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?
你觉得这家酒店可能闹鬼吗？会不会有鬼？
What do you think could happen to us? Welcome back to our second video on three important modal verbs.
你觉得我们会怎么样？欢迎回到我们关于三个重要情态动词的第二期视频。
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.
在上一期视频中，我们学习了如何用它们来谈论现在和将来的可能性。这里是链接。
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.
在本期视频中，我们将向你展示如何使用它们来谈论过去的可能性。在我们开始讲之前，我有两个问题要问你。
First one: do these sentences all mean the same thing? Yes, they do!
第一个：这些句子的意思都一样吗？是的，它们是一样的！
They all mean we think something is possible. But is there a little difference?
它们的意思都是我们认为某些事情是可能的。但是有没有一点区别呢？
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，在对话中，“may”比“might”和“could”用得少。有些人认为“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.
但不是每个人都这样认为。语言学家喜欢争论这个问题。
But for practical purposes, there is no difference. They mean the same thing.
但就实际用途而言，没什么区别。它们的意思是一样的。
OK, second question. Listen to me saying the first sentence in two different ways.
好，第二个问题。听我用两种不同的方式说第一句话。
It could happen. It COULD happen.
它可能发生。（could 轻读）它可能发生。（could 重读）
Is there a difference in meaning now? Yes, there is.
现在的意思有区别吗？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.
如果我强调 could 这个词，它的意思是我认为某事不太可能，不太确定。对于其他情态动词也是一样的变化。、
It may happen. It MAY happen.
它可能发生。（may 轻读）它可能发生。（may 重读）
It might happen. It MIGHT happen.
它可能发生。（might 轻读）它可能发生。（might 重读）
Did you hear the difference? When we stress the modal verb, it means we think something is less possible, less certain.
你听到区别了吗？当我们强调情态动词时，意思是我们认为某事不太可能，不太确定。
Good. So now let’s look at possibilities in the past.
好。那现在让我们看看过去的可能性。
Let’s check in with Jay and Carter and see what’s happening. Hi everyone.
让我们来看看杰和卡特的情况。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?
很高兴再次见到你们。我们还是住在这间老酒店里，卡特还是不喜欢这里，对吧？
Carter didn’t sleep well last night. I’m not sure what was wrong but he may have eaten something that upset his stomach.
卡特昨晚没睡好。我不知道是怎么回事，但他可能吃了什么东西，让他的胃不舒服。
And I had another bad dream last night. It was the same nightmare but this time there were two little girls.
我昨晚又做了个噩梦。同样的噩梦，但这次有两个小女孩。
They looked the same — identical. They could have been twins.
她们看起来一样，一模一样。她们可能是双胞胎。
They were whispering and they both wanted to kill me. I was on the floor on my back and I couldn’t move.
她们窃窃私语，都想杀了我。我躺在地板上，一动也不能动。
They were holding my arms and pulling me across the floor and laughing. It was horrible.
她们抓着我的胳膊，把我拖过地板，还笑着。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。当我今天醒来的时候，我发现我 手臂上有这些淤青。
Look! Where did they come from?
你看！这些淤青是怎么出现的？
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东西了，但就算撞到了，我也不记得了。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.
我待会再跟你们说。有时事情发生了，我们不知道为什么，但我们推测并提出可能的原因。
We heard Jay doing that. He wasn’t sure why some things happened, but he had some ideas.
我们听到杰这么做了。他不确定为什么有些事情会发生，但他有一些想法。
Carter may have eaten something that upset his stomach. The girls looked identical.
卡特可能吃了什么让他胃不舒服的东西。这两个女孩看起来一模一样。
They could have been twins. I might have banged into something yesterday.
她们可能是双胞胎。我昨天可能撞到什么东西了。
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.
杰不知道卡特为什么睡不着，但他想可能是卡特吃了什么东西，让他的胃不舒服了。他不知道他噩梦中的小女孩是不是双胞胎，但他觉得有可能。
And he also thought it was possible that he banged into something and that’s how he got the bruises. He’s not sure.
他还认为他可能撞到了什么东西，所以才会有瘀青。他不确定。
When we speculate about past possibilities, we say ‘may have’, ‘could have’ and ‘might have’. Now, what about negative sentences.
当我们推测过去的可能性时，我们会说“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.
