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。 ~0 {# A6 \* n1 ^2 E* W% k6 t4 D3 P( n
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?1 S7 u+ t! _ [! Z$ L' u0 X
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!) C/ r: t( q& w, r! {$ _
) T! W2 `4 z. QL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! ) q2 s% \) B( L9 O" ^# [' p # j& X- q; Z5 ^' n- XM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!2 s& c Z7 W: ?2 n
$ ?" U# l9 w. Q3 m# K0 CL: 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? 2 B8 f+ p' o/ b z% A `0 K 8 s/ a2 a: v. \$ ~* R9 rM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.; ?: x. p/ T" A& I2 g" |
: G$ x4 l" c w/ 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?+ s0 z7 \( x! R( E' M& F- |( l
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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./ [8 |& R) e6 x6 i! C/ X' T0 f+ [/ P
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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? 1 v2 ~5 Q' |+ A% x& E3 M" x- a8 m8 l( [- t/ P
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.; R+ t! Q% c9 j5 m
5 e( G9 g! `) r! E# mL: 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? , ]# X$ {2 R( T @: w6 i' q3 T% l5 P: G6 Q* `/ r% p
M: I aced my last job interview. 4 O+ N" J& L3 i. m: J8 N% ^$ `( N) o* G, w6 _) N
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 ; b4 o0 a3 r8 p# ?; } * L7 T& Q7 ^7 @( u* FM: 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.3 Y' y$ j& V3 V( f) T: E7 K0 }' U. j( t
9 L' Z% x8 X8 b6 A# k" W- `5 ZL: 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。( g$ x) F4 S0 q* W) O
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M: Yes, you're right!8 K) w6 Y9 e, V( W
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? + a% I: G9 I$ \, o0 Y O. } 9 t( B5 Y: S4 y0 s; q2 C/ oM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?) R5 i; I4 ~8 H# X3 F/ H r# B5 e
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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。 0 b$ n! d4 b5 c' {7 l, l# B( U& [* A4 t
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! % [# k, Q! ^5 o S, B 3 r4 y2 ~2 b1 u' o DL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?7 F2 U6 ]% [0 ^- H" A
1 K" s! h# V) }- MM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!0 i7 p% W; D& M) h) [" }/ [! S# 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?+ h; R& H& |! P, Y
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M: That's right. ! i3 o+ d" _& e& P 8 I- F, L$ ]6 hL: 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。/ M4 t+ ]2 L' u
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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.; e* m; K* J- E% {: R6 T