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。! P5 {$ k7 L. f1 H$ g9 Z, `) S
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? |- t" v$ t/ s
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 1 l, G8 [2 N7 v* ^- D0 M4 }) h- F; f. i# Y8 Y }+ a+ |7 K
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! / U1 S L# Z1 g9 ^ , Q- r$ \+ U1 [* o6 QM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! 2 Q# B' F$ @# I& ^" G# n. u+ a1 n2 f$ Y5 ]. y# b
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?) ^8 N6 p6 ?! P/ T+ M
' K0 P, H b0 O, PM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. : }% L9 X: @# l' |: d , g# r- H V2 }! g1 P$ s+ R' BL: 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? $ s& q! ^ m6 ?2 B2 ?! E& C* s" u& E9 I3 k) r' B
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well., y) [1 w" q* x! I P, Z
6 W0 u9 t% t% a9 x6 j9 C5 }# F! pL: 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? - O" \8 W# |" i( g , g. _1 T8 V2 m1 v7 |! C/ T# MM: 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. # j0 [* i* P- p0 X1 ~7 P7 d9 A- ^# t# p6 s* v% ^
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?! P7 L# [6 L# e! d4 ~
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M: I aced my last job interview.# h; P1 c4 K3 V, Q
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 ! o9 B% q& X' L6 C) M( @ z: P% N # p# P5 H4 R9 q# a) ^* VM: 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 M& v4 H, @' ^' n1 W( k7 m* 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。 9 p7 {% I& y7 [. I; O " q! p) ^$ P8 ^* o z* b3 tM: Yes, you're right!9 F0 b; q" s* [) {
5 C6 D2 y# s8 qL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?1 b9 N' B/ e) |% c$ h
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?5 ~$ J2 J( I ~$ ?* {3 G6 U; y
% t( O8 `: e0 \% \1 k( OL: 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。: n. u- w X/ Q1 Z1 y( o7 W
# o# w. y9 e& N" `; b$ w6 c$ w) G |M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! # c: Y" w+ W% [: \+ N $ Y7 Y+ ~1 H2 Y( I! u. eL: 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?$ |. ~ ~2 R' z
* _* h8 o, O' d. m ]7 ^. qM: That's right.9 {$ i* N; v2 S+ H3 y1 ]/ p7 u3 q
1 \4 W; p- A4 L, A9 I: R; e" _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。" l( c9 e# {3 N
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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. J7 M* o4 j- G% ~* O6 P: k. q& U! W" q) f/ h* m
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.& B# f. j( X( z0 O
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.( U! r+ k* o7 C2 \( i8 d0 X
/ K0 V! [2 G# r: a8 z6 v% ^( GL: 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 T% G0 d V* I6 _# m5 ?9 E1 j* h+ p0 L* ?
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...- U% F x. w1 f% H