择友要慎重 Cautions should be paid in making friends
好人不和坏人为友，坏人不和好人为友，其惟一的原因只能是在他们之间，存在着极不相同的品德和极不相同的兴趣和爱好。
——〔古罗马〕西塞罗
Good people will not make friends with bad people，and bad people will not make friends with good people。The only reason is that they have very different morality，interests and hobbies。
（Ancient Rome）Cicero
衡量朋友的真正标准是行为而不是言语。
——〔美〕华盛顿
The real standard to judge a friend is his behavior not his words。
（America）Washington
君子先择而后交，小人先交而后择，故君子寡尤，小人多怨。
——王通
Gentlemen first select and then make friends，while base persons first make friends and then select。Consequently，gentlemen seldom grudge，but base persons complain often。
Wang Tong
以势交者，势倾则绝；以利交者，利穷则散。
——王通
If people make friends by way of their power，their friendship will break up when the power is gone。If people make friends by way of money，they will separate when money is gone。
Wang Tong
不知其人，则不为其友。
——司马迁
Do not make friends with those whom you do not know well。
Sima Qian
君子与君子以同道为朋，小人与小人以同利为朋。
——欧阳修
Gentlemen make friends with each other for their common interests，while base persons make friends with each other for their common benefits。
Ouyang Xiu
近朱者赤，近墨者黑。
——傅玄
You will become red when you are close to crimson，and you will become black when you are close to ink。
Fu Xuan
与善人居，如入芝兰之室，久而自芳也；与恶人居，如入鲍鱼之肆，久而自臭也。
——颜之推
To live together with kind people is to enter a room full of fragrant flowers，and without your awareness，you will become aromatic if you stay there long；to live together with bad people is to enter a place full of stink fish，and without your awareness，you will become smelly if you stay there long。
Yan Zhitui
不可以一时之誉，断其为君子；不可以一时之谤，断其为小人。
——冯梦龙
We can not judge whether a person is a gentleman or not by one moment s praise；we can not judge whether a person is base or not because of one moment s criticism。
Feng Menglong
真正的友谊必须经过严格的选择。
——〔法〕莫罗阿
Real friendship must pass strict selection。
（France）Moreau
交朋友必择胜己者。讲贯切磋，益也；追随游玩，损也。
——《西畴老人常言》
Choose those who are better than you to make friends。It is benefitial to communicate and learn from each other while harmful to wander and play with each other。
Famous Sayins o f Old Man Xi Chou
奉承拍马的人是最坏的敌人。
——〔古罗马〕塔西佗
Flatterers are the worst enemy。
（Ancient Rome）Tacitus
