交友篇
On Friendship
Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning!
A friend should relate to a friend as to oneself, because a friend is another self.
A friend and I, although we have two separate bodies, are of one mind.
In easy times it is difficult to tell true friends from false ones; in hard times the nature of a friendship is revealed. In hard times a true friend draws closer, while a false one runs away.
Before making friends, we should first judge; after making friends, we should trust them.
Friendship and enmity[30] are like sweet music and discord. The criterion[31] for distinguishing them is harmony or the lack of it. Harmony is essential to friendship. With harmony, a small enterprise can grow steadily; without harmony, a big enterprise can fall into decay.
When in distress, we love to see a friend’s face. Both in trouble and in joy friendship is beneficial. Friendship reduces sorrow in times of pain and adds to joy in happy times.
If it is built on common interests and similar moral standards, friendship is strong.
A true friend does not always agree with his friends, nor does he always disagree. He accepts what is reasonable and opposes what is unreasonable. Therefore the duty of a friend is to speak frankly.
A friendship in which pleasure predominates[32] over righteousness cannot last.
Those who claim many intimate friends have not even one intimate friend.
Our duties towards our friends go as far as justice requires.
Where there are friends, there is success.
If we see a person’s friends are as numerous as trees in a forest, we know his virtue is very great. If we see a person’s friends as few as the morning stars, we then know his virtue is very slight.
To make friends with a noble person is difficult; to make friends with rascals is easy. What is hard to bring together is hard to separate. What is easily brought together is easily separated.
If two persons are good friends in ordinary times, but for a small advantage or small disadvantage they become enemies, this shows that their friendship is not based on virtue. If a friendship is correct, advantages can be divided and shared.
The end of making friends is only to imitate those who are better than oneself, or to teach one who may not be so good. Therefore, to teach is to learn and to learn is to teach. This is mutual benefit. If one’s virtue is too little, I have nothing to learn, or if he is too wicked, there is no way to teach him. To spend the whole day together in diversions is to waste time.
After establishing a friendship, be careful not to break the relationship. Once broken, these relations can be mended, but it is difficult to restore them as they once were. A jade[33] vessel[34] which has been glued back together will have an unsightly flaw and can easily break again. Moreover it has become less useful.
The wise person who wants to withdraw from false friends avoids them little by little and does not break with them all at once.
[点评] 该演讲稿开篇就指出了朋友的重要性，随后对友谊做进一步的阐述。本文语言生动，恰当地应用了一些拟人排比的修辞方法。从全文整体上看，能够把握中心，分析透彻、中肯，并能联系实际，使论证非常严谨，具有很强的说服力。
The Value of Friendship
Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning!
Friendship is both a source of pleasure and a component of good health. People who have close friends naturally enjoy their company. Of equal importance are the concrete emotional benefits they derive. When something sensational[35] happens to us, sharing the happiness of the occasion with friends intensifies our joy. Conversely[36], in times of trouble and tension, when our spirits are low, unburdening our worries and fears to compassionate friends alleviates the stress. Moreover, we may even get some practical suggestions for solving a particular problem.
Adolescence[37] and old age are the two stages in our lives when the need for friendship is crucial. In the former stage, teens are plagued by uncertainty and mixed feelings. In the latter stage, older people are upset by feelings uselessness and insignificance. In both instances, friends can make a dramatic difference. With close friends in their lives, people develop courage and positive attitudes. Teenagers have the moral support to assert their individuality; the elderly approach their advanced years with optimism and an interest in life. These positive outlooks are vital to cope successfully with the crises inherent in these two stages of life.
Throughout life, we rely on small groups of people for love, admiration, respect, moral support, and help. Almost everyone has a “network” of friends: co-workers, neighbors, and schoolmates. While both men and women have such friends, evidence is accumulating that indicates men rarely make close friends. Men are sociable and frequently have numerous business acquaintances, golf buddies, and so on. However, friendship does not merely involve a sharing of activities; it is a sharing of self on a very personal level. Customarily, men have shied away from close relationships in which they confide in others. By bottling up their emotions, men deprive themselves of a healthy outlet for their negative feelings.
People choose some friends because they are fun to be with: they “make things happen”. Likewise, common interests appear to be a significant factor in selecting friends. Families with children, for instance, tend to gravitate toward families with children it is normal to be friend with people who have similar lifestyles, and organizations such as parents without partners have appeared on the scene as a natural outgrowth of this tendency. These groups provide an opportunity to socialize, make new acquaintances and friends, obtain helpful advice in adapting smoothly to a new lifestyle. Other groups focus on specific interest such as camping or politics. It is perfectly acceptable to select friends with special qualities as long as there is a balanced giving and taking that is mutually satisfying.
Very close and trusted friends share confidences candidly[38]. They feel secure that they will not be ridiculed or derided[39], and their confidences will be honored. Betraying a trust is a very quick and painful way to terminate a friendship.
As friendships solidify, ties strengthen. Intimate relationships enrich people’s lives. Some components of a thriving friendship are honesty, naturalness, thoughtfulness, and some common interests.
Circumstances and people are constantly changing. Some friendships last“forever”, others do not, nevertheless, friendship is an essential ingredient in the making of a healthful, rewarding life.
[点评] 该演讲稿语句优美，富有节奏，不仅起了调节、变化的作用，而且清楚地点明了演讲的主题——所谓友谊是人与人之间的一种良好的关系，其中包括了解、欣赏、信任、容忍、牺牲等诸多美德。文章结尾起到画龙点睛的作用，加深了全文的思想意义，突出了中心。