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。 1 Y! V+ q/ F2 S4 H7 J ' X6 e9 W2 Y- c1 ]$ UL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?: [7 O( O Q, O, Z/ Z; Y
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! ; v( s& [. ~; O7 p 0 `; E* H4 d* P7 zL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! # N) d$ [6 d4 Y7 E/ f & \$ h. Y8 Y1 F! F/ {; B, E' p! ]. ZM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!+ O/ P9 ]2 w) U# h$ M
1 O/ x0 G ^1 o- ^* S- fL: 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?3 \* O4 N; G6 b+ ]3 _, U6 A& M
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.2 G' v( [* ?6 v! z8 H
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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?( ^1 p$ w5 x4 o5 h1 w# Z3 [& y* a
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M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well., I, c( M( T( o
# f7 w5 B" d8 i& AL: 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?# Q* s5 b$ r5 S/ e" s+ Q$ \; K
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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.0 G0 u/ n( v6 G5 x
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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? 6 a T1 K( q" h , \" U. H8 K; |0 x" Y2 l8 JM: I aced my last job interview. 6 T1 Z6 c4 I% z3 B z ; f, @1 X3 T+ V% yL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。5 Q$ y/ V% D; L3 x v
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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.- g% C9 e- R+ o
7 k/ U' I& z4 g' |! lL: 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。 - K$ i4 A* w4 l & H+ X4 i9 W q- b: u1 P. A) iM: Yes, you're right! 7 J7 @" K# |; `9 W. ?$ q, D0 u; t& F& `/ ]2 v# o/ R: A
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? ! e) B' C+ f ]$ Q# A ! a8 n* Y% Q; |4 ]/ }+ p; oM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? : V E- T! o0 _# ?7 W' Z; k- P5 o& R h8 K9 U! L) a% {& Y
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。- b/ T/ a8 l" V* v/ ~; x
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! " `( r2 r% Y1 R1 W& O8 h+ W0 q, I! {" B1 y" b& b
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? + `6 ? ^- Z% D! ]" t' A6 N% O+ p5 v: ^- T a( T; J
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! ( }) ~4 c9 r2 s2 X. ?, R1 p0 K; F5 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?- Q+ `. k5 n5 r0 Y, j
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M: That's right.& @0 r& z" ]# _, c
" w- [4 k/ R8 d- _/ u* X- f- T& V: UL: 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。 9 t- X9 b( P3 l2 j$ z( C1 w" D , D3 @, M; G" D1 k: EM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. ) `" D. S( M5 P3 w8 P( B% N/ K/ @9 s* x0 ]3 I
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.- q y3 q2 e. x; f6 ^& ]
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.* D* v& h, ]3 ~- \4 B
' z/ B. ?6 k3 O6 f% \ F( fL: 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。 , S. U" i, O$ u3 j7 t1 o+ P( N' Y3 W* J4 X0 \6 R4 D/ p3 h
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...+ A! \; R4 j% N; I