You must study to be frank with the world:frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do, on every occasion. If a friend asks a favor, you should grant it, if it is reasonable; if not, tell him plainly why you cannot. You would wrong him and wrong yourself by equivocation of any kind.

Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or keep one. The man who requires you to do so is dearly purchased at a sacrifice. Deal kindly but firmly with all your classmates. You will find it the policy which wears best. Above all, do not appear to others what you are not.

If you have any fault to find with any one, tell him, not others, of what you complain. There is no more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to do one thing before a man's face and another behind his back. We should say and do nothing to the injury of any one. It is not only a matter of principle, but also the path of peace and hornor.

By Robert E. Lee

參考譯文

在世間必須學(xué)會(huì)以真誠(chéng)示人：率真乃是誠(chéng)實(shí)與勇敢之子。無(wú)論在何種場(chǎng)合，都應(yīng)該道出自己的真實(shí)想法。如果朋友對(duì)你有所求，對(duì)于合情合理之請(qǐng)，應(yīng)該欣然同意;不然，應(yīng)該明明白白地告訴朋友拒絕的理由。任何模棱兩可的話語(yǔ)將會(huì)讓別人誤解，也會(huì)使自己蒙受冤屈。

千萬(wàn)不要為了結(jié)交朋友或者挽留友情而做錯(cuò)一事。對(duì)你有這種要求的人也會(huì)付出沉重的代價(jià)。與同學(xué)真心相對(duì)，絕不背叛。你將發(fā)現(xiàn)這是最有效用的準(zhǔn)則。總之，要以真實(shí)面目示人。

如果發(fā)現(xiàn)某人身有瑕疵，直接告訴他你的意見，而不是訴之他人。人前一套，背后又是一套，沒有什么比這更加危機(jī)四伏。任何有損他人的言語(yǔ)或者事情我們都應(yīng)該避免。這不僅是一種做人的原則，而且也是通向平和的人際關(guān)系、獲得他人尊敬之道。