双语智慧书·认识你这个时代的伟人

203．认识你这个时代的伟人
　　认识你这个时代的伟人。伟人不多。世界上只有一只凤凰，一个世纪才出一位杰出的将军、一位完美的演说家、一位真正的哲人。几百年才出一位真正伟大的君王。平庸之人不计其数，同时也无足轻重；各个领域的杰出者都凤毛麟角，因为这需要完美无缺--所处层次越高，便越难卓尔不群。很多人想要像恺撒和亚历山大一样成为"大帝"，于是就自封头衔，结果却是白费心机。若没有伟大的功绩，头衔只不过是空气。塞涅卡式的人物历来不多，彪炳青史的也只有阿佩里斯(1)一人而已。


203．Know the great men of your age
　Know the great men of your age. They are not many. There is one Phonix in the whole world, one great general, one perfect orator, one true philosopher in a century, a really illustrious king in several. Mediocrities are as numerous as they are worthless; eminent greatness is rare in every respect, since it needs complete perfection, and the higher the species the more difficult is the highest rank in it. Many have claimed the title "Great," like Caesar and Alexander, but in vain, for without great deeds the title is a mere breath of air. There have been few Senecas, and fame records but one Apelles.
　　
(1) 公元前4世纪希腊人，曾任亚历山大的宫廷画家，在当时很受欢迎，其画像无一传世。