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。4 s6 c; n7 g3 ?1 P1 s* Q
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 3 s- H8 C8 B X7 W $ y% _) U+ p, w2 mM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!8 g8 J0 v2 ?' y( R- R
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! & V" U% Z: v; [1 X/ O! @# n' @$ `' n# @+ y ?
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!: G) w( y9 W4 T# s5 s: K' E
5 t. |. b2 R* _0 J7 V% D& 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?* q% a, Z# J; e- O
. E: M1 M/ A5 U- d1 `3 [4 dM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. - N$ ~+ }5 K. {+ E8 u, C( F* w- t9 e6 w( J5 Z% G/ s& V
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? w( x1 l: a6 R+ a' c+ J; ]$ A1 H9 ?& y( k
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. Z/ A5 }/ {& c. E/ \7 d7 m * U( u9 ~: d) H1 J2 tL: 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? v2 V/ _* |/ C" {( V5 k; Y! H& P9 m) ]% S8 I
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.+ n) D9 t% z8 n5 ]* y
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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? ( V+ {$ }9 @% V0 U0 _6 o : n$ V" Z( ^& Y" M& EM: I aced my last job interview. 6 B M" G) Y! T0 i2 T3 G ( i! G# O- v( | S5 L4 t- BL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。* | T. L- S/ Z' L( |. [7 J
( y/ }- g/ s7 Y z3 f0 [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.- ^% u5 V- \. r3 L# h
; p- ?6 j3 C/ ^( HL: 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。, U n% ?- E' ?+ {, k
5 u0 s2 S+ J2 ?# BM: Yes, you're right! 5 c% A' e! L% {/ K6 M" Y ! h. W* D! d- X, C1 OL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? / Z# @6 X/ G! W) ^- ^. P3 L# |7 B; E& { @5 D0 M$ p
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?0 x( Q( b, c$ G0 \" |* w7 |& O
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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。 9 f0 W; ~7 [0 w$ M/ u# m$ ]9 U0 ~* x' Q) b
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!1 s, `* s( i. k4 A
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? ( Y- |" S8 u5 ?) q, I! \3 ]8 A+ d* U0 U9 |; c2 ]1 X3 p) [
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! # P8 N7 T$ _, T1 ^/ d$ j P! r/ G( q- k4 F \# n, b( Y
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? / k9 M, [& e; e) j; Y2 Y- e/ C W9 v5 F( N
M: That's right. 8 _- j& T8 [ q4 |; @* _. J3 O' r7 b0 h
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。 + i3 \) l0 [) F/ X% D& Y" i! L# G- U
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.4 C* [4 y$ ?+ H7 W" N
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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.& A" F, I8 K4 \8 r: i7 ?6 n$ x
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.5 ?* M3 }2 K+ B5 p- p0 F
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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。% m z5 H* u; B2 z K& X
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... ( L8 u. u1 Y/ _- h: V/ c2 H3 w9 j; l6 L5 A& I( e9 |9 F- ~ k
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!3 r1 {0 M- F, z. ?