Oh, sit Carter. Good boy.

哦，坐吧，卡特。乖孩子。

Do you think this hotel may be haunted? Might there be a ghost?

你覺得這家酒店可能鬧鬼嗎？會不會有鬼？

What do you think could happen to us? Welcome back to our second video on three important modal verbs.

你覺得我們會怎么樣？歡迎回到我們關于三個重要情態動詞的第二期視頻。

In our first video, we looked at how we use them to talk about possibilities in the present and the future. Here’s the link.

在上一期視頻中，我們學習了如何用它們來談論現在和將來的可能性。這里是鏈接。

In this video we’ll show you how we use them to talk about possibilities in the past. Before we start, I have two questions for you.

在本期視頻中，我們將向你展示如何使用它們來談論過去的可能性。在我們開始講之前，我有兩個問題要問你。

First one: do these sentences all mean the same thing? Yes, they do!

第一個：這些句子的意思都一樣嗎？是的，它們是一樣的！

They all mean we think something is possible. But is there a little difference?

它們的意思都是我們認為某些事情是可能的。但是有沒有一點區別呢？

Well, ‘may’ is less frequent than ‘might’ and ‘could’ in conversation. And some people think ‘might’ means something is less possible than ‘could’ and ‘may’.

嗯，在對話中，“may”比“might”和“could”用得少。有些人認為“might”的意思是比“could”和“may”更不可能的事情。

But not everyone. Linguists love to argue about it.

但不是每個人都這樣認為。語言學家喜歡爭論這個問題。

But for practical purposes, there is no difference. They mean the same thing.

但就實際用途而言，沒什么區別。它們的意思是一樣的。

OK, second question. Listen to me saying the first sentence in two different ways.

好，第二個問題。聽我用兩種不同的方式說第一句話。

It could happen. It COULD happen.

它可能發生。（could 輕讀）它可能發生。（could 重讀）

Is there a difference in meaning now? Yes, there is.

現在的意思有區別嗎？是的，有。

If I stress the word ‘could’ it means I think something is less possible, less certain. It’s the same with the other verbs.

如果我強調 could 這個詞，它的意思是我認為某事不太可能，不太確定。對于其他情態動詞也是一樣的變化。、

It may happen. It MAY happen.

它可能發生。（may 輕讀）它可能發生。（may 重讀）

It might happen. It MIGHT happen.

它可能發生。（might 輕讀）它可能發生。（might 重讀）

Did you hear the difference? When we stress the modal verb, it means we think something is less possible, less certain.

你聽到區別了嗎？當我們強調情態動詞時，意思是我們認為某事不太可能，不太確定。

Good. So now let’s look at possibilities in the past.

好。那現在讓我們看看過去的可能性。

Let’s check in with Jay and Carter and see what’s happening. Hi everyone.

讓我們來看看杰和卡特的情況。大家好！

Good to see you again. We’re still staying in this old hotel and Carter still doesn’t like it, do you boy?

很高興再次見到你們。我們還是住在這間老酒店里，卡特還是不喜歡這里，對吧？

Carter didn’t sleep well last night. I’m not sure what was wrong but he may have eaten something that upset his stomach.

卡特昨晚沒睡好。我不知道是怎么回事，但他可能吃了什么東西，讓他的胃不舒服。

And I had another bad dream last night. It was the same nightmare but this time there were two little girls.

我昨晚又做了個噩夢。同樣的噩夢，但這次有兩個小女孩。

They looked the same — identical. They could have been twins.

她們看起來一樣，一模一樣。她們可能是雙胞胎。

They were whispering and they both wanted to kill me. I was on the floor on my back and I couldn’t move.

她們竊竊私語，都想殺了我。我躺在地板上，一動也不能動。

They were holding my arms and pulling me across the floor and laughing. It was horrible.

她們抓著我的胳膊，把我拖過地板，還笑著。太可怕了。

But here’s what’s strange. When I woke up today I found these bruises on my arms.

