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。8 u9 U, }. S; c- a6 \
6 I' v$ l- ^3 L- w4 jL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? " N! a5 ?4 a/ b6 _ k$ { 9 @0 d/ i* _* H" b; a8 ?% UM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!* {' [' Z! G S) k
; t& z: e" K" l m |" n4 mL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!+ Z; }% j. k# ~. _/ I3 ]
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M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! % Z) D! D* p7 I5 R M/ @8 H- r) M* y& l/ i$ T) F
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?0 F( j; f# e, w$ c9 ~( ^
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.# _# y. @ B j
2 E) h b7 L) L6 j5 CL: 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?7 f& [6 h) v! s Z3 W+ V
$ g; c3 Q1 m# Q5 CM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.4 ?9 `- C- U9 ? D5 L& |
7 ^( y( I7 G1 G' l3 CL: 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?" k, z' O u* n" h2 r( V
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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. / ?8 `" A' l2 `, U3 U. I I, K* `4 [1 R( {" c4 [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?6 a' U9 u+ M W5 s
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M: I aced my last job interview.. C* I+ E. I, r3 c! @, 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。 ) h$ v8 t+ u. {5 C: ?. R$ U* N/ w: t8 T9 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. 9 P9 g7 J: K& b" J$ n3 z1 i- V( f2 y: n0 Q* Q' d
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。 1 Z9 Y' E; H* P5 n* w 7 l$ Y% e9 ^* n6 pM: Yes, you're right! `7 x' m4 |. w" x
6 Y5 N* h: F. i: CM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? * m, H( {4 p! `0 T5 q1 @ 1 u: A$ S1 S9 ^# ^7 @: SL: 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。 1 x' [4 U8 H3 V" w% l# m/ p+ m; Q8 f& |# f2 `
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!! A A" g2 ^2 o! I M
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?* K, ?9 j: _$ g& \
9 y q/ l) j$ w0 g. ~ c- mM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!* F% ]+ T- E2 _
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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?! | O5 @0 m) @& p4 p
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M: That's right.. C+ E; {0 P: s
! y% A7 N0 R' F4 @8 V6 S5 u, ?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。1 c3 Y5 d3 T' T& l" M
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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.. X# Y$ B# S+ W# u6 V
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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.+ u7 Y; S3 I/ d2 u* A6 Y( F
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. ' z: q6 Z. u' T* n% X3 B/ K$ y- ]; D; f 5 y& k( m! }1 s/ l6 a0 V$ y- ^8 D# kL: 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。 9 v6 h% K0 B& j8 n! M' T/ g0 J/ B8 g# {( G0 \# @9 }
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...1 s4 @/ M' @+ V* a4 f9 v7 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!7 t! C6 b5 Y5 c, m$ [- c