In October 2018, someone in South Carolina won $1.5 billion. The nearly impossible odds of winning were 1 in 302.5 million! Many people probably wish they’d been the lucky ones happily accepting the prize.
2018 年 10 月，南卡罗来纳州的一位彩民中得 15 亿美元大奖。这个中奖概率低到近乎不可能，约为 3.025 亿分之一！想必很多人都希望自己是那个幸运儿，能开开心心地领走这笔奖金。
It’s not hard to imagine the things one could do with this newfound wealth, but would this money actually make someone happy? The experiences of several lottery winners show that it probably wouldn’t. Suddenly coming into big money can change a person’s life in unexpected and sometimes unpleasant ways. Take William Post, for example, who had only $2.46 in the bank when he won $16.2 million in a New York lottery in 1998. Within 3 months, he was poor again because of careless spending. He wasn’t as happy as he felt before winning the prize.
不难想象，人们可以用这笔意外之财做很多事，但这些钱真的能让人感到幸福吗？几位彩票中奖者的经历表明，答案很可能是否定的。一夜暴富会以意想不到、有时甚至令人不悦的方式改变一个人的生活。以威廉・波斯特为例，1998 年他中了纽约州 1620 万美元的彩票大奖时，银行账户里只剩下 2.46 美元。但由于挥霍无度，短短三个月后他就再次一贫如洗。他并没有比中奖前过得更开心。
Then there was Callie Rogers, a British teenager from a common family, won $3 million in 2003. She bought her family and friends lavish gifts and bought herself expensive clothes. After six years, Callie lost all her money and realized that money didn’t make her happy. In fact, she became worried that people were friendly with her only to get her money.
还有一位名叫凯莉・罗杰斯的英国少女，她出身普通家庭，2003 年中了 300 万美元大奖。她给家人和朋友买了许多昂贵的礼物，也给自己购置了高档衣物。六年之后，凯莉花光了所有奖金，她这才意识到金钱并不能带来快乐。事实上，她甚至开始担心，那些对自己示好的人，不过是冲着她的钱来的。
Lottery winners are not the only ones who can end up unhappy. People who get big money for some other reasons, e.g. receiving money from others, are also at risk. They may not know how to deal with money and do not ask experts for advice. They waste money on things they don’t need and give away too much money to friends and relatives.
并非只有彩票中奖者会落得郁郁寡欢的下场。那些因为其他原因获得一大笔钱的人，比如继承遗产，也面临着同样的风险。他们可能不懂如何打理钱财，又不愿向专业人士请教。他们会把钱浪费在自己并不需要的东西上，还会过多地接济亲友。
Researchers found that people are happy when they are able to pay for their basic needs, such as food, clothes, a safe place to live, and health care. People are also happy when they give reasonable amounts of money to charities. Giving makes them feel as if they’re making a difference. Lavish things, such as expensive clothes and cars, only make people happy for a moment.
研究人员发现，当人们能够负担得起衣食住行、医疗保健等基本生活需求时，就会感到幸福。当人们拿出适量的钱捐给慈善机构时，也会收获快乐。付出会让他们觉得自己的存在是有价值的。而那些奢华的物品，比如名牌服饰和豪车，只能带来短暂的愉悦。
People can hope and wish to suddenly come into lots of money to improve their lives, but perhaps there are better ways to find happiness.
人们可以期待一夜暴富来改善生活，但或许，寻找幸福还有更好的方式。
按文章顺序（单词+词串+短语类型+中文）
1. win $1.5 billion (动词短语) 赢得15亿美元
2. the nearly impossible odds (名词短语) 几乎不可能的概率
3. 1 in 302.5 million (短语) 3.025亿分之一
4. wish they’d been the lucky ones (动词短语) 希望自己是那个幸运儿
5. accept the prize (动词短语) 领取奖金
6. it’s not hard to imagine (句型) 不难想象
7. newfound wealth (名词短语) 新获得的财富
8. make someone happy (动词短语) 让某人开心
9. the experiences of... (名词短语) ……的经历
10. lottery winners (名词短语) 彩票中奖者
11. suddenly come into big money (动词短语) 突然获得一大笔钱
12. change a person’s life (动词短语) 改变一个人的生活
13. in unexpected and unpleasant ways (介词短语) 以意想不到且不愉快的方式
14. take...for example (短语) 以……为例
15. have only $2.46 in the bank (动词短语) 银行里只有2.46美元
16. win $16.2 million (动词短语) 赢得1620万美元
17. within 3 months (介词短语) 在三个月内
18. be poor again (动词短语) 再次变得贫穷
19. because of careless spending (介词短语) 因为挥霍无度
20. not as happy as before (形容词短语) 不如以前开心
21. a British teenager (名词短语) 一名英国青少年
22. from a common family (介词短语) 来自普通家庭
23. win $3 million (动词短语) 赢得300万美元
24. buy lavish gifts (动词短语) 买昂贵的礼物
25. buy expensive clothes (动词短语) 买昂贵的衣服
26. lose all her money (动词短语) 花光所有钱
27. realize that money didn’t make her happy (动词短语) 意识到钱并不能让她开心
28. become worried that... (动词短语) 担心……
29. be friendly with her only to get her money (动词短语) 对她友好只是为了得到她的钱
30. end up unhappy (动词短语) 最终不开心
31. get big money for some other reasons (动词短语) 因其他原因获得巨款
32. receive money from others (动词短语) 从他人那里得到钱
33. be at risk (动词短语) 处于风险中
34. not know how to deal with money (动词短语) 不知道如何理财
35. ask experts for advice (动词短语) 向专家寻求建议
36. waste money on things they don’t need (动词短语) 把钱浪费在不需要的东西上
37. give away too much money to friends and relatives (动词短语) 给亲朋好友太多钱
38. researchers found that... (句型) 研究人员发现……
39. pay for basic needs (动词短语) 支付基本生活所需
40. such as food, clothes, a safe place to live, and health care (短语) 比如食物、衣服、安全的住所和医疗保健
41. give reasonable amounts of money to charities (动词短语) 向慈善机构捐赠合理数额的钱
42. make a difference (动词短语) 产生影响；有所作为
43. lavish things (名词短语) 奢华物品
44. expensive clothes and cars (名词短语) 昂贵的衣服和汽车
45. make people happy for a moment (动词短语) 让人开心一时
46. hope and wish to (动词短语) 希望……
47. come into lots of money (动词短语) 获得很多钱
48. improve their lives (动词短语) 改善他们的生活
49. better ways to find happiness (名词短语) 寻找幸福的更好方式
