BBC Learning English BBC Olympic English About this script Please note that this is not a word for word transcript of the programme as broadcast. In the recording and editing process changes may have been made which may not be reflected here. 关于台词的备注 : 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件 本文稿可能没有体现录制 编辑过程中对节目做出的改变 BBC Olympic English 51 Possibility 可能性 3-Minute English Lesson Script 三分钟英语 Feifei: Hello and welcome to Olympic English from BBC Learning English. I m Feifei. Diarmuid: And I m Diarmuid. Today s lesson is all about expressing possibility. Feifei: 是的, 我们今天要来学习在英语中如何表达不同的可能性 Diarmuid: So if I wanted to talk about the weather tomorrow Feifei, I could say It might rain tomorrow. Feifei: It might rain tomorrow 可能明天会下雨 Diarmuid: Or, if I wanted to describe a possible plan for tomorrow I could say: We might be going to the theatre tomorrow night. Feifei: We might be going to the theatre tomorrow night 明天晚上我们可能可以去剧院 Can we also use the word may? Diarmuid: Yes we can. Going back to the first example, we could say: It may rain tomorrow. Feifei: It may rain tomorrow 明天可能会下雨 Diarmuid: That s right or: We may be going to the shops later. Feifei: I see. Is there a big difference between might and may? Diarmuid: Actually they often have the same meaning although may could mean there is more of a chance of something happening. Feifei: 其实他们的意思都是一样的, 不过用 may 通常来表示某件事发生的可能性更大 Diarmuid: So if someone said: What are you doing at the weekend? - Feifei: What are you doing at the weekend? 你准备在周末做什么? Diarmuid: you could say I may be going to the cinema but I might stay at home.
Feifei: I may be going to the cinema but I might stay at home 我可能去看电影, 不过我也可能会待在家里 Example 1 A: Do you think you will be free tomorrow? B: I might be meeting my friends, actually. Example 2 A: How do you fancy going shopping on Saturday? B: I d love to but I may have to work. Feifei: How about the word maybe Diarmuid? Diarmuid: Well, maybe is a word we use to suggest a possibility but unlike might or may which are verbs, maybe is an adverb. So we d say: Maybe I ll have a rest. Feifei: Maybe I ll have a rest 也许我会休息一会儿 Diarmuid: That s right. Now another verb we can use to talk about possibilities is could. Feifei: When do we use could? Diarmuid: Well we can often use it to talk about our options. So if I asked you: Where shall we eat tonight? - Feifei: Where shall we eat tonight? 我们今晚会去哪儿吃饭? Diarmuid: You might say: We could try that new French restaurant. Feifei: We could try that new French restaurant 我们可以去试试那家新开的法国餐厅 Or how about this: We could go to a British pub. Diarmuid: Now that does sound like a good idea Feifei! Anyway, that s all for today but hopefully we ll see you all next time for the final episode of Olympic English from the BBC! Feifei: 请大家不要忘了经常到我们的网站来看看, 网址是 www.bbcchina.com.cn. 网页每天更新, 所以你总会看到最新内容 Bye for now. Diarmuid: See you next time.
Dialogue 1 对话 : Do you think the weather will be good this weekend? 你觉得这个周末天气会好吗? Paul: I heard it may rain. Paul: 我听说会下雨 Oh. That s a pity. I thought that we might go hiking in the hills. 哦, 那太遗憾了 我本来想咱们可以去山上散步的 Paul: Mmm. Well we could go to that new art gallery instead. Yes that might be a better idea. Paul: Maybe we ll meet some of the artists too. Paul: 嗯. 我们或者也可以去那家新开的美术馆看看 对, 那可能是个更好的主意 Paul: 也许我们还会碰到一些艺术家 Ok - let s do that then! 好吧, 那咱们就这么说定了! Dialogue 2 对话 : John: Hey Mei Hong, how are you getting to Xi an next week? Mei Hong: I m not sure yet. I may take the train but then again I might take the bus. John: Yeah but the bus takes a long time. You could fly - it s not so expensive these days. Mei Hong: Really? Maybe I ll do that then. John: Hey Mei Hong, 你下周怎么去西安呢? Mei Hong: 我还不能确定呢 我可能坐火车去, 不过我也可以坐公共汽车去 John: 可是坐公共汽车花时间太长了 你也可以做飞机去, 现在机票也不是那么贵了 Mei Hong: 真的吗? 那说不定我会坐飞机 John: Ok well, you let me know your schedule and I ll book a ticket for you. John: OK, 告诉我你的日程, 我会给你订机票 Mei Hong: Ok. Thanks for that! Mei Hong: 好的, 那谢谢你了!
Key Phrases 关键词语 It might rain tomorrow. I may take the train. We could go to the new art gallery. I may go to the cinema but I might just stay at home. Maybe we ll meet some of the artists. 明天可能会下雨 我可能会坐火车 我们可以去那家新开的美术馆 我可能去看电影, 不过我也可能待在家里 也许我们会遇到几位艺术家 Summary Table 1 句型小结 It rain tomorrow. 明天可能会下雨 might We go to the theatre tonight. 我们今晚可能会去剧院看戏 Summary Table 2 句型小结 I take the train. 我可能会坐火车 may We be going to the cinema tonight. 我们今晚可能会去看电影 Summary Table 3 句型小结 We go to the new art gallery. 我们可以去那家新开的美术馆 could You fly there. 你可以坐飞机去那里 Summary Table 4 句型小结 Maybe I ll do that. 也许我会那样做 we ll meet some of the artists. 也许我们会遇到几位艺术家
NOTES 注释 Might, may and could 都是可以用来表示可能性的语气动词 这些语气动词后面一定要连跟一个动词不定式 这些语气动词也有它们的否定式 (might not, may not) 除了 could. 因为 Could not 表示的意思是没有能力或被禁止, 而不是缺乏可能性 我们一般不会使用 might 或者 may 去构成问句 构成问句是我们通常会使用 Do you think? 或者 could Maybe 是一个副词, 一般在句子中起到表达可能性的作用, 不过请不要把它和 may be 进行混淆, 因为 may be 是由语气词 may + 动词不定式 be 所构成 Vocabulary 词汇 1. Art gallery 美术艺术馆 6. Cinema 电影院 2. Theatre 剧院 7. Expensive 昂贵的 3. Artist 艺术家 8. Fly 飞行 4. Schedule 日程 9. Shopping 购物 5. Pub 酒馆 酒吧 10. Hiking 长途徒步旅行 Practice 练习 Choose the correct word to fill in the space. 1) I (may, could) not be coming to the party tomorrow. 2 (Could, Might) you help me carry my bags? 3) (Maybe, Might) I will have noodles tonight. 4) (Do you think, Could) it will be wet tomorrow? 5) I (may be, maybe) late for work on Friday. 6) (Could, May) you pass me the salt please? 7) We (might, could) not have enough time to catch the train.
Answer Key 答案 1. may 2. Could 3. Maybe 4. Do you think 5. may be 6. Could 7. might