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。" \* {" i {7 n; y2 B. d( A* q
$ \* }1 F' \" ~L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 9 z/ A+ f. K9 n- U* }* o+ d" T/ x3 [3 P9 }) e2 T6 U
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!! @2 S+ |* B4 K1 M
8 _/ }$ {3 { ?. xL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! ; B& ~# {' X) T3 d8 ?! g/ V( R3 I0 T' g4 q f* D6 P
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! 6 `5 }, y, a6 @1 k P. P7 s1 t2 v; D# P7 `6 C
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? - T3 |9 H1 K/ O. e/ D0 X/ t' Q& V! R' |# _4 B1 }
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.5 j {. E: L" s& V9 G7 c V
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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? & D7 w% W4 @4 B! b/ p 2 |: \! ~1 b7 e( J6 T1 UM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 9 u' {- o; F$ |7 i- R* g% x 8 s/ n0 {1 P: f, ~- w. I/ y. \/ X# k! gL: 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? " p% d# V0 r' i; ?# f3 Y% n" {! o! |# @
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." H( G- [+ O+ l2 \- r; b
& N3 P! G# R6 r2 I: K, a7 O( CL: 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? + P! o6 F2 o" Y4 m1 D+ ]" f , k& |: t) v% U$ u1 b# BM: I aced my last job interview. : H# H/ J/ b2 D! S; O& x 1 {; d: D' x9 JL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。- Z5 |, A0 S' v& o* Q! E/ l
2 N! Y. c" |3 U# ^1 YM: 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. % Q( L5 v, o3 G* X) w# } , F+ e0 x* f5 `- V6 S8 ^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。9 l3 s2 F/ D3 t7 |# ]
6 S' l4 ~$ {8 H0 a. gM: Yes, you're right! 5 _, b! v/ {+ Y ) E# p/ J7 E" _! \6 B! eL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?* e9 d+ A4 _* I0 a4 _
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?% U& j, Q" G/ e2 |$ p( L
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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。 * m% D2 R, P# h ! J2 j# o( `- h* m gM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! : @# h! i; n% l7 H0 E - ?# ]/ d7 T* Z- YL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?/ _3 T6 n1 t+ T: g. w
. m+ v8 C% c( e! NM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!& \+ F$ a) ^2 }, e
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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? ) m4 ?+ [1 N- G w8 T+ |. k% L7 P( C# P4 I. I% z U
M: That's right.$ {3 K( J9 @! d. F( p( J
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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。" Y0 A! w5 X+ Z K
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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. 0 f, j8 s2 d( T' K w) o; z * A: C5 k6 h+ _) QL: 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.3 @/ b9 R6 ]2 l$ d9 F; Q
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M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.' _! a% g' V# T/ r: w" U1 K
# }% J7 Z( t/ `/ V1 ~; H2 l8 X/ P: CL: 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。 * p4 `" i& r0 b4 a! }& p2 |: E# [9 t: d% |# h
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... / k4 w, F- s1 I! b8 b % N' s0 Y+ Y' {9 C5 J3 ?L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! : q- Y& @/ a. U1 }6 s$ r5 U( P+ Z0 x8 \; ~, A( e0 }9 V
M: I'm just kidding!( u% O: {+ [" W2 f& ]- n, C" t