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。( g/ I: X3 d" K+ w: X& ^( L
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? : k3 W+ P) p9 \" v- l1 g, S - M7 Z9 A$ V9 B: u+ `M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!& Y" I [- M. w& @" D! I
V& {9 }3 a( x& F5 S# E! Y# ML: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!& r/ s% y, D% p8 r w* y
k7 I3 n) Z) u& b5 dM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!& `( u6 F3 _/ Z _( q# N2 P
; k) l0 O! p9 [" `- V3 xL: 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? ! O& z3 g+ I. v- Y4 a/ @; Y' a: ^3 n) _' D8 g9 [# d: \! N
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 3 ]6 I! @' w; J4 T0 n, O ( h. L! K3 j$ 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? 3 U% g- l! s) t. k( `$ V+ {2 z/ Z3 X, ^+ X5 e* ^1 r3 R9 x* p
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 9 S) i- ?8 [! V2 A4 o & S3 f" T& T! g4 u; V* ?. A: }$ g& 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? " [8 i( {% @& \, s" Q. M / s _; v3 h$ `! xM: 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. : L1 l4 L5 y) w5 _! r1 U$ l2 `% L* y) W# v5 {1 F, A
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?( j9 Z( v/ V8 n O
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M: I aced my last job interview. 9 t/ Z( Y7 S- s8 ]' v7 v) R2 M% U D: f! n! ~2 f
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 " W# C4 y+ v9 I3 h' k+ x/ R$ Y) P$ d9 ]1 _1 S/ y) [/ n
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.) j; M/ W5 J# d8 ?; P% y) D/ H
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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。 ! r/ Q- J3 t7 N; B* t , k' B2 w7 g7 c) L7 d7 JM: Yes, you're right!9 g* L; Q* o/ G- t$ Y6 m
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 4 `/ a1 J' p x4 }$ P; y& v# c% ^+ D/ `. ]3 R
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? & ^1 x9 z$ t$ L. u9 J) R+ X, T& \. W' Q' \$ I- V# [. l9 e
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。 * Y. ~- k+ \$ O' p* h2 g f ?8 w7 ]9 J
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! + k6 n7 _( y, i$ v " l/ R, z( k- |7 U# Q6 B+ GL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?. G% A/ ~2 Z3 x" a
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M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!0 a1 ~; y! Q2 r: h& o3 B
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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? / b3 E. d( g6 X( J) D8 e0 j! e. a% _& ^. U6 w# K- h, {7 r9 n
M: That's right. % V& n$ p; y- j) b& R7 C8 c$ A; I+ B! p
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。 8 _/ V" C' S3 L$ H' K & A8 f8 ~" W0 _$ O0 q1 g- |M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.- _/ r+ P' K! }1 y" `5 X6 M# w6 d
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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. % J( U, h- j' H& a) ]* r- _3 W4 I5 G ) ^8 }. T6 t1 I/ ~ n( |/ lM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 7 ~5 W" }" K5 k6 w D , [+ e7 _4 P, o$ O2 nL: 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 o( I8 n a( A$ ~2 M. o- W& Q) ]7 r0 o6 S
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... . I4 j$ Z' _) L& L2 W. Y+ I - J' {% y2 ~, v- P$ \L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!+ f4 l2 Z4 p k