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。+ m) j& U" z) c9 A' ?: [
' d! T# x( ^& |L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? . b1 \4 Z# @2 v' M4 T& i, }# N# W! ]
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! ) w9 f- J5 Z6 {, [; n. d* t7 N5 s& j$ L0 f9 E# m( C$ V6 I4 W
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 7 @: w6 L& w) j2 h 2 h6 t6 j% b& u# Z, F8 @: y9 {M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! 7 c" x! w# t3 h& {$ S/ z. d* `) B& K* K1 Y0 r
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? ' s k% X+ t7 `1 a+ W2 N & z G& K9 L/ b2 [, w+ \M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense./ {. u, T* K9 e( _ [
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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? & G1 w) R: G3 y* H) t) E& o4 q6 F1 t& {2 \, }% d9 f
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. ; R4 F7 k: h+ S A' } % B6 }7 Z$ }: U: |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? . U, S5 W5 m- Z" Q0 }: J- E/ Y" L3 @
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.! p0 S; X- f* i8 P7 t4 K4 j7 f
' C. F3 ~6 ^3 K5 }& Y/ YL: 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? 7 L$ u9 O- J/ K4 D0 l/ A) f d6 S/ B2 ~9 S
M: I aced my last job interview.+ l; [ r7 Y. P% ~. z8 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。7 f9 q! G# {% [* I/ q
# E+ z4 o9 W6 C: u& 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., C- i! ~4 t. v0 y) c
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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。8 Y( `$ K. D( v
6 ]. w7 O+ }/ L3 hM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?4 r0 Z5 p% v# d6 y; |6 {
. Y+ @# u; p( d. b+ H0 D/ QL: 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。4 p& s' `- e& t9 ]* b
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! - d9 \- N" G( H9 G6 c$ j& a3 A H v( T4 y+ i
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?& K; S. Q, e: i# l# c, g( b% I# l
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M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 7 _7 P4 l& C: o 0 X$ |2 v; w9 e) B1 a# u9 tL: 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?& L, X! f) D& u( J
4 I5 }2 T3 s/ @( W1 ~M: That's right.1 W3 U* X7 S: e& W M
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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。 8 [ G# z- G# B+ R/ e9 r$ U6 P& i4 G7 x1 A x; V9 \: r
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.. n5 \ p! K4 L4 h8 n
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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. ( R- z+ Y- S8 m. }2 u1 j+ Z8 A, Q h; a7 m
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. ' q3 c( {; `& `1 Y8 R3 r% t7 ?# z% v# o# q, d. W
L: 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。 # m" W9 Z' \" M' x2 d- _ " `& _& m! ~( _4 h! V, lM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those..., ~7 {. K7 C" V+ J2 T