许多好东西你不应一味想占有。如果好东西是别人的，我们更能享受它。第一天，这些东西为物主所有，此后，都属于别人。你可以从别人的财物中得到双倍享受，因为你不会心疼它，也不会厌倦它。没有的东西才是更好的，就连别人井中的水尝起来也像仙酿一样。你拥有某样东西，不但妨碍欣赏它，而且还在是否答应借给别人时平添许多烦恼。你只是为别人保管，或者不让别人得到，此外，你别无所获，而且，会因此友少敌多。
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.
