Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USZH-CNX-NONE英译汉(SuggestedTime: 30 minutes)

Most of life is a gamble. Very many of the things we doinvolve taking some risk in order to achieve a satisfactory result. Weundertake a new job with no idea of the more indirect consequences of ouraction. Marriage is certainly a gamble and so is the bringing into existence ofchildren, who could prove sad liabilities. A journey, a business transaction,even a chance remark may result immediately or ultimately in tragedy.Perpetually we gamble-against life, destiny, chance, the unknown, call theinvisible opponent what we will. Human survival and progress indicate thatusually we win.

So the gambling instinct must be an elemental one. Takingrisks to achieve something is a characteristic of all forms of life, includinghumanity. As soon as man acquired property, the challenge he habitually issuedto destiny found an additional expression in a human contest. Early man maywell have staked his flint axe, his bearskin, his wife, in the hope of addingto his possessions. The acquirement of desirable but nonessential commoditiesmust have increased his scope enormously, while the risk of complete disasterlessened.