1.chance的基本意思是无原因、无计划地发生或出现,常译为“偶然〔碰巧〕发生”。引申可表示“冒险”。
2.chance作“偶然发生”解时是不及物动词,可接动词不定式,不过这个不定式并不表示目的、原因或结果,而是与chance构成一个短语动词,在句中作谓语。
3.It chanced that...结构中的chance可视为系动词。
4.chance作“冒险”解时是及物动词,可接名词或动名词作宾语。

chance on〔upon〕(v.+prep.)
偶然找到,遇到 happen to meet sb or find sth
▲chance on〔upon〕 sb/sth
They chanced on a dying wolf.他们偶然遇到一只奄奄一息的狼。
You might chance on the thing you need in the store.在这个店里你也许能碰到你所需要的东西。
He chanced on the solution to his problem.他偶然找到了解决问题的办法。
On our vacation we chanced upon an interesting antique store.我们度假时无意中发现一家有趣的古玩店。
I was looking for the book I wanted, and chanced upon another with the same title.我正在找我所要的那本书,却碰到同样的一本书。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～+to-v
He chanced to save the man.他曾偶然救过这个人。
I chanced to hear the mumbled conversation in the subway.那段含糊不清的话是我恰巧在地铁里听见的。
If it should chance to rain, we'll take a taxi home.万一碰上天下雨,我们就坐出租汽车回家。
She chanced to be in.她碰巧在家。
I chanced to be out when he called me.当他打电话给我的时候,我碰巧出去了。
Should there chance to be a fire tonight, let's use the fire extinguisher.今晚如发生火灾,我们该用灭火器。
用作系动词
▲It ～ed that...
It chanced that someone found the lost ring.可能有人拾到了丢失的戒指。
It chanced that the winter of that year was severe one.碰巧那年冬天特别冷。
It chanced that I was out when he called. 他来访时碰巧我不在家。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
I wonder if you can get it, but let's chance our arm.我不知道能不能成功,不过让我们碰碰运气吧。
You shouldn't chance all your money at once.你不应该一下子把所有的钱都拿来冒险。
It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险,但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
Though it's dangerous I'll chance it.虽然很危险,但我要碰一碰运气。
I'll do it and chance the luck.不管三七二十一我都会做的。
▲S+～+v-ing
Should we chance getting home before it snows?我们是否碰碰运气在下雪前赶到家?
Father will not chance driving on the icy roads.父亲不愿意冒险在结冰的道路上开车。
We'll have to chance meeting an enemy patrol.我们不得不冒着可能遇上敌人巡逻兵的危险。

chance, come off, take place
参见take条。
chance, endanger, hazard, imperil, risk, venture
参见venture条。

关于“It chanced that...”结构,多数语法学家分析为形式主语结构,即that从句为主语从句,但Quirk等人认为这里的that从句是表语从句, it是无人称主语。一般说形式主语结构中主语从句是可以提前的,但本句却是不可提前的。

［同义词］ n. accident, fate, luck, opportunity, possibility, prospect
［反义词］ n. certainty, inevitability
［词源］  ＜古法语cheance(发生,降临)

1.chance作“机会”解时,用以指能做某事的一种侥幸的或偶然的机会或可能性,它的修饰语可以是of或for短语,也可以是动词不定式或that从句。
2.chance可用作可数名词,也可用作不可数名词,表示“可能性”时,多用复数。
3.chance还可作“机遇”“运气”“偶然性”解,是不可数名词。

a fifty-fifty chance
一半的可能性 half possibility
There is still a fifty-fifty chance to win the game.赢得这场比赛有一半的可能性。

a game of chance
碰运气的游戏 game dependent on luck
Cynics believe that finding a good husband these days is a game of chance.愤世嫉俗者认为,现在要找到一个好丈夫是一件碰运气的事情。
Your match is only a game of chance.你的比赛只是凭机会而不是凭本领的游戏。

a smart chance of
大量的,很多的 a great deal; a lot
They got a smart chance of fortune.他们获得大量的财富。

an off chance
微小的希望 almost no hope
There is an off chance of finding him at home.在家找到他的希望不大。
There is an off chance of his winning the chess game.他赢棋的希望极小。

as chance would have it
凑巧; 碰巧 by coincidence; as it happens
As chance would have it he was going to London as well and was able to give me a lift.赶巧他也去伦敦,所以能载我一程。
As chance would have it they caught the last bus.他们凑巧能赶上最后一趟车。

by any chance
或许; 可能 perhaps; possibly
Would you by any chance have change for 5 pounds?你能给我兑换5英镑的零钱吗?
If, by any chance he fails to come, we'll ask another one.万一他没来，我们就叫别人。
Do you have by any chance a pen with you?你带笔了吗?

