CHANCEwhen something happens by chance1 when something happens without being planned2 happening by chance3 when things are done, chosen etc by chancewhen you have a chance to do something4 when you have the chance to do something5 to use an opportunity6 to not use an opportunityRELATED WORDSoppositeDELIBERATELYwhen you do something without intending to 做没打算要做的事ACCIDENTALLYsee alsoINTEND/NOT INTENDLUCKYUNLUCKY1 when something happens without being planned 某事未经计划发生by chance /baɪ ˈtʃɑːnsǁ-ˈtʃæns/ [adverb]if something happensby chance, it happens unexpectedly and seems to have no particular cause 偶然，意外地 I met an old friend by chance on the train. 我在火车上与一位老朋友不期而遇。 If by chance I'm not in when she calls, can you take a message? 如果她打电话来我碰巧不在，你能记一下留言吗？quite/purely/entirely by chancecompletely by chance 完全是巧合 Quite by chance, a TV crew was filming in the area when the accident happened. 十分凑巧，事故发生时，一个电视摄影队正在该地区拍摄。by accident /baɪ ˈæksdənt/ [adverb]if you do somethingby accident, you do it by chance and without intending to do it 偶然，碰巧 Fleming discovered penicillin almost by accident. 弗莱明在一个几乎是偶然的机会下发现了青霉素。 We ended up by accident on the wrong train and had to ride all the way to Montreal. 结果我们不巧上错了火车，得一路坐到蒙特利尔。 The trigger of the gun is locked so that it cannot be fired by accident. 枪的扳机锁住了，所以不会走火。quite by accidentcompletely by chance 完全是巧合 Lombardi heard about their plan quite by accident. 隆巴尔迪非常偶然地听说了他们的计划。happen to do something /ˌhæpən tə ˈduː something/ [verb phrase not in progressive]if youhappen to do something, you do it by chance and not because of any particular reason or plan 碰巧做某事 Justin forgot the map but I happened to have another one in the glove compartment. 贾斯廷忘了带地图，我碰巧在贮物箱中还有一张。just happen to do something I'm sorry I didn't phone first -- I just happened to be passing and thought I'd drop in. 抱歉没有事先打电话—我只是正好路过，想想就来了。 We're not related -- we just happen to have the same name. 我们之间没有亲戚关系—我们只是碰巧同姓。as luck would have it /əz ˌlʌk wʊd ˈhæv ɪt/ [adverb]use this to say that something happened by chance, when this is connected with what you have just been talking about 碰巧；碰得不巧 This was the first time I had ever seen a panda, and as luck would have it, I had my camera with me. 那是我第一次看见大熊猫，真幸运，我正好带着照相机。 As luck would have it, it rained the next day and the game was canceled. 真不凑巧，第二天下雨，比赛取消了。coincidence /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns, kəʊˈɪnsədəns/ [countable/uncountable noun]a surprising situation in which two things happen that are similar or seem connected, but no-one planned or intended this to happen 巧合 Hi Phil. What a coincidence -- we were just talking about you. 嗨，菲尔。真巧—我们刚说到你。by coincidence My mother is called Anna, and by coincidence my wife's mother is called Anna too. 我母亲叫安娜，真巧我岳母也叫安娜。just a coincidence It was just a coincidence that we were in Paris at the same time. 我们同一时间在巴黎，纯属巧合。by a strange/sad/happy etc coincidence By a strange coincidence the king was assassinated on the very spot where his grandfather had been killed. 巧得出奇，国王是在他祖父被害的地方遭人暗杀的。luck/chance /lʌk, tʃɑːnsǁtʃæns/ [uncountable noun]the way in which good or bad things seem to happen to people by chance 运气，巧合 There's no skill in a game like roulette, it's all luck. 轮盘等赌博没有技巧，全靠运气。 Success is not a matter of chance - it takes a lot of hard work. 成功并不是运气一—需要十分努力工作。pure luck/chance It was pure chance that we ran into each other on the street. 我们在街上相遇纯属巧合。leave something to chancelet things happen by chance 听其自然，听天由命 You must plan ahead. You can't leave these things to chance. 