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。 ; e0 |9 K3 p$ R) N. e- I% k: t, c i/ t, W+ O1 T
L: 嗨, Michael,今天考得怎么样?: Y0 f5 U: u3 f, }9 \# `0 \8 F
) X" N. E8 j; l' f' YM: Not bad! I aced today's history test! " j: }4 ?' a5 M% M; a6 @2 c8 \9 u4 \2 O! y- G) S
L: 你历史测验又考糟啦?那你还那么高兴! 6 Y- p2 h1 I- [2 D! n& L ~7 Z3 P2 G2 T9 m# `* E
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!, _) N$ T+ |/ E
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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?7 S% v, [" O5 C9 l7 {+ i
9 b4 G u/ X% F' W" DM: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense. ! y& o' b4 E7 r- B0 w( _, i8 H) n9 M. G2 D& _! r
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? ' u' k8 ?7 Q+ D* k0 Y3 B 4 V: a. X9 U1 P3 l; b! OM: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well. ( A$ C/ o' t+ P2 w/ w) U# Z6 L" x. U ~5 x
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? & z: ?9 Z o2 A4 j! Z! ] : o# u9 x, K9 v0 y$ K: f3 y6 ?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.6 p) I; ?( L) Y" ?- V3 b+ f) e! g8 U
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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?$ v1 U/ n4 \ A6 s0 j7 v
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M: I aced my last job interview. , s6 w( |$ u2 G M) i. ^8 m; ~% n" V
L: 你大概回答问题答得很好,所以老板就要你了。 # |+ A. _4 `) g% a 9 Z; n" B" V$ n' v/ t! xM: 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. $ D- [( e% g6 |# g5 N+ g4 S# }$ a1 A0 k- a- T9 h
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。9 x R7 P& V! \
) x% R! D( A5 k: m2 Z/ EM: Yes, you're right!" ?# }4 |: U/ Z' e
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L: Michael, 借我$.75 买杯咖啡好吗?( [0 R; t1 K# ] o. O1 b, K5 Z4 D
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M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?$ A2 W: i' `. t |+ x; R
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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。0 H6 m+ [- T5 Y
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M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!# f3 |5 U l& Z6 J
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L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生吗?你是什么意思呀? + ], L5 D$ p8 }* T8 {) j7 n7 P2 @- ], f7 F
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!9 M+ e2 G0 r& C# ]' t6 a2 O
1 W/ D, R t9 {& W$ H, pM: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant. 8 O- k. x* j6 B6 R9 Q " i, T7 z* H) O& [+ J. fL: 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.- f' q2 c) E$ L; W& l+ k# ]
2 k, l8 i$ N2 \/ vM: I don't see how you can live on so little money.% J+ [5 D1 _: M2 M
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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。 0 a, n. Z' D, }7 E6 O 2 E7 ]1 B1 O4 J, _- _M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...6 b$ A; N) B( X* Z9 h+ w' t
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L: 你真想要我赚花生,靠吃花生过日子呀。Michael, 你真废话! $ J+ J9 s) M4 P3 l4 j 9 w% u5 r5 b4 j7 ^: V6 Q IM: I'm just kidding!9 U) L6 o% n- H" Q
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今天李华学到两个常用语,一个是:to ace,就是某件事做得很好,特别是象考试之类的事;另一个是:peanuts,这里不是指花生,而是指数量很小,价值很低。今天的[流行美语]就学习到这里,我们下次节目再见。 / N- s& Z2 b2 W6 C4 hAudio As Following:3 V/ r( i% q* s7 h