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。) B9 B- \3 G! C( ?8 o8 a% {
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 0 U' E# I0 m0 Q) h- T( d$ m 0 J$ n5 ]$ o3 M8 Y/ XM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!* C# Z2 H( \- J# [5 J: R
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!( p9 m- E( B% K2 f
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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! - V X0 g- B: z- I0 L5 b! c. r . V; x2 K. B: |0 M& S f$ F4 y# DL: 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?8 y; S, O1 @" n$ g! T" o0 g
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 9 I; r. x# r) G' l7 G) X9 n$ H5 w! B - S' z% e/ A e! u4 {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?: L7 G+ }+ |% w7 @$ m. Q
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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. 5 k4 ^/ \2 \6 T9 E; Z/ m; J& l: U( e/ z
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? - K) U" t, }" g6 X2 ?0 P" n9 P" j# ?$ ]4 m, K. j- D& {
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.$ V* S# R6 ^+ t5 ^. C
+ L2 b( j& V' N' m2 x, g$ BL: 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?; E: T4 p$ A4 o+ `* B( W
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M: I aced my last job interview.' f' x: }+ e$ ^# }& O8 v( h/ M
. y& [2 p6 _" F0 O5 F% ?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. 9 m! m$ d/ M; G" P& c) q7 T [2 A3 c7 L
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。 {# \9 i. G w0 k' _* x" ^ 5 \ M" b# p0 U: b- RM: Yes, you're right! % y) u# s: K3 I% a0 x/ s* l% M& v% G9 t6 a. G
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?+ d9 b( X8 J/ F% [& ^& A& o+ e
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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? ( L7 H( C. `4 c/ \( t0 X) w" g$ I% D3 q! @; z# v9 b% J
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。# T0 o6 i. H$ M6 P/ r$ U
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!5 p/ G+ {" n5 T5 x
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? ! r0 `6 A8 ]; x! l: B 5 E: K5 h0 S: T' PM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! ) r6 f/ n+ t3 a! `' u; y& r3 Z* X4 ^9 k0 }( B+ i
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?% H& ?. r8 _. r' ]4 O2 t