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。3 a$ A* M7 O$ A6 n, q
7 u) A: M7 L: _L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?8 s' u6 U( I, q! n, i9 P$ o) X
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 7 @. y* T" i9 M' R7 ?" A5 Z& n2 J+ Z , Q" ~2 t: N' C5 SL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!4 N1 w- `. P0 u: U. V
9 h$ o) u. V+ s' W7 z; y( JM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!6 K) {/ U3 T( C+ t/ I2 Q! ^
% }4 O! c+ `, u% tL: 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 z3 w: V R' s1 l5 e1 L) `1 R$ p5 f# J' x6 n4 g# u I
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. $ U1 r) W9 C3 v/ X5 G, o 1 L* D7 Y; Y) t. S% 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? ) w& L b! F/ B/ T Q& X! |" H% b4 ^: `
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.; j! s& i- i' e2 t( K6 M. d7 Z
8 ~& c+ S0 m& V% B' w$ 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? * J! |8 U2 a# J' N9 {# Q5 h% ?7 l3 }( M/ P6 L
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. ) E& x& D; r: ~; \% Y7 p1 K9 i: ?8 ?
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? # h0 v7 S' k$ |2 _8 a: E$ t, y$ R3 _2 R7 Q
M: I aced my last job interview. $ q1 K/ ~6 ^5 z. K) ^, ^+ J+ j5 Y" O
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 * Q/ G0 w# t, \2 E6 m8 a' z / M) j& I4 N, s/ 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.% u6 u0 M7 u9 ^) i$ ^$ v
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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。- X7 A: k" w* R( C
, o% F3 m- H2 ~5 E% O, K4 HM: That's right. ' I. E0 @# M# z: x% V% Q b# l. n- y
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。 - P1 l) X" A9 W 5 A6 t: R8 ^6 c( p/ `; CM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. + {2 @9 L* }, w& J. K3 g" K& E6 l ?2 S" P# x1 F; q
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. / i- X+ C- B4 k& y 2 a, }! E' H8 D7 xM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.4 E, O0 M. I9 a
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L: 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。 ^/ }8 z, y0 h4 K# m% `/ X. K: T3 G. V$ I9 q' t* ?7 {0 Q6 L
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...( ^! {* Y$ p! t1 _; l4 e
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L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!8 G: o, n3 @. q7 {' `; t