>「信用{しんよう}ほど、積{つ}み上{あ}げるのに苦労{くろう}して、失{うしな}う時{とき}が一瞬{いっしゅん}なんて、割{わり}の合{あ}わない投資{とうし}はない。」 The core of the sentence is: >「信用ほど割の合わない投資はない。」 The entire middle part 「積み上げるのに苦労して、失う時が一瞬なんて」 just adds more information to the core. **It would not change the basic meaning of the sentence one bit**. So, let us examine the core now. Notice that ほど is paired up with ない. The core says: >"There is no 投資 as 割の合わない as 信用." >= "There is no investment as not-worth-the-candle as trust." In other words, it is saying that trust can be really rip-offy. But why, you wonder. That is where the middle part comes in telling us how it can be so rip-offy. >「積み上げるのに苦労して、失う時が一瞬なんて」 >"(as/because) one struggles much to build up (trust) yet one can lose it in a flash" I hope I don't have to combine the two parts into one English sentence. I shall leave it to you as it is your language, not mine.