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 h* k" R5 u0 P6 ^8 J2 y( s8 i$ i. p3 c
. D, T, \9 u' ]6 G! B. {+ j3 |* N4 j
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?% m* c" a3 s+ r( K
( c+ _, w( F9 g2 [$ DM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!! Q! _7 M1 U* O9 U4 ]+ z! f/ t
) V! Z, M, J: W: {4 K+ m
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!. k# d# l, h( x" O+ k5 m! W
% h R' j! _9 k+ ~- t# ?M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! T$ }4 @! c9 j. l7 X. B( E0 [: \ # C) Y7 F5 p: o) W* f! z5 e9 X2 |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?# {4 e) J) f. y, f# S
6 D- b7 }, a# o5 @6 H
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. c* I* J; |4 a1 i
5 d0 }1 P b' Z2 T
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?6 ]1 V, S" C3 N5 j- `7 o3 j
+ E) s, e! D! K; x# d3 f' Z9 _ D
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. , _, P3 B7 }% f) u3 g& `1 F4 r+ x- g; J- ^ s/ ?$ i
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? 7 v0 `6 i4 C# N! D9 r% ~) |# [4 l 1 j! j! W" w, Y% Q, ^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.6 I; t9 [& ~+ G8 w
# ~6 C' i) ]" v6 v5 B* S+ a J
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?+ ]) J8 [! J, J2 J& w
$ C" n( }1 c( D4 g6 \0 T0 L' KM: I aced my last job interview.% b2 H' {! |* ~9 |1 `
, {6 J2 ?& u9 ^, v6 b
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。) j2 M1 m P, X$ e% ~0 s S' d
$ B; f w0 [8 ^; |2 X; b- 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. . t q# g3 H- ? Q- y0 N' V; X! Y . _2 T% F9 r& H0 A% g3 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。 8 D5 s6 N5 r. j4 J6 V+ g& I; z2 Y7 J% ? H. K$ o- d: A
M: Yes, you're right!8 k/ a6 J1 g, M E# N# C
8 ^7 I! `1 I3 ~1 ^% ^0 ^+ t
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 5 i4 |) K6 z+ w2 ~2 r. w 3 |, H' c- D- W- KM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?1 R* u0 X) f, O$ @
! D- P2 w& c+ K- J8 a1 J
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。 , R5 t5 K7 Y) |8 @+ z. W+ M) M: a1 a6 ?, }
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!- W2 i; t$ X6 j j
# D) V+ c3 r+ M' O) H- X( |4 w0 ^
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?1 J& M4 P+ R" [) M. F
7 u0 I4 |* S8 U1 I8 O
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 6 }8 ^- F. V* R( a3 x, Y* V% S. [ \* I/ S E1 J6 s
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?0 y* }/ C6 f$ e' x: U
6 [- y2 F; @8 y/ K# V( p
M: That's right.9 e% L" [5 e( t# \: E8 i0 l2 X4 N
. o5 W" N* T6 V$ i
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。 ' _. X! |) @6 H8 c( V3 o: R - Z) }/ Y2 f3 v% DM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. r& a% w* t2 g) d4 V) o) x! t' d4 Y$ a3 |# @
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# e. E! c2 u; V2 {& y
' e% a- U2 U/ U1 L/ S+ \
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 4 G* W7 B1 p M/ ^4 {/ [# o; g) x3 r + F4 r; Q9 {- `& N# Z- Q6 I, tL: 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。 . v' y5 T8 l k6 ^9 G. s 8 L/ T v, ~5 q9 Q% TM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...4 b. V. q1 c5 r6 K7 V7 L
9 P: n/ A3 i- X: N
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!' y' l b+ V j2 u+ [