한 번은 우연이고, 두 번은 우연의 일치이지만, 세 번째는 음모다.

[석수]

한 번은 우연이고, 두 번은 우연의 일치이지만, 세 번째는 음모다.

Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.

happenstance

noun [ C or U ] mainly US
uk /ˈhæp.ən.stɑːns/
us /ˈhæp.ən.stæns/

chance or a chance situation, especially one producing a good result:

By (a strange) happenstance they were both in Paris at the same time.

동의어
coincidence



happenstance

The more recent realities in my own career, however, were begun either by chance remark or unforeseen happenstance.


Neither of these explanations is an economic one; rather, they invoke the vagaries of mind and emotion as well as happenstance.


There appears to have been a glitch in plans, however, due perhaps to politics or happenstance.


The question is whether it is happenstance of the right kind.

Happenstance allowed some control over the biological environment as well.


Transableism is a term which refers to moving between states of being able and disabled by choice rather than by happenstance.


No doubt happenstance bears much responsibility for the direction taken by an academic career, but there was another influence at work on our pioneers.


This gap is not the result of happenstance.

So, by happenstance, these three languages share the property of having the subject come first in the canonical clause.



happenstance
(hæpənstæns IPA Pronunciation Guide)
uncountable noun [oft a NOUN, oft by NOUN]

If you say that something happened by happenstance, you mean that it happened because of certain circumstances, although it was not planned by anyone.


I came to live at the farm by happenstance.

happenstance
in British English
(ˈhæpənˌstæns IPA Pronunciation Guide)
noun

1. chance
2. a chance occurrence

happenstance
in American English
(ˈhæpənˌstæns)

US

noun Informal
1. chance; fortuity
2. a chance or accidental happening

The phrase "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action" is a quote from Ian Fleming's 1959 James Bond novel, Goldfinger.

It means that while isolated incidents can be dismissed as chance, and a second occurrence as a mere coincidence, a third instance of the same unusual event indicates a deliberate and intentional pattern, likely a hostile act.

Origin

The line is spoken to James Bond by Auric Goldfinger, the novel's villain.

It reflects a spy's perspective on identifying and reacting to patterns of behavior that signal a hidden agenda or threat.

Meaning and Interpretation

Once is happenstance:

The first occurrence is a random event, an accident, or pure chance, and should not be overanalyzed.

Twice is coincidence:

The second time something happens, it might be a fluke or a simple coincidence, but it should raise a slight suspicion.

Three times is enemy action:

A third instance of the same event is no longer a random occurrence; it suggests a deliberate, patterned action, and in the context of the novel, this action is a hostile one.

Application

The phrase serves as a reminder to be observant of recurring events, as they can reveal underlying intentions or a larger problem that requires attention.