Unlike most costs discussed in economics, an opportunity cost doesn't necessarily involve money. The opportunity cost of any action is simply the next best alternative to that action: What you would have done if you didn't make the choice that you made?
與經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)中討論的大多數(shù)成本不同，機(jī)會(huì)成本并不一定涉及金錢。任何行動(dòng)的機(jī)會(huì)成本都只是該行動(dòng)的次優(yōu)方案：如果你沒有做出這個(gè)選擇，你會(huì)怎么做？

The notion of opportunity cost is critical to the idea that the true cost of anything is the sum of all the things that you have to give up.
所謂機(jī)會(huì)成本，其實(shí)說(shuō)的是你必須為之放棄的一切以及所要付出的代價(jià)。

Opportunity cost considers only the next best alternative to an action, not the entire set of alternatives, and takes into account all of the differences between the two choices.
機(jī)會(huì)成本只考慮行動(dòng)的下一個(gè)最佳選擇，而不是全部備選方案，并且要考慮到兩個(gè)選擇之間的所有差異。

We actually deal with the concept of opportunity cost every day. For example, options for a day off work might include going to the movies, staying home to watch a baseball game, or going out to coffee with friends. Choosing to go to the movies means the opportunity cost of that action is the second choice.
事實(shí)上，我們每天都在與機(jī)會(huì)成本的概念打交道。例如，休息一天的選擇可能包括去看電影，待在家里看棒球比賽，或者和朋友出去喝咖啡。選擇去看電影意味著這個(gè)行動(dòng)的機(jī)會(huì)成本是第二選擇。

Explicit Versus Implicit Opportunity Costs
顯性和隱性機(jī)會(huì)成本

Generally, making choices includes two types of cost: explicit and implicit. Explicit costs are monetary expenses, while implicit costs are intangible and therefore hard to account for.?
一般來(lái)說(shuō)，成本有兩種類型：顯性和隱性。顯性成本是貨幣支出，但是隱性成本是無(wú)形的，因此很難解釋。

In some cases, such as weekend plans, the notion of opportunity cost includes only these forgone alternatives, or implicit costs.?
在某些情況下，比如周末計(jì)劃，機(jī)會(huì)成本的概念只包括這些被放棄了的選擇，或者隱性成本。

But in others, such as a business's profit maximization, opportunity cost refers to the difference in the total of this type of implicit cost and the more typical explicit monetary cost between the first choice and the next best alternative.
但在其他方面，例如企業(yè)的利潤(rùn)最大化，機(jī)會(huì)成本指的是這種隱性成本的總和與最優(yōu)和次優(yōu)選擇之間更典型的顯性貨幣成本的差異。

Analyzing Opportunity Costs
機(jī)會(huì)成本分析

The concept of opportunity cost is particularly important because, in economics, almost all business costs include some quantification of opportunity cost.?
機(jī)會(huì)成本的概念尤為重要，因?yàn)樵诮?jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)中，幾乎所有的商業(yè)成本都包括機(jī)會(huì)成本的一些量化。

To make decisions, we must consider benefits and costs, and we often do this through marginal analysis.?
做決策時(shí)，我們必須考慮收益和成本，通常我們可以通過邊際分析來(lái)做到這一點(diǎn)。

Firms maximize profits by weighing marginal revenue against marginal cost.?
企業(yè)通過權(quán)衡邊際收入和邊際成本來(lái)實(shí)現(xiàn)利潤(rùn)最大化。

What will make the most money when considering the operating costs??
在考慮運(yùn)營(yíng)成本的情況下，做什么能賺到最多的錢?

The opportunity cost of an investment would involve the difference between the return on the chosen investment and the return on the other investment.
一項(xiàng)投資的機(jī)會(huì)成本包括所選投資項(xiàng)目的回報(bào)和其他投資項(xiàng)目的回報(bào)之間的差額。

Likewise, individuals weigh personal opportunity costs in everyday life, and these often include as many implicit costs as explicit.?
同樣地，個(gè)人在日常生活中也要權(quán)衡個(gè)人機(jī)會(huì)成本，這些成本通常包括與顯性成本一樣多的隱性成本。

For example, weighing job offers includes analyzing more perks than just wages.?
例如，衡量工作機(jī)會(huì)時(shí)要多分析福利，而不僅僅是工資。

A higher-paying job isn't always the chosen option because when you factor in benefits like health care, time off, location, work duties, and happiness, a lower-paying job might be a better fit.?
高薪工作并不總是最好的，因?yàn)楫?dāng)你考慮到諸如醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)、休假、工作地點(diǎn)、工作職責(zé)和幸福感等福利時(shí)，低薪工作可能更適合你。

In this scenario, the difference in wages would be part of the opportunity cost, but not all of it.?
在這種情況下，工資的差異將是機(jī)會(huì)成本的一部分，但不是全部。

Likewise, working additional hours at a job offers more in wages earned but comes at the expense of more time to do things outside of work, which is an opportunity cost of employment.
同樣地，一份工作加班可以帶來(lái)更多的工資收入，但是卻要花費(fèi)更多的時(shí)間去做工作以外的事情，這是就業(yè)的機(jī)會(huì)成本。

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（翻譯：雅蘭）