你们必须提前安排，这些事不能听其自然。fate /feɪt/ [uncountable noun]the power or force that is supposed to control the way everything happens, so that people cannot completely control their own lives 命运 It was fate that brought us together. 是命运让我们聚在一起。 They saw themselves as victims of fate. 他们觉得自己命运坎坷。by a twist of fatebecause fate made things happen in an unexpected way 因为命运意外的安排 By a strange twist of fate the judge died on the very day that Cordell was executed. 因为命运奇怪的安排，法官就在科德尔被处决的那一天死了。accident /ˈæksɪdənt, ˈæksədənt/ [countable noun]something that happens by chance with no plan or intention 意外事情 I only met her again through a fortunate accident. 幸运的是，我无意中又与她重逢。 It is no accident that most of the country's outstanding public schools are in wealthy communities. 该国大多数优秀的公立学校都地处富人社区绝非偶然。as it happens /əz ɪt ˈhæpənz/ [adverb]use this when you are talking about a situation that is surprising because by chance it is connected with something else that has been noticed or mentioned 碰巧，凑巧 We've just seen a really beautiful house and, as it happens, it's for sale. 我们刚看到一幢非常漂亮的房子，凑巧的是，它正待售。 I needed to borrow a car, and as it happened Andrew wasn't using his. 我要借辆车，真凑巧，安德鲁正好没在用他的车。2 happening by chance 碰巧发生chance /tʃɑːnsǁtʃæns/ [adjective only before noun]chance meeting/remark/discovery etca meeting etc that happens unexpectedly and was not planned or arranged 偶然的相遇/话语/发现等 Their friendship was the result of a chance meeting. 他们的友谊是一次邂逅带来的。 A chance encounter at the conference gave him the opportunity to tell the professor about his work. 会上的偶然相遇使他有机会跟教授讲了自己的工作。 Wilson hoped his chance discovery would benefit poor families in developing nations. 威尔逊希望自己的偶然发现会造福发展中国家的穷苦家庭。accidental /ˌæksɪˈdentl◂, ˌæksəˈdentl◂/ [adjective]happening by chance, without being planned or intended, especially in a way that has a bad result 意外的，偶然的〔尤指产生坏的结果〕 Are you insured against accidental damage to your property? 你为防意外损毁给你的财产投保了吗？ A system of valves limits accidental releases of the substance. 一套阀门系统阻止该物质的意外泄漏。accidentally [adverb] Don't tell Sue about our plan. She might accidentally mention it to the wrong person. 不要把我们的计划告诉休。她可能会不小心跟不合适的人说的。 He claims he opened my mail accidentally but I'm not sure I believe him. 他声称自己不小心拆了我的信，但是我半信半疑。fortuitous /fɔːʳˈtjuːɪtəs, fɔːʳˈtjuːətəsǁ-ˈtuː-/ [adjective]formalhappening by chance, especially in a way that has a good result 【正式】偶然的，幸运的〔尤指带来好的结果〕 A fortuitous fire destroyed all evidence of his wrongdoing. 一场偶然的大火烧毁了他所有的罪证。3 when things are done, chosen etc by chance 随意干、随意选择等at random /ət ˈrændəm/ [adverb]if you do or choose thingsat random, you do or choose them without using any plan or system 随机地；随便地 The forms were distributed at random to people passing by. 那些表格向过路人随意分发。 While he waited, he picked up a magazine, turned to a page at random, and started reading. 等的时候，他拿起一本杂志随便翻到一页就开始读起来。 Twenty students were chosen at random to take part in the experiment. 任意挑选了20名学生参加试验。random /ˈrændəm/ [adjective]something that israndom is done or chosen without using any plan or system 任意的；任意选择的 The union believes that the random drug testing of employees is an invasion of their privacy. 工会认为任意对雇员进行药物测试是对他们个人隐私的侵犯。 A few random shots were fired, but the battle was over. 偶尔有几声枪响，但战斗已经结束。randomly [adverb] Participants for the show are randomly selected from a long list. 参加表演的人是从长长的名单上随机挑选出来的。arbitrary /ˈɑːʳbɪtrəri, ˈɑːʳbətrəri, -triǁ-treri/ [adjective]something that isarbitrary is decided or arranged without any reason, plan, or system, especially in a way that seems unfair 随心所欲的；武断的 The way the programme of events is organized seems completely arbitrary to me. 