1 z7 ?6 b6 T+ _) J$ X% zM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! 1 J! m% w# u2 F. S- z ) j; L0 M( Y& n i4 ^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 n. E. ]6 J5 ^4 j
6 X, ?4 d% b1 y; ^' w2 FM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. : ?( r, a) C" n( o& g. X/ i; _. s1 i6 M4 f% e
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?9 D7 H# p4 L0 |1 p0 c
1 U% g5 }, w7 y1 o z4 }M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. " E0 g6 m. t$ i T# \" H+ p, P; F% Q r, d: E6 A/ w7 q1 u, Y
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?9 P1 V+ h& x' j/ G- D
& }: R4 B; a0 YM: 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. B6 H1 r @8 B6 N$ _( [6 U6 F9 U- O- I- S9 f1 W6 a( W. 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? - a. i9 g) w+ [% T2 B. }0 B* C" O7 g( b3 G4 ]" y; b1 `3 O
M: I aced my last job interview. ( w! t! n3 G# V& { ! t' O0 }# K9 ^0 dL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。5 f( k/ A, H" |
4 ^0 ?9 E& t6 x) ?9 n3 AM: 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. / v* L# H) d8 D1 i6 p- `8 l/ w8 d( h* K6 s6 E! i
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。 ?' P. i% a, Z1 f
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M: Yes, you're right! ; e4 [3 o8 f* Y% ^! R' \ $ d$ h& V" o( D2 o* ?L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?8 L' {9 o% U1 U6 k# `- M
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 2 s: Y' Q1 Q5 |' g! b: c/ K# k6 G. P6 p3 c7 V4 V! u
L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。) r$ q2 g# ~7 j3 t; m9 h
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!6 v7 k# [3 a( V j
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? h) z9 D8 @1 `* W1 v7 j* A5 {
5 \4 K4 P* x1 o& y; |: n* ?M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!7 I' D% U0 g1 b+ ?, B7 s8 q' Q
- v0 s1 x( }3 }) ]( z8 g, [: CM: That's right. ) D9 W" N1 ^6 U: ]+ e0 x4 ]7 x
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。 " ~; O8 {3 z, M7 C* L: |! x3 N! ~! v 8 h. h8 P9 m( K5 T2 W4 RM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. $ P Y8 S. }! {% U) a ( b; w/ W9 |. |- `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.9 F, S* a# q& ~" N" I. Z" F* Z
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.; J" {. {; {+ k" ^' j' B$ F' m
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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。 ! Z1 j& ~, z5 u* Y, Z" ^1 _& |5 v* \9 ?9 h4 t
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those..., g* b3 A9 C \ A9 @9 s) Z$ J8 C4 H