3 D* N: e: Z" t8 ^M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!- j$ @( i6 Q& k3 J8 X
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!& G$ J4 _: d! J. d! G
) ?; ^9 C [ l0 q, g/ JM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! ; p! h; k" d9 q) O $ Z1 u [5 m- U* sL: 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 \4 `- z! |- m) o 5 W" V7 y# c7 R/ y. [M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. * L& r" P. f9 D. M. A) ~6 H6 j0 l/ ^+ O5 x( Q$ j
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?) `- M, p. E" b F6 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. + p3 n' P( U: H7 M8 y! U8 d# {6 x" C- M4 G5 M, G0 T
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? ' c1 f' J" d3 |$ o+ u: [% H i+ T; I! 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.1 M' H4 D c6 E$ v
" |8 o; p5 D/ A% k% H. JL: 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? 7 o7 C, D& _3 S9 G& D! ]& N7 m/ _. O+ k4 C1 d3 j
M: I aced my last job interview. 9 `5 z! R8 \' O) _4 l: R8 [8 X5 n( s" S0 F- ]
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 o0 s2 D2 `( K2 U/ U1 n7 H( ]: C; i/ K+ ?4 u u- j* m$ 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. 7 @) {) a& u; F+ v5 p# z P, W5 R! Z
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。 / H% E9 F8 [ d( M; N6 z. d3 Y" A- _
M: Yes, you're right! & L& |: e$ a. X( i, ^' n w5 i: T* y0 C0 w7 \
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? " A9 ?* c Z* K6 I, ?5 }9 d1 p$ V% m1 X
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?0 V+ ~9 H0 G4 v! h4 x* a3 Y
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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。 3 U4 K6 N/ G5 A) Y$ C& X& T& E# @1 C
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 9 Y; L' b: v0 a3 g3 B6 I4 f7 n5 P- p. T) x& s1 E
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? : u, i0 p% ?' m' Y3 A5 v , J( J: `6 o( `' h2 Y- `! _M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! . c2 i1 i' w7 j 9 U; u/ i4 J _8 |: l. hL: 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? - g5 x% h# N4 w) x& J4 a" Z) h- k$ D! T" d
M: That's right. # k# l; t5 O/ [8 Y ?& D9 S 4 W* `" [5 F f" J1 q" }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 m+ |5 \( N& o0 w. m. 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.! t% G' T4 ] Q# s& b
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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.6 z' C2 K ? f; I. O ?
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 7 `" E3 V$ E2 j- K* q % {; {6 c3 X# j8 `. TL: 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 _3 |5 ]$ L$ o. W' J6 K9 ? % |7 p$ a$ D; |* C: f/ O" A4 DM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...1 W) d l1 I- c( i% h3 z