在我看来，这次活动的安排完全是随心所欲的。 The fans complained about the apparently arbitrary distribution of tickets for the next game. 球迷们抱怨下一场比赛门票的分发显然是随心所欲的。arbitrarily /ˈɑːbɪtrərəli, ˈɑːbətrərəliǁˌɑːrbˈtrerli/ [adverb] Protesters accused the military of arbitrarily arresting Pereira and forty others. 抗议者指责军方随意逮捕佩雷拉以及其他40人。4 when you have the chance to do something 有机会做某事chance /tʃɑːnsǁtʃæns/ [countable noun]a situation in which it is possible for you to do something enjoyable, useful, or exciting, or something that you want to do 机会chance to do something I never got the chance to thank him for all his help. 我一直没有机会谢谢他帮忙。 It's a beautiful building - you should go and see it if you have a chance. 那是幢漂亮的建筑—有机会你应当去看看。give somebody a/the chance to do something I wish he'd just give me the chance to explain. 但愿他能给我机会解释就好了。take the chance to do somethinguse a chance when you have it 把握机会做某事 You should take the chance to travel while you are still young. 趁还年轻，你应当抓紧机会旅游。chance for somebody to do something ‘Back to School Night’ will be a chance for parents to meet their child's teacher. “返校之夜”活动将是父母与孩子的老师见面的一个机会。somebody's last chancewhen you will not have another chance 某人的最后机会 It was her last chance to see him before she left town. 这是她离开小镇之前与他见面的最后一次机会。opportunity /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪti, ˌɒpəˈtjuːnətiǁˌɑːpərˈtuː-/ [countable noun]a chance to do something, especially something that is important or useful to you, or something that you want to do very much 〔尤指重要或有用的〕机会；时机 It was too good an opportunity to pass up. 良机不该错失。opportunity to do something All he needs is an opportunity to show his ability. 他需要的只是一个表现自己能力的机会。opportunity of doing something After they had refused him the opportunity of improving his position, he resigned. 他们拒绝给予他擢升职位的机会后，他辞职了。opportunity for somebody to do something We see this as an exciting opportunity for our companies to work together. 我们将此视为公司合作的机会，令人振奋。have an/the opportunity (to do something) She was delighted to have an opportunity to talk with someone who shared her interest in classical music. 她很高兴有机会与在古典音乐方面同她趣味相投的人谈谈。equal opportunitiesthe same opportunities as other people 平等的机会 All over the world women are demanding equal opportunities. 全世界的妇女都在要求机会平等。break /breɪk/ [countable noun]informala sudden or unexpected chance to do something, especially to be successful in your job 【非正式】〔尤指在工作中取得成功的〕机会，好运 Gary wants to work in television. He's just waiting for a break. 加里想从事电视工作。他现在只是在等待机会。lucky break Seeing that advertisement in the paper was a lucky break for me. 看见报上那则广告是我的好运。big break Nimoy's big break in television came in the mid-'60s, when he won the role of Spock on ‘Star Trek’. 60年代中期，尼莫伊获得《星际迷航》中斯波克一角，他拍电视的好运来了。golden opportunity /ˌgəʊldən ɒpəˈtjuːntiǁ-ɑːpərˈtuː-/ [countable noun] I got a grant from my university to study in the USA for a year. It's a golden opportunity! 我从所在的大学获得在美国学习一年的助学金。这真是个千载难逢的机会！a golden opportunity (for somebody) to do something The management course is being paid for by the company and it's a golden opportunity to improve your skills. 管理学课程由公司付费，这是一次提高自己技能的绝好机会。chance of a lifetime /ˌtʃɑːns əv ə ˈlaɪftaɪm◂ǁˌtʃæns-/ [noun phrase]the chance to do something very exciting or important that you might never be able to do again 千载难逢的机遇 This job is the chance of a lifetime. You'd be a fool not to take it. 这份工作千载难逢，你要是不干就是傻瓜。 