by chance
偶然地,意外地 by accident; accidentally; unintentionally
I met her quite by chance.我遇见她完全是偶然的。
I heard their talking by chance.我偶然听到他们的谈话。

by some chance
不知为啥 having no idea for what
By some chance the man left without a word.不知为啥，这人一言不发离去了。

cat's〔snowball's〕 chance in hell
毫无机会,机会渺茫 even the remotest chance of all
She hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of persuading her boyfriend to take her to Hawaii for a holiday.她毫无可能说服其男朋友带她去夏威夷度假。

chance in a million
希望渺茫 very remote chance, virtual impossibility
She has only a chance in a million of getting the job.她能得到那份工作的希望很渺茫。
You might get a seat on the train but it's a chance in a million你或许能在火车上找到一个座位,但是希望很小。

chance meeting〔encounter〕
偶尔相遇 meeting by chance
I had a chance meeting with your brother today. He seemed glad to see me.今天我偶然碰见你的兄弟,他看到我似乎很高兴。
It was during a chance encounter with Jeferies at a concert that I first heard of his interest in the project.就是在一次音乐会上当我与杰弗里斯偶尔相遇时,我才第一次听说他对这项科研项目感兴趣。

chance of a lifetime
一生难得的机会,千载难逢的机会 an exceptional opportunity
Then came an invitation to Martinique, an island in the French Caribbean.It was chance of a lifetime.然后被邀请到法属加勒比海的马提尼克岛,这真是千载难逢的机会。
It would be foolish to let such an opportunity slip; it's a chance of a lifetime.坐失这个良机,那真是太傻了,这是一生中难得的机会。

chances are (that...)
很可能发生的情况 the probability is
I shouldn't look forward too much to seeing Grace at the party; chances are that she won't come anyway.我不该过多地期望能在宴会上见到格雷斯,很可能她根本就不会来。
Chances are he's already heard the news.可能他已经听到这个消息了。

chances are even〔against it〕
胜败各半的机会〔不可能〕 it is equally possible〔unlikely〕
The chances are even that Grace will come to the party.格雷斯来参加宴会的可能性为百分之五十。
If you're wondering whether Grace will come to the party,I think the chances are against it.如果你想知道格雷斯是否会来参加宴会,我认为那不太可能。

fancy one's chances
过分自信会成功 be overconfident that one will succeed
Ann really fancies her chances of promotion to the vacant job of chief supervisor.安过分自信她会被提升到还空缺的主管人的职位。

fighting〔sporting〕 chance
成败均有可能的公平机会 fair〔reasonable〕 chance
I think the Tory's have a fighting chance of winning the next election.我认为英国托利党要经过艰苦的努力才有可能赢得下届的竞选成功。
Priscilla won't even give me a sporting chance of saying sorry for what I did the other day.普里西拉甚至不给我机会让我为前几天所做的事情表示歉意。
The examination offers everybody a sporting chance.考试给每个人提供了一个公平的机会。

give a chance
给(某人)一次机会; 讲点道理吧 let sb have another chance
▲give sb a chance
I made a mistake but you should give me a chance.我犯了一次错误,但你应该给我一次机会。

have as much chance as a snowflake in hell
毫无希望 no hope at all
They have as much chance as a snowflake in hell.他们毫无希望。

leave nothing to chance
把事情做得四平八稳,不留漏洞 make things well organized
They try their best to leave nothing to chance.他们尽最大努力不留漏洞。
She left nothing to chance and got fully prepared.她做好充分准备,不留漏洞。

leave things to chance
顺其自然; 听天由命 trust to luck
He likes to leave things to chance.他喜欢听天由命。

long chance
冒相当大的险; 没有多大把握的事情 take a great risk; be unsure
It's a long chance to build a city in the desert.在沙漠中建一座城市要冒相当大的险。

(no) earthly chance/fat chance
可能性很小 (not even) the remotest chance
You've no earthly chance of driving from London to Bristol in under an hour.你根本不可能在一小时内驱车从伦敦到达布里斯托尔。
A higher school team would have a fat chance beating a strong college team.一个中学队不太可能击败实力强的大学队。

on the chance of
怀有…的希望; 期望 in the hope; in view of the possibility
I'll return to the station on the chance of meeting his brother.我将回到车站，期望遇到他的兄弟。

on the off chance
万一,对…抱着微小的希望 in case; in the hope
I'm glad I found you at home; I just called round on the off chance that you'd be in.看到你在家我很高兴,我只是抱着万一的希望来拜访你的。

run a chance of
冒险 risk
To take the job means running a chance of being dismissed.干这个工作就意味着承担被解雇的风险。

stand a good/fair chance of
有…的希望 be fairly likely to
Why don't you enter the competition?I think you stand a good chance of winning a prize.你为什么不参加比赛?我认为你大有获奖的希望。
He stands a fair chance of going abroad.他大有出国的希望。
Fred doesn't stand a fair chance of being elected.福瑞德没有获选的可能性。

