Having good old friends is a good thing, but making new ones can be even better. No matter what age we are, all of us appreciate the support and help which friends give us. The help may be for only a small thing, or it may be for something that could save our life. The size of the help or support is not really the most important thing, but the fact of having friends is very important. Ive just made a new friend, Joan. Shes not just another person I can talk with or wave to as we pass one another on the street, but a good friend. She is someone who will go out with me for lunch, or drop by my home for a cup of tea. She is someone who will listen and make me feel understood the next time I may feel sad or worried for no apparent reason. This is no small matter for me. I barely have enough time or energy to keep up with my old friends, let alone make new ones. But, as I grow older, and I am now 35 years old, it is important to me to have a safety net of friends. Holes keep opening up in the net as old friends move away. Ive got to spend energy now to include new friends.
有要好的朋友是件好事，但结交新朋友会更好。不论我们的年龄有多大，我们都感激朋友给予我们的支持和帮助。这些帮助可能只是一件小事，或者是可以拯救我们生命的大事。这些帮助和支持的大小并不最重要的，重要的是能够拥有这些朋友。 我新交了一个朋友，Joan,结识她并不仅仅是多了一个在街上碰到时打个招呼或说说话的人，她是个可靠的朋友。她有时和我一起出去午餐，有时会到我家来喝一杯茶，有时会来倾听我并且把我弄懵，也有可能下次她又会无理由的让我感到悲伤和担忧。 这些对我来说都没关系。我没有足够的时间和精力去与老朋友们保持联系，更不用说结交新朋友。但是，当我年龄慢慢大了，到现在35岁的时候，有一个稳固的朋友圈对我来说非常重要，这个圈子的门经常开着，因为老朋友会离开，我现在也要花费更多精力去结交新的朋友。