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。 4 q/ O+ V/ N* ]# R' f/ [+ s- D2 x) C$ S
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? # a5 N4 S, A3 d4 R J0 ]: l! _$ g2 o8 bM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! K. T/ h4 K5 D" d 4 l. f- x: W4 AL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!/ o( D+ P8 u7 J( ]
9 Z: z& [2 x( \0 FM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! # m9 W& k2 l$ }9 P3 |% R 9 H; P2 n* V7 U. d5 m6 d( zL: 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? & C5 T+ ^# r5 @( B+ C ; r; O2 Z/ G/ F0 ~/ l8 m. Z' `' TM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. , R( E6 F0 J% I" C8 ? $ E1 L$ g7 _8 z# {+ U2 GL: 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 s( r5 Y) J; j" h
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M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.. K' D7 a* N$ l7 k" d# W
. w' n q% j& X9 @( ZL: 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 y* ]4 ]! b8 \7 _0 i3 c
# s' I* g1 z. @) 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. , ~9 h& P% k% I( a7 F1 @: W& T5 r- a" A/ v4 v
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 h2 a+ r1 P9 h: k# M7 r6 u" ]" F" y/ D6 o+ P
M: I aced my last job interview.4 l* y4 m1 Y( y2 t* |
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 + Y4 [3 q: n7 y7 l4 Z3 ~# F8 ~# @, c# m* g* F
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. # }" }6 D- m3 G ) p5 V3 h8 h3 R% @: Q; gL: 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。' _* O* j v/ v& _& I( T
! g8 j% y2 J. g0 ^6 {5 E2 I% aM: Yes, you're right! 7 r4 t" u6 W8 A0 v% D1 u ; K; ]1 x0 s, ^& W, R, _L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? ; E3 q) o; u/ h* Z% `: u8 n1 h! z" `8 K; ]
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? + Z) j. J9 W3 v7 E5 H" l6 a2 u6 p* E: i5 t" @2 i
L: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 7 g" T$ i4 d# ]0 k 0 Z+ d/ C7 _, _8 [0 S5 q$ RM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!3 g: j% C) O/ z6 k# ?& v
y) F7 `) w! c+ L+ ?L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? ! j5 k" z: o; U+ A7 G& w " X7 H) |; ^) E, `1 SM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!" x, T6 ^8 _# P
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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 C. p8 L" m' d: N5 i1 c9 `% }3 d/ G7 ]+ M _
M: That's right. & M8 x6 P9 ~8 H8 `+ W. \3 s 9 \6 i5 a, s8 g$ S9 ]& DL: 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。4 ?: _" L. f/ \ 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.' d5 @) u2 r5 G/ B# `: Y
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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. 4 |; X5 c! V( m" G0 T! B$ W! v" Z$ |. I7 {- |) _
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. % C+ F( w K; _7 S. x; e3 E5 u + v, C7 z. w* b7 x! x) {* UL: 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。+ U% Y' S) S( a% H1 H% U$ l# G
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...1 n( O" x/ m' t: k% S* D% N6 x, y
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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!9 H: L! l% C @
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M: I'm just kidding!: }1 r) w( h2 {6 t& |% A