Chapter One 淡定的人生不寂寞（16）（2/2）
《世界上最富哲理的美文》作者：吴文智 2017-04-14 12:58
nd [ik'stend] v. 延伸；扩大
3. prolong [pr?'l??, 'l?:?] v. 延长
4. aspire [?'spai?] v. 渴望；立志；追求
5. delusion [di'lu:??n] n. 迷惑，欺骗；错觉；幻想
6. wretchedness ['ret?idnis] n. 可怜；悲惨；不幸
“Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself have founded empires,” said Napoleon to Menthol at St. Helena, “but upon what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire on love, and at this moment millions of men would die for him. I die before my time and my body will be given back to worms. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ, which is proclaimed, loved and adored, and which is extended over the whole earth.”
Tradition says that when Solomon received the gift of an emerald vase from the Queen of Sheba he filled it with an elixir which he only knew how to prepare, one drop of which would prolong life indefinitely. A dying criminal begged for a drop of the precious fluid, but Solomon refused to prolong a wicked life. When good men asked for it they were refused, or failed to obtain it when promised, as the king would forget or prefer not to open the vase to get but a single drop. When at last the king became ill, and bade his servants bring the vase, he found that the contents had all evaporated. So it is often with our hope, our faith, our ambition, our aspiration.
3. prolong [pr?'l??, 'l?:?] v. 延长
4. aspire [?'spai?] v. 渴望；立志；追求
5. delusion [di'lu:??n] n. 迷惑，欺骗；错觉；幻想
6. wretchedness ['ret?idnis] n. 可怜；悲惨；不幸
“Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself have founded empires,” said Napoleon to Menthol at St. Helena, “but upon what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire on love, and at this moment millions of men would die for him. I die before my time and my body will be given back to worms. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ, which is proclaimed, loved and adored, and which is extended over the whole earth.”
Tradition says that when Solomon received the gift of an emerald vase from the Queen of Sheba he filled it with an elixir which he only knew how to prepare, one drop of which would prolong life indefinitely. A dying criminal begged for a drop of the precious fluid, but Solomon refused to prolong a wicked life. When good men asked for it they were refused, or failed to obtain it when promised, as the king would forget or prefer not to open the vase to get but a single drop. When at last the king became ill, and bade his servants bring the vase, he found that the contents had all evaporated. So it is often with our hope, our faith, our ambition, our aspiration.