雙語智慧書·不要輕易斷交

257．不要輕易斷交
　　不要輕易斷交。斷交容易損害我們的名聲。如果不能做朋友，所有人都有可能成為重要的敵人。對(duì)我們好的人少，但幾乎每個(gè)人都可能對(duì)我們不好。在與甲殼蟲斷交之后，朱比特的鷹連在他懷里筑巢都不得安寧。暗藏的敵人借宣戰(zhàn)敵人的手煽風(fēng)點(diǎn)火，他們潛藏著，等待這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)已經(jīng)很久了。被得罪的朋友會(huì)成為讓你最痛苦的敵人。為了掩飾自己的過錯(cuò)，他們會(huì)指責(zé)對(duì)方的錯(cuò)誤。人們都是這樣，事情在他們看來如何，他們就如何說；而事情看來如何，又取決于他們想要事情如何。每個(gè)人都會(huì)說我們從一開始就目光短淺，而且收?qǐng)龅臅r(shí)候又沒有耐心，始終都不夠謹(jǐn)慎。如果斷交無法避免，那么也是可以諒解的，不要勃然大怒，而要慢慢疏遠(yuǎn)。這就很好地運(yùn)用了優(yōu)雅后退的格言。


257．Never let matters come to a rupture
　Never let matters come to a rupture, for our reputation always comes injured out of the encounter. Everyone may be of importance as an enemy if not as a friend. Few can do us good, almost any can do us harm. In Jove's bosom itself even his eagle never nestles securely from the day he has quarrelled with a beetle. Hidden foes use the paw of the declared enemy to stir up the fire, and meanwhile they lie in ambush for such an occasion. Friends provoked become the bitterest of enemies. They cover their own failings with the faults of others. Everyone speaks as things seem to him, and things seem as he wishes them to appear. All blame us at the beginning for want of foresight, at the end for lack of patience, at all times for imprudence. If, however, a breach is inevitable, let it be rather excused as a slackening of friendship than by an outburst of wrath: here is a good application of the saying about a good retreat.