喜樂美語

核心畫面

A gap between two sides that are not even. Picture two piles that should match but don't: one chance is bigger, one is smaller. Everything odds does comes from looking at that gap — how big it is, which way it leans, and what it costs you.

「兩邊不對等的差距」。odds 來自 odd（不成雙、不齊），所以它一開始就不是在講平衡，而是在講「哪一邊比較重、哪…更多收起「兩邊不對等的差距」。odds 來自 odd（不成雙、不齊），所以它一開始就不是在講平衡，而是在講「哪一邊比較重、哪一邊比較輕」。想像天平上兩堆東西本來該一樣多，結果一邊多一邊少——你看著那個落差，就在看 odds。事情會不會發生、你會不會贏、要賠多少錢、兩個人講的話合不合，全都是在量同一件事：兩邊差多少、往哪邊倒。也因為這個字講的是「差距」，它幾乎永遠用複數形。

Four branches

事情倒向哪一邊：機率與逆境

最直接的一支：把「不對等的差距」用在未來的事情上，就是在問「會發生的那一邊比較重，還是不會發生的那一邊比較重」。

chances; probability · noun · C1

How likely it is that something will happen, or will not happen. You can talk about the odds of an event, or the odds against it.

機率

兩邊對不上：意見不合與前後矛盾

回到核心的「不齊」：前一支把落差放在時間上（會不會發生），這一支把落差放在兩個並排的東西之間（合不合得攏）。

at odds (disagreeing) · noun · C1

Used when you disagree with a person or group, especially about what is true or what should be done.

意見不合

把差距換算成錢：賭盤

這是機率那一支被商業化的結果：同一個落差，本來只是判斷，現在被標上價錢，可以拿來下注。

betting odds · noun · C1

The numbers that show how much money you will get if you pick the winner of a horse race or other competition.

賠率

差距等於零：沒差

有趣的一支：既然 odds 是在量兩邊的落差，那麼宣告「沒有落差」就是說這件事無所謂。

makes no odds · noun · C1

Used to say that what someone does, or what happens, is not important.

沒差別

原始詞典資料5 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

oddsnoun/ɑdz/

  • 1

    The ratio of the probability of an event happening to that of it not happening.

    • I'd say the odds are strongly in favor of the sun rising tomorrow morning.
    • A thouſand Perſean horſemen are at hand, Sent from the King to ouercome vs all. […] A thouſand horſmen? We fiue hundred foote? An ods too great, for vs to ſtand againſt: […]
  • 2

    The ratio of winnings to stake in betting situations.

    • I looked at the odds given by all bookmakers.
  • 3

    board-gameschessgamesAn advantage given to a weaker opponent in order to equalize the game when playing casually, usually by removing one of the stronger player's pieces or by giving the weaker player more time.

    • She beat me with knight odds but lost with rook odds.
    • The grandmaster gave his opponents significant time odds, of one minute versus ten minutes.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。