但奇怪的是。當我今天醒來的時候，我發現我 手臂上有這些淤青。

Look! Where did they come from?

你看！這些淤青是怎么出現的？

I might have banged into something yesterday, but if I did, I don’t remember it. Take care everyone.

我昨天可能撞到什么東西了，但就算撞到了，我也不記得了。大家保重。

I’ll talk to you later. Sometimes things happen and we don’t know why, but we speculate and come up with possible reasons.

我待會再跟你們說。有時事情發生了，我們不知道為什么，但我們推測并提出可能的原因。

We heard Jay doing that. He wasn’t sure why some things happened, but he had some ideas.

我們聽到杰這么做了。他不確定為什么有些事情會發生，但他有一些想法。

Carter may have eaten something that upset his stomach. The girls looked identical.

卡特可能吃了什么讓他胃不舒服的東西。這兩個女孩看起來一模一樣。

They could have been twins. I might have banged into something yesterday.

她們可能是雙胞胎。我昨天可能撞到什么東西了。

Jay didn’t know why Carter couldn’t sleep but he thought perhaps he ate something that upset his stomach. He didn’t know if the little girls in his nightmare were twins, but he thought it was possible.

杰不知道卡特為什么睡不著，但他想可能是卡特吃了什么東西，讓他的胃不舒服了。他不知道他噩夢中的小女孩是不是雙胞胎，但他覺得有可能。

And he also thought it was possible that he banged into something and that’s how he got the bruises. He’s not sure.

他還認為他可能撞到了什么東西，所以才會有瘀青。他不確定。

When we speculate about past possibilities, we say ‘may have’, ‘could have’ and ‘might have’. Now, what about negative sentences.

當我們推測過去的可能性時，我們會說“may have”、“could have”和“might have”。那么否定句呢？

Because we can also speculate about things that might NOT have happened. Let’s go back to Jay and see how that works.

因為我們也可以推測一些可能沒有發生的事情。讓我們回到杰的話題，看看他是怎么做的。

Hey everyone. We slept better last night, but I think someone might have broken into our room.

嘿，大家好。我們昨晚睡得好多了，但我覺得可能有人闖進了我們的房間。

Before I went to bed I shut the window. But when I woke up it was unlocked and wide open.

睡覺前我關上了窗戶。但當我醒來時，窗戶沒有上鎖，而且大開著。

I may not have locked it last night, but I know it was shut when I went to bed. And I turned my computer off too.

我昨晚可能沒有鎖窗，但我知道我睡覺時窗戶是關著的。而且我把電腦也關了。

But when I got up it was on. It couldn’t have turned itself on.

但當我起床時，電腦是開著的。它不可能自己啟動。

And I think someone moved my water. When I go to sleep I always have a glass of water on a table on the left hand side of my bed.

我還覺得有人動了我的水。當我睡覺的時候，我總是在我床的左手邊的桌子上放一杯水。

But when I woke up this morning, it was on the right hand side. I guess it’s possible that I might not have put it on the left side but it’s odd because I’m left handed.

但我今天早上醒來的時候，它卻在右手邊。我想有可能我沒有把它放在左手邊，但這很奇怪，因為我是左撇子。

And if someone broke in, I don’t understand how they didn’t wake us. Carter’s a very light sleeper.

如果有人闖進來，我不明白他們怎么沒吵醒我們?？ㄌ厮吆軠\。

The door was locked and they couldn’t have climbed through the window because it’s too small, and this is the fourth floor. I just don’t get it.

門是鎖著的，他們不可能從窗戶爬進來，因為窗戶太小了，而且這里是四樓。我只是不明白。

Have you got any ideas? So some strange things happened while Jay was asleep.

你有什么想法嗎？所以杰睡著的時候發生了一些奇怪的事情。

He shut the window before he went to bed but it was open when he woke up. I may not have locked the window last night but I know it was shut.

