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In my second year at University I met a new student called Glendinning. He came from an old English family and was one of the richest students in the university. I soon realized that he was very unintelligent and because of this he was, of course, a very suitable person for me to gamble with! I started to play cards with him often, and for some time I made sure that he always won.
上大学二年级的时候，我结识了一个名叫格兰丁宁的新生，他出身于一个古老的英格兰世家，是学校里最有钱的学生之一。我很快发现，此人智力极端低下，正因为如此，他理所当然是我的一个非常合适的赌博对象！我开始经常性地同他一起玩纸牌，而且一段时间里总是让他赢。
At last I decided that the time was right and I made my plans carefully. I met Glendinning at the rooms of a friend of mine, a Mr. Preston（who had no idea of my secret plan）. Eight or ten other friends were also invited. In this way Glendinning had no idea that I planned to gamble with him that evening. In fact, at the party, it was he who first suggested playing cards.
终于，我认为时机成熟了，便仔细地制定了计划。我在一位朋友家里碰见了格兰丁尼，这位朋友是普雷斯顿先生（他对我的秘密计划一无所知）。还有八个或十个朋友也应邀来做客，这样一来，格兰丁尼就不会想到那天晚上我是早有预谋地要同他赌博了。其实，在那天的聚会中还是他首先提议玩纸牌的呢。
We played for many long hours. In the end, by my careful plan, I was playing alone against Glendinning, while the others watched our game. Glendinning had drunk a lot of wine during the evening and his hands were beginning to shake a little-from fear or from the wine, I wasn't sure. He had already lost a large amount of money. Then he did what I had hoped for. He took another long drink of wine and said, ‘Let's double the stakes.’Beginners always think they can win back what they have lost in this way.
我们拖拖拉拉地玩了好几个钟头，到了最后，在我的精心安排下，牌桌上只剩下我和格兰丁尼单打独斗了，其他人则在一旁观战。这一晚上格兰丁尼喝了不少酒，他的手都微微发抖了——是因为害怕还是因为醉酒，我拿不准。他已经输掉了一大笔钱。然后，正如我所期望的那样，他又足足地灌了一大口酒，说道：“咱们把赌注加倍吧。”凡是新手，总是以为他们这么干就能把输掉的钱赢回来。
