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。 " K9 Y' h/ @: p; j0 p9 g7 f3 o* N) W0 k6 N% p R, K5 u
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?3 V" e1 y" z# q4 K+ \ E4 H+ a
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 0 p8 _3 Q0 \+ x1 A9 N2 s8 f % l& L' e) r. F- b$ DL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!- B- H* k! h0 e& H; g
O* G2 P$ l! |M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! : X# R& ]. Z! S/ \# i* E# ~ m m# C' n
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?1 B3 r3 N; V$ N$ v$ [# z
6 g) P5 m* U* ]- O2 VM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. U |+ x& ]9 B
8 O4 V& {/ ?. Z6 ~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?- I! i8 @9 x- K- q& c
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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. + R2 S" A* n `& s2 v+ H9 d) [0 G! h) u
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? , {3 M! o& v) k+ f% E2 p( j7 i5 x) v! N
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 ?& N3 Y4 L- `' o. t
" i& [: A$ h! G1 V( a6 x. `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?; b- E# b. J" j& t8 _, ^
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M: I aced my last job interview. ) z2 R& k. a: E1 v ! s: [( ^# G8 i" Z' M+ j# lL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 3 j( A* j5 T3 m! }$ U- s& S7 b4 o7 O- g& V$ A$ r( ~$ Q3 G
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. % ^5 b7 g% ~& g+ U& j5 @/ u" f) H5 ~1 E$ T: }) l- s
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。 2 R) F' a* H4 O s! i& ]) Z! Y' i$ Z. H9 j
M: Yes, you're right! 2 s9 r5 K$ X. v" l1 W5 P# P' X3 S$ w8 k5 Q7 |$ }5 K
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 0 _* h6 D( n0 ^ F& A, p0 k , I3 y5 N3 n5 z3 n! B2 hM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 4 A2 `* f x! K7 Z5 P" D7 S1 V: X& m! {) m: Y( g4 L9 {8 @
L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。; z/ @; X9 i, M% I5 f) y
1 y% d" B/ d6 i F' h! tM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 6 E) ~6 V; }- A ( }, o% ?$ M' h. y; ~- N& _1 ~L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? & q4 S2 H" L3 h7 V. a w" C6 Y$ s1 E( U) n) h
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 6 j0 @; O) F: k; `( u. c4 M- q' j6 v* a
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?& ~: y0 F K( |( e
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M: That's right. y2 g: V4 h1 K' V# G& O7 e9 c - D3 X; B" r' Z. ]9 zL: 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。1 n: r% b2 B( w! V) p6 z! i- {
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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. % l- a$ |3 L2 t! I2 W+ N" {8 M; w4 H; b M) X
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.8 V/ v- B0 Q; k0 p- W' R
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. ! x8 B6 f8 Y2 w/ j5 t# J1 E4 q; z [& x( w; ?7 M$ A/ a; Z+ S/ U$ D. W' l
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。( v6 Q+ }5 q( Q
' W4 \: k( Q5 c7 c" ^; K) a) C, qM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...$ D. b% | C3 M
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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 B6 R* U. j7 s6 n b1 x2 d