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。- d6 ~0 [6 C F' D) r) k: k
$ Z5 [' |9 a/ S+ S5 NL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?/ h6 N x) B# f: ]. e/ P
0 M) m- m$ i1 `, d3 W8 AM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 8 V7 y1 Z: @4 U/ M* |0 E* t# C' D: g3 k
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! " o! K0 W, [5 n, A8 \; b2 v* d4 U' _0 x9 l6 _
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!: M2 |, z# i" ]0 v
& Z$ `* m- F: S7 {0 h+ O( B' d/ v9 _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?; R c4 i4 l2 R' |' j/ c3 @) N1 P3 W
" E u% }$ q/ n0 H6 g1 yM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. ; Q& V j5 m1 j% P4 T6 B/ g, z. h* G$ L
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? 3 h) o; H* o4 P + N% T% O: X+ N0 A' J6 M8 }M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. ( T- |0 B2 r7 k8 ~0 _. ~3 ]% G7 G0 H3 Q' r7 ~1 {
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?$ G6 M- T! [) A8 E! y4 X {, W8 |# I
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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. 6 W4 x' ]( `6 M* H 6 U# c9 e8 ]& ]* x* n D+ sL: 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?' p; p+ h. w5 k/ g2 L
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M: I aced my last job interview. ' Q) B/ k. j8 I2 a" N( m" B' ^( J" @" t/ v% y' T: U. O" g3 e) \
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。, a7 p6 | U; n4 L. O4 x
, i4 V, y( o% \# {, ?+ UM: 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. ; ?7 x* }5 n( _, K$ R# K8 C, K) U' I5 K# a; `: C( [
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。 1 ]7 H) t+ T ]$ j I9 y% m) P$ E( Z( mM: Yes, you're right! $ O9 ?- j+ e* l8 W6 C: D7 p( k# G3 e8 U
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?% r) V( q. b0 y( C
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? 8 J* c6 a. D; J$ \. f5 \ C( K. A- j; |* M7 u7 l
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。 $ I: A- g. [# w4 C3 l 0 K _0 F6 ?' q& h5 q4 a3 DM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!3 k- l/ F4 e3 j+ b& T3 Z1 N
' U1 Q" _; y# }, ], X; n5 G& L* BL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? # q0 F; U; y/ E' s , r! B: I; L9 f2 I" B4 s5 M9 _' bM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!2 ]) [, w9 n7 G
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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? 5 L" J( {6 C1 W, \ ) N1 }5 r! E( [7 A7 f. G+ \0 NM: That's right." Z3 G& ^1 [# j0 i0 M2 W/ 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, _# C9 O+ c6 ]6 E
8 J4 A8 i, u! H! c* h! ^9 a3 XM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. + E B( F3 x% `5 Q) s 0 q6 f- K% j f# p! LL: 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. ) X" u2 e6 r6 b7 Z0 Q8 }, s9 x4 g4 P7 X" ~5 ?
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.8 E! f% B& C+ f! Q p2 Y( S