因为我们也可以推测一些可能没有发生的事情。让我们回到杰的话题，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。我们昨晚睡得好多了，但我觉得可能有人闯进了我们的房间。
Before I went to bed I shut the window. But when I woke up it was unlocked and wide open.
睡觉前我关上了窗户。但当我醒来时，窗户没有上锁，而且大开着。
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.
我昨晚可能没有锁窗，但我知道我睡觉时窗户是关着的。而且我把电脑也关了。
But when I got up it was on. It couldn’t have turned itself on.
但当我起床时，电脑是开着的。它不可能自己启动。
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.
我还觉得有人动了我的水。当我睡觉的时候，我总是在我床的左手边的桌子上放一杯水。
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.
但我今天早上醒来的时候，它却在右手边。我想有可能我没有把它放在左手边，但这很奇怪，因为我是左撇子。
And if someone broke in, I don’t understand how they didn’t wake us. Carter’s a very light sleeper.
如果有人闯进来，我不明白他们怎么没吵醒我们。卡特睡眠很浅。
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.
门是锁着的，他们不可能从窗户爬进来，因为窗户太小了，而且这里是四楼。我只是不明白。
Have you got any ideas? So some strange things happened while Jay was asleep.
你有什么想法吗？所以杰睡着的时候发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.
他上床前把窗户关上了，但醒来时窗户是开着的。我昨晚也许没有锁窗，但我知道窗户是关着的。
So Jay definitely shut the window, but it’s possible he didn’t lock it. And another strange thing.
所以杰肯定关了窗户，但也有可能他没锁。还有一件奇怪的事。
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边，而不是左手边。我可能没有把水放在左手边，但这很奇怪。
Odd means peculiar. Normally he puts his water on the left side, but did he do that last night?
odd 的意思是说很怪异。平时他会把水放在左手边，但他昨晚也这样做了吗？
He’s not certain. He might have put it on the right.
他不确定。他可能把它放在右边了。
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.
他可能没把它放在左边。所以如果我们说“might not have”和“may not have”，意思是存在怀疑和不确定性。
Now, what about couldn’t have? Well, that’s different.
那么，couldn’t have 指什么意思呢？那就不一样了。
They couldn’t have climbed in through the window because it’s too small. Jay thinks someone broke into his room last night.
他们不可能从窗户爬进来，因为窗户太小了。杰认为昨晚有人闯进了他的房间。
He doesn’t know how, but he’s sure they didn’t get in through the window. There’s no uncertainty there.
他不知道怎么进来的，但他确定他们不是从窗户进来的。此处没有不确定性。
Another example. The computer couldn’t have turned itself on.
再看个例子。电脑不可能自己开机。
He doesn’t know why the computer was on, but he’s certain of one thing. The computer didn’t turn itself on.
他不知道电脑为什么会开机，但有一件事他是肯定的。电脑不能自己开机。
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.
这是不可能的。所以当你谈论过去时，用“couldn’t have”来谈论不可能发生的事情——没有发生的事情。
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”来谈论你不确定的事情——可能性。很简单吧？
And that’s it. Now you know all the important stuff for talking about possibilities with may, could, and might.
内容就是这些。现在你知道了用 may，might 和 could 谈论可能性的所有重要内容。
Do you want to try using them? Are you ready to put them to use?
你想尝试使用它们吗？你准备好使用它们了吗？
Then let’s see what’s going on with Jay. Hey everyone.
那就让我们看看杰伊的情况吧。嘿，大家好。
Just one more night in this hotel and then we’re going home. We can’t wait to leave.
再在这家酒店住一晚，我们就回家了。我们都等不及要走了。
Uh oh. It looks like we’ve got an electrical problem here. The lights keep flickering.
啊哦。看来我们这里的电路出了问题。灯光一直在闪。
Carter, are you OK? Who’s that? Who’s there?
卡特，你还好吗？谁在那里？是谁？
We’re going to kill you. Oh my.
我们要杀了你。哦，天呐。
What do you think might have happened to Jay and Carter? Pick a question and tell us what you think.
你觉得杰和卡特会发生什么事？选一个问题，告诉我们你的想法。
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.
尽量用“may”、“could”和“might”来回答问题，答的问题越多越好，并把它们写在评论中。我们很期待能读到它们。
If you’ve enjoyed this video, please share it with a friend. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.
如果你喜欢本期视频，请与朋友分享。还有不要忘记订阅我们的频道。
Bye everyone!
大家再见！
