Let us never
bestow1 gifts which may
recoil2 upon us to our shame. As the sum total of friendship consists in making our friends equal to ourselves, we ought to consider the interests of both parties; I must give to him that wants, yet so that I do not want myself; I must help him who is perishing, yet so that I do not perish myself, unless by so doing I can save a great man or a great cause. I must give no benefit which it would disgrace me to ask for. I ought not to make a small benefit appear a great one, nor allow great benefits to be regarded as small; for although it destroys all feeling of
gratitude3 to treat what you give like a
creditor4, yet you do not reproach a man, but merely set off your gift to the best advantage by letting him know what it is worth. Every man must consider what his resources and powers are, so that we may not give either more or less than we are able. We must also consider the character and position of the person to whom we give, for some men are too great to give small gifts, while others are too small to receive great ones. Compare, therefore, the character both of the giver and the receiver, and weigh that which you give between the two, taking care that what is given be neither too burdensome nor too trivial for the one to give, nor yet such as the receiver will either treat with
disdain5 as too small, or think too great for him to deal with.
点击
收听单词发音
|
1
bestow
|
|
| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 |
参考例句： |
- He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero.他希望将那些伟大的荣誉授予这位英雄。
- What great inspiration wiII you bestow on me?你有什么伟大的灵感能馈赠给我？
|
|
2
recoil
|
|
| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 |
参考例句： |
- Most people would recoil at the sight of the snake.许多人看见蛇都会向后退缩。
- Revenge may recoil upon the person who takes it.报复者常会受到报应。
|
|
3
gratitude
|
|
| adj.感激，感谢 |
参考例句： |
- I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
- She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
|
|
4
creditor
|
|
| n.债仅人，债主，贷方 |
参考例句： |
- The boss assigned his car to his creditor.那工头把自己的小汽车让与了债权人。
- I had to run away from my creditor whom I made a usurious loan.我借了高利贷不得不四处躲债。
|
|
5
disdain
|
|
| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 |
参考例句： |
- Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
- A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。
|
