Gambling
    Gambling is actually playing games of chance, such as cards, for money. People regard gambling as wrong, although at first sight it is difficult to show it is wrong. It is true that in a game of chance, one of the parties must Jose money, however, the gain of the other cannot be called robbery since both parties willingly agree to run the risk.
    Perhaps a comparison of gambling with dueling will help us see why gambling is evil. In a duel, as in a game of chance, both parties willingly agree to run a risk. But in civilized coun tries, duelinglis a crime because law and order in the state wil break down if every citizen can take the law into his own hands and avenge an injury himself. Gambling is condemned for the sane reason: the effect of gambling is injurious not only to the individual but also to society.
    The evils of gambling are in fact many. It discourages habits of industry by holding out before men the hope of getting rich quickly without work. Besides this, it often be comes a habit which can throw a man and his family into misery. Moreover, it often ends up in theft and robbery, even in crimes of violence. Therefore, it must be regarded as a social evil.
[点评]
    作者在第一段里告诉我们什么是赌博，在第一段里将赌博与决斗作了比较，说明它是犯罪，在第二段里讲述了赌博带来的后果。文章思路清楚、明确，比喻恰当、贴切，语言明白、易懂。
[参考译文]
赌博
    赌博就是为了钱而玩风险游戏，比如玩纸牌。尽管，乍一看也看不出赌博有什么不正当之处，但人们还是把赌博看作是不正当之事。事实正是如此：在风险游戏中，一方肯定要输钱，而赢的一方也不能叫做强盗，因为双方都情愿冒这个险。
    将赌博和决斗做一比较也许会使我们明白为什么说赌博是罪恶。在一场决斗中，和一场风险游戏中一样，双方都甘心情愿冒险。但是在文明国家中，决斗就是犯罪。因为如果每个公民都将法律掌握在自己的手中，自己去报仇，那么国家的法律和秩序就会崩溃。赌博被认为是不正当的也是出于同样的原因：赌博造成的后果不仅对个人是有害的，而且对社会也是有害的。
    赌博的罪恶之处其实很多。它在人们面前展现山可以不劳动而快速致富的希望，从而使人们想丢掉勤劳奋斗的好习惯。除此之外，它还经常使人家破人亡。还有，它总是带给人的结局是：偷盗、抢劫、甚至暴力犯罪。所以，我们必须将它看作是一种对社会有极大坏处的因素。