If you don't hurry up and make a decision, you could miss the chance of a lifetime. 要是不赶紧作决定的话，你就会失去这个千载难逢的机会。room/scope /ruːm, skəʊp/ [uncountable noun]a chance to do things you want to do, in the way that you want to do them. Scope is more formal than room机会，余地〔scope 比room更正式〕 He refused the post because he felt it didn't offer him much scope. 他拒绝接受这个职位，因为他觉得这份工作不能给他提供很多机会。room/scope for There will always be room for debate and disagreement in this class. 在这个班级一定有机会辩论，一定允许不同意见。 I have two jobs, which doesn't leave much room for socializing. 我有两份工作要干，所以没有多少机会去与人交往。 Despite our recent success, there is still scope for improvement. 尽管我们最近取得了成就，但是仍然有相当的发展空间。room/scope to do something We've left the course deliberately vague, so there's room to concentrate on your particular areas of interest. 我们有意不把课程安排得很明确，以使你们能专心研究自己感兴趣的课题。 Better paid labour means greater scope to increase the company's profits. 提高劳工的工资意味着公司利润增加的可能性也更大。prospects /ˈprɒspektsǁˈprɑː-/ [plural noun]the chance of being successful at something in the future, especially your job 〔尤指工作上的〕前景，前程，前途 He had no job, no family, no home, no prospects. 他没有工作，孑然一身，无家可归，没有前途。 Employers are now offering more jobs with quality training and excellent career prospects. 雇主们现在提供越来越多附带优良的培训并具有美好的事业前途的工作。prospects for The prospects for an alliance between the two nations do not look good. 两国结盟的前景不佳。possibility /ˌpɒsɪˈbɪləti‖ˌpaː-, ˌpɒsəˈbɪləti‖ˌpaː-/ [countable noun]the chance to do something 可能性possibility for The possibilities for improvement are endless. 发展的潜力无止境。 We need to investigate all possibilities for helping these children. 我们得研究一切可能性来帮助这些孩子。open doors for/open the door for /ˌəʊpən ˈdɔːʳz fɔːʳ, ˌəʊpən ðə ˈdɔːʳ fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]to give someone an opportunity to do something, for example the opportunity to do a particular job 给…提供机会 My experience in the Peace Corps really opened doors for me when I started looking for a job. 开始找工作时，我在和平队的经历确实为我提供了机会。 Alice Coachman's Olympic success opened the door for generations of African-American track athletes. 艾丽斯·科奇曼在奥运会上的成就为一代代非洲裔美国田径运动员打开了机会之门。5 to use an opportunity 利用机会take the opportunity /ˌteɪk ði ɒpəˈtjuːntiǁ-ɑːpərˈtuː-/ [verb phrase]take the opportunity to do something I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your help. 我想借此机会感谢你们大家给予我的帮助。take the opportunity of doing something I'm going to take every opportunity of going to see Brian while he's living in Germany. 布赖恩住在德国的时候，我会抓住一切机会去看他。grab the chance /ˌgræb ðə ˈtʃɑːnsǁ-ˈtʃæns/ [verb phrase]informalto quickly use an opportunity to do something, especially when you think you might not get another chance 【非正式】抓住机会 It may be the last time he offers you the job so I'd grab the chance while you can. 也许这是他最后一次给你工作，所以，要是你的话，我会抓住这个机会的。grab the chance to do something Knowing how difficult it is to find a job I grabbed the chance to be trained as an electrician. 我知道找工作有多么困难，所以抓住了这次电工培训的机会。jump at the chance/opportunity /ˈdʒʌmp ət ðə ˌtʃɑːnsǁ -ˌtʃæns, ɒpəˌtjuːnti ǁ-ɑːpərˌtuː-/ [verb phrase]to eagerly and quickly use an opportunity to do something 忙不迭地抓住机会 The early retirement plan is excellent and I'm surprised that people haven't jumped at the opportunity. 提早退休的方案非常好，这样的机会人们却不马上抓紧很让我惊奇。jump at the chance/opportunity to do something When the resort was put up for sale, the Millers jumped at the chance to buy it. 度假旅馆出售的时候，米勒一家马上抓住机会买下了。 She thought Lewis would jump at the opportunity to make some extra money on weekends. 她觉得刘易斯会迫不及待抓住周末赚外快的机会。