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 i2 m- D3 A b, e M: L 2 Z- r) l, n2 h; |" M$ C) `- W+ |9 tL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 4 e8 X8 Y9 j/ f. T: n) P) x1 `6 U& U" u) Z
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! & F7 z' J B Z# B; n+ v4 _ - A, b, h: \) |5 \6 W4 \L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!4 V' \: R% ]4 l0 z* X
7 i; @9 j/ H8 ~% \: b% s/ xM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! , ]- M& a6 o3 y$ M! R: _# B i' _5 P1 }# _/ h8 u
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?, N1 W8 \; v7 P, K" x: Z
/ ]1 M9 ^! ^, l* l; j, N6 R/ yM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.& l: d- q( S. `1 a% ?0 ^ Z% O% m
* i8 ]% F, x2 ~5 BL: 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?4 V( I. U' R5 t! `' U! a& W
+ ^5 {6 C/ p- v$ \: K+ TM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.# y0 r1 ^4 J0 u! w
% L" \: q/ C" U4 T8 @7 lL: 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? 8 {1 D1 B( Y' s3 D: L$ B$ R, e' [& R1 e: h
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. m x0 b6 c: D& U' v9 a1 u9 w7 \% T. w
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 Q# T0 D' e; ?% ?0 M2 H/ B & U V" x+ Z4 e/ l) DM: I aced my last job interview.8 r. R; D: @1 ?! Y' ~/ P
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L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 / O% v, C9 S# ^8 ^' B3 E' l( `9 a9 ]. u3 r
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. + a8 ]$ q3 L& H1 {! q, @4 } 4 _% R3 w; J6 A: _- TL: 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。5 j- f" ^; A, K! S) \* B$ t
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M: Yes, you're right!8 i% ?( Z7 o6 [2 a' I e6 m
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? $ V5 W5 a1 o* `, x/ G8 P! z0 h( @7 t' h C9 v
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?8 s3 J0 b! t( d$ D" t, Q
" D* }/ D8 P M/ oM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! - _4 c! s- H4 F0 G7 U2 ^& E6 d 6 {8 g0 n4 ^) k B$ M- rL: 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?$ |- F. n; e- J
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M: That's right. - S9 ^- Q: w6 ~7 J' z) o % P4 A( j4 Q# g* qL: 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。; h) W% y/ W9 y( f7 o5 H: c
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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.+ p m& m- z# d. S$ g
! [$ \* V( U% W4 N9 U: s+ IM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. C7 t3 [& Q' \0 w9 r7 L3 s0 H! p" {2 F; E. q
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。" I: N/ O+ _- W& O7 c$ u2 R& o
: N+ n0 T1 ?& r) C+ H* j& DM: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...* v# P) H8 |+ A; A% I$ C9 ~+ h: S