On True Friendship

HSK 3 · 406 characters · Seneca's Letters

A stranger at the Roman baths whispers his secrets to everyone — and Seneca explains when to think slowly and when to trust completely.

在zài罗马luó mǎ，老lǎo哲学家zhé xué jiā塞内卡sāi nèi kǎ又yòu拿起ná qǐ了le笔bǐ。In Rome, the old philosopher Seneca picked up his pen again.这zhè一次yī cì，他tā想xiǎng跟gēn远方yuǎn fāng的de年轻nián qīng朋友péng you谈tán一yī谈tán友谊yǒu yì。This time, he wanted to talk with his young friend far away about friendship.

亲爱qīn ài的de朋友péng you：Dear friend,

你nǐ在zài信xìn里lǐ说shuō，你nǐ认识rèn shi了le一个yī ge“朋友péng you”。In your letter you said you had made a "friend."然后rán hòu你nǐ又yòu说shuō，有些yǒu xiē重要zhòng yào的de事shì不能bù néng告诉gào sù他tā。Then you said there were important things you couldn't tell him.我的wǒ de朋友péng you，这zhè两句liǎng jù话huà放fàng在一起zài yī qǐ，多么duō me奇怪qí guài啊ā。My friend, how strange those two sentences sound side by side.如果rú guǒ他tā是shì你的nǐ de朋友péng you，你nǐ为什么wèi shén me不bù相信xiāng xìn他tā？If he is your friend, why don't you trust him?如果rú guǒ你nǐ不bù相信xiāng xìn他tā，你nǐ为什么wèi shén me叫jiào他tā朋友péng you？And if you don't trust him, why do you call him a friend?

我wǒ给gěi你nǐ讲jiǎng一件yī jiàn我wǒ自己zì jǐ看见kàn jiàn的de事shì。Let me tell you something I saw myself.罗马luó mǎ人rén喜欢xǐ huan去qù澡堂zǎo táng，坐在zuò zài热水rè shuǐ里lǐ聊天liáo tiān。Romans love going to the baths and chatting in the hot water.昨天zuó tiān，一个yī ge男人nán rén坐zuò到dào我wǒ旁边páng biān，小声xiǎo shēng说shuō：“我wǒ告诉gào sù你nǐ一个yī ge秘密mì mì……”Yesterday a man sat down beside me and whispered, "Let me tell you a secret..."我wǒ根本gēn běn不bù认识rèn shi他tā。I didn't know him at all.可是kě shì他tā把bǎ家里jiā lǐ的de事shì、钱qián的de事shì、心里xīn li的de事shì，全都quán dōu告诉gào sù了le我wǒ。Yet he told me everything — his family, his money, his heart.后来hòu lái我wǒ发现fā xiàn，他tā对duì澡堂zǎo táng里lǐ的de每měi一个人yī gè rén都dōu这样zhè yàng。Later I realized he did this with everyone at the baths.这样zhè yàng的de人rén把bǎ秘密mì mì送给sòng gěi所有人suǒ yǒu rén，其实qí shí一个yī ge朋友péng you也yě没有méi yǒu。A man like that gives his secrets to everyone — and really has no friend at all.

还有hái yǒu一种yī zhǒng人rén正好zhèng hǎo相反xiāng fǎn，他们tā men谁shéi也yě不bù相信xiāng xìn。There is another kind of person, just the opposite: they trust no one.他们tā men把bǎ心xīn关guān起来qǐ lai，连lián最好zuì hǎo的de朋友péng you也yě进jìn不bù去qù。They lock their hearts, and not even their best friend can get inside.我wǒ告诉gào sù你nǐ，这zhè两liǎng种zhǒng人rén都dōu错了cuò le。I tell you, both kinds of people are wrong.正确zhèng què的de路lù在zài中间zhōng jiān。The right path lies in the middle.

交朋友jiāo péng you以前yǐ qián，要yào想xiǎng得很de hěn慢màn、很hěn清楚qīng chu。Before making a friend, think slowly and clearly.你nǐ可以kě yǐ问wèn自己zì jǐ：这zhè个人gè rén诚实chéng shí吗ma？他tā心里xīn li有yǒu别人bié ren吗ma？Ask yourself: is this person honest? Does he have room in his heart for others?可是kě shì一旦yī dàn你nǐ决定jué dìng了le，就要jiù yào完全wán quán地de相信xiāng xìn他tā。But once you have decided, trust him completely.

跟gēn真正的zhēn zhèng de朋友péng you在一起zài yī qǐ，你nǐ可以kě yǐ说出shuō chū心里xīn li所有suǒ yǒu的话de huà，就像jiù xiàng对duì自己zì jǐ说话shuō huà一样yī yàng。With a true friend you can say everything in your heart, as if you were talking to yourself.因为yīn wèi真正的zhēn zhèng de朋友péng you，就是jiù shì另lìng一个yī ge自己zì jǐ。Because a true friend is another self.慢慢地màn màn de选择xuǎn zé，然后rán hòu勇敢yǒng gǎn地de相信xiāng xìn。Choose slowly — then trust bravely.

这zhè就是jiù shì我wǒ今天jīn tiān送sòng你的nǐ de小xiǎo礼物lǐ wù。That is the small gift I send you today.保重bǎo zhòng身体shēn tǐ，我的wǒ de朋友péng you。Take care of yourself, my friend.