Lesson FourteenThe Outside Chance
一、词汇
outside adj. 极小的（可能性、机会等）
quote v. 引证，引述
[kw]
rainy adj. 下雨的,多雨的
windy
cloudy
sandy
mechanic n.技工，机修工
garage n. 汽车修理厂（或兼加油站）；车房，车库
restless adj.不安分的，坐立不安的
mum n.（口语）妈妈
council house n.（英国市、郡等统建的便宜的）公寓或房屋pension n.养老金；退休金；抚恤金
tube n.（英）地铁
subway美式地铁
tube英式地铁
gap n.（时音或空间的）间断，空白；差距；裂缝
generation
gap
jump n. 跳，跳跃
my God interj. 天哪
winner n. 获胜的人或马等
outsider n.（赛马中）不看好的马
bet v.&n. 赌博，打赌；赌注，赌金
draw v.（从银行）取款
lay v. 押（赌注），赌（钱等）
suspicious adj.（对……）起疑心的，可疑的
notice n. 辞职书；通知，预告
announcer n. 播音员，广播员
explosion n.爆炸
explode
explosion
up adv. 在北方，在高处
enquiry n. 调查，查询
stop press n.（英）（报纸付印时留出的）最新的消息栏bloody adj. （英俚）该死的
swim v.似在旋转，似在摇晃
better off adj 经济情况好转的
well off
damn adv.（口语）非常
二、课文分析
1 It’s a funny thing about money. If you haven’t got it, you think it’s the most important thing in the world. That’s what I used to think, too. I don’t any more, thought, and I learned the hard way.
钱这个东西真是很捉弄人。如果你还没有钱的时候，你会认为他是世界上是重要的东西，这是我过去的想法。use to do 过去常常。但是现在我不会这么想了，而且我学会这一点是经历了许多的困难的。
2 When I was at school, we had this English master. He was always quoting to us from famous writers. I wasn’t very interested, and I don’t remember much about it now. But it’s fumy how things come back to you .He used to say:
当我还在上学的时候我们有一个英语老师，他常常会引述一些作家的话，我不是特别的感兴趣，而且现在能想起来的也不多了，但是当这个事情回头发生在你身上的时候，你会觉得非常的好笑。他过去总是说：
3 “When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.”
“当上帝想要惩罚你的时候他就会回应我们的祷告”
pray v.祷告
4 Sounds a bit silly, doesn’t it? Well, I didn’t understand it then, either, but
I can tell you what it means now. It means if you want something really badly, you ‘ll probably get it. But you’ll probably get it in a way you don’t expect.
听起来有些愚蠢对不对
sound 系动词
That music sounds beautiful.
那音乐优美动听。
His explanation sounded reasonable.
他的解释听起来合情合理。
当然了，我在上学的时候也不理解这句话，但是现在我却可以告诉你他意味着什么意思，他就意味着你特别想要什么东西，也许你就可以得到他，但是你得到他是以一种你从来没有想过的方式。
5 I mean, you might have to pay a price you didn’t bargain for.
那么，我的意思就是说，你可能会为了得到这个东西付出你从来没有想过的代价，
pay a price for 付出代价
He will pay a big price for his crime.
他会为自己的罪行而付出高昂代价。
Someday you will pay the price for drinking so much.
你喝这么多，总有一天会吃苦头的。
6 It started one rainy day, when I was coming home from work.
这件事开始于一个雨天，我刚刚下了班在回家的路上。
7 I’m a motor mechanic, and I like working in the garage. But, I was restless. I’d always had this dream of owning my own business. Nothing big—just something I could build up. I don’t mind hard work, you see, if I’m working for myself. That’s why I’d left my mum and dad in the North, and come to London. I thought I’d make more money that way.
我是一个爱骑车的修理工，而且我喜欢在修车厂工作，但是那个时候我非常不安份，我一直有一个梦想，就是拥有一个我自己的小生意，并不要很大，只是能够慢慢将它壮大就可以了.
如果我是为自己工作的话，我不介意工作多新辛苦，这就是我为什么要离开父母来到伦墩，我以为我可以通过这种方式挣更多的钱。
build up 逐渐获得、发展或增强
She is building up a collection of herbs and spices.
她正在收集草药和香料
spicy hot 辣
8 We’d had arguments about it. My dad and I. He didn’t see why I should want to leave home when I had enough money to live on.
