▸ 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.

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