Friendship

By Orison Swett Marden

No young man starting life could have better capital than plenty of friends. They will strengthen his credit, support him in every great effort, and make him what unaided, he could never be. Friends of the right sort will help him more ---- to be happy and successful ---- than much money or great learning.

Friendship is no one-sided affair. There can be no friendship without reciprocity. One cannot receive all and give nothing, or give all and receive nothing, and expect to experience the joy and fullness of true companionship.

Those who would make friends must cultivate the qualities which are admired and which attract. If you are mean, stingy and selfish, nobody will admire you. You must cultivate generosity and large-heartedness; you must be magnanimous and tolerant; you must have positive qualities, for a negative shrinking, apologizing, roundabout man is despised. You must believe in yourself. If you do not, others will not believe in you. You must look upward and be hopeful, cheery, and optimistic. No one will be attracted to a gloomy pessimist.

Vocabulary:
· capital n. 資金，資本；首都 a. 大寫的
· capitalize vt. 用大寫字母寫 vi. 利用(與介詞 on 並用)
· lowercase a.小寫字體的
· a capital of + 金額 一筆….資金
· unaided a.無幫助的，無援助的
· aid sb in Ving = assist sb in Ving = help sb (to) V
· one-sided a.單方面的
· reciprocity n. 互惠
· cultivate vt. 培養
· stingy a.吝嗇的，小氣的
· generosity a.寬大，慷慨
· magnanimous a.寬宏大量的，有雅量的
· tolerant a. 寬容的，寬大的
· roundabout a. 迂迴的
· despise vt.輕蔑，瞧不起
· optimistic a. 樂觀的 optimist
· pessimistic a. 悲觀的 pessimist
· be optimistic/ pessimistic about
· gloomy a.憂鬱的；黯淡的