我和父母之间争吵过，由其是我父亲和我之间，他不能够理解我在家中有足够的钱生活的时候还要离开家这么远。See理解，live on 靠什么东西生活。
9 Enough! Enough for what? I used to ask him. To live as he had in a council house all his life, with nothing to look forward to but a gold watch and a pension? 足购多！购干什么的呀！这点钱就够一辈子住在这种廉价的房子里，什么都没有指望，也不渴忘什么，除了一块不错的金表，和一份不错的养老金吗。
10 Oh, I was fond of him, you see, and it annoyed me to see him so content. He had nothing to show for all those years of work in that noisy factory.
是的，我很爱我的父亲，所以，看到他如此满足于现状，让我很生气，
be content with 对……感到满足
for all=in spite of 尽管
尽管他在这个破工厂里那么多年，但是没能什么值钱的东西
11 Anyway, all this was on my mind, as I walked home that night, The rain didn’t help, either. I remember thinking, if only I could get a thousand pounds—just that, just a thousand.
当然这些想法都是在我的脑海当中，当我那天晚上回家的时候就在想这些事情，即使下着雨也没办法抑制我这样想，我还记得那个时候只要我能有一千镑，就一千镑就可以开始我自己的小事业了
12 I stopped and bought a newspaper outside the Tube. I thought it would take my mind off things on the way home. A could read about other people’s troubles for a change. See what films were on.
出了地铁站我买了一份报纸，我希望我能在回家的路上，通过这份报纸把这些烦心事忘记。take one’s mind off 不再去想
The day before the exam, I went to the cinema to take my mind off things.
考试前一天，为了放松，我去看了一场电影。
我可以去读读别人的烦恼，换换口味，
13 I don’t know when I first realized there was something wrong with the paper. It looked ordinary enough. But there was something about it that didn’t seem quite right. As if there was a gap in the news. As if it was a jump ahead. So ,in the end, I looked at the front page, and instead of Tuesday 22nd November, it said Wednesday 23rd November.
我不知道从什么时候开始这份报纸好像有点问题，这份报纸看起来非常普通，然而去好像有什么事情似乎不太对，好像在新闻之间有断层，好像新闻提新了，所以呢最后的时候我看了首版，不是11月22号星期二，而是11月23号星期三。
14 “My God” I thought, “it’s tomorrow’s paper!”
“噢，开啊，我想，这是明天的报纸”
15 I didn’t believe it to start with. But it did explain why all the news was different. There couldn’t be any other explanation. Somehow ,I had bought tomorrow’s paper—today!”
最天始我不敢相信，但是呢日期确实解释出为什么所有的新闻都是不同的，不可能有别的解释了，不管怎么说，我买了明天的报纸了
16 And that was the moment I realized it. The moment I realized that all my prayers could be answered. My hands were shaking so much that I could hardly turn the pages. But they were there .The results of tomorrow’s races!
那一刻，我突然意识到我所有的祈祷都得到了回应，我的手抖的如些的厉害，以至于我都翻不了报纸了。但是东西却实在那。
17 I looked at the winners, and chose from them carefully. I picked only the outsiders that had won at prices like 30—1.
我看了看获胜的马，从它们之间小心的做选择，我只选那些没有机会获胜的，因为这种马的赢率是三十比一。
18 There was even one at 50—1! A horse I would never have thought of betting on. 甚至有一匹马是五十比一！而这匹马却是我从来都没有想过在它身上下注的。
19 Next morning, I went to the bank, and drew out just about all I had--￡150. I laid my bets during my lunch hour. I went to several shops. I didn’t want anyone to become suspicious.
第二天早上，我就去了银行，取出了我所有的钱，一共才150镑，在午餐的时候就下了注，我去的是不同的商店，因为我不想别人怀疑我。
20 It’s a funny thing, but I just knew the horses would win. And –God forgive me—I never stopped to think why I gad been given this chance to see into the future. 这是一件很奇妙的事，但是只有我一个人知道这些马会赢，而且上帝原谅我吧，我从来都没有停下来去想一想，为什么我会得到这个机会，来预测未来呢。
21 They did win –every one of them. All I had to do was to go round and collect my money, and I couldn’t wait to get home and count it. ￡4000!!
我下注的那些马却实赢了，我所有要做的事情就是去一个店一个店的收我的钱，我简直都等不到回家就开始数钱了
22 Well, nothing could stop me now! I’d give in my notice at work the next day, and look for a place of my own. Wait till I told Mum and Dad! They’d hardly be able to believe it.
是啊、现在没有什么事可能阻止我了，第二天我就递了辞职报告，而且开始寻找一个开店的地方了，看着等我告诉爸妈吧，他们简直都不敢相信。
23 I switched on the television, bu t I couldn’t concentrate on it, I kept thinking what I’d do with the money. I hardly heard a word of the programme.
