There are situations where a group of people aregathered together because they are all associated insome formal way-for example, they share a stronginterest in some hobby or sport. Now, into this groupmay come an "outsider"-someone that the otherspossibly know, but who is not a regular member oftheir in-crowd. This "outsider" is welcomed andaccepted, and perhaps is even considering joiningtheir group officially.

一群人正聚在一起，因为他们都有些相似之处——例如，他们有相同的爱好或对某一运动有相同的兴趣。现在，这群人中来了一个“局外人”。这群人平常也认识这个局外人，但他不是这群人的常有成员。这个“局外人”的受到了欢迎并被大家所接受，甚至他也许在考虑正式加入这群人中。

For now, however, that "outsider" does not "belong." In this situation, if anyone asks thatoutsider, "Why are you here?", that outsider could answer. "I just came along for the ride." Themeaning is, "I am an extra person who does not really belong, but because I am accepted, I amhappy to be here for now."

然而，现在这个“局外人”还不属于这群人。”在这种情况下，如果有人问这个局外人：“你为什么来这里?”局外人可以这样回答： “我只是来看看。”意思就是：“我是外人，不属于这儿，但因为我被大家接受了，现在我在这儿呆着也挺高兴的。”

1. free ride 是指「不劳而获」的意思。

The kind of free ride that some people were gettingin past years simply doesn't exist anymore.

这种在过去可以让人们轻易接受的搭便车态度,如今已无立足之地。

2. to let something ride 是指不採取行动改变错误、不纠正错误，也就是「顺其自然」的意思。

If you were in his shoes, you wouldn't have let itride.

如果你处在他的位置上,你也会放任不管的。

3. to take someone for a ride 是指蒙敝或欺骗他人的意思。

When he told me I had passed the exam，he was actually taking me for a ride.他告诉我说我已通过了考试，其实他是在骗我。