Translation Comparison

Some of them may have nothing to gain in the eyes of those they live with, and after they have been shown the emptiness of their hearts, they feel they deserve the harsh judgment made about them. But either because they have an irresistible desire for the flattery they lack, or because they want to boast of good qualities that they do not possess, they hope to win the esteem and hearts of strangers, even if they have to lose them over time. There are born profiteers who are not good to their friends and relatives, precisely because they would try to make them good; on the other hand, by doing favors to strangers, they fan their vanity; the narrower the circle, the commiserable they are, the wider they are, the more willing they are to serve him.