \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.! X5 {9 q* e8 L! V! _- N- S
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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。 . d9 ?/ i8 B( f/ K7 k4 D. A: ^
M: Yes, you're right!* @/ r- \3 H/ q# t$ ~& L
) H% N6 ~( y1 [L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 5 y# M& Q# B$ i3 T/ c $ k% b, s4 i9 f4 R) C; T! LM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?; V ?/ I W7 t3 d
0 e2 e4 s2 B2 U3 q; W( }9 JL: 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。 # l5 F3 X+ n) m1 }$ v" G" w! A 0 x, `" T& Y8 [0 c; JM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!6 s2 Q6 F* j0 I3 x, |3 O5 c% p6 }
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? 7 J: ^5 M# E1 p) m& Q2 u2 E5 V/ M, r/ N% W/ l' R: Z8 @
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 7 w3 f8 }& y, s" [- {: W- E; u+ J4 p6 g$ [
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?; a- F+ e1 g5 ~) g
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M: That's right. , g; O4 M; a0 f. [1 y2 g" `0 @
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。2 y: _# ?* N, w1 T
6 F/ [) d; U3 |4 hM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. % b) I- v8 |% [8 z4 n- k9 u% ]# K0 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. # g! k# s3 q# A1 Y* Z7 J) V, t2 |! \. t: T
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.6 s: z8 s8 n% e% W2 T) Z* Z