雙語智慧書·許多好東西你不應一味想占有

263．許多好東西你不應一味想占有
　　許多好東西你不應一味想占有。如果好東西是別人的，我們更能享受它。第一天，這些東西為物主所有，此后，都屬于別人。你可以從別人的財物中得到雙倍享受，因為你不會心疼它，也不會厭倦它。沒有的東西才是更好的，就連別人井中的水嘗起來也像仙釀一樣。你擁有某樣東西，不但妨礙欣賞它，而且還在是否答應借給別人時平添許多煩惱。你只是為別人保管，或者不讓別人得到，此外，你別無所獲，而且，會因此友少敵多。


263．Many things of taste one should not possess oneself
　Many things of taste one should not possess oneself. One enjoys them better if another's rather than one's own. The owner has the good of them the first day, for all the rest of the time they are for others. You take a double enjoyment in other men's property, being without fear of spoiling it and with the pleasure of novelty. Everything tastes better for having been without it: even water from another's well tastes like nectar. Possession not alone hinders enjoyment: it increases annoyance whether you lend or keep. You gain nothing except keeping things for or from others, and by this means gain more enemies than friends.