昨天我去看了我好朋友的籃球比賽。雖然我很希望他赢，不過我也知道，他所在的球隊處于弱勢，如果沒有奇迹出現的話，他們輸定了。果不其然，他們以大比分敗北。這也讓我想到一個習慣用語。那就是: foregone conclusion.

Foregone，的意思是先前的、預知的，而conclusion，結果。Foregone conclusion， 意思就是"注定的結果， 不可避免的結果"。

上面的例子就是這樣。It's obvious that my friend's team was the underdog. It was a foregone conclusion that they'd lose the game. 我朋友的球隊顯然不是對手，在比賽中失利是不可避免的。在下面的例子裡，我們要去看看一個公司裡的員工如何讨論誰會升職。

Susanna had worked as the assistant manager in the store for three years. When the boss decided to take a job with another company, most of us assumed Susanna would be getting a promotion. It seemed a foregone conclusion. But our predictions were wrong. A new manager with more experience was hired instead.

蘇珊娜當了三年副經理。老闆接受另一份工作決定辭職後，我們很多人都認為蘇珊娜一定會得到晉升。這看起來是注定的結果了。不過我們都猜錯了。公司雇了一名更有經驗的經理人。

這世界上的事情誰能百分之百打保票呢？就拿我經常去光顧的一家餐廳來說，那裡的服務員幾個月前告訴我，餐廳可能要關門了，因為老闆得了重病。They were sure the restaurant had to close down. It seems like a foregone conclusion.

可是前兩天我去訂pizza的時候，他們告訴我，老闆手術成功，迅速康複，餐廳會繼續開下去？這真是個好消息！

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美國曆史上的南北戰争人盡皆知。這次戰争以北方取勝告終，結束了奴隸制，是美國曆史的裡程碑之一。

有些曆史學家認為北方顯然會獲勝，可是有些曆史學家則認為雙方勢均力敵。我們一起去聽聽他們不同的見解。

Some historians believe that the American Civil War was far from a foregone conclusion. In their view, it wasn't clear at all that the North was going to beat the South. It's true that the North had a larger population and greater resources. But, they argue, the South had the advantage of fighting on their own soil. And they had the most experienced generals.

一些曆史學家認為當時美國内戰的結果并不是闆上定釘的事。在他們看來，北方并不一定能打敗南方。的确，北方擁有更多的人力和資源。但是他們認為，南方擁有主場優勢。而且他們有經驗更加豐富的将軍。

曆史是個值得讨論的話題。每個人看相同的問題都會得出不同的結論。各種戰争，選舉，都可能出現出人意料的結果。就比如今年的總統大選，鹿死誰手，還很難講。Who will win the presidential election this year is far from a foregone conclusion.

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