《智慧书·第五辑·二〇一至二五〇》第37则
Never share the Secrets of your Superiors. You may think you will share pears, but you will only share parings. Many have been ruined by being confidants: they are like sops of bread used as forks, they run the same risk of being eaten up afterwards. It is no favour in a prince to share a secret: it is only a relief. Many break the mirror that reminds them of their ugliness. We do not like seeing those who have seen us as we are: nor is he seen In a favourable light who has seen us in an unfavourable one. None ought to be too much beholden to us, least of all one of the great, unless it be for benefits done him rather than for such favours received from him. Especially dangerous are secrets entrusted to friends. He that communicates his secret to another makes himself that other's slave. With a prince this is an intolerable position which cannot last. He will desire to recover his lost liberty, and to gain it will overturn everything, including right and reason. Accordingly neither tell secrets nor listen to them.
注释摘要
葛拉西安这则格言讲的是一个宫廷社会中几乎带宗教色彩的禁忌：不要分享比你地位高的人的隐秘。标题是前半句，正文是展开的理由，而那句“你以为会分享到梨，其实你只能分到削下来的皮”则是一个浓缩的比喻——西文原文用 peras（梨）和 perillas（削皮）构成文字游戏，不可译，但意思很清楚：你以为自己是合伙人，实际上只是个垃圾桶。 葛拉西安接着用一个极硬的比喻—…