The last few weeks I’ve realized how important unanticipated1 results are in many aspects2 of our lives. First, I recognized3 that the football and soccer games in which our college was involved4 have been unusually exciting this year because of the team’s coming from behind to win, winning in overtime5, by some outstanding play, and by unexpected turns of events6 that could not have been anticipated.
The same is true of professional and most other athletic events and games; they are interesting because it is not possible to anticipate what may happen on a given day. Why would racing horses, cars, and one another be so interesting if the results were always known in advance?
Even Payton Manning7 of the Indianapolis Colts8, probably the best football quarterback9 in professional competition has had two bad performances in his last two games. He had 6 passes10 intercepted11 by opposing12 defensive teams, which is a record number of failed passes, not only for him, but for the entire time that Indianapolis has had a professional football team. Who could have predicted13 that Yao Ming, the Chinese professional basketball star of the Houston Rockets14, would have a leg injury that would keep him from playing in basketball games, and which causes his team to lose many games that they might have been expected to win?
Would the many readers of detective stories15 find these so interesting if they always could predict the outcome of the book? Would card playing be as interesting if one could always know who would win, and how? Would birthday and Christmas presents and other gifts from loved ones be so treasured16 if they were known to the recipient17 in advance? Would gambling18 be so attractive to some people if the outcome were always known, and would the winner of a lottery19 be so envied20 by non-winners if the outcome were predictable21? Probably not.
Yes, there is much to be said for the place of surprise endings in our lives. Who would be interested in national and local political elections if the winner were known in advance in most cases? Well, it might save money, but it would certainly not be so interesting to so many people.
I think surprise is certainly a factor which makes life more interesting, and as carefully as we’d like to control what happens to ourselves, our fortunes22, or our successes or failures, we recognize that many of the events cannot be predicted accurately. As a friend of mine once said, “That’s why they still play the games!23”
Notes:
1. unanticipated: not expected to happen (没有预料到的).
2. aspects: particular parts, features, or qualities of something (方面，特色，特点).
3. recognized: accepted or admitted that something is true (承认，意识到).
4. involved: associated with, engaged in as a participant (参与的).
5. overtime: a period of time in a game when the official time has ended, but the two teams are tied for scores, and there is an added time period in which the final score will be determined (加时赛). In soccer the overtime is for five minutes, and if still tied, the teams will play for a second overtime. In basketball when the teams are tied at the end of the regulation period of play, there is an overtime period of 5 minutes, and if teams are still tied at the end of the first overtime, there is another period which ends when the first team scores one or more points. Each type of game has its rules for overtime play to determine the final winner.
6. turns of events: unexpected changes in a situation (出乎意料的变化).
7. Payton Manning: the outstanding football player, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, who is each year has one of the best performances among players in the professional football season (佩腾马宁，优秀足球运动员，是印第安纳波利斯小马的四分卫，在职业足球赛季中每年都有出色的表现。).
8. Indianapolis Colts: the name of the professional football team on which Payton Manning plays (印第安纳波利斯小马，佩腾马宁所在的职业足球队). In recent years they have been one of the strongest teams in any of the professional football competition.
9. quarterback: an important player in the sport of American football who gives instructions to other planers (四分卫，美式橄榄球中向其他球员发出指令的枢纽前卫). Quarterbacks must make the decision for which play should be used on each occasion, and he may change his mind and signal for another play after he sees the opposing defensive team take its position. Because of his importance to the team, the quarterback is often the most highly paid player on a team.
10. passes (also called forward passes): 传球 (给某人). These plays occur when the quarterback throws the ball to one of his teammates who may then catch the pass and run forward toward the goal. This is one of the important types of plays which a quarterback must do very well.
11. intercepted: an occasion on which the defensive player catches a pass that was intended to be caught by an offensive player of the same team as the quarterback (拦截). This is one of the most important defensive plays which can be made against a team who has a good quarterback.
12. opposing defensive teams: the team which is attempting to stop the offensive team from advancing the football, and ultimately preventing the offensive team from scoring points (进行防守的对方队，该队试图阻止进攻队将球推进并最终得分).
13. predicted: 预测，预料
14. Houston Rockets: the name of the professional basketball team located in Houston, Texas in the U.S. (休斯敦火箭队). A Chinese basketball player, Yao Ming is a member of this team.
15. detective stories: 侦探故事
16. treasured: highly valued, or of great worth (珍贵，宝贵).
17. recipient: one who receives a gift or other item (接受者).
18. gambling: 赌博
19. lottery: 彩票
20. envied: 妒忌
21. predictable: easily guessed or known in advance of something (能够预测的，可预知的).
22. fortunes: the good or bad things that happen in life (时运).
23. “That’s why they still play the games.”: It means that the outcome of the game cannot be known in advance, so one still must play the game to see who the winner will be (因为不能预先知道比赛的结果，因此人们还得比赛看看谁会赢).