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。 / z/ {5 S2 f1 D. S$ k, w, d- T3 w, L+ U/ D. c% N. ]! ]/ G2 U
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? & `, u+ k6 K3 ^ b3 G3 z/ A2 S2 _+ u/ j* vM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 9 k, }: p, H \6 ~ v: @ * X* T( J# V5 H2 f5 Z' vL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!% R& s: Y* n" n2 t, V, P* L& e) b
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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! 1 M; O& @/ h2 j+ t4 z& P8 [! G, f6 M2 K$ J; y( A
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? , Y0 z1 x( s: R1 ^9 b7 \- [# b5 n: y v8 U' Q
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 4 C9 O0 j7 ]+ Y+ t0 e; ^( a7 g& `) S) j. i9 f
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?, e- j S+ g, X7 |: a; \- a" b
3 N! Z# j* U5 C+ @M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.1 D J& E4 Q$ m3 a5 g4 @
( [0 _4 |5 H" A5 sL: 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? 6 x4 s M6 {8 n* S8 o& d 0 P% G/ d$ a! C; k4 X4 ^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.. f, k( w6 y% J' @# d% ] R
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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? + n9 z0 A% L) S5 ]1 A + Y0 @# c2 J( L9 l4 XM: I aced my last job interview.+ F3 l; k: b. j1 s
' V9 _9 e" U8 k7 FL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。; P. ^; b4 }& S: ^- l: s4 N8 N
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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., G0 d% p$ p& B# g: a. L [6 c9 d1 x
7 v; D) d" K& h# f, sL: 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 M( C' o7 Y# y( p, j
3 j7 `8 z; A* {M: Yes, you're right!9 N* T/ d2 K1 {9 y. u; z [: \
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?0 S# K! P3 d# J. {( i3 w7 z, j. n
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? $ P" u5 {7 d' j# w! ^ x5 X0 W7 V% `, E' L1 p6 }. K6 c
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。8 }8 C8 t! p' A" }
& f9 r8 ^" S' ]6 y k( L4 kM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! + f7 {) W. `7 o* Z1 N8 U7 O/ W$ P4 ^( S3 \
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? 1 V6 ~, H9 k% J1 |1 Q2 j% [) l7 X5 o* U$ H
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!- g3 f( S V- j, F5 |$ R
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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?& W8 f# `) ]9 |) w
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M: That's right.) W# b2 B- e" k5 o/ c8 q
6 P9 ^( }7 y( X8 h+ n/ O, t' tM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant., `" X3 O- \' d/ D' @5 [. {
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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.6 q' o. _0 j. ? ~* s: C7 Y* R
* O* S% B+ q4 _M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.6 f. ]3 ^* ~) y; O! M
3 s5 L+ [1 w& Y# y( ^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。 0 V7 C% P2 j0 q6 A3 Y, D7 d; L 7 e3 _" R4 _. o0 OM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those..., U* P& D# g* g7 ?3 s* r