chance和opportunity 有时可以替代,有时不能。可替代的例子:
The lab. doesn’t have enough (sufficient adequate) computers. Not every student has a chance/opportunity to work on the project in the lab.(实验室计算机不够,不是每个学生都有机会在实验室做这个项目的。)
It had three chances/opportunities to escape. But it missed all those chances/opportunities.(它有三次逃脱机会,但它都错过了。)
It’s unfortunate that we have no chance/opportunity to work together on AI.(很遗憾我们没有机会一起研究AI。)
chance并不总是可以用opportunity 替代,不可替代的例子:
Adversaries have no chance to succeed.(敌手没机会(不可能)成功。)
Is there any chance that our submission will be accepted?(我们的投稿有机会(有可能)接受吗?)
可见,opportunity 是确定的机会(很可能成功),而chance 有时表达确定的机会,有时候表达“可能性”,意思要从句子中判别(英语也存在模糊性)。注意,chance 表达的可能性是人们期望的,与期望无关的可能性不能用chance 表达,例如下面的表达值得推敲:
Toss a coin for 100 times. Is there any chance that there are all heads.(抛100次硬币,有机会(有可能)全是正面吗?)
如果含有期望,这句是合适的,如果纯粹讲概率就不合适了,应该是:
Toss a coin for 100 times. Is there any possibility that there are all heads.
chance似不是很书面语,在写作中,表达确定的机会时尽量用opportunity。在科技论文写作中表达“可能性”都用possibility,不论是否含有期望。
(例句原创)