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。 # a( m! d$ r' ~ ; S* Y0 P4 c6 P; ?. a7 J, o% c; KL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? $ F7 v9 b( p: F d2 m, L5 p* O# G+ q1 E4 @. U; I! Y3 B) O; {5 \+ W
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! $ b# {& Z- @; H1 H8 |, Q) w 5 \5 G) r4 h7 H6 |8 ~, wL: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! " V% @8 f- P* U0 S) t ; V* f5 f9 Z( U6 \/ A2 P1 F1 E- ZM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! # ?" l4 L: i( [; i- C8 ~7 g, ?: y8 p ^: J
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?1 O# a: B' }0 R+ d7 j$ x
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 9 z+ m% E& V: P1 O% |" f6 ?1 [+ d8 O, T- Q& s7 H
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?0 u* L3 u. c# B2 d) M I; }
4 V* T5 b) l, Y% i. a7 [: zM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.5 f5 ?5 V9 n1 p8 E
6 n) |. n5 Z+ R7 k' tM: 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 s, U: k2 w( q& j $ Y7 k6 Q& U/ e) \0 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? 4 }* v# N, ?" V, M * H+ Q5 i) \+ y7 H0 |M: I aced my last job interview. & Y' }3 B9 _: \ {: Y! A, I, N7 ` y4 Q4 d3 g. E7 N
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。* @. E, l4 ^8 A" @6 S
. u6 b% ]% i% J! LM: 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. . Z9 v( H4 A: H: Z1 D) T1 w1 \6 d! P" f4 r$ ]
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。$ ~: R/ H' ~4 d# U) _) U" f% p
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M: Yes, you're right!& H( M2 q* C- s9 d$ C
/ T) J7 s4 n7 W7 q" VL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?; P" a3 s( } @- K; j" Q9 d
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?, e/ c ]/ k& I0 _3 n8 p9 P& j
% F# ^, g+ N0 B# g; | c5 j7 TL: 你当然不在意你问我赚多少钱。 当助教的工资很低,才8美元一 小时。 6 i# @# l; [& N" k 2 \! Q; T5 w& a' G8 CM: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 2 y* n' ~( o$ B- R- A7 y& t " R ?; _) g' v& s: pL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? * p6 z! `; D% w$ B+ |! c 9 W; G7 `4 V3 h9 v6 ~- yM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! + W% Q/ L6 w9 z. a& ]! S& `) ~4 m) o& F) I4 w
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? & ~( N3 u# ~; {, u! A/ g, n 8 l0 }) w/ b% ^' [, x/ jM: That's right. 6 Q- s/ V: e5 D9 ~5 a9 h : ?) |6 s0 |- t7 t; j# ?" hL: 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。% ?9 d6 z, F' B8 S+ m
5 i8 z- }2 {, R, n/ h: m1 s" @M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.- g8 v. S, H/ ~; d3 S
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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. ! H* d/ p$ g8 W6 b, ~. a, D5 i5 U! d+ l3 e' T0 t: k6 V
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. # O5 G0 n' E8 _; v( U+ A9 V3 B/ l, I, D s7 t/ o
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。 1 {" D: i! l8 J! T: u! z, M2 v; R7 L6 K1 h+ g
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...8 b. L# _" q; W3 B) R# X, ]! [, B