【直击主题】 This morning I'd like to talk about an idiom which can express little possibility of doing something. What's it ? Let's listen to a simple situation dialogue.
A : Do you thing you can get the project?
B : It's a chance in a million. I hear John is interested in it. A : I see. After all , John is the boss's son.
B : But, anyway, I will have a try .
【答疑解惑】
Okay, guys , have you spotted it? It is " A CHANCE IN A MILLION". "A chance in a million" 直译就是“一百万中的一次机会”，wow , a million一百万，才得到a chance, it's really hard to get it and it's really takes time. So the Chinese for it are : 很小的机会，微乎其微的机会，一丝机会，一种粗俗的说法还可以说成是：狗屎运。
【咬文嚼字】
What's more, a chance in a million is an phrase belonging to a noun form. And in a million is preposition phrase which modifies "chance". As we know, 既然是介词短语修饰限定了前面的名词，some people maybe think that " a" should be changed to " the". Nope, do don't think so for an idiom is a set expression from people's life , which can't be judged if it's right or wrong in grammar rules sometimes. This is just what I want to emphasize. 这正是我要强调的一点，a chance in a million 中的 in a million 是介词短语，作后置定语，修饰前面的 chance, 照常理来说，就然有了修饰与限制，那么就应该定冠词 the， 而不是不定冠词 a. 但是我们要知道习语使人们在生活中的口头语言，很多是无法用语法规则去言论他的对错的。So it's fine that we just keep it in our mind by rote : a change in a million.
【学以致用】
How should we use it? Since it's a phrase of a noun form, verbs can be put in front of it as object . For example: HVE A CHANCE IN A MILLION which equals to have almost no chance or GIVE A CHANCE IN A MILLION. 意思是有个微乎其微的机会，给予很小的机会。Let's look at example sentences. We haven't a chance in a million of winning. 我们胜利的机会微乎其微。Political experts gave him little chance of winning the nomination, because most Democrats didn't know him. 政治家说他赢得提名的机会很小，因为大部分的民主党人士不认识他。 Since it is a phrase of a noun form, it can be used as predicative. For example : It's a million of chance.这是个千载难逢的机会。
【拓展视野】
Of course we have many ways to take place of " a chance in a million " . Let's have a summary.
1 a poor chanceFor example: A chance of getting the job were por, so the young man felt gloomy about the future. 得到这份工作的机会很小, 所以这位青年人感到前途渺茫。
2 a slim chanceFor example: Her chance of success is slim. 她成功的机会很小。
3 little chance ( 备注： 这个短语前面不要加 a .)For example: On the face of things, Ms Menchú has little chance of winning. 从许多方面看，门楚夫人获胜的机会都很小。 4 little possibilityFor example: There's little posibility of being the case or coming about. 还是有很小的机会存在或发生的。
5 The odds against somebody. For example: The odds are against us. 我们成功的机会很小。
【小题大作】
Let's come to the dialogue study. Please listen to the recording and write down the key phrases. A : Do you thing you can get the project?
B : It's a chance in a million. I hear John is interested in it. A : I see. After all , John is the boss's son.
B : But, anyway, I will have a try . And now have you done. Let's come to the phrase accumulation.
【日积月累】
1 get the project 得到这项工程做2 a chance in a million 极小的机会3 I see . 我明白了。
4 after all 毕竟5 have a try 试一试6 be interested in 对......感兴趣【口语句型】
1 I hear + 宾语从句 我听说......
2 Do you think + 宾语从句 你认为......怎样?
【会话翻译】
A: 你认为你能得到这个工程吗?
B : 机会很小，我听说John 对它很感兴趣。
A : 我知道了，毕竟John是老板的儿子。
B : 但是不论如何，我也要试一试看看。
All right , it's time to say goodbye to you. Have a nice day . Thank you for your listening this time. See you next time. 好了，又要和大家在空中告别了，祝您有个愉快的一天，感谢您的这次收听，下次再会。
【温故知新】
【翻译练习】
1 Please translate the following sentence into English. All right , everyone have a try to translate the following sentences into English. 1 尽管巴斯曼夫人熟知这个情况,但她仍然认为自己的想法仍有百万分之一的可能性。 2 真是走狗屎运,他本该在那一天摔断了他的腿。
I'll give you some tips which could help you do it. 1 第一句用个从属连词讲真个句子翻译为让步状语从句，从句中的关键短语是 “be acquainted with”, 主句用同位语从句进行翻译。
2 第二句要进行意译。真个句子上形式主语和主语从句进行，在从句中用上虚拟语气。
Let's look at the answers:
1 Though Mrs Bussman was fully acquainted with this story, she thought that there was a chance in a million that she might be right.
2 It was a chance in a million that he should have broken his leg on that particular day.
2 请用不同的方式改写下面这句话。
If we have seen a black flower, it's a chance in a million.
若我们见过黑花,那是百万分之一的机会。 Let's look at the answers: It's a poor chance in a million for us to see a black flower. We would get little chance of seeing a black flower.
There 's little possibility of seeing a black flower.
It's a slim chance for us to see a black flower.
【口语练习】
1 Please translate the dialogue in Chinese into English orally.
A: 你认为你能得到这个工程吗?
B : 机会很小，我听说John 对它很感兴趣。
A : 我知道了，毕竟John是老板的儿子。
B : 但是不论如何，我也要试一试看看。
2 Please read the dialogue until you can blurt it out while listening to the recording.
【听力练习】
Please listen to the dialogue and make a dictation. A : Do you thing you can get the project?
B : It's a chance in a million. I hear John is interested in it. A : I see. After all , John is the boss's son.
B : But, anyway, I will have a try .
