李华在图书馆里埋头读书，为下个月的博士资格考试做准备。她今天要学两个常用语，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? 你是说我的资格考试吗？
LL: That’s right – Quals is short for qualifying examinations.
LH: 还可以吧，不过马上就要考试了，我特别紧张。
LL: Oh? When exactly are your quals, Li Hua?
LH: 下个月！我只有不到一个月的准备时间了。
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: 让我想想….我还有好几本书要读，而且还要做一些模拟试题。
LL: I know you’ll study hard, Li Hua, and you will have no trouble passing your quals.
LH: 谢谢你，Larry。我现在特别需要鼓励。
LL: Say, Li Hua, you know, doctoral students aren’t the only people who have quals.
LH: 什么，不光是博士生要通过资格考试，难道还有其他人吗？
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，你是说运动员啊。他们那叫资格选拔赛，比如说要想代表美国去参加奥运会，就要先过选拔赛这一关。
LL: You are right. The quals that athletes participate in are generally qualifying races or qualifying rounds of sporting events.
LH: 你知道吗，最近中国队在世界杯预选赛中输给了伊拉克。
LL: That’s too bad. I didn’t know China had lost. Who made it through the quals?
LH: 我知道入围的队有沙特阿拉伯-、伊朗、日本和韩国。
LL: See, you just have to work hard like these winning athletes, Li Hua, and you’ll have no problem with your quals.
LH: 好在我的资格考试在教室里就能完成了，我不用去跑马拉松。
******
LL: You really shouldn’t worry about the quals, Li Hua. I tell you, you have it in the bag, Li Hua.
LH: Hmmm….我皮包里只有钱夹、钥匙、墨镜、手机，怎么会有资格考试呢？
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，你说I have the quals “in the bag” 意思就是说没问题，我肯定能通过。
LL: That’s right, Li Hua. You always study so hard. I know you’ve got it in the bag.
LH: 你真够朋友！不过，我对这次考试可没有百分之百的把握。可不是所有人都能考过的。
LL: Don’t think that way, Li Hua! You are going to do great!
LH: 可是你看看中国足球队。他们原以为稳操胜券，结果却败在了伊拉克队的手下。
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: 就是说啊。所以，我绝对不能掉以轻心。
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: 有什么好消息吗？你是不是升职了？ 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, 看起来你又要请客了。
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，一言为定。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是quals, 是资格考试，或是资格选拔赛的意思。另一个是in the bag,，意思是有百分之百的把握。
Larry陪李华一起找公寓。李华今天要学两个常用语，Up for grabs和psyched.
LL: Wow! Check out the price for this place…
LH: 很便宜吗？多少钱？
LL: Wait…what’s your budget? I forgot – $2000 per month? Hahaha! How much you should be able to afford after getting that new job!
LH: 两千块的房子我可住不起。我的标准是，房租不能超过一千美金！
LL: Well…it’s $1200 per month. I guess I’ll keep looking…oh – hey – this one looks tempting – “one bedroom in group house for $675 up for grabs.
LH: 跟别人合租，675美元一个月，价钱倒是满便宜的，可是 Larry, 广告上说的up for grabs是什么意思啊？
LL: “Up for grabs” is a casual, informal way of saying that something is available – but you have to compete for it!
LH: 啊？还要跟别人争啊，是不是看谁出价高呢？
LL: In this case, it means that the room is available to the first suitable person who is willing to take the room and pay for it.
LH: 哦，那咱们下手为强。太好了，我们现在正好有时间。快打电话给他们。
LL: (Calling) Hello? Hi there. Is your room still available? Ok, if it’s still up for grabs, we’ll be there in half an hour.
LH: 太好了，Larry, 你看。那一带还有好几处价格比较合适的房子，咱们正好一块看了。
******
LH: Larry, 你觉得这个公寓怎么样？
LL: Well, I can understand why it’s still up for grabs…the bedroom is small, the house smells of cigarette smoke, and the housemates seems strange!
LH: 就是，怪不得没人愿意租，不仅地方小，屋里都是烟味，而且那两个室友也都怪怪的。我们还是去看下一家吧，就在街对面。
LH: WOW! 这里简直太棒了，而且还配家具，价钱只稍微贵一点。Excuse me, is this room still up for grabs? It is? Fantastic! I’ll take it!
LL: You should see the expression on your face, Lihua! You seem totally psyched!
LH: 简直难以相信！哎，Larry，我刚才是不是特不正常？
LL: Well – ‘psyched’ in this situation means that you are really excited because you’re happy.
LH: 能找到这么好的房子，我当然高兴了。I am totally psyched! 这个周末就搬家。
LL: I’m glad that you’re psyched. I was worried that you wouldn’t find a new place for a reasonable price that is close to your new office.
LH: 现在想想，搬家又要打包，高兴劲儿一下少了一半。不过有些家具我不打算要了。Any extra furniture I leave behind is up for grabs.
LL: I’d be psyched if you left behind that new leather couch you got for Christmas last year. I’ll take that one off your hands!
LH: 原来你在惦记我去年圣诞节买的新沙发。我还想让你帮我搬过来呢！哈哈！
LL: Well, it was worth a try! You’ve got so much to be psyched about, Lihua – you’ve got your new, cool job, a new place, and the best friend in the world to help you move your stuff!
LH: 还真是，好事都让我赶上了。
LL: I’m psyched for you.
LH: 那我们得庆祝庆祝。Now. What is something Larry would get psyched for…ah yes, – a free dinner! 晚上我请客。
LL: Larry certainly would be psyched about that! In fact, he’s so psyched that he can’t wait! This apartment hunting makes me really hungry.
LH: (Laughing) 别说，我肚子也开始叫了。那你想吃什么？
LL: I’d be the most psyched for some Burger King! Their new triple cheeseburger sounds delicious! What do you think?
LH: 汉堡王？太不健康了。这样好了，我点一份中餐，带到汉堡王去陪你一起吃。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是 Up for grabs, 可以得到的，待价而沽的。另一个是 Psyched, 指特别高兴。