136. Is playing a game fun only when you win?
Playing games is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. Every country has a number of popular games that are played all the time. For example, in China, Mahjong and Chinese Chess are both very popular. I think playing game in itself is full of fun, winning a game is just a pleasure extra.
It would be impossible to think that one could win a game all the time when they first start playing it. This is especially true for strategy games such as the above-mentioned. In many cases, playing against the top players of a game and losing is an honor, not a disappointment. The age-old adage says that practice makes perfect. This is as true in games as it is in any other endeavor. In order to win a game all of the time, you need to practice it over and over and learn the strategies of the game.
Practice is necessary to win a game. If this was really an annoying process, no one would ever play games. However, it is the journey of the game, not the destination that is important. Going through the actual game is the fun part; if one wins a game, that is an added bonus. People truly enjoy the process of playing a game. If winning was the only thing that was important, we would all play "Rock-Paper-Scissors" all of the time.
People enjoy the process of playing a game because of the social aspects. Playing a game, especially a long, enduring game like Mahjong is a bonding experience. Many of these games can last for days, being picked up and left off time and time again. Games are great for bonding with other people, which makes them excellent for improving one's social skills, in addition to having fun.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that games can be fun even if I am not the winner. Games must be played a multitude of times if one hopes to get good at them, and this is a fun process to go through. Games bring us closer to our friends, as we have fun experiences with them. There are many excellent reasons to play a game besides winning.
译文
136. 只有获胜，游戏才好玩吗？
玩游戏是世界上最受欢迎的娱乐方式之一。每个国家都有许多一直在玩的流行的游戏。比如，在中国，麻将和中国象棋都是非常受欢迎的。我认为玩游戏本身就充满乐趣，而游戏获胜只是一个额外的惊喜。
当人们刚开始玩一个游戏的时候，他们不可能总赢。这尤其适用于像上面所述的讲究策略的游戏。在许多情况下，与一种游戏的顶尖玩家之间进行较量，输掉也是一种光荣，而不是失望。那句古老的格言说得好，熟能生巧。这对于游戏和任何其他事情都是同样正确的。为了保证游戏的胜利，你必须反复地加以练习，学习游戏的各种计策。
练习对游戏获胜是必需的。如果这真的是一个让人厌烦的过程，没有人会去玩游戏。然而，正是游戏的过程而非目的才是重要的。经历实际的游戏过程才是有趣的部分；如果一个人获得了胜利，那就是一个额外的奖赏。人们真的喜欢玩游戏的这个过程。如果获胜才是惟一重要的东西，那还不如一直玩“剪刀石头布”。
人们喜欢玩游戏的过程，还因为社交方面的原因。玩游戏，尤其是像麻将那样漫长而持久的游戏，是一种联络感情的经历。许多这种游戏可能会起起停停，持续好几天。游戏非常有助于和他人进行感情联络，这使得它们除了提供乐趣，还成为改善人们社交技巧的很好的方法。
总之，我坚信，即使我不是胜者，游戏也能很有意思。人们如果希望对游戏精通，必须进行大量地练习，而这个经历正是一个很有乐趣的过程。游戏使我们与朋友更加亲近，因为我们共同经历了乐趣。玩游戏除了为了获胜之外还有许多很好的理由。
Word List
- strategy ［ˈstrætədʒi］ n. 策略，计策
- age-old ［ˈeidʒˈəuld］ adj. 古老的
- above-mentioned ［əˌbʌvˈmenʃənd］adj. 上述的
- adage ［ˈædidʒ］ n. 格言
- annoying ［əˈnɔiiŋ］ adj. 让人厌烦的
- top ［ta:p］ adj. 顶尖的
- bonus ［ˈbəunəs］ n. 奖赏
- honor ［ˈa:nə］ n. 光荣
- enduring ［enˈdu:əriŋ］ adj. 持久的
- disappointment［ ˌdisəˈpɔintmənt］ n.失望