237.決不分享上司的秘密
決不分享上司的秘密。也許你認(rèn)為你們可以共享一個梨,事實(shí)上,你們能共享的不過只有梨皮而已。很多人因?yàn)槌蔀樗诵母苟鴽]有好下場。他們像用面包皮制成的湯匙一樣,承受馬上就和湯一塊被吃掉的危險。君主向你訴說秘密不代表寵信于你,他只是為了釋放自己。許多人打碎鏡子,以免看見自己的丑陋。我們不愿看見那些見過我們真面目的人;如果別人見過我們的丑陋,我們看到他也會覺得他不光彩。沒人會感激我們見過他的隱私,尤其是那些位高權(quán)重之人。分享上司秘密不是受他們恩惠,而是恰恰相反。把秘密告訴朋友也很危險。將秘密泄露給他人,就等于把自己置于他人奴隸的位置。任何權(quán)貴都不能忍受這種地位,所以這種情況不會長久。他渴望找回失去的自由,為此不惜摧毀一切,包括公正和理性。因此,秘密不能講,也不能聽。
237.Never share the secrets of your superiors
Never share the secrets of your superiors. You may think you will share pears, but you will only share parings. Many have been ruined by being confidants: they are like sops of bread used as forks, they run the same risk of being eaten up afterwards. It is no favour in a prince to share a secret: it is only a relief. Many break the mirror that reminds them of their ugliness. We do not like seeing those who have seen us as we are; nor is he seen in a favourable light who has seen us in an unfavourable one. None ought to be too much beholden to us, least of all one of the great. Let it be for benefits done him rather than for such favours received from him. Especially dangerous are secrets entrusted to friends. He that communicates his secret to another makes himself that other's slave. With a prince this is an intolerable position which cannot last. He will desire to recover his lost liberty, and to gain it will overturn everything, including right and reason. Accordingly neither tell secrets nor listen to them.