| English | Russian |
| books and friends should be few but good | истинные друзья, как и мудрые книги, – редкость |
| books and friends should be few but good | выбирай книгу, как выбираешь друга |
| old wood is best to burn, old horse to ride, old books to read, and old wine to drink | старый конь борозды не испортит (contrast: when bees are old, they yield no honey. a cracked bell can never sound well) |
| old wood is best to burn, old horse to ride, old books to read, and old wine to drink | старый конь борозды не портит (contrast: when bees are old, they yield no honey. a cracked bell can never sound well) |
