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。 , E/ n5 Q, R1 v' Z' j5 p : R* a- Y3 l1 k7 qL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 7 f1 |3 l4 C2 i2 D: n 2 D1 ]# G6 F3 l7 S$ @8 L- [M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 9 b4 N6 @, s1 O' R+ K; Z; f& D- p. f9 _. Z% x" ?5 Z
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!' g! v0 n; u1 g6 W2 [- a1 q5 r
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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! ! w w+ }! B1 h4 ^$ u! l2 P# }$ t2 d/ l
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? $ S1 [* `) a+ z1 }9 X, @9 j" f3 j- f9 T+ R$ [ Y6 h! }& ~5 r+ M
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. q7 P, g+ K' z1 d \2 p 3 a7 y( o5 l4 G" u2 V) s" m* |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? , T6 e: d) F* k% C$ I7 s! h " U" `: P: l% N, Y' uM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.% \4 T2 E% \& J9 d; m% s+ Z
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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? 9 ?8 h% y; }' w: |; [) ] `+ G I, ]5 R, G& c b' p
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.5 X# [/ F" ~4 O: n. j' ^; b& m
) E: u, j. W; u) c& EL: 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? $ c/ m" U7 v) G1 {; y4 M& b + z3 A1 j, |" ?9 I0 e0 W2 @: `0 wM: I aced my last job interview. x; Q/ u+ s5 I4 ~. i8 U" Y
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。3 g+ `" v' }3 C- U2 N
8 B! u* E! m9 Z6 e* |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. 7 u$ Y/ ~7 M1 v0 c5 l/ X, e6 H/ W
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。 : u( A2 x8 J+ I) Y % Q g% t% N4 s8 g D& k TM: Yes, you're right! & V @6 r k$ U# ^) H6 N7 R. S& ?! r+ Y- K
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?/ X7 [1 n- _. w; q5 z
- U+ E" D4 ^3 f) g3 bM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? ; \0 p8 a7 H+ }5 Q$ ^0 Z/ d8 ?, P2 m. P1 P9 q
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。 - K9 F+ O8 m2 h2 o; M. r7 t" b: w5 |% ?; o0 h8 J( X e: R
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! m+ J P% c/ b6 c- A2 h2 J4 [+ g6 m. R5 D( f
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?1 ~( U$ Z9 Z. u- P2 l. D
9 _9 b/ ]$ \% P2 T, vM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!) y/ q3 } A+ P; U% L% o Y
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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?9 U# D2 g+ n) V% D6 N' o+ w0 k
8 B/ {* {& O6 V# \3 A$ R2 dM: That's right. : ?7 h! I( |6 _2 M: N' J3 F/ p6 G3 J
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。 9 R1 {% z; a, y1 u ; M* C6 z' H- m8 K5 {4 `M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. ! ~& d! k& C3 H1 r) X0 ^3 M' G1 P# P% X0 r9 ~5 q3 @1 y" \( N1 ~
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.. E( R {: f6 q$ k
8 ^! F7 i k4 d0 VM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.4 }8 P' h; u, b7 X1 Y. c
0 P: i: d. _' H: AL: 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。 ; _2 V$ Z8 x: [+ `8 Q6 h3 Z9 Z) Z! i; m4 m4 {8 w0 f5 |4 H# ]$ ]
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those.../ Y' \5 Y+ F+ U. D