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。2 c3 E& g% m; z/ ], I; n: ~7 P8 u
3 {- i: ^9 m6 q
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? e3 K v: e, x* [% Y7 k! ~+ b$ @& {6 _$ k- E8 T2 Y
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! 7 ~7 ?0 `) o8 `6 {. i n& p% S Z3 C( u, f( ?: N
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!' P% d( G7 r6 r: N$ q; m! O% O" C
) ` \& |8 H! @
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! & m: g! Y/ D+ g " x7 {+ _9 G; Z) u% S1 s$ vL: 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? : R6 l2 ]5 d* F& y / d( w7 {6 O/ `M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.) z4 b- c% I% v. {: U& Y
, U/ ]" K( P0 f+ e) x9 s
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?5 h r6 ]# ?$ |2 Y* p I: H
0 P) t% I* i' f6 M W4 ^
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. ; g$ e1 U7 h) v) ^3 q( k, J, c3 k& C: S' l! n
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?5 ]) q0 F, P- ^5 J' E9 p
/ A2 ^9 p3 n& u5 {, o5 t4 j
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. 7 y- U$ P( d+ N: x0 S7 ^2 p8 a- K7 E- d# P; h9 j0 _
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?0 G8 k4 q2 f2 ?8 F8 L; o
/ P+ Z8 U- z0 I5 b
M: I aced my last job interview. , z; R3 n9 V2 K% [3 k o4 Z1 ~* r( {& z+ e) w
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 $ s0 X3 M/ j* B1 r8 i+ Z+ B/ F% P( q; s: N0 {0 I/ B" S
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+ u' r' F2 o. t8 U. G, U B8 D
8 R; Q0 U1 c; s+ b2 f+ T! m- l. C' T
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。* J# l. N. o) { u6 r/ Y) Z; ?) v
' [+ `: S8 N0 O4 B6 c5 `" B- M6 E9 bM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?- t0 I, z0 d8 |
: V, p q3 B$ N8 ^& m1 {0 H( AM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 2 H- s- ]% T4 e: |5 ? w, c {0 t# Q0 F2 oL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? 2 e, N) B5 e, c" Q% B8 L 8 d8 z' H( N# L3 h( \7 A; pM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!2 \" n, {& z% y! P+ K0 `
]3 }$ r- O, M
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? w+ R# u' u% U$ v a $ g0 K/ |7 J- T) P2 |) EM: That's right. - G! S& V3 n9 h/ o& k) ] X , L! K0 }6 i# x" q# J6 WL: 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。 $ i. |$ ^$ u7 i ' ^7 F( B& \+ J ?! `$ ]) p. lM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.1 P/ b& S0 S9 G" Z( T4 Q% b
1 |& R' ]$ g5 |8 k
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.- k k. @! W5 ^: |" p: s3 N
! G9 |% ]2 r3 T, b+ K4 ~0 {$ c% {
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.2 Z/ m! X: k$ ?. s4 h9 U
2 A5 S# f3 _, Z* E+ U2 x4 E5 z. SL: 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。 3 u1 }6 P3 _, K) I: W, ?2 g4 X- [$ v# Q# F/ c' z0 k
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...: v2 c- v2 V" R( g2 ^+ S, o
* d# S( A" X! Z: ^- X p/ t! ] b
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! ' x! q2 H+ |7 U( P. L$ z3 i9 V# g$ z
M: I'm just kidding!- u7 p' ^8 U K