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。7 `3 a. C# |% ?
' Q8 ?* k9 x* Q( bL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?8 D. {: n+ K v1 ~4 K/ b+ m
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! - b( i1 P# h" r3 ^( w0 `3 @ 6 g3 P$ x( C9 D& {L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! - G+ J3 p2 ^' x, c N" j8 D L u8 k* U& \M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!7 [* N% G$ ^+ S, ^4 u8 l
" r6 ?6 A7 n1 O) R7 NL: 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?2 F' x3 j( h3 I: ?8 y! W9 v' ?; ^
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.3 y2 O' c; ]; b( R7 g7 r- i
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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? ; B }& J+ P% D1 ^! G $ A0 X, H% A: [8 e1 L/ nM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.) c$ }& F* S# f/ x5 N8 A
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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? + W# ~1 }( G+ i- M9 f . Z6 l+ F$ G: b( BM: 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 \4 i# k) I% U) J' S
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L: 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?5 w0 q9 l( d/ E+ O
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M: I aced my last job interview.$ [% U& q7 u7 S( g7 A! X
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。5 G9 |7 J7 g% Z& K' _
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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 {1 _: o2 v$ t* V2 L5 @, ?6 G* u7 b) W1 u0 q7 J) e
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。% }* E5 z, O' n+ u% k1 K& q: ~
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M: Yes, you're right! ( y+ i( K% z4 \" r( m7 }7 ^" O 7 |" u1 `( ^ D5 Q( K- s- uL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?, z3 f4 H) x' w B
" t. N D# o/ R- rM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? {+ v4 S C5 j1 g, s" D$ r8 q9 d 7 I( ^& v3 E1 y. @6 I% Y$ ~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: [2 w# F* _( O$ q1 t, k ( p& f9 X+ M' X8 q( _% m# mM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 7 p2 n& ~- m1 R! g- @ , {) F. i% W* VL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?0 k9 E8 q4 C. N 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"!0 A5 x6 E$ Q/ j) Y2 Y( _! J
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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 P9 s- b, e# i$ E+ i# ~6 V$ K# \; ?6 B" e3 z4 U. l c
M: That's right. - y4 _" L) F- q3 n* e& F& g/ u, T8 s% {. O9 u
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。* M; r# a0 N; u; h6 x1 z1 a
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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.# j- k0 C* G. Y9 K$ w3 Z) m
( y1 J* N. ?9 r4 ^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. - N' f2 D5 J& _' G( V3 u% p' O) @; o' }4 _- k) l7 h# u
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.! \! B* E( F# W( M7 W
9 W3 [* z6 K0 zL: 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。 ) Z# H6 K! W4 k2 c# O% } i0 c% l 6 [- t; A* `5 e4 c- `M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...! \" W& ?7 g/ k0 a% S& N+ ?
+ v3 d! C. ~7 t& @L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!* o! v8 {6 O3 D, a) @% b
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M: I'm just kidding!" @$ Y3 E0 u$ w