VOA流行美語 Unit 26: ace; peanuts
大家可能還記得Michael 這個美國學生以往幾次考試都考糟了，這一次情況可大不相同。今天他和他的中國同學李華約好了在圖書館見面。李華會學到兩個常用語，一個是：to ace；另一個是：peanuts。
L: 嗨， Michael，今天考得怎麼樣？
M: Not bad! I aced today's history test!
L: 你歷史測驗又考糟啦？那你還那麼高興！
M: No, Li Hua, I didn't bomb my test. I said "I aced the test". I did very well on it!
L: 你考得很好，那太好了，Michael！最近你每天都到圖書館來念書， 我知道你會考得比以前好的。你剛纔用的是哪個字啊？
M: Ace. Here, ace is a verb, and you can add a "d" to make it past tense.
L: 噢，在這裏，ace是個動詞，過去時就是在後面加一個字母 "d"，變成 了aced。這個字是不是和撲克牌裏的那張牌A，或者叫“尖子”的那 張牌一樣的呢？
M: That's right. The "ace" card is usually the highest value in a card game. Therefore, "ace" means to do well.
L: 對，在玩撲克的時候ace往往是價值最高的一張牌，所以ace就是 指某件事做的很好。那ace作爲動詞還能用在什麼場合呢？
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.
L: 噢，一般都用在和測驗考試之類的情況，你上次找工作去面談談 得很好也能用“ace" 這個詞。再說一遍你剛纔說的那句話，好 嗎？
M: I aced my last job interview.
L: 你大概回答問題答得很好，所以老闆就要你了。
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.
L: I'm an ace at taking tests, 你說我非常會考試！這也不見得，我考糊 的時候也有的。不過，比你少一點就是了。
M: Yes, you're right!
L: Michael, 借我$.75 買杯咖啡好嗎？
M: Well, okay. Li Hua, how much money do you earn as a teaching assistant, if you don't mind my asking?
L: 你當然不在意你問我賺多少錢。 當助教的工資很低，才8美元一 小時。
M: Eight dollars? That's peanuts!
L: Peanuts? Peanuts不是花生嗎？你是什麼意思呀？
M: That's really not much! You only make eight dollars an hour? Your wages are very low, so I said that's "peanuts"!
L: 原來你的意思是我的工資很低。你說的peanuts是不是和我們吃的 花生一個字嗎？
M: That's right.
L: 我在想另外找個工作呢。我的同學王燕在圖書館工作，一個小時 就有十美元。
M: That's still peanuts compared with the teaching assistants in other departments. I make about 13 dollars an hour as a graduate assistant.
L: 喲，你一個小時賺13美元吶！ 真不公平，你賺那麼多錢，而我 只賺peanuts.
M: I don't see how you can live on so little money.
L: 賺那麼點錢是怎麼過的日子呀？我還有獎學金吶，每個月給我四 百美元生活費。
M: Too bad you don't really make peanuts, at least you can eat those...
L: 你真想要我賺花生，靠吃花生過日子呀。Michael, 你真廢話！
M: I'm just kidding!
今天李華學到兩個常用語，一個是：to ace，就是某件事做得很好，特別是象考試之類的事；另一個是：peanuts，這裏不是指花生，而是指數量很小，價值很低。今天的[流行美語]就學習到這裏，我們下次節目再見。
