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【英文原文2】
And here we were，playing with my last ten dollars．The last throw of the dice．I looked up from the spinning roulette wheel and caught the croupier's stony gaze．I watched him as he scanned the eager crowd．His eyes met mine and there was a hint of contempt in the smile．How many fortunes had he seen won and lost at his table？How many lives ruined？“Yes，mate，”I felt like saying，“here's another sucker whose entire life depends on the throw of a dice8)．”I understood his contempt．In the last three years I had watched others go down the road I had shunned．I saw their glee turn to despair．I saw the desperation in their demeanour9) as they slunk into the den of iniquity．I shuddered to think that I had been one of them．Estelle had saved me and I stood proudly invincible，untouched by triumph or tragedy．
Until today．No wonder the croupier had contempt for me．I had contempt for myself．I dropped my gaze．The roulette was still spinning crazily，as if it was never going to stop．A hundred eyes focused on it．It started to slow．The crowd pressed forward．The man beside me squared his shoulders and seemed to hold his breath．Further along the table I could see a woman's hand clenched into a white－knuckled fist．Something，perhaps the woman's wristwatch，reminded me of Estelle，and I turned away in shame．I promised myself that win or lose，I would never return．Never a gain would I compromise the purity of our relationship．
When the croupier's voice announced the winning number my stomach sank．It was seven．All was lost．A woman squealed in delight，so like my own dear Estelle that it stabbed me to the heart．I saw the previously white－knuckled fist jab the air in joyous victory．The movement was so sudden，almost violent，that the wristwatch clasp broke and the watch sailed into the air，landing on the plush carpet，not far from my feet．All eyes，however，were on the woman．She had flung herself into the arms of her ostentatiously10) wealthy male companion，squawking in an unnatural high pitched voice，“Ken．Ken．We've done it．We've won．”She began to laugh uncontrollably．She hooted．She cackled，screeched and whooped．She slapped her thigh．She danced a jig．The crowd watched in envious amusement．But I was not amused．I didn't need to pick up the watch to know that it was in scribed “To Estelle from her grateful husband．”