这个时候我把电视把天了，但是我却无法集中精力去看电视。
switch on=turn on 把一些电器打开。
所以我不停的在想我该怎样处置这些钱，电视里的节目我一个字、也没听进去
24 Then the news came on.
然后新闻天始播了。
25 The announcer mentioned Selby that was where my parents lived. I began to listen. 播音员提到了Selby这个地方，那是我父母住的地方，这个时候我就听起来了。
26 There had been an explosion up there, that afternoon, followed by a fire in a
factory. Twenty-two people had been killed, and many more were in hospital. I don’t remember the rest—something about a government enquiry.
在Selby这个地方有一个爆炸，然后起了一场大火，22人死亡，而且还有更多的人在医院接受治疗，其余的东西我都没有听进去了，也不记得了，好像是关于一个关于政府查询的说明。
27 I stopped listening, but I couldn’t move out of the chair. I think I must’ve known then that my dad was dead—even before the telegram came.
这个时候我已经不能听下去了，但是这时我简直不能从椅子上站起来，我想我那时一定知道了我的父亲一定死于爆炸了，甚至在电报发来之间我就知道了。
28 The newspaper had fallen on the floor. I picked it up, not realizing what I was doing. Then, I saw it –in the “Stop Press.” FACTORY DISAS TER IN SELBY. MANY FEARED DEAD. I hadn’t seen it before. I’d been too busy picking winners. I could’ve saved my dad’s life, but I’d been too busy picking bloody winners. I don’t often cry, but the words swam in front of me then.
这个报纸也掉到地上了，我把报纸捡起来，没有意识到我正在做什么事情，然后我忽然在最新消息栏看到了这个消息，写着“在Selby这个地方发生爆炸，很多人恐怕都已死亡了”fear 害怕
Most people fear death.
大部分人怕死
I fear that I am going to be late.
恐怕我要迟到了。
之间我怎么就没有看到呢，我太忙于去选那些获胜的马匹了，我本来可以挽救我父亲的生命的，但是我没有。但是我太急于去选那些获胜的马匹了。我这人是一个不太爱哭的人，但是那一天眼泪已经把眼前的报纸模糊。
29 There isn’t much more to tell. I got my own business, and I’m doing well. As for my Mum, she was paid insurance by the firm that owned the factory, so she’s better off than she ever was. The only thing is, she doesn’t care if she’s alive or dead now my Dad’s gone.
没有什么其它想说的了，我自己开了一个小的工厂，我的生意做的也不错，至于我妈妈呢，拥有那家工厂的保险公司付给我妈妈保险金了，所以她比过去经济状况要好，但是唯一的事情就是根本不在乎她是死还是生了，既然我父亲已经不在了。
be gone
be missing
30 When the gods wish to punish us, they made a damn good job of it .
所以当上帝要惩罚我们的时候呢，他们干得真漂亮。
make a good job of it 干得不错
He made a good job of that shed he’s just built.
他刚搭好一个棚子，干得还挺不错。
The old man made an excellent job of repairing the broken chair.
老人把那张坏椅子修复得真棒。
三、语法与练习
（一）Useful Expressions
live on 以……为生计，靠……生活
build up 发展
take one’s mind off sth. 不去想……
in the end 最后
bet on 赌：在……上下赌注
switch on 打开（灯、收音机等）
look forward to （sth./doing sth.）盼望（某事）
I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.
我非常可望收到你的音讯。
（二）Vocabulary Exercises
名词+-ous/-ious（具有某性质或特征的）
religious宗教的
dangerous危险的
furious大发雷霆的
continuous继续不断的
courageous勇敢的
a-（处于某状态或过程的）+动词
live 生活
alive活着的，和死相对。
asleep 睡着的
alive 活着的
ablaze 燃烧的
aglow 发光的
（三）语法
语法条件句2
虚拟条件句（简称虚拟语气）
1.与现在事实相反
连接词条件从句结果从句
If 1.动词过去式（或were）
2.助动词（过去式）+动词原形Should
Would +动词原形
Could
might
例句：
If Peter had a lot of money, he’d travel round the world.
如果Peter有很多的钱的话，他就会去周游世界。
If he had the time, John would make a trip to China to see the Great Wall. 如果他有时间的话John就会到中国去旅行，看万里长城。
If I were you, I would give up drinking immediately.
