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。 # h% _7 U' x4 a% W5 K$ w* _ 8 C( d$ g6 c+ t% s( UL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? A9 i4 R5 |) v; }* ~8 {4 c0 Q& k# ~& [6 }$ z* G% j1 _; [! a
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!- ~5 T- H. J2 g) c3 \
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 1 w! F5 P a9 [3 _1 P9 _" T- F+ L U; I* L+ ?, Z+ A
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! * u% D# w }7 i9 L8 {3 T, j4 d, [+ v& x0 a, S7 o, O
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 m% p; H& y( i" F# K ( C: o( z6 B! g# m. e0 KM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. " o/ V) ?$ j( _4 ~0 H / y G% |" K6 n5 H$ ^; X3 rL: 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?, n7 S" N% o7 K# Z7 w
, p0 h7 P" f# Y1 ^9 V# NM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well., Y q) m7 ~' F2 Y' r
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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? 3 X* H% p- P6 O# @+ @/ r& t m. P- D8 s1 p2 P4 }1 O
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. " v0 {0 x& L6 O# M0 w+ H - L) t! c% X& ^. a8 |. T4 XL: 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?6 O4 h# l: Z4 j3 ]4 M9 G1 a
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M: I aced my last job interview.3 s# m7 i- [: s1 q9 O
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 6 q( i1 j% [0 n% d: P5 v. E9 S# t" h
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 H1 o: @+ k. }, X. g* {( Q/ n, D# N* 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。 - x2 Z" E. n" n9 c/ e! E" Z 4 }% N8 R- q8 h' g! t5 {6 T5 @. rM: Yes, you're right! % N/ ]2 p. z0 m0 u, C, n" W9 [. S# K. X6 U/ X. t
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? - U) R, C5 t: v/ g8 d, S# f. p5 t 0 H. R7 X4 S7 N. H6 ~M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? : p$ Q9 r) z$ S* O; s: v3 J" d( {& \4 M4 H 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。) n4 v! A7 f4 f( R
: M ~2 m) O' FL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? - _6 d @* C( } l 0 b* l: U0 ]0 m4 b: ?; RM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! # Z5 H8 R' a, ^! x7 N+ W 5 S7 g# A- W2 s$ s8 Q$ bL: 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?* ?4 `. q0 y7 P$ a
* J }5 l6 K* `: Z% g' Z% IM: That's right.7 B0 {3 e$ w( g- v3 H! }& d2 Y( }
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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。" H+ u$ S( F, R5 Y- ~
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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. / N0 u( A+ ^# g) Y. ^ " x( d: t6 N0 p3 L% AL: 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.( Y! Z) _/ l3 e
( T; Y, B( W3 W2 pM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.% N6 u y0 v. v
! c8 l* S) T6 W2 l: ~; iM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those..., d( o% Z; x3 t' p' q8 C1 p2 y1 I5 p
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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! # S8 D3 J# n0 a: ~& h I 7 E7 x9 X$ O' U- c% t. G) NM: I'm just kidding!% O% u8 W0 e9 }/ n+ e, S