李華在圖書館里埋頭讀書，為下個月的博士資格考試做準備。她今天要學兩
個常用語，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？你是說我的資格考試嗎？

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

    LH：還可以吧，不過馬上就要考試了，我特別緊張。

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

    LH：下個月！我只有不到一個月的準備時間了。

    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.我現在特別需要鼓勵。

    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，你是說運動員啊。他們那叫資格選拔賽，比如說要想代表美國去參
加奧運會，就要先過選拔賽這一關。

    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，最近中國隊在世界杯預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：我知道入圍的隊有沙特阿拉伯- 、伊朗、日本和韓國。

    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，怎么會有資格考試
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I have the quals "in the bag" 意思就是說沒問題，我
肯定能通過。

    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，我對這次考試可沒有百分之百的把握。可不是所有
人都能考過的。

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

    LH：可是你看看中國足球隊。他們原以為穩操勝券，結果卻敗在了伊拉克隊
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：就是說啊。所以，我絕對不能掉以輕心。

    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 ，看起來你又要請客了。

    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。

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