如果我是你的话，我会马上就戒酒。
2.与将来事实相反
连接词条件从句结果从句
If 1.动词过去式（或were to do）
2.助动词（过去式）+动词原形Should
Would +动词原形
Could
might
例句：
If you should lose, what would you do?
如果将来你丢了，你怎么办呢？
If I were to see her tomorrow, I would tell her the truth.
假如明天我去看她，我就告诉她事实。
If you went there next time, you would see what I mean.
下次如果你在去那个地方的时候，你就会明白我的意思。
3.与过去事实相反
连接词条件从句结果从句
If Had +过去分词Should
Would + have + 过去分词
Could
might
例句：
If I had known that it was going to rain, I would never have gone for a walk in the country.
如果我那个时候知道天要下雨了，我就不会到乡村去散步了。
1.在虚拟条件句中，if从句中的谓语动词与过去的时形式一致，主句中的谓语动词是would+动词原形。
1）用法
（1）表示与当前或已知的事实相反的情况
If I were young, I would make a quite different choice.
如果我还年轻，我会做一个完全不同的选择。
If a lived with my mother, I would be less busy.
如果我各我妈一起住，我就不会这么忙了。
If we had a dining room, we would not eat in the living room.
如果我们有餐厅，我们就不会在客厅里吃饭了。
（2）表示未来不大可能出现的情况
If someone tried to break into my home, I would call the police.
如果有人想撬我家的门，我就给警察打电话。
If a dyed my hair red, people would laugh at me.
如果我把头发染成红色，人们会笑我的。
If he moved to the suburbs, we would mot be able to see him so often.
如果他搬到郊区住，我们就不能这么经常见到他了。
2）基本形式可能的变化
主句：
（1）可以用might或could而不用would，表示可能或能力
If I had their address, a could write and ask them.
要是我有他们的地址，我就可以写信问他们了。
If she didn’t answer the phone, she might be at work in her office.
如果他没有接电话，她就可能在他办公室里工作。
（2）可以用would+过去进行时的形式，表示假设正在进行的动作。
If I were him, I would be touring Europe now.
我要是他，我这会儿就在欧洲旅行了。
If he had enough money, he would not be working so hard.
他要是有足够的钱，他就不会这么卖力干活了。
从句：if + 过去进行进形式，表示假设正在进行的动作
if it wasn’t raining, I could let him go with you.
要是这会儿没下雨，我可以让他跟你走。
If the lift was working, we would not have to climb the stairs.
如果电梯还在运行，我们就不用爬楼梯了。
2.if从句中的动词是过去完成时形式，主句中的动词形式为would +现在完成时。
1）用法：表示与过去的事实相反的情况
If he had been that criminal with no police around, he’d probably have twisted your neck.
如果他是那个罪犯而附近又没警察，他也许已经拧断了你的脖子。
If she had mot finished university, she would not have got the job .
如果他大学没毕业，他就得不到这个工作了
If he had worked harder, he would have passed the exam.
他要是学习刻苦一点，他就已经通过考试了。
2）基本形式的可能变化
主句：
（1）可以用could或might而不用would,表示可能或能力
（2）可以用would + 完成进行时，表示假设的过去正在进行的动作
At the time of the ac cident, I was sitting in the back of the car. If Jane hadn’t changed seats with me, I would have been sitting in front.
事故发生的时候，我坐在车的后座。如果珍妮没有跟我换位的话，我当时就坐在前座了。从句：可以用过去完成进行时的形式，表示假设的过去正在进行的动作或情况。
If she had not been wearing a seat belt, she might have been killed in the crash. 她当时要是没系安全带，可能就被撞死了。
If the building had not been burning so fiercely, more people could have been saved. 当时楼房如果不是烧得那么利害的话，更多的人就可能被求出来了。
3.If从句运误用过去完成时的形式，主句动词would/could/might + 动词原形/进行进形式，表示虚拟的过去的条件和虚拟的现在的情况关系。
If you had followed th e doctor’s advice, you wouldn’t be in bed now.
要是你听从了医生的劝告，你这会儿就不会躺在床上了。
If I had caught the train, I would be sitting comfortably at home now.
如果我赶上火车，我现在就会舒舒服服的坐在家里了。
Exercises Questions
（四）回答课文问题
注意：下面列出的题目必须能做到熟练并准确地写出画线部分！划红线的句子尤其应该重点记忆。
第5题：In the Outside Chance, the writer bought a newspaper on his way home one rainy day, but he found the paper so funny that there was something wrong with it, as if some news was missing because the news stories didn’t follow up news of the day before.