有人說過：資本主義世界，永遠有贏家或輸家： In a capitalist society, there will always be winners and losers。Winners see the gain. Losers see the pain.
WIN作動詞用，有獲勝和贏得的意思。前者例如You win a game, fight, argument, election。後者例如You win a prize, a medal, or support。WIN指在競賽、戰爭、比拼中獲得勝利，或者因此而贏得獎金或戰利品。
WIN和EARN及GAIN，用法有明顯分別。
EARN通常指你為你所做的工作獲得報酬：The reporter earns $3000 a month working for a newspaper。GAIN通常指你獲得有用和期望得到的東西，不一等和金錢有關：You gained useful experience while working for the newspaper。
WIN和DEFEAT及BEAT，用法也有分別：You do not say that someone wins an enemy or opponent. In a war or battle, you say that one side defeats the other. In a game or contest, you say one person defeats or beats the other.
You win hands down你輕易取得勝利。You win by a long chalk means you win very conclusively你毫不含煳地贏得勝利。You win some rounds means you are partly successful你贏得部份勝利。
WIN作名詞用，相等於SUCCESS 成功 or VICTORY勝利。運動方面，兩勝三負是two wins and three defeats。雙贏的局面是win-win。一個各得其所的局面便是a win-win situation all around。例如：The agreement or solution is a win-win for everyone。反之，便是It’s a no-win situation。
WINNING作形容詞用，有兩個配詞用法很有趣：A winning smile是迷人的一笑；a winning way of doing something is one that makes somebody like you例如令人傾倒的神態；a winning streak is a period of time when you win every game or competition你手風順，運氣好。
A WINNER贏家is a VICTOR勝利者。成者為王，敗者為寇。A winner takes all贏者通吃=a situation where the one who defeats others takes all the spoils of the conflict一切戰利品，歸為己有。
運動場上、賭場上、商場上、情場上，勝利者歡唿，失敗者嘆息，司空見慣。當某人失意時，你可以安慰他這樣說：You can’t win them all =You win some, you lose some 。
VICTORY可以配上不同的形容詞：a dramatic victory戲劇性的勝利，a decisive victory決定性的勝利，a narrow victory微弱的險勝，a surprise victory意外的成功，a landslide victory壓倒性優勢的選舉勝利，a well-earned victory理所應得的勝利等，都很常用。
VICTORY前面運用合適的動詞，可以考慮不同的搭配：roar, romp, coast, cruise, storm, sweep to victory均表示輕易大獲全勝=a runaway success：Michel Phelps swept to victory in 2008 Beijing Olympics with 8 gold medals. Fernando Torres led the Spanish team to runaway victory in the 2012 European Cup.
英國首相Winston Churchill邱吉爾1940年5月13日在國會第一次演講：You ask: 『What is our aim?』 I can answer in one word: 『Victory!』 Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be: for without victory there is no survival不勝則亡。
至於傷亡慘重，得不償失的勝利，只好說：a Pyrrhic or hollow victory which is not worth winning because the winner has suffered or lost so much in winning it。
DEFEAT是VICTORY的相反詞=failure to win or succeed。
用法方面：Defeat is always uncountable in these combinations: You had to admit defeat認輸. You can choose to concede defeat or fight back。
Defeated等同conquered, vanquished, overthrown 失敗或戰敗。
DEFEAT可以配上不同的形容詞：a heavy defeat大敗, a crushing defeat慘敗, a humiliating defeat恥辱的失敗, a tight defeat惜敗, a shock defeat意想不到的挫敗。If you say: We aren’t going to take defeat lying down=You won’t accept it easily不輕言敗！
冠在DEFEAT前面，表示admit defeat的動詞，acknowledge, concede, accept都很常用。例如：美國總統選舉，失敗一方會大方和對方握手，以示民主公平競爭的風範：The presidential candidate accepted defeat gracefully and shook hands with the winner。表示遭受失敗experience a defeat 的動詞搭配，crash to, face, taste, suffer都很常用。例如：該政黨在大選中慘敗：The political party suffered a humiliating defeat in the general election。
失敗乃成功之母：Failure is the mother of success。挫折和逆境是通向成功的道路。
功敗垂成仍為敗：A miss is as good as a mile，換言之，錯誤再小也是錯：there is no difference between only just failing in something and failing it badly because the result is still the same。
有關WINNERS AND LOSERS成敗得失的英文雋語，可以列舉幾句，供大家賞玩：
Winners see the potential;
Losers see the past. 成者看到前面的潛力，敗者只眷顧失去的過去。
Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart of the team.成者合群，敗者離群。
Winners believe in win-win;
Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose. 成者相信雙贏，敗者相信先要別人輸，自己才會贏。
文：文世昌
