long shot
long shot — 名詞
1. something a person tries to do or achieve even though the chance of success is v
勝算低的事
成功機會很小的嘗試
something a person tries to do or achieve even though the chance of success is very small — for example, applying for a job that hundreds of other people want, or asking someone for a date who has never shown interest in you before.
Linh knew it was a long shot, but she applied for the lead role in the school play anyway.
Linh 知道這機會渺茫，但她還是申請了學校話劇的主角。
The editor said publishing a first-time author was a long shot, but the manuscript was too good to ignore.
編輯說出版一位新進作者勝算極低，但那份稿子實在太好，讓人無法拒絕。
long shot + infinitive clause: 'was a long shot to...'
It is a long shot, but the rare painting in their attic might be valuable.
機會不大，但他們閣樓裡那幅罕見的畫作說不定很值錢。
Getting tickets for the sold-out concert at the last minute seemed like a long shot.
在最後一刻才想買到售罄演唱會的門票，簡直是勝算低到極點的事。
- gamble
emphasises the risk of losing rather than the low probability of success
- outside chance
similar meaning but used as a countable noun phrase ('an outside chance'), not a fixed idiom
- sure thing
something certain to succeed, the opposite of a risky attempt
文法句型
long shot / a long shot
用法筆記
Almost always appears as a singular noun after the verb 'be' or the phrase 'seem like'. The structure 'it is a long shot, but…' is a common conversational opener for an unlikely suggestion.
常見錯誤
2. a business undertaking or financial commitment in which someone stakes significa
高風險投資
風險高但回報大的事業
a business undertaking or financial commitment in which someone stakes significant resources (money, time, or reputation) on an outcome that could either fail completely or bring an exceptionally large return — distinct from sense 1 in that it involves investing resources rather than simply trying something unlikely.
Paloma's vegan café in a mountain town was a long shot, but it soon drew tourists from across the region.
Paloma 打算在山城小鎮開一家素食咖啡館，原本風險極高，不到一年卻吸引了全國遊客。
The investors knew the mining project was a long shot because the land had never produced gold before.
投資人知道那座採礦計畫風險很高，因為那片土地從未產出過黃金。
collocation: 'was a long shot' with business subject
Banks refused money for the solar fishing boat, calling it a long shot that would never profit.
好幾家銀行拒絕貸款給太陽能漁船計畫，稱之為註定無法獲利的高風險投資。
Jabari's plan to grow vegetables in the desert was a long shot, but a sponsor funded the first year.
Jabari 在沙漠種植蔬菜的計畫被視為一項高風險投資，但有一位贊助人資助了第一年。
- high-risk investment
more formal and specific to finance
- speculative venture
suggests that the outcome is uncertain and based on guesswork
- safe bet
an investment or plan where failure is very unlikely
文法句型
long shot / a long shot
用法筆記
In business contexts, 'long shot' often appears after the verb 'call' or 'consider' ('called it a long shot', 'considered it a long shot'). The focus is on financial risk rather than general probability of success.
3. a participant in a race or competition, such as a horse, a team, or an athlete,
冷門參賽者
比賽中不被看好的一方
a participant in a race or competition, such as a horse, a team, or an athlete, that most people expect to lose — for example, a runner who has never placed in a major event but is entered anyway.
The horse Dusty Road was the long shot of the race, with odds of fifty to one at the start.
名叫「塵路」的那匹馬是那場比賽的冷門，起跑時賠率高達五十比一。
collocation: 'the long shot of the race'
Aoi was listed as a long shot in the marathon after never having run more than fifteen kilometres before.
Aoi 被列為地區馬拉松的冷門選手，因為之前從未跑超過十五公里。
With odds of fifty to one, the long-shot filly swept past the favourite and won the race by two lengths.
那匹賠率五十比一的冷門小母馬衝過被看好的對手，以兩個馬身的差距贏得了比賽。
Sports writers ignored the young long shot from Brazil until he defeated the defending champion in straight sets.
體育記者們一直忽略那位來自巴西的年輕冷門選手，直到他以直落三擊敗了衛冕冠軍。
- underdog
broader — the underdog is expected to lose but may have popular sympathy; a long shot is strictly about low odds
- favourite
the competitor most expected to win
文法句型
the long shot / a long shot
用法筆記
This sense is most common in American horse-race reporting but extends to any competitive event. Unlike sense 1 ('unlikely attempt'), this sense refers to the person or animal expected to lose, not to the attempt itself.
常見錯誤
4. a wager or bet placed on a competitor who is expected to lose, where the chances
高賠率賭注
獲勝機率低但賭金高的下注
a wager or bet placed on a competitor who is expected to lose, where the chances of winning are very low but the payout is correspondingly huge because the odds are set at a high rate — the focus is on the financial stake itself, not the competitor being bet on (sense 3).
Tuan put fifty dollars on the long shot and was shocked when the horse came in first, paying two thousand.
Tuan 押了五十美元在那個高賠率賭注上，結果那匹馬跑出第一名，讓他贏了兩千多塊，嚇了一跳。
collocation: 'put money on the long shot'
Experienced gamblers rarely place long shots because a horse at thirty-to-one wins only about three percent of the time.
有經驗的賭徒很少下高賠率的賭注，因為賠率三十比一的馬大約只有百分之三的勝率。
collocation: [horse] at [number]-to-one + wins / pays
Manuela only bets on long shots when she has a strong hunch about a particular horse's training history.
Manuela 只有在她強烈預感某匹馬的訓練史時，才會下冷門賭注。
The betting slip showed five long shots, but none of them finished in the top three positions.
那張投注單上列了五個高賠率賭注，但其中沒有一匹馬跑進前三名。
- outside bet
chiefly British English, same meaning but less common in American usage
- safe bet
a wager with very favourable odds
文法句型
a long shot / place a long shot
用法筆記
Closely related to sense 3 (unlikely racer) — a long-shot bet is placed on a long-shot competitor. This sense focuses on the wager itself rather than the person or animal being bet on. Distinguish from sense 3 by asking: are you talking about the bet (place a long shot) or the competitor (the long shot)?