他上床前把窗戶關上了，但醒來時窗戶是開著的。我昨晚也許沒有鎖窗，但我知道窗戶是關著的。

So Jay definitely shut the window, but it’s possible he didn’t lock it. And another strange thing.

所以杰肯定關了窗戶，但也有可能他沒鎖。還有一件奇怪的事。

His glass of water was on the right hand side of his bed, not the left. I might not have put my water on the left side, but it’s odd.

他的那杯水是放在床的右手邊，而不是左手邊。我可能沒有把水放在左手邊，但這很奇怪。

Odd means peculiar. Normally he puts his water on the left side, but did he do that last night?

odd 的意思是說很怪異。平時他會把水放在左手邊，但他昨晚也這樣做了嗎？

He’s not certain. He might have put it on the right.

他不確定。他可能把它放在右邊了。

He might not have put it on the left. So if we say ‘might not have’ and ‘may not have’, it means there’s doubt and uncertainty.

他可能沒把它放在左邊。所以如果我們說“might not have”和“may not have”，意思是存在懷疑和不確定性。

Now, what about couldn’t have? Well, that’s different.

那么，couldn’t have 指什么意思呢？那就不一樣了。

They couldn’t have climbed in through the window because it’s too small. Jay thinks someone broke into his room last night.

他們不可能從窗戶爬進來，因為窗戶太小了。杰認為昨晚有人闖進了他的房間。

He doesn’t know how, but he’s sure they didn’t get in through the window. There’s no uncertainty there.

他不知道怎么進來的，但他確定他們不是從窗戶進來的。此處沒有不確定性。

Another example. The computer couldn’t have turned itself on.

再看個例子。電腦不可能自己開機。

He doesn’t know why the computer was on, but he’s certain of one thing. The computer didn’t turn itself on.

他不知道電腦為什么會開機，但有一件事他是肯定的。電腦不能自己開機。

That would be impossible. So when you’re talking about the past, use ‘couldn’t have’ to talk about impossible things — things that didn’t happen.

這是不可能的。所以當你談論過去時，用“couldn’t have”來談論不可能發生的事情——沒有發生的事情。

Use ‘might have’ and ‘may have’ to talk about things you’re not certain about — possibilities. Easy huh?

使用“might have”和“may have”來談論你不確定的事情——可能性。很簡單吧？

And that’s it. Now you know all the important stuff for talking about possibilities with may, could, and might.

內容就是這些?，F在你知道了用 may，might 和 could 談論可能性的所有重要內容。

Do you want to try using them? Are you ready to put them to use?

你想嘗試使用它們嗎？你準備好使用它們了嗎？

Then let’s see what’s going on with Jay. Hey everyone.

那就讓我們看看杰伊的情況吧。嘿，大家好。

Just one more night in this hotel and then we’re going home. We can’t wait to leave.

再在這家酒店住一晚，我們就回家了。我們都等不及要走了。

Uh oh. It looks like we’ve got an electrical problem here. The lights keep flickering.

啊哦?？磥砦覀冞@里的電路出了問題。燈光一直在閃。

Carter, are you OK? Who’s that? Who’s there?

卡特，你還好嗎？誰在那里？是誰？

We’re going to kill you. Oh my.

我們要殺了你。哦，天吶。

What do you think might have happened to Jay and Carter? Pick a question and tell us what you think.

你覺得杰和卡特會發生什么事？選一個問題，告訴我們你的想法。

Try to give as many answers as you can using ‘may’, ‘could’ and ‘might’, and write them in the comments. We’re looking forward to reading them.

盡量用“may”、“could”和“might”來回答問題，答的問題越多越好，并把它們寫在評論中。我們很期待能讀到它們。

If you’ve enjoyed this video, please share it with a friend. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.

如果你喜歡本期視頻，請與朋友分享。還有不要忘記訂閱我們的頻道。

Bye everyone!

大家再見！