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In Germany, friendship is much more a matter of feeling and affection. Young boys and girls form deeply sensitive alliances, walk and talk together - not so much to polish their wits as to share their hopes, fears, and ideals, and to join in a kind of mutual discovery of each other's own inner life. Within the family, the closest relationship over a lifetime is between brothers and sisters. German men and women find in their closest friends among the same sex the loyalty of a brother or the devotion of a sister.
在德国，友谊更多的是一种感觉和喜爱。年轻男孩和女孩结成灵犀相通的盟友，一起漫步、交谈，其目的与其说是为了变得更有智慧，不如说是为了分享他们的希望、忧虑和理想，以及为了共同参与对彼此内心世界的挖掘。在家庭中，一生中最亲密的关系是兄弟姐妹之间的关系。德国男性和女性在他们最亲密的同性朋友身上可以找到兄弟般的忠诚或者姐妹般的挚爱。
English friendships follow a still different pattern. Their basis is shared activity. They may share literary interests, serve on a committee, enjoy sports together or share a mutual love of walking. Close English friendships may be of the same sex or of mixed gender; friends may be found in two people, two couples or even a small group. English friendships are made outside the family but can often be enhanced by becoming an integrated part of a family's social life.
英国人的友谊则又是另一种模式。英国人友谊的基础是共同参与活动。他们或许拥有共同的文学爱好、在一个委员会共事、一起享受体育活动或都喜欢散步。英国人之间的亲密友谊可以建立在同性之间，也可以是异性之间；朋友关系可以建立在两个人、两对夫妻甚至是一小群人之间。英国人的友谊是在家庭以外形成的，但是往往因其成为家庭社交生活的组成部分而得到进一步发展。
What, then, is friendship and what is its significance? To summarize, it's a vital human quality that can bind people together for life. And unlike family, it involves freedom of choice. A friend is someone you choose and who chooses you. My friends are quite different from each other. Some are mutual friends. Conversely, others don't even like each other! That is the odd thing about friendship. Just because I like two people does not guarantee that they will like each other. However, I owe them all a debt of gratitude. Whatever the continent or country, people have extended the hand of friendship and welcomed me into their lives. By opening the doors of friendship to me, they occupy a special place in my heart. They have profoundly enriched my life experience, because wherever I am, when I'm with friends, I feel at home. The miracle of friendship is the same. It just takes time to understand the many different ways that friendship is expressed around the world.
那么，什么是友谊？友谊的意义何在？概括而言，友谊是人类的一个重要品质，它能使人们一生紧密相连。而且，和家庭不同的是，友谊具有选择的自由。朋友就是你选择了他、他也选择了你。我的朋友们各不相同。他们中有些彼此也是朋友。另一些则相反，他们甚至互不喜欢！这就是友谊的奇怪之处。仅仅因为我喜欢两个人并不能保证这两个人也彼此喜欢。不过，我对他们都心怀感激。无论在哪个大陆、哪个国家，人们都伸出友谊之手，欢迎我走进他们的生活。通过向我打开友谊之门，他们在我的心中占据着一个特殊的位置。他们极大地丰富了我的生活经历，因为无论我在哪里，只要跟朋友们在一起，我就感到舒适自在。友谊的奇妙之处是一样的。只是人们需要时间去理解世界各地表达友谊的许多不同方式。
