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。- Q9 n# x+ {1 Y0 F4 u
" V4 K8 k% @( R6 R3 }
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? - R, ?5 U: ~ {( w& `* J% F$ C0 m2 A; v6 y
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! % I: l1 \9 }) l- E" [5 l / S3 T: @* l: P1 L0 c ~L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 8 p4 L: Z7 f! i% K/ X2 ^6 @$ X2 s
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! w; N Q# T# I + B% B% g1 p, K |. hL: 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? 8 j( N% B4 G( e* [0 i/ m' X1 s7 T9 B1 N
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.6 m3 F- N. Y3 C0 k- U8 B
, {0 w+ {) [8 _2 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?' i4 d/ k+ S* M3 f9 w9 l' |) I, t
( w* T) q( `' q
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.5 B% q4 V6 |: y3 l8 w/ w+ p' m
8 c* D& l8 p- q$ Q. K* \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?( y! w! j, W, d) |
; ]! D7 [! W' a( V7 Q( 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. 5 l- K m8 P; q9 {0 ?& I3 g$ s0 @7 ]# p( g1 L
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? 2 @; `' P9 v* A6 F$ f! w* ?* C* G4 J
M: I aced my last job interview.3 R8 v( a( _$ z9 r7 C @/ Z1 S
; K6 \3 ^( \/ e/ x5 ZL: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 , p# _$ o( \9 r) M1 G * N6 \/ E$ N3 D3 u- x# r7 bM: 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.( O% [; ]2 t2 {& v
- H) V, A3 W9 @1 a" ~" K1 d7 G
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。* l) a# `$ s* x9 [, {9 p% N4 G$ \
+ T9 M N T* r3 O1 g. v+ o8 LM: Yes, you're right!$ a1 Q; k |1 K, D
0 {2 I& j# x6 A% }3 P& s
L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?; r$ S, q+ t% i& y _
+ c: Y2 g& p' A1 f8 a* | b
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?" L' {7 L! |/ x, D' G( x
; f0 l4 N# A8 P& }7 {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。 . ~4 [4 P+ S: D( `9 U7 V! F% h5 ~: e. u0 U, B1 ~4 _
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! / |/ M8 ^9 {. ?" v; k/ z/ u/ f/ M: L
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?7 M7 y8 p! h( c% p
' f, ^2 b( f" H! o9 N
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! ~. x0 I6 ?4 ? ]: s7 u 9 I9 L$ a. T, I* xL: 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?7 m$ Y8 W+ v# b& O: c0 H
) I0 M% u& O1 M" tM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.$ u% _# w/ Y+ ?0 j5 P& ]6 j# n- _
7 L! h' c7 d2 |% L- M
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.& }! ]- r% R6 @$ ~7 k8 u) {. ^
& J3 i: B. J" YM: I don't see how you can live on so little money. " K j/ D$ c# U( ~+ L: o c# U- n. k3 C4 D. C7 h C
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。 & j- X* }( L5 T1 c6 {; M$ A# \$ S6 j( P0 c4 U3 ?& F4 s
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...& A, y$ F5 r3 H$ r0 ~