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。, b4 n/ V( r' S, ] x
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 7 [1 i, U: y1 Y/ U& ^+ Q0 \. \+ M; @! C1 [! Y, \
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!2 Z. y5 M6 o$ N& w7 B3 G
( G* w* d1 W2 K3 C9 @& F- g8 ?( [8 xL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 9 u. ^3 q9 D9 N& o4 b% N2 A/ @- C D2 f. `" B
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!6 O% P R" c. t
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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?/ ]8 b9 x2 t2 ]& e8 y' w
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. / B6 ^( f: ?. A% y$ K: n5 u' g6 j. L+ }0 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?5 V0 k q6 z8 _( a
) X$ R" c/ B e3 D1 S* |" vM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 1 w: P4 @# d2 l/ f $ F7 q4 o7 ~2 {* |+ C* UL: 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 R' z: [- a8 f
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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.9 b3 v5 ]8 ~6 D( K0 w
3 y5 A7 ?( x$ fL: 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? # Z1 l1 j; K, z" }6 m+ h2 I8 [ i$ P/ V
M: I aced my last job interview.. i; }- A3 l5 g* F1 [
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。. b9 f7 G. f7 F( b; a
( P8 A3 C% G f+ g1 f8 i1 _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. 4 j1 x" `1 s+ j' ^& z; L% q" { h+ G" A5 [: s7 t3 V( N5 u, _4 n
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。# D9 @& v7 t0 _; P' n. g. v
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M: Yes, you're right! 9 Y# m9 i e; L* c3 i3 k0 v : u) `/ O* x$ M' nL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? / b/ Q4 V M% v# O + q) I, K# z7 Z' ]M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? b0 N* M2 ~. v. C3 u& m6 {3 G 7 B! l7 Y2 V/ _$ KL: 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。+ x& x9 G1 I! S
) ]7 S" C4 W: [! E* c0 _# [5 B- pM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!# n, J# c5 Q) h3 i/ d: I! M
" T2 Z' w% S6 P! ~: R) }% wM: That's right. % V, U8 F, e! i5 z% G+ Q0 H3 X$ a3 @; _/ [7 I
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 L6 d. m0 C9 b
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M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. " W% x9 e! a/ J8 z% d+ s5 z% ?) F: e& c
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 p, {' O( U4 M" {/ A8 q
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.! _7 s, F( `( g* o ? n/ r8 Z
% ` n V8 W9 l( Q1 lL: 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。 8 \% {& H/ {+ P1 N: b/ W ' Y9 r5 m, h6 \2 J/ Y% Z. b$ t; }M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...' i. @! q% l. J. U+ v2 C
/ @6 m8 }+ ~: Q0 N) YL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!* `) G2 k) I. D( Z. T. H" t, N