APAD:a friend in need is a friend indeed

a friend in need is a friend indeed

Etymology：

The idea that false friends will abandon a person in times of adversity while true friends will reveal themselves and provide help is ancient: the Greek playwright Euripides (c. 480 – c. 406 BC) wrote in Hecuba (424 BC); and English translation as“it is in trouble's hour that the good most clearly show their friendship; though prosperity by itself in every case finds friends”

But beside the above etymological cognition, the literal wording of "a friend in need is a friend indeed" can lead to ambiguities.

Is it 'a friend (when you are) in need' or 'a friend (who is) in need'? If the former, then the phrase means: 'someone who helps you when you are in need is a true friend'. If the latter, it is 'someone who needs your help becomes especially friendly in order to obtain it'.

So, that gives us the follow options:

1. A friend, (when you are) in need, is indeed a true friend. ('indeed')
2. A friend, (who is) in need, is ('indeed') inclined to stress their frienship in order to obtain your help.

For us? Using No. 1 with a straight-face,  and using both with LOL.

所有跟帖： 

• 患難見真友。讚一個！沒有見過第二種解釋。覺得這句話裏 in need的人和 friend 應該是兩個人。 -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 06:39:43

• Ambiguity is of linguistic fantasy; should b strictly banned -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 06:47:26

• 4 air traffic ctrl. -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 06:50:00

• Agreed. -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 06:58:46

• Same here. Haven't seen the 2nd till today. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 08:52:51

• and until today, there was no ambiguity for me :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 08:57:11

• Actually there r 4 options, I dropped 2 seemed more obvious -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 09:07:08

• Please keep those two done :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 09:08:37

• The others try 2 distort "indeed" which made less sense 2 me -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 09:34:03

• I meant "down" :-)) And thank you! -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 10:07:14

• 這句好像是我上學時學到的第一句英語諺語。親切。有時候患難中因為種種不得已原因沒有出手相助的，也不一定就不是真正朋友。 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 07:34:56

• 是兩個朋友遇到熊的故事~~~ -遍野- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 07:50:01

• The one I heard was about a race :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 08:58:51

• +1 grizzly is fast as deer, agile as cat. Never run from him -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 09:02:31

• as long as I am faster than the friend -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 09:03:49

• 噗，樓上3位。。haha -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 13:07:48

• 完全同意。出手幫助的應該是真盆友，一時沒出手的盆友各有苦衷（比如比需要銀子的人更窮），但會在別的需要時出手相助的。 -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 08:08:18

• 拉手！：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 13:08:19

• 說的是，對朋友的期望越低越會appreciate他們任何援助之手。 -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 10:15:29

• 不能同意更多啦！白天居然漏看了這個回帖。我這都什麽眼神呀。勿怪呀。：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 18:53:18

• Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 08:55:03

• but keep them (enemies) in a different "container" ;-) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 10:49:50

• So they can't diss our dinner :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 11:13:30

• Sun Tzu created it but gained in the movie "The Godfather 2" -TJKCB- ♀ (520 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 20:31:53

• TGF2 is exactly where I first saw it. Sun Tzu was a surprise -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 20:52:22

• 第二種太功利了。需不需要都是朋友的才是真朋友的最高境界～ -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 14:22:20

• wouldn't be good to know the dark side of the Moon? -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/09/2024 postreply 05:23:37

• 我接著說-,,現在(其實一直都有)-似乎有種"精緻的利己主義者-"", -青鬆站- ♀ (122 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 14:35:02

• 第一次見到第二種解釋，interesting. 另：事急從權古已有之，舍身取義畢竟是極少數現象，所以人們特別珍貴而讚揚 -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/08/2024 postreply 20:26:28

• 同意！：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/09/2024 postreply 13:18:35