jump at the chance/opportunity of doing something Who wouldn't jump at the chance of spending a month in Australia? 谁不想抢着这个机会去澳大利亚逗留一个月？strike while the iron is hot /ˌstraɪk waɪl ði ˌaɪəʳn ɪz ˈhɒtǁ-ˈhɑːt/ [verb phrase]to do something quickly, while you are in a situation in which you are most likely to be successful 打铁趁热 Don't wait until tomorrow before you tell him, strike while the iron is hot! 不要等到明天才告诉他，打铁要趁热！make hay while the sun shines /meɪk ˌheɪ waɪl ðə ˈsʌn ˌʃaɪnz/ [verb phrase]spokento take the opportunity to do something now while the conditions are good, because you might not be able to do it later 【口】晒草要趁太阳好；抓紧有利时机 Let's make hay while the sun shines and finish this project before I start falling asleep. 让我们抓紧有利时机，趁我还没睡着把这个计划做完。opportunist /ˈɒpətjuːnɪst, ˈɒpətjuːnəstǁˌɑːpərˈtuː-/ [countable noun]someone who always looks for and takes opportunities that might make them more successful -- used to show disapproval 机会主义者；投机取巧者〔含贬义〕 It is difficult to tell whether he really wants to help May or whether he is just an opportunist. 很难搞清楚他是真的想帮助梅，还是只想趁机得到点什么。 As the finance company started to fail a few opportunists managed to make more money out of it. 信贷公司开始走下坡路时，一些投机分子乘势捞了一笔。6 to not use an opportunity 不利用机会miss a chance/an opportunity /ˌmɪs ə ˈtʃɑːns, ən ˌɒpəˈtjuːntiǁ-ˈtʃæns-, ˌɑːpərˈtuː-/ [verb phrase]miss a chance/an opportunity of Denise never misses the chance of a free meal. 丹尼丝从不错过一次吃免费餐的机会。miss a chance/an opportunity to do something Don't miss this great opportunity to fly for half price. 机票半价，别错过这个大好机会。 Dan never misses an opportunity to remind me that I still owe him money. 丹从不错过每一次机会来提醒我还欠他钱。miss your chance/opportunity Jerry's already sold the car to someone else. You've missed your chance. 杰里已把车卖给别人。你错过机会了。miss out on /ˌmɪs ˈaʊt ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]to not use the chance to do something enjoyable or useful, especially when this is not a good thing 错过时机〔做愉快的或有用的事〕 If you don't come to the picnic you'll miss out on all the fun. 如果你不来参加野餐会，那你就要错过所有的乐趣了。 I don't want to be the type of father who is so busy he misses out on his daughter's childhood. 我不想做那种忙得错过自己女儿童年的父亲。blow it/blow your chance /ˈbləʊ ɪt, ˌbləʊ jɔːʳ ˈtʃɑːnsǁ-ˈtʃæns/ [verb phrase]informalto waste a chance that you had to do or get something good 【非正式】错失良机 Don't panic and talk too much in the interview or you'll really blow it. 面试时不要慌，而且不要谈得太多，否则你会把事搞砸的。 I was afraid I'd blown my chance but she agreed to go out again on Saturday night. 我恐怕已错失良机，但是她同意星期六晚上再出去。blow your chances of doing something She started running much too fast at the beginning and blew her chances of winning the race. 她一开始跑得太快，所以失去了赢得比赛的机会。miss the boat /ˌmɪs ðə ˈbəʊt/ [verb phrase]informalto be too late to use an opportunity to do something good 【非正式】坐失良机 Buy your shares in the company now or you'll miss the boat. 现在就买入这家公司的股票，否则你将错过机会。 He didn't get his application in early enough so he missed the boat. 他没有及早交上申请，所以错失了良机。let something slip through your fingers /let something ˌslɪp θruː jɔːʳ ˈfɪŋgəʳz/ [verb phrase]to not use a good opportunity when you are able to, especially an opportunity that you will not get again 错过机会 We had an opportunity to win the championship last season and we let it slip through our fingers. 上个赛季我们有机会赢得冠军，却错失良机。lost opportunity /ˌlɒst ɒpəˈtjuːntiǁˌlɔːst ɑːpərˈtuː-/ [noun phrase]an opportunity that you wasted by not using it to become successful, enjoy yourself etc 失去的机会 If you don't take the job it'll just be another lost opportunity in your life. 如果你不接受这份工作，那你这辈子又要失去一次机会了。