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。 . S9 Z; P! ^% l' f5 c% z: A ' g7 y9 Z0 [* aL: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?8 C9 B& h% j- t. J6 z
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M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!! Y% S K! V7 |, r+ }9 z R0 y. |4 c- Z
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L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! " A9 d+ V& o F3 [4 m4 ~ 9 M8 w1 N5 m* w( RM: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it! : ?. X* i5 O+ {% u/ d! S1 A; a- ~) _3 N) k" \
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? & e V; g3 [% v& U( O* [6 ]2 K0 W! _( c
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.8 O5 y- n( P, b7 n% o
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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? ; H4 E; R2 P7 Z3 ]2 X# d! U4 r ' Q3 ~+ E- T: O0 O! ]M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. ( {1 t" y' Z, S+ S( t# R8 K- f. k7 @* O6 N
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?0 p4 ?1 t; b6 W% W9 a6 B6 R
* |8 I5 \* S8 W3 VM: 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. 3 [9 J. R$ [" v/ F. j/ }8 I3 d( J( O( H
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? ' T+ }$ X' Z2 ]$ z" S3 ?( F& {: M# h2 A, ]9 v# u# k
M: I aced my last job interview. ) v6 G; l5 V; _5 \7 ?& X/ K& o/ d# u. k7 H* I
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。( y7 v i5 n8 `9 K, F: ^
; V: s/ ?, D+ b+ A3 p V& fM: 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.0 s& }- |$ f5 w* k
3 ~9 s# c. o1 @4 V( h' EL: 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。 2 n7 y& o& h% Q1 G8 m2 }: _, k5 I( B- x$ ?
M: Yes, you're right! 8 G! S6 U/ r. N+ j8 Y/ ]+ F ( ~6 }7 Z& q/ r% Y- r$ x% m( g! AL: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?0 r& c, |/ {- Y" ?
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?5 s" J t, ?$ @! \. d: N; z
, x6 h- D e4 O ~$ H! fL: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀?7 L3 H5 `$ J( ]2 y- o
7 I$ x+ y; f8 [+ YM: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!3 J o5 r: @& s) h F3 w
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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?" v* ]# o; `7 I& U7 o0 X7 N
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M: That's right. 1 J, p% u" c5 X( E# P) m% o' C" N, k, T7 q
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。 ! b- T8 L! c' V% H L% k( I9 I- [4 M
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.* I0 ?+ o6 ~9 ^& a0 R5 |
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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. 2 p9 c' }1 I2 B3 A1 f8 ~1 u6 v/ ]2 H; W
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. 1 G3 \4 h* n3 _9 P3 F% k) c+ X9 U# z/ h
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。 ( ^( U0 @/ p4 t) `7 \$ Q: q% a9 s i( X
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those... " R& u% Y \) e# m8 U ! K3 b, ` f4 Y6 ^! l7 {# E+ U( b- o- rL: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! ' \ H# H- J5 d' ] ' ~8 H( B6 n% H% D) OM: I'm just kidding!- i! H# U3 l( Y$ S: a