And a youth said， Speak to us of Friendship，

And he answered， saying:

Your friend is you needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger， and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the \"nay\" in your own mind， nor do you withhold the \"ay\".

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;

For without words， in friendship， all thoughts， all desires， all expectations are born and shared， with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend， you grieve not；

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence， as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.

If he must know the ebb of your tide， let him know its flood also.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?

Seek him always with hours to live.

For it is his to fill your need， but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter， and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refeshed.

一個(gè)青年接著說(shuō)，請(qǐng)為我們談?wù)動(dòng)颜x。

他回答道：

你的朋友是對(duì)你需求的滿足。

他是你帶著愛(ài)播種，帶著感恩之心收獲的田地。

他也是你的餐桌，你的壁爐。

當(dāng)你饑餓時(shí)會(huì)來(lái)到他身邊，向他尋求安寧。

當(dāng)你的朋友傾訴他的心聲時(shí)，你不要害怕說(shuō)出自己心中的“不”，也不要掩瞞你心中的“是”。

當(dāng)他默默無(wú)語(yǔ)時(shí)，你的心仍可傾聽(tīng)他的心。

因?yàn)樵谟颜x的不言而喻中，所有的思想、所有的欲望、所有的期盼，都在無(wú)可言喻的歡愉中孕生而共享；

當(dāng)你和朋友分別時(shí)，你也不會(huì)悲傷。

因?yàn)楫?dāng)他不在身邊時(shí)，他身上最為你所珍愛(ài)的東西會(huì)顯得更加醒目，就像山峰對(duì)于平原上的登山者那樣顯得格外清晰。

不要對(duì)你們的友誼別有所圖，除了追尋心靈的深耕外。

因?yàn)橹磺蟊砺蹲晕叶鵁o(wú)所他求的愛(ài)，并非真愛(ài)，而是撒出的網(wǎng)，捕獲的盡是些無(wú)益的東西。

奉獻(xiàn)你最好的東西，給你的朋友。

若他定要知道你情緒的落潮期，那么，把你的漲潮期一并告訴他。

因?yàn)?，你若只是為了消磨時(shí)光才去尋找朋友，這能算你的朋友嗎？

總該邀朋友共享生命才是。

因?yàn)榕笥岩獛Ыo你滿足你的需要，不是填滿你的空虛。

在友誼的滋潤(rùn)下恣意歡笑，同享喜悅吧！

因?yàn)樵诩?xì)微末節(jié)的露珠中，你的心會(huì)找到煥發(fā)一新的晨曦。