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。 # {. ^" c+ m0 Z2 P8 H7 y) d 3 \; y' c0 `! rL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? ; y" S$ }$ v( ~6 K W 8 R. m* s1 q6 Y1 D% ]8 LM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 2 \9 q: x9 w, v) S7 C / b7 x7 X' O* I5 [/ R0 wL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!* O: z* j2 w3 E% b! [% v
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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! ! w: i; a; D, r ' T! c; k+ i( B( KL: 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 P6 u9 v2 B% n% q6 p) C% F! l" p- Q2 u% Y% t6 M
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. : D" q1 X$ I# H y ' ^) x" J6 k' T) n% TL: 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? + K' b' U& A; @1 {) P! X+ v. y1 Q9 z# [3 K. i u
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 9 n" V$ a: I V: V0 j* p ( _+ w% R. B& e9 [( U9 F7 [; xL: 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?3 X+ ^5 b+ C4 @3 Z& h
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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." a1 A! [! l8 v( h5 u
9 N' V) l8 T- \5 w4 _% M' BM: I aced my last job interview.; a0 f7 C/ D( g) b
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。8 C, J, j3 I( J1 N+ b3 Q
) ?; v0 g- w, K9 D2 bM: 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.( g. a7 a/ s' A9 H
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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。 , R/ z/ {, v; b6 u6 P9 }* ^/ r + A' B7 d9 D. A. l. q4 g x/ h: BM: Yes, you're right!5 V$ f1 J' |4 W1 k% G/ ~
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?7 u4 B: _$ n! Q2 x# z7 [
; K* e0 D9 w4 r! yM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? ( l7 k. [8 w5 O% f# w% A0 c# w/ o- h8 H
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。2 }# A- n: S- V2 `1 c
. @* u" I) i* f. L: fM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 2 m; A- a5 t" v; }# i1 R8 m* Q, f+ g, W% v( O& \
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?% Q' O/ O) e. [. L. P; Y
& A9 a5 m1 r, h$ @' `7 ^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 \9 {3 D3 S9 _: P1 Y4 m9 t6 i% M9 D' e; B% z* \$ [+ `5 @
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? $ \1 Z. F" o8 Z7 y0 p( m6 J0 Q" | 4 C5 a/ @! m0 N! J9 R% zM: That's right. 4 z. p+ w& ?2 I, Z" E$ r/ S. g% f2 K3 ]# K" D! s8 z
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。7 d3 v7 C! m9 y" F: b
/ L+ ?+ e9 C4 e# N7 ?' W; ~M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.% S6 {' i6 `# E1 M. P
' F2 [6 [" X7 B7 kL: 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. 0 j8 H/ J* c0 q% J( P / U) V; C+ ?7 WM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.1 C7 [3 B, u: R5 {" q
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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。7 O" z* [8 a+ q5 ?7 D7 _
, z( d2 @8 {, X, K6 `9 wM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... $ J& Z9 X5 M2 H" e# p6 Z 5 |, Z( E; ?# a/ R: ~ I9 I1 L& lL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! ) H7 |! A( l+ W* d8 v) O5 g8 n: {; \6 J' D( [
M: I'm just kidding! + e& x0 E" u% }# L# F$ G% T$ B8 c7 x& z
今天李华学到两个常用语,一个是:to ace,就是某件事做得很好,特别是象考试之类的事;另一个是:peanuts,这里不是指花生,而是指数量很小,价值很低。今天的[流行美语]就学习到这里,我们下次节目再见。( M7 m: ~: R/ Y+ G* @, ^
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