好朋友在身边：如何做个真正的朋友

Life can be a lonely thing without companionship. Acquaintances are easy to come by but true friends are a whole other story. The best way to develop meaningful connections with true friends we can trust is to become a true friend yourself. Apply these ten steps if you’d like to be a true friend that can be counted on.
没有朋友，生活该多么孤单。泛泛之交遍地都是，但真正的朋友却少之又少了。要想结交到真正值得信任的朋友，最好的办法莫过于先让自己成为可靠的朋友。做到下面10步你就能成为值得信赖的朋友啦。

1. Be present for their highs and lows.
荣辱与共。

“If you’re absent during my struggle, don’t expect to be present during my success.”——Will Smith
“在我艰难的时候你缺席，那么我成功的时候你也不必在了。”——威尔·史密斯

It’s easy to be there for our friends when they ask us out for fun things like drinks at the bar, dancing in the club, or laughs at the theater. But are you willing to be there for the hard times that are the opposite of fun? You might not feel comfortable while spending time with an emotionally fragile person on the verge of tears, but true friends are readily available when they’re needed the most.
被朋友喊出去玩乐很简单，一起去酒吧喝酒跳舞，或者是去戏院看戏找乐子。但如果是陪他们度过一段艰难的时期你愿意么？也许让你花时间和一个充满负能量眼泪汪汪的人在一起不是那么舒服的事情，但真正的朋友是在最需要的时刻陪在身边。

2. Know when to hush.
学着安静。

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” ——Ernest Hemingway
“如果人们只是一个劲的说话，那么大部分人不会愿意去倾听。”——海明威

The act of vocally expressing our troubles to a trusted friend can offer instant stress-reduction. Give your friend the gift of silence so they can drop their baggage and get on with living.
和值得信赖的朋友倾吐自己的烦恼可以减轻压力。但别忘了在朋友有烦恼和麻烦的时候也保持安静做一个倾听者吧。

3. Offer your encouragement.
鼓励别人。

“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” ——Ralph Waldo Emerson
“我们最想要的，莫过于有人能够激发我们去做那些可能可以做到的事情。”——爱默生

The four most inspiring words you can speak to another person? I believe in you.
对别人最有用的四个激励词汇？是“我相信你”。

4. Accept them as they are.
完全接受他们。

“Happiness can exist only in acceptance.” ——George Orwell
“幸福只存在于接受。”——乔治·奥威尔

If you can’t accept a person as they are, you will never know the feeling of true friendship. Fight the urge to attempt to “fix” them, no matter how crazy their mannerisms might make you.
如果你不能完整的接受别人，那么你永远不会知道友情的真正含义。别再试图去“改造”他们，哪怕他们的行为在你看来多么疯狂。

5. Challenge them to grow.
刺激他们去成长。

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” ——Helen Keller
“要么冒险，要么就一事无成，这就是人生。”——海伦·凯勒

If a friend tells you they plan to drop 10 lbs, tell them, “10 lbs? Please. I bet you can get so fit that people’s jaws will drop when you walk past them.” Throw down the gauntlet, make sure they know you believe they can do it, and ask: “Challenge accepted?”
如果有朋友告诉你他们计划要瘦十磅，你应该说：“十磅？拜托，我打赌你肯定能瘦到当你走过时人们都惊到张口结舌。”撂下挑战，这样他们就会知道你相信他们能做到，不妨再问一句：“敢不敢试试？”