雙語智慧書·不要濫用人情

171．不要濫用人情
　　不要濫用人情。重要的朋友要用在關(guān)鍵的時候。不要把重要的關(guān)系浪費在細微小事上--那會浪費別人的情義。預(yù)備的大錨應(yīng)該為絕境保留著。如果讓不重要的事情把重要的關(guān)系都浪費掉，那么，你還能剩下什么？在今天，沒有什么比能得到他人的保護更重要，也沒有什么比得到關(guān)愛更昂貴。他人的眷顧可助你成功，也能壞你的事；它甚至既能增長你的智慧，也能奪走它。智者受到造化和名望的眷顧，也常會招來命運之神的嫉妒。所以，保有權(quán)能人士的眷顧比保有財產(chǎn)更為重要。


171．Do not waste influence
　Do not waste influence. The great as friends are for great occasions. One should not make use of great confidence for little things, for that is to waste a favour. The sheet anchor should be reserved for the last extremity. If you use up the great for little ends what remains afterwards? Nothing is more valuable than a protector, and nothing costs more nowadays than a favour. It can make or unmake a whole world. It can even give sense and take it away. As Nature and Fame are favourable to the wise, so Luck is generally envious of them. It is therefore more important to keep the favour of the mighty than goods and chattels.