Shot是“射击、投篮、拍摄”，a long shot是什么意思呢？请看对话：

    A: John has announced his bid for mayorship. What do you think?

    B: He’s a good man but he’s a long shot. Most voters have never heard of him. He can’t raise much money. He has no political experience.

    Note: A long shot refers to something with only a slight chance of winning. It is literally a shot from long distance. It can be a shot from a rifle, of a basketball or in other sports. The longer the distance, the greater the chance you may miss your target. Hence, when people say it’s a long shot, they mean you’re unlikely to succeed. If you win an election race by a long shot, however, you win by a large margin. Conversely, if they say you won’t be able to win, and “not by a long shot,” they emphasize that you won’t be able to win at all.