take a chance〔chances〕
冒险 behave riskily
We will take a chance to have the party outdoor.我们将冒险举行露天聚会。
I won't take a chance on a July holiday in Britain—it always rains.我不会冒险在7月份去英国度假——那时天老是下雨!
They took a chance on the weather and decided to hold the sports meet next day.天气虽然不好,但他们还是要碰碰运气,决定在第二天开运动会。
We may take a chance on her being at home.也许碰巧她在家。

take no chances〔not take chances〕
不冒险,对…提防一手 not take a risk
You should never take chances when driving a car.开车时绝对不应冒险。
I didn't know what I had expected of him, and I had taken no chances with him, but now I found that I could relax a little.起初我摸不清他的底,因此对他一直存有戒心,而我现在可以放心一些了。
You are valuable to the organization, you mustn't take chances.组织上对你很器重,你不得掉以轻心。

take one's chance
碰运气,听凭命运 take whatever happens to come
Let's go there to take our chances.咱们去那儿碰碰运气。
The old man was too poor to take care of his son, and had to let him take his chance in society.这老头儿太穷没法抚养他的儿子,只好让他到社会上去闯了。
Those orphanized children were left to take their chances in the world.那些失去父母的孤儿只好任其在社会上自生自灭。

the main chance
发财的机会; 得意的机会 opportunity of making money
He always has an eye to the main chance, seeing when money can be made.他总在注意着赚钱的机会。

I think you have a splendid chance.我相信你的机会挺好。
A wise man turns chance into good fortune.一个聪明人能把机会变成好运。
We planned we'd take the chance and visit a bit of your factory.我们打算顺便到你们厂去参观一下。
A good knowledge of English will improve their chances of employment.英语好将有助于增加他们的就业机会。
I have not any chance of telling him the inner story.我没有机会跟他讲其中的内幕。
I think I've got a good chance of winning.我认为我很有可能取胜。
I had the chance of visiting Sydney.我曾有机会访问悉尼。
The team's victory consolidated its chance for the championship.该队的获胜增加了夺取冠军的机会。
Here is an excellent chance for you.你有个极好的机会。
His chances for recovery are favorable.他病愈的可能性很大。
Give me time; I haven't had a chance to think about it.给我时间,我一直没有时间去思考这件事。
Their chance to go abroad was lost.他们出国的机会已失去。
He gave me no chance to reply.他没有给我回答的机会。
He got a chance to go to college for further studies.他获得上大学深造的机会。
This is a good chance for me to practise speaking English.这是我练习讲英语的好机会。
The machine has had no proper chance to do its work.那部机器一直没有发挥作用的适当机会。
The man runs the chance of being killed.那男子冒着被杀的危险。
He had the chance of being presented to the chairman in the office.他有幸在办公室被主席召见。
It offers little chance of success.成功的机会很小。
It's wise to widen your chance of appointment.增加你被信任的可能性是明智的。
They rate the president's chances of living through his crisis are fifty-fifty.他们认为,总统渡过危机的可能性是一半对一半。
They would have little chance to survive against our might.在我们的强大力量面前,他们几乎无法继续生存下去。
He has only one chance in fifty to make it a success.他办成这件事的希望只有50％。
There's little chance that the situation will improve.形势好转的可能性很小。
There's a chance that I will see her.我有可能见到她。
The chances are against snow in May.五月不可能下雪。
The chances are two to one against us.可能是二比一,形势对我们不利。
Let's take the chance and buy these goods.让我们碰碰运气,买下这些货物。
The boy had been climbing on the rocks with a couple of chance acquaintance.那个男孩和几个偶然相识的伙伴爬上了那些岩石。
He was a chance acquaintance, someone I'd met on a train journey.他只是我在一次乘火车时萍水相逢的旅伴。

chance, occasion, opportunity
这组词都有“机会”“机遇”“运气”的意思。其区别在于:
1.chance常与opportunity互换使用,但occasion常指一般性的机会,而opportunity则多指特殊的机会。
2.chance含有侥幸的意味,而opportunity则含有期待的意味。chance常表示可能性,而opportunity则无此义。例如:
I had no chance〔opportunity〕 to see him.我没有机会见到他。
They had no chance〔opportunity〕 to escape.他们没有逃跑的机会。
He has few occasions to speak English.他很少有机会讲英语。
I never miss a chance〔an opportunity〕 of playing football.我从不放弃踢足球的机会。
Chance plays an important part in many card games.在很多纸牌游戏中,运气起着重要的作用。
The chances are ten to one that we will win.我们获胜的可能性是10比1。
chance, fortune, luck
参见luck条。