李華在圖書(shū)館里埋頭讀書(shū)，為下個(gè)月的博士資格考試做準(zhǔn)備。她今天要學(xué)兩
個(gè)常用語(yǔ)，quals 和in the bag.

    LL： So ， Li Hua ， how is the studying for your quals going ？ I
can hardly see you behind those stacks of books.

    LH： My qual？你是說(shuō)我的資格考試嗎？

    LL： That's right - Quals is short for qualifying examinations.

    LH：還可以吧，不過(guò)馬上就要考試了，我特別緊張。

    LL： Oh ？ When exactly are your quals， Li Hua ？

    LH：下個(gè)月！我只有不到一個(gè)月的準(zhǔn)備時(shí)間了。

    LL： One month is still quite a bit of time ， Li Hua. What do you
have left to do to get ready for your quals ？

    LH：讓我想想……我還有好幾本書(shū)要讀，而且還要做一些模擬試題。

    LL： I know you'll study hard ， Li Hua ， and you will have no trouble
passing your quals.

    LH：謝謝你，Larry.我現(xiàn)在特別需要鼓勵(lì)。

    LL： Say， Li Hua ， you know ， doctoral students aren't the only
people who have quals.

    LH：什么，不光是博士生要通過(guò)資格考試，難道還有其他人嗎？

    LL： Athletes have quals， too. For example ， if an athlete wants
to be part of the Olympic team， he has to make the quals.

    LH：哦，你是說(shuō)運(yùn)動(dòng)員啊。他們那叫資格選拔賽，比如說(shuō)要想代表美國(guó)去參
加奧運(yùn)會(huì)，就要先過(guò)選拔賽這一關(guān)。

    LL： You are right. The quals that athletes participate in are generally
qualifying races or qualifying rounds of sporting events.

    LH：你知道嗎，最近中國(guó)隊(duì)在世界杯預(yù)選賽中輸給了伊拉克。

    LL： That's too bad. I didn't know China had lost. Who made it through
the quals ？

    LH：我知道入圍的隊(duì)有沙特阿拉伯- 、伊朗、日本和韓國(guó)。

    LL： See， you just have to work hard like these winning athletes ，
Li Hua， and you'll have no problem with your quals.

    LH：好在我的資格考試在教室里就能完成了，我不用去跑馬拉松。

    ******

    LL： You really shouldn't worry about the quals ， Li Hua. I tell
you ， you have it in the bag ， Li Hua.

    LH： Hmmm ……我皮包里只有錢夾、鑰匙、墨鏡、手機(jī)，怎么會(huì)有資格考試
呢？

    LL： Ha ， ha. I didn't mean you *really* had the qualifying exam
in your bag ， Li Hua. To have something "in the bag" means that you are
guaranteed of success.

    LH：我懂了，你說(shuō)I have the quals "in the bag" 意思就是說(shuō)沒(méi)問(wèn)題，我
肯定能通過(guò)。

    LL： That's right ， Li Hua. You always study so hard. I know you've
got it in the bag.

    LH：你真夠朋友！不過(guò)，我對(duì)這次考試可沒(méi)有百分之百的把握�？刹皇撬���
人都能考過(guò)的。

    LL： Don't think that way ， Li Hua ！ You are going to do great！

    LH：可是你看看中國(guó)足球隊(duì)。他們?cè)�以為穩(wěn)操勝券，結(jié)果卻敗在了伊拉克隊(duì)
的手下。

    LL： Well ， it is sometimes true that people *think* they have something
in the bag and it doesn't quite turn out the way they thought it would.

    LH：就是說(shuō)啊。所以，我絕對(duì)不能掉以輕心。

    LL： But I don't think that is the case with you， Li Hua. Say……

    I've got some news I've been meaning to share with you.

    LH：有什么好消息嗎？你是不是升職了？ is your promotion in the bag ？

    LL： You know ， Li Hua ， I think it is in the bag. My boss called
me into the office and told me I was first in line for a promotion and
that he was very pleased with my work.

    LH：恭喜你！Larry ，看起來(lái)你又要請(qǐng)客了。

    LL： Thanks ， Li Hua. I tell you what， after I find out my promotion
is in the bag - and you find out your quals are in the bag， let's go
out for a big celebration ！

    LH：好，一言為定。

    今天李華學(xué)到了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是quals ，是資格考試，或是資格選拔賽
的意思。另一個(gè)是in the bag，意思是有百分之百的把握。