They are the would-have-beens, could-have-

beens, should-have-beens. They would be rich, recipients of the kind of multimillion-dollar jackpots that people dream about.

他們原本可以或應該可以一夕致富，坐擁人人夢寐以求的頭獎彩金。

Instead, after failing to submit their winning lottery tickets on time, they are left to, well, keep on dreaming.

相反的，由於未能即時兌領他們中獎的樂透彩券，他們只落得繼續作夢。

Connecticut has not had a winning ticket expire without a winner for nearly a decade. Maybe except for Clarence Jackson Jr. , three days late in turning in the winning $5.8 million ticket in 1996, never got a penny.

近十年來，康乃狄克州從未出現中獎彩券過期無人認領的情形，也許除了小傑克森，他在1996年簽注中了580萬美元，但因晚了三天兌領，至今分文未得。

But he has spent much of the intervening years lobbying the state legislature to change the law and let him access his should-have-been fortune.

但他隨後這幾年投入相當大的精力遊說州議會修法，讓他可以領取原本屬於他的財富。

"The rules are the rules; there's really nothing we can do," said Diane Patterson, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Lottery Corporation.

「規定就是規定，我們實在無能為力，」康乃狄克州樂透公司女發言人黛安．派特森說。

Connecticut, like New York and New Jersey, gives players a year to claim lottery prizes; some states let tickets expire after three or six months.

康州，一如紐約州和紐澤西洲，給簽注玩家一年期限具領樂透彩金，有些州彩券過了三個月或六個月未領就失效。

Lottery officials all like to boast that they do everything they can to find the wayward winners. They place posters, typically the kitschy sort modeled on Old West "Wanted" ads, in convenience stores. But the truth is, there is not all that much sleuthing. Instead, they rely on the local media to spread the word.

樂透官員老愛誇口，他們已竭盡所能找出行蹤不明的贏家。他們在便利商店張貼海報，基本上模仿老西部捉拿通緝要犯的那種庸俗醒目的布告。事實上，他們並未大費周章明查暗訪；相反的，他們主要靠當地媒體散播消息。

Usually, the tactic works. Of the 1,100 jackpots Connecticut has doled out since the lottery began here in 1972, 11 have gone unclaimed. In 1996, it was news reports of the unclaimed prize that prompted Jackson, then 23, to look through his stack of old tickets.

通常這種策略奏效，康州自1972年開始發行樂透彩以來，已出現1,100個頭獎得主，其中只有11個未領。1996年，也因媒體披露樂透彩金未領，才引起時年23的傑克森去查他那一疊舊彩券。

Jackson told local newspapers back then that he had been distracted by caring for his sick father, By the time Mr. Jackson realized he had the winning numbers, it was 11:45 p.m. on a Sunday night and he figured lottery headquarters would be closed. The next day was Columbus Day, a holiday, so he thought it was impossible to contact a state official. All the headaches could have been avoided had Jackson simply gone to a store that sells lottery tickets and had his winning numbers stamped.

傑克森當時告訴當地報紙，他因照顧臥病的老爸而分神。等傑克森發現他簽中得獎號碼，已是周日晚上11點45分，他自忖樂透總部應該關門了，第二天又是國定假日哥倫布登陸美洲紀念日，所以他又想，應該不可能和康州官員接頭。如果傑克森直接找一家樂透簽注站，並在他那張中獎明牌上蓋章認證，所有這一切頭痛問題都可避免。

By Tuesday, upon hearing of the news of the ticket's expiration, Jackson told local newspapers at the time, he was too depressed to do anything. He drove to lottery headquarters near Hartford on Wednesday, but was told it was too late.

等星期二得知彩券過期的消息，傑克森當時告訴當地報紙，他實在太沮喪憤怒了，所以並未採取任何行動。星期三，他開車到靠近哈特福的樂透總部，但被告知已經太遲了。

"It was terribly tragic," said Carroll J. Hughes, a lobbyist who has helped Jackson maneuver his appeal through the legislature over the years. "Here you had this wonderful kid who had taken care of his father and missing out on such a surprising and amazing thing."

「超悲慘的，」多年來一直透過議會幫助傑克森提出申訴的說客卡洛．休斯說。「這個好孩子為了照顧父親，竟錯過天大的意外喜訊。」

Jackson's quest is still alive in the legislature: the latest iteration of the bill that could grant him his millions was filed in January. It seems unlikely, though, that there is enough support to prod the legislature to somehow pass Jackson's exception this year.

傑克森的申訴案，議會仍在審理：最近在一月重提的法案可以給他數百萬美元彩金。但今年康州議會似不太可能有夠多議員支持傑克森的排除條款。



Go Unclaimed 無人認領 Lottery Prizes 樂透彩金 expire 逾期

wayward 行蹤不明 kitschy 庸俗醒目

sleuthing 偵查 iteration 重提

bending the rules 修改規定 jackpots 頭獎