经验丰富的中国赌场玩家哈里·李东吴给我们解释了，为什么中国人在赌场和赌博游戏中充满激情的原因。

　　我到过许多世界各地的各种大小赌场，无论我走进哪些赌场，我总是看到中国人。我们在游戏中充满热情，并享受着游戏带来的乐趣。你常常可以在我们中国人的脸上看到各种表情：兴奋，高兴，焦虑，抑郁，无助等。

　　对于投注的喜爱，当然不是中国独有的，但它在中国的历史是最为悠久的。中国的网络游戏最早的记录是出现在商代的刘波（字面意思为“六个游戏”）游戏，这场比赛在春秋战国时期（公元前770年至公元前221年）。与刘波游戏一样盛行的还有“战棋”游戏，这是六方与另一方在一个简单的棋盘上对垒的游戏，骰子是用来控制斗争进展的工具。游戏一般都是技巧和运气的结合，许多知识分子和诗人都通过刘波游戏来宣泄自己的情绪。我们崇拜的大诗人李白似乎特别喜欢刘波游戏，因为在他那些脍炙人口的诗篇中，至少有3篇是涉及刘波游戏的。

　　我们可以看到，赌博在中国存在很长一段时间，并在中国人当中继续发展下去。中国人喜欢玩，但如果您用“贪”字来形容他们在这方面表现的积极性，这可能是过于极端或简化。自古以来，中国人自认为在世界当中有着某种“特殊之处”，因而自称是天之骄子。他们相信命运，相信谋事在人，但成事在天。就是说，一个男子努力后能够实现目标，这是幸运的。“命运之神”是否光临，这将最终决定是否会实现目标。赌博游戏与运气相关，直接关联到每一个玩家，这个命运就是游戏本身。如果命运有利于你，你就可以享受它给你带来的好运。如果它与你相悖，那你也只好耸耸肩，继续前进。

　　然而，赌博在汉语词汇中似乎只具有负面意义，这是有一定历史原因的。最早的赌博活动，只是当权者的娱乐，如果普通人从事这些活动，则被视为超越了行为的界限。当赌场开始出现，它通常是因为知道开展一些游戏能够获得巨大的利润。因此，当权者授予专人经营这个行业，而普通人设立的任何一个小场地都被严格禁止。

　　其实，赌博并没有像人们想象中的那么神秘，它仅仅是娱乐行业的一份子。对于赌博，如果你在你的权限范围内玩，这是没有什么错的。请记住，不要贪婪，要用一种你承受得起的方式玩。在赌博之前，要有一个健康的心态，要明白一切只是为了娱乐。

　　译文

　　Highly experienced Chinese casino player Harry-Lee Dong Wu explains why the Chinese are such passionate players of casino and gambling games.

　　I have been to many casinos of various sizes around the world. No matter which casino I walk in to, I always see Chinese. We are very passionate about gaming, and enjoy its pleasures. You often see us Chinese with various emotions on our faces: anticipation, excitement, elation, anxiety, depression, helplessness and so on.

　　Of course the love of betting is not uniquely Chinese, but it has a long history in China. The earliest record of Chinese gaming appears in the Shang Dynasty, referring to the game of liu bo （literally 'six gaming'）。 This game prevailed during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period （that is from 770 BC to 221 BC）。 Liu bo is similar to the 'fight chess' game, in which six pieces fight with one another on a simple chessboard, and dice are used to control the progress of the fight. The game is a combination of skill and luck. Many intellectuals and poets have shared their feelings about liu bo. Our revered poet Li Bai seems to be particularly fond of liu bo, as there are references to liu bo in at least three of his well-known poems.

　　We can see gambling has existed in China for a long time, and has a strong following among Chinese people. Chinese people love to play, but if you use the word 'greed' to describe their enthusiasm it is probably too extreme or simplified. Since ancient times, Chinese people have considered themselves as God's favourite children with some kind of 'special place' in the world. They believe in destiny and believe that man proposes but God disposes. By that I mean that while man might strive to achieve a goal, it is 'luck', destiny, fate or 'the Gods' that ultimately decide whether that goal will be achieved. Gambling games directly connect every player with destiny, and this destiny shows itself in the games. If destiny favours you, celebrate and enjoy it. If it is against you, just shrug your shoulders and move on.

　　However, gambling seems to be a word with negative connotations in the Chinese vocabulary. There are some historical reasons for this. The earliest gambling activities were entertainment only for those in power. If ordinary people engaged in those activities, it was considered as overstepping one's boundaries. When casinos first appeared, it was usually because of the perception of great profits to those running the games. Therefore those in power were granted exclusivity to operate in this industry, and any small venues established by ordinary people were strictly prohibited.

　　Actually, gambling is not as mysterious as people think. It is simply an element of the entertainment industry. There is nothing wrong with gambling if you do so within your limits. Remember not to be greedy and play in an affordable manner. A healthy attitude towards gambling puts entertainment before everything else.