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。 3 x9 n% I2 c; p6 f1 A k( M n) h9 C6 i9 U3 l' f
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?0 P% q0 [) ~8 z: b
- [/ F. Y: d& |; d7 n- z0 @2 H) nM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! % a: j+ x p4 W" ]4 ]* {2 [5 i3 A& k
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! % x6 _0 x! f: Q8 j [ 6 |4 T7 m, b, h1 p0 nM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!+ m% v4 o6 o9 j p
* N$ r. B! s+ X& ZL: 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?6 R- d" R; J1 T7 x
0 w2 B0 e1 Q) @6 \1 @7 R' Q" YM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. ) W' q2 `( R3 s2 ~- [3 K7 Y6 w- r+ q" W# d1 e6 s
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?0 }2 O) W& J7 P V8 `
, H+ _3 s) c1 R. b) c) i8 [M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 3 F6 M" X( x4 b: q3 }8 M7 O, U 5 x4 z6 ~6 H- q7 Y! \# F# DL: 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?8 p; S4 K/ w0 ~
, m# v3 |3 h2 I) a; s; u% s' dM: 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. 8 e# u( @4 P& h& ^) l4 t% E/ v8 [! ~( m
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? 9 k6 X }& R, C& R( N. L ' f. R- ]: M' y4 P+ a. f3 {M: I aced my last job interview.' a+ W0 j4 r9 x- o5 o b9 D5 O9 P$ `
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。7 X7 z1 R7 s3 E6 O% X
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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. $ \" }" W. ~; `2 Y1 j# P 4 T9 ]+ }& ]" V. [. ?5 \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。0 Q0 l& A! W) s
( X$ d* }) A$ _8 aM: Yes, you're right! 7 b% t( Y. e7 g9 S! @* p, t # ? S' e+ }9 v3 h3 RL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? 9 h, A8 B- h* ~( C# y& I $ Z/ g4 C4 j; C; L# t# I' G2 X/ EM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 7 [& i% W, a: D 1 M9 S% t0 ~, n( g* a7 |7 yL: 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。8 q E" [, K2 }9 V; ^
5 a" o5 e% u9 Q. k, u6 ]( b: U! EL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?4 X' x& e1 S) e. U& I
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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 K2 \1 |2 X, {! X; \0 c
! M* s/ O( p& W$ ^1 i9 |0 eL: 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? ]. d, [5 C5 r9 Q6 D b+ _8 F 2 u/ R6 l# [: m) \% EM: That's right. 3 Z" G& ]0 h4 b* A& l y) I( j' x4 k, P' _
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。8 }0 `) \0 l" n7 Z; D# S
6 T8 S" i7 I3 E. f' B- S$ S4 OM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. 3 G) Q0 [5 b. V/ B, c0 }3 M % g8 K* g5 [- O" B3 p/ V9 y5 n1 NL: 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.* H$ `" T( b- a" k" y& K
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 8 F7 y) ~) w) m: e" z$ E: n6 l # e1 g( w) b. \0 @- a$ X# YL: 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。 ! [9 l/ H* k, k7 U, }# V6 X) \. L( { & y1 [# R" v1 K5 Z* p, _M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...6 d* e% l! m' A" c3 c5 _) P& W
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L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!0 s: u# C) F. L