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 d5 w" @/ U+ }! s5 ~( W0 ?: N. @9 A" i a6 W/ R$ q4 \9 P: O
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? ; V, ]! D5 ? h) i$ v; t/ ? 7 [9 {' k6 w% h# a1 p6 U* l) DM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!' i' E, J2 R0 x. `
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 4 U9 a: S9 t1 V' Z9 o6 i4 n" z) P4 t' X4 d. l9 W* o
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! " [0 B. R" h' s7 ]- j, _ h5 g8 G+ ]9 Y" m& n8 I" t
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? ) Y4 N- `% L3 |/ {/ x5 Q/ ] V7 A7 e
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.5 j% }% \& U" ~# [( E
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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? / w) f/ ~/ `4 z# J8 o/ I7 F& ]" [" r( d$ ]; p8 A
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. . U4 u" V1 c6 p" y" }2 ^+ k* w* m4 [# a: \ s/ O8 ^
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?; `! _6 m* O8 G
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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 a) S8 z3 H+ `) s' b3 P, J2 f
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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? ' K; r6 e0 [; D* v* Q3 K3 f5 J/ Y/ e+ K- l! a
M: I aced my last job interview.4 G4 t$ z3 R$ b* L" S
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。+ i9 T6 t+ [) i
+ e( G! k3 q% T" }1 ]2 mM: 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. 5 T9 w h7 f" w* i6 m: ]% B' B9 O d* a7 R1 f! V
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。: j7 G: B5 g, i. Y6 N1 c6 L
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M: Yes, you're right! 6 m/ i; ~6 b ]5 h7 Y6 o : U' l: x1 U% DL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?$ z4 S0 T! P$ d' h" ^
$ x8 t7 j" E# k3 E% yM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? ' Y6 ?" o7 w ~2 }, {9 W; Y. U - _( ?! W5 ?& P* A8 h: A) bL: 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。 % C2 m' Z) b3 H1 e% \ 3 E B% b0 `% o; x6 n: y9 H2 VM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!- r% L9 ?2 ^# P0 {5 t4 a
( k! ]1 v3 l/ T# l( V' dL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? 6 @4 U. R2 A$ l, W, T" j0 `9 ~, j- _" f% ~+ w% f! _) b4 C
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!( |' q1 p3 y1 ?! y. V9 c9 ?0 k
: r9 _3 a$ f' G2 c6 z( Q7 q+ V* nL: 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? " _ i6 H( D! B% F. Y- M1 i" }+ n7 U) O/ O
M: That's right.# h/ {4 M' P, |+ ?* N
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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。 / |; v( w p! ]. o/ |9 C2 u 6 l% k, Z9 U2 o5 X4 y! B$ h8 O& @M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. * x S2 L ~. W2 d: G9 O9 U5 O. }, } ( u( a6 g9 O- D! m. a1 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.( z5 }$ F, i' L% a) g8 B
* g: M* r! s& e( P( OM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. G* a7 q9 \# @7 d5 g
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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。: T- A; A7 _( n, J9 [ c$ `! N
% p) J I6 \4 _; y4 S" U, Q- bM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...- Y. v: \3 U" p$ a
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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!5 W# s( m+ v; x
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M: I'm just kidding! G/ F& J( }# G' W6 a+ v