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。& Y1 y" ~1 D7 u4 J8 p! w5 b$ s
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L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? 9 u7 g# [% p' ^+ G/ K( x5 r / E. d3 H2 j6 m: [( E T6 I3 XM: Not bad! I aced today's history test!$ o: o! G2 y0 J" @: d! K8 O
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! - K: L! ?5 p. R' _# L! _/ X3 c1 `" e; V, O0 w4 ]
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!$ K3 I% m" L4 S
% t- g/ E. t& yL: 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?, d7 V! t n+ K% k& A G% t
4 Z( C; t+ o5 P4 h! y# w3 AM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. 2 x+ B. l9 h: \. G7 x4 m 7 @; T4 a- q; i7 tL: 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? 3 L5 h# _+ J, x- N9 v6 M4 M7 o) ~" T8 _; @6 S" d! n
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. + O" a. A+ g2 c) H g3 O) [ ( Z$ e3 i; _$ _7 h8 uL: 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? L) Q1 K& |* j1 Z6 @7 _ ( }- s9 X* l, d/ C I- s. \0 uM: 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% r" | i* j- k o
! E( d1 G3 d p' V! ?' z6 GL: 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 x- Q% I, |5 p }( @) a8 Y- [
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M: I aced my last job interview. 2 z9 B- S% F5 [5 l: f7 j/ Z1 [0 g0 M
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。( m6 {6 x" N( L! [5 s& F' l
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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.. ^' e6 u$ J. {& d9 g0 n& p
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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。7 ?. V, b. i; ~* `6 h: ?: x0 T0 r- W
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M: Yes, you're right!+ v3 F$ V+ a+ q2 x! V' k
8 B. V d1 Y9 W% n3 S' e/ hM: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking? " q; g8 X5 ]; ^) H! D W+ _7 q $ i9 D4 t- e8 \1 H7 `3 X& f( U: S' eL: 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。. J8 y) g* F9 Z* l/ \
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! 9 g/ v9 q+ h. X7 o" g: G' l2 O# q
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? : \( a4 ^7 x' m. h6 O! I ( M: M; L3 i3 H& q$ L! S$ eM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!% }+ N8 c! `# k; m, z
1 \2 C# \# J- r& V8 ~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? / h6 @0 R7 a1 t( C' \' H) J5 v# _$ m0 W3 d" R: U
M: That's right." o* X: R! l/ {: H) U
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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。6 {' l/ X2 I2 e
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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.# R3 C! I: L) c4 e. H
1 v' Y6 T6 I& z* YL: 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. ! @0 D, Y/ f; ^5 t: r# f" A) E/ a) M" ]* Q5 L" `
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 0 N1 ]* l; B7 Z% `; x. f' W* k4 k: v
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。 4 ^. c k. e8 e! k: b$ q+ M" m. y2 S& D
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... 6 f, `! a+ o# Q7 h/ }( p+ D# W: X3 s0 Z$ R9 H7 b: m6 c
L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话!. i; b2 ~9 F/ |/ z* u) [, A; u: @