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。 . ?7 p* B; d4 a+ {' v: R5 m- ^' }0 r$ W0 x" V) [
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样? ( L4 g( E/ S8 W& H ]8 P 3 h3 H8 {" m% {M: Not bad! I aced today's history test! ' p, \. C6 K1 v/ a9 _" a+ w' y- ^! G4 K/ \' ]1 u$ Z6 ^! i
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴!2 j. X- Y& V' k, p: l: v1 U$ _
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M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!' z$ A: K6 U4 j2 H N, `9 y
9 ?/ ^2 P" m' W& j9 _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?2 J* f6 t5 l% M/ E
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M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. " U' M/ s/ i3 a4 Y4 j$ i* W5 h. l$ ~/ j! u% x
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?% X# X1 Z5 I! q0 V
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M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. 1 _" Q' f3 R: x$ u# X P4 f6 T3 g) ]8 cL: 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? 7 |- b% d2 p. J5 t( A7 T, j' e2 p, ~2 b2 o L9 R: t5 i+ P3 l j
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. ( t" L# j4 T- ~. B2 c( \" e4 R! r
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?0 ^2 @ U# t7 y |# ` c4 g6 F$ @
) Q) I3 H* t- q0 q& N) o. wM: I aced my last job interview. n. I+ E- N* b( W0 }, J ~, y0 s; {! R c2 d( g& F) b. C! _
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 . h* c, w9 ~, K" F) p ?5 o) ~+ j# _ g3 KM: 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. 8 H8 p5 v4 B8 h& C3 n $ H2 ~2 }. V$ m/ [, W/ Z! zL: 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。' m$ s+ ?+ ^/ Z0 H! J
# _. z7 E; }, ?8 u1 D" D2 AM: Yes, you're right!+ c" Y$ ~6 m, N3 R+ `
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗? K$ _$ m0 x9 E% U+ r& ^) R4 {: C
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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? 9 k7 n) _1 Q2 s5 J5 d 9 [; Z7 |, U% R3 N+ sL: 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。" f# G ^+ C5 q! ?7 b, B
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts! " Y/ s4 N3 [$ R+ o/ C5 g0 Z! |% V7 \2 V* X
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? . d2 f" @( v/ w4 y* P) y, ~6 j& {9 Y0 Y2 a
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"! 7 L8 |8 L3 W7 V e5 X2 N9 W, a% o4 i) d
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? 7 j. Z* b4 R f& K7 u; A. o& \* M1 I ! s2 X5 L& Y) i9 oM: That's right." s, U& u- f, {0 }6 D3 m0 G+ b
2 B; q% R0 ^" {, uL: 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。 $ i' ^5 H1 O& Y2 O7 s5 {' v9 c& q, V$ F
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.1 u: d3 _& C! m$ H
# T# G* N& I8 jL: 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. $ E" `; c m6 w% `, j! [( F+ k3 h: [3 v, i- n
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money. / v" F: X" [! _0 P- X/ T5 @% @2 D5 r% p5 p" `% }; E0 A! U2 Y
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。; `( V) a |& l
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M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...# S+ j2 d7 ?* ~2 C+ X/ M5 @