Down to the short strokes 

    接近尾声     

    Stroke这里指“击球”。这个短语是什么意思呢？请看对话：

    A: I've heard that you are having a villa built in your hometown. How are things doing?

    B: Building a house is a long ordeal. Just when you think you are down to the short strokes, something unexpected comes up. By the way, have you got your driver's license?

    A: I've passed both the written and road tests. So, yes, after two years, I'm finally down to the short strokes.

    Note: This term is possibly an allusion to painting, in which a painter typically finishes a work with short, careful, finishing strokes of the paint brush. Others say it comes from golf. When a golfer begins at the tee, he hits the ball towards the green by driving, or using a long stroke. When the ball is on the green, he must get the ball in the hole by putting — or taking "short" strokes. Therefore, the idiom means "in the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious."