『名人軼事【21】自負的怪物』
21．A Monster of Conceit
Richard Wagner was an undersized little man，with a headtoo big for his body―a sickly little man．His nerves were bad．He had skin trouble．It was an agony for him to wear anythingnext to his skin coarser than silk．And he had delusions of grandeur．
He was a monster of conceit．Never for one minute did helook at the world or at people， except in relation to himself．Hewas not only the most important person in the world，to himself；in his own eyes he was the only person who existed．He believedhimself to be one of the greatest dramatists in the world，one of the greatest thinkers，and one of the greatest composers．To hearhim talk，he was Shakespeare，and Beethoven，and Plato ，rolledinto one．And you would have had no difficulty in hearing himtalk．He was one of the most exhausting conversationalists thatever lived．An evening with him was an evening spent in listeningto a monologue．Sometimes he was brilliant；sometimes he wasmaddeningly tiresome．But whether he was being brilliant ordull，he had one sole topic of conversation：himself．What hethought and what he did．
He had a mania 0 for being in the right．The slightest hint ofdisagreement，from anyone，on the most trivial point， was e－nough to set him off on a harangue that might last for hours，inwhich he proved himself right in so many ways，and with suchexhausting volubility，that in the end his hearer，stunned anddeafened，would agree with him，for the sake of peace．
21．自負的怪物
理查德
『名人軼事【23】沒有絲毫責任感』
23．Innocent of Any Sense of Responsibility
Wagner was almost innocent of any sense of responsibility．Not only did he seem incapable of supporting himself， but itnever occurred to him that he was under any obligation to do so．He was convinced that the world owed him a living．In support ofthis belief，he borrowed money from everybody who was good for aloan ―men，women，friends，or strangers．He wrote beggingletters by the score ，sometimes groveling without shame， atothers loftily offering his intended benefactor 0 the privilege of contributing to his support，and being mortally offended if therecipient declined the honor．No record was found of his payingor repaying money to anyone who did not have a legal claimupon it．
What money he could lay his hands on he spent like anIndian rajah．The mere prospect of a performance of one of hisoperas was enough to set him to running up bills amounting to tentimes the amount of his prospective royalties ． No one will everknow―certainly he never knew―how much money he owed．
We do know that his greatest benefactor gave him＄6，000 to paythe most pressing of his debts in one city， and a year later had togave him＄16，000 to enable him to live in another city withoutbeing thrown into jail for debt．
23．沒有絲毫責任感
瓦格納幾乎沒有絲毫責任感。他不僅似乎無力養活自己，而且從未想過有什麼養活自己的責任。他確信世人應該供養他。基於這一信念，他向所有拿得出錢的人借錢――不論是男是女，也不論是朋友還是陌生人。乞討信他一寫就是二十幾封。有時低聲下氣，不知天下有羞恥二字；有時趾高氣揚地把資助他的殊榮恩賜給他看中的捐助人，要是領受人謝絕這一殊榮，他會氣得半死。沒有發現任何記錄表明他曾經把錢付給或還給未對他提出法律上的要求的人。
凡是能弄到手的錢，他花起來象一位印度王子。他的某一出歌劇可能要上演了，單憑這一點指望，他一下子就欠下十倍於預期版稅的帳單。沒有人搞得清楚――肯定他自己也弄不清楚――他欠過多少錢。可是我們確實知道，一位為他出錢最多的捐助人曾經給他六千美元，幫助他償還他在某市催得最緊的債款。一年後，又得給他一萬六千美元，使他在另一個城市得以安頓下來，並免遭因無力償還債務而鋃鐺入獄的災難。
『名人軼事【24】他奪走了朋友的妻子』
24．He Stole the Wife from His Friend
Richard Wagner was equally unscrupulous in other ways．An endless procession of women marched through his life． Hisfirst wife spent twenty years enduring and forgiving his infidelities． His second wife had been the wife of his most devotedfriend and admirer， from whom he stole her．And even while hewas trying to persuade her to leave her first husband he was writingto a friend to inquire whether he could suggest some wealthywoman― any wealthy woman― whom he could marry for hermoney．
He was completely selfish in his other personal relationships．His liking for his friends was measured solely by the completeness of their devotion to him， or by their usefulness tohim，whether financial or artistic．The minute they failed him－even by so much as refusing a dinner invitation― or began tolessen in usefulness，he cast them off without a second thought．At the end of his life he had exactly one friend left whom he hadeven known in middle age．
24．他奪走了朋友的妻子
理查德
『名人軼事【26】兩人都受到過貓的啟示』
26．Both Were Inspired by Cats
Both Scarlatti and Chopin were inspired by cats．WhenScarlatti's cat struck certain notes on the keys of his harpsichord ，one by one， with its paws， Scarlatti proceeded to write The Cat'sFugue，a fugue for harpsichord in D minor ．While Chopin wascomposing waltz No．3 in F major ， his cat ran across the keys ofthe piano，amusing Chopin So much that he tried for the samesounds in what is called The Cat's Waltz．
26．兩人都受到過貓的啟示
斯卡拉蒂和肖邦都受到過貓的啟示。斯卡拉蒂的貓用腳爪在他的大鍵琴的琴鍵上踩出一個一個音符時，斯卡拉蒂著手寫了一首大鍵琴D小調賦格曲，《貓和賦格曲》。肖邦在創作F大調第3號圓舞曲時，他的貓從鋼琴鍵上跑過。肖邦感到非常有趣。在他稱之為《貓的圓舞曲》中設法記下了同樣的音響。
『名人軼事【27】23年裡沒有上演過一次』
27．Not Giving a Single Performance in 23 Years
More of Mozart's compositions are still in active use todaythan the works of any other composers in history―with thepossible exception of J．S． Bach ． But some of Mozart's mostimportant works―by today's standard― have suffered longperiods of neglect．For example， for twenty－three years，beginning in 1917， the Metropolitan Opera did not give a singleperformance of The Marriage of Figaro．
27．23年裡沒有上演過一次
今天仍被經常演奏的莫扎特的作品，比歷史上任何一個作曲家的作品都多――也許J．S．巴赫除外。但莫扎特的有些重要作品，按今天的標準來看曾有很長時間遭到冷落。例如從1917年起的23年裡，大都會歌劇院沒有上演過一次《費加羅的婚禮》。
『名人軼事【28】幾百萬次笑聲中的第一次』
28．The First of Millions of Laughs
Charlie Chaplin broke into show business at age five be－cause his mother， a music－hall performer， lost her voice duringthe performance and had to leave the stage，and Charile went onand sang a well-known song．Halfway through the song a showerof money poured onto the stage．Charlie stopped singing and toldthe audience he would pick up the money first and then finish thesong．The audience laughed．This was the first of millions oflaughs in Charlie Chaplin's fabulous career ．
In the 1920s and 1930s，Charlie Chaplin was probably themost celebrated man in the world．On a visit to his nativeLondon， the motion－picture comedian received，73，000lettersin just two days．
28．幾百萬次笑聲中的第一次
查理
『名人軼事【29】曾被鎖進放肉的籠子里』
29．Once Locked in a Meat Cage
Silent－movie saperstar Mary Pickford was known as「America's sweetheart」， but she was adored all over the world．On her frequent trips abroad， she would be mobbed by hordesof overenthusiastic fans． In Paris， when she visited Lee Halles，the open－air market，her fans became so threatening that twobutchers had to lock her in a meat cage until the police couldrescue her． Latef， in Alexandria， Egypt， her car was nearlywrecked by stevedores who wanted to autograph their ears sothat they could have the signature permanently tattooed．
29．曾被鎖進放肉的籠子里
默片明星瑪麗
『名人軼事【31】美國最偉大的運動員』
31．The Greatest American Athlete1
The railroad station was jammed． Students from LafayetteCollege were crowding onto the train platform eagerly awaiting thearrival of the Carlisle Indian School's track and field squad ．Noone would have believed it a few months earlier．A school thatnobody had heard of was suddenly beating big， famous colleges intrack meets ．Surely these Carlisle athletes would come chargingoff the train，one after another，like a Marine battalion．
The train finally arrived and two young men―one big andbroad，the other small and slight―stepped onto the platform．
「Where is the track team？」a Lafayette student asked．
「This is the team，」 replied the big fellow．
「Just the two of you？」
「Nope ， just me，」 said the big fellow．「This little guy is themanager．
The Lafayette students shook their heads in wonder．Some－body must be playing a joke on them． If this big fellow was thewhole Carlisle track team， he would be competing against anentire Lafayette squad．
He did．He ran sprints， he ran hurdles， he ran distantraces．He high-jumped， he broad-jumped． He threw the javelinand the shot．Finishing first in eight events ，the big fellowbeat the whole Lafayette team．
The big fellow was Jim Thorpe， the greatest Americanathlete of modern times．
31．美國最偉大的運動員
火車站擠得水泄不通。拉斐德學院的學生們一齊擁上站台，熱切地等待著卡萊爾印地安人學校田徑隊的到來。倘若在幾個月前，准沒有人相信，一個誰也沒聽說過的學校，會在田徑場上突然大敗許多有名的大學。不用說，這些卡萊爾的運動員抵達后，準會象一營海軍陸戰隊隊員那樣，一個接一個衝下火車。
火車終於到站了，兩個年輕人――一位，個兒高，體態魁梧；另一位，個兒矮，長相瘦弱――踏上了站台。
「田徑隊在哪兒？」一位拉斐德的學生問道。
「就在這兒，」大個子回答道。
「就你們兩個？」
「不，就我一個，」大個子說。「這位小兄弟是領隊。」
拉斐德的學生們詫異地搖搖頭。一定有人在和他們開玩笑。如果卡萊爾田徑隊就只有大個子一人，那他就得和整個拉斐德田徑隊比試高低了。
確實如此。他短跑、跨欄、長跑、跳高、跳遠。他又投標槍又擲鉛球。大個子贏得八項第一，一個人擊敗了整個拉斐德田徑隊.
這位大個子就是美國現代最偉大的運動員吉姆
『名人軼事【32】艾森豪威爾曾試圖阻攔他』
32．Eisenhower Tried to Stop Him
Jim Thorpe played in many sports．In whatever sport heplayed， he excelled． He was a star in baseball，track and field，wrestling，lacrosse，basketball and football．He was so good infootball，in fact，that most other schools refused to play Carlisle．The Indian school's football schedule soon listed such major pow－ers of the early twentieth century as Pittsburgh， Harvard，Pennsylvania， Penn State and Army．
The United States Military Academy at West Point，NewYork， has always had excellent football players， too． It has al－ways been a matter of great pride for a football team to succeed inbeating West Point．In 1912 ，with Thorpe alone scoring 22 points，the Carlisle team defeated West Point by a score of 27－6．One of the men who tried to stop Thorpe that day was a member ofthe West Point team named Dwight D．Eisenhower，who laterbecame an outstanding general and President of the United States．
32．艾森豪威爾曾試圖阻攔他
吉姆
『名人軼事【33】他是公民的最高典範？』
33．Is He the Highest Type of Citizen？
In the Olympic Games were held in Stockholm ．JimThorpe was selected for the United States Olympic track team，andwent to Sweden ．On the ship，while the other athletes limberedup ，Thorpe slept in his bunk．In Sweden，while other athletestrained，Thorpe relaxed in a hammock．He never strained when hedidn't teel it necessary ．But Thorpe，who never wanted to prac-tice，but never lacked confidence in his ability，was the Americanhero of the Games．
The two competitions requiring perhaps the most endurance and strength are the pentathlon ，a series of five varied trackevents，and the decathlon ，a series of ten track events，all per-formed by one man．Never before in the history of the modernOlympics had one man competed in both pentathlon and decathlonat one meeting of the Olympic Games．Thorpe did this and wonboth of these difficult events．The King of Sweden，Gustav V，presented Thorpe with two gold meddals ，and other prizes whichwere valued at 0，000．「Sir，」 said the King，「you are thegreatest athlete in the world．I would consider it an honor to shakeyour hand．」 And William Howard Taft，the President of the U－nited States，said，「Jim Thorpe is the highest type of citizen．」
King Gustav V was correct，but President Taft was not．Though Jim Thorpe had brought great glory to his nation，thoughthousands of people cheered him upon his return to the United Statesand attended banquets and a New York parade in his honor，hewas not a citizen．He did not become one until 1916．Even then，ittook a special government ruling because he was an Indian．
33．他是公民的最高典範？
年奧運會在斯德哥爾摩舉行。吉姆
名人軼事【35】體育道德？體育薪水？』
35． Sports Ethic？Sports Salaries？
For hundreds of years，Americans were told 「Do your best insports，whether or not you win．」Part of this 「sports ethic」comes from the Bible's teaching that no matter what you do，Godexpects you to do it 「with all your might．」 Another statement ofthis ethic is expressed in the Olympic Creed ：The most importantthing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part，just asthe most important thing in life is not the triumph but the strug－gle．The essential thing is not to have conquered but to havefought well．
However，as various sports have become ways to make money，this earlier sports ethic is being replaced by the need towin，tor winners make more money than losers．Professionalplayers are now paid unbelievable salaries，more than the presi－dents of the biggest companies and much more than the Presidentof the United States．
For example in 1944，some huge American sports contractswere signed：In baseball ，the San Francisco Giants baseball teamagreed to pay Barry Bonds almost forty－four million dollars to playfor six years，over seven million dollars a year for playing base－ball！In basketball，Larry Johnson will be paid eighty－four milliondollars by the Charlotte Hornets for playing twelve years，sevenmillion dollars a year for playing professional basketball．TheCleveland Browns will pay Bernie Kosar twenty－seven milliondollars for playing American football for seven years，almost fourmillion dollars a year for playing football．
35．體育道德？體育薪水？
在過去的幾百年裡，美國人都被教誨「在體育比賽中，不論輸贏都要盡最大的努力。」這一「體育道德標準」部分來自聖經的教誨，即不論你做什麼，上帝都希望你「全力以赴」。對這一道德標準的另一個陳述在奧林匹克的綱領中有所表達：奧運會最重要的事情不是獲勝，而是參與，就如人生最重要的事情不是勝利而是奮鬥。首要的事情不是征服而是拼搏。
然而，由於各種體育運動已經變成賺錢的途徑，所以，這一早先的體育道德宗旨正被獲勝的需求所替代，因為優勝者要比失敗者賺的錢多。職業選手現在被支付的工資令人難以置信，比最大公司的總裁掙得多，比美國總統掙得也要多得多。
例如在1944年，簽訂了一些龐大的美國體育合同――棒球方面：舊金山巨人棒球隊同意向巴瑞
『名人軼事【36】國王約翰和修道院長』
36 ．King John and the Abbot
There was once a king of England whose name was John．Hewas a bad king；for he was harsh and cruel to his people，and solong as he could have his own way ，he did not care what becameof other folks．He was the worst king that England ever had．
Now，there was in the town of Canterbury a rich old abbotwho lived in a grand in a great house called the Abbey ．When King John heard of the way in which the abbot lived，hemade up his mind to put a stop to it．So he sent for the old man tocome and see him．He said，「Your fault is plain，and unless youcan answer me three questions，your head shall be cut off，and allyour riches shall be mine．」
「I will try to answer them，o king！」said the abbot．
「Firstly，you must tell me just how long I shall live．Sec－ondly，you must tell me how soon I shall ride round the wholeworld；and lastly，you shall tell me what I think．Two weeks youshall have．If then you fail to answer me，you shall lose yourhead，and all your lands shall be mine． 」
The abbot went to Oxford and Cambridge，and wanted to seeif any of the wise could help him．But they could not．
At last，sad and sorrowful，he rode towards home．Then hemet his shepherd ．「What news do you bring us from great KingJohn？」
「Sad news， sad news，」said the abbot；and then he told himall that had happened．
「Cheer up，cheer up，good master．I think I can help you outof your trouble．」
Everybody said he looked just like the abbot．He dressedhimself with great care．Over his shepherd's coat he threw theabbot's long gown ，and he borrowed the abbot's cap and goldenstaff ．When all was ready，no one in the world would havethought that he was not the great man himself．Of course，the kingdid not know him．
「How long shall I live？」「You shall live until the day thatyou die，and not one day longer．」
「How soon I will ride round the world？」「You must rise withthe sun，and you must ride with the sun until it rises again the nextmorning．As soon as you do that，you will find that you haveridden the world in twenty－four hours．」
「What do I think？」「You think that I am the Abbot of Can－terbury．But，to tell you the truth，I am only his poor shepherd，and I come to beg your pardon for him and for me．」And withthat，he threw off his long gown．
The king laughed long and long．「Very well，then．I willgive you something to pay you for this merry joke．I will give youfour pieces of silver every week as long as you live．And whenyou get home，you may tell the old abbot that you have broughthim a free pardon from King John．」
36．國王約翰和修道院長
以前，英格蘭有個國王，名叫約翰。他是個不得人心的國王，因為他對他的臣民殘暴苛刻，他只顧自己順心，為所欲為，不管別人的死活。他是英格蘭歷代最壞的國王。
當時，在坎特伯雷市，有一個富有的老修道院長，他住在一所叫威斯敏斯特教堂的雄偉建築里，過著豪華的生活。約翰國王聽說老修道院長的生活方式以後，就打定主意加以制止。於是他派人把那個老人叫來見他。他說：「你的過錯是一清二楚的，我提三個問題，你要是回答不出來，我就砍掉你的腦袋，而且你的全部財富都要歸我所有。」
「我試試回答吧，國王！」修道院長說。
「首先，你必須告訴我，我能活多久。第二，你必須告訴我，我騎馬週遊世界要用多長時間。最後，你要告訴我，我在想什麼。給你兩個星期，如果到時候回答不上來，我就要砍掉你的腦袋，你的全部土地也將歸我所有。」
於是修道院長來到牛津和劍橋。他想了解一下，看看那些聰明的教授有沒有人能幫助他。但他們不能。
最後，他又發愁又傷心，騎馬回家。然後，他遇到他家的牧羊人。「您從偉大的約翰國王那裡給我們帶來什麼消息了？」
「不好的消息，不好的消息，」修道院長說，接著，他把發生的一切都告訴了他。
『名人軼事【37】布魯斯和蜘蛛』
37．Bruce and the Spider
There was Once a king of Scotland whose name was RobertBruce．He had need to be both brave and wise，for the times inwhich he lived were wild and rude．The king of England was atwar with him，and had led a great army into Scotland to drive himout of the land．
Battle after battle had been fought．Six times had Bruce ledhis brave little army against his foes ；and six times had his menbeen beaten，and driven into flight ．At last，his army wasscattered ，and he was forced to hide himself in the woods and inlonely places among the mountains．
One duy，as he lay thinking，he saw a spider over his head，making ready to weave her web ．He watched her as she toiled slowly and with great care．
Six times she tried to throw her frail thread from one beam to another，and six times it fell short ．
「Poor thing！」said Bruce．「You，too，know what it is tofail．」
But the spider did not lose hope with the sixth failure．Withstill more care，she made ready to try for the seventh time．
Bruce almost forgot his own troubles as he watched herswing herself out upon the slender line．Would she fail again？No！The thread was carried safely to the beam．and fastenedthere．
「I，too，will try a seventh time！」cried Bruce．
He arose and called his men together．He told them of hisplans，and sent them out with messages of cheer to his disheartened people．Soon there was an army of brave Scotchmenaround him．Another battle was fought，and the King of Englandwas glad to go back into his own country．
After that day，no one by the name of Bruce would ever hurta spider．The lesson that the little creature had taught the kingwas never forgotten．
37．布魯斯和蜘蛛
從前，蘇格蘭有個國王，名叫羅伯特
『名人軼事【38】簡潔的回答』
38．A Laconic Answer
Many miles beyond Rome there was a famous country whichwe call Greece．The people of Greece were not united like theRomans；but instead there were several states，each of which hadits own rulers．
Some of the people in the southern part of the country werecalled Spartans ，and they were noted for their simple habits andtheir bravery．The name of their land was Laconia，and so theywere sometimes called Lacons．
One of the strange rules which the Spartans had，was thatthey should speak briefly，and never use more words than wereneeded，and so a short answer is often spoken of as beingLaconic；that is，as being such an answer as a Lacon would belikely to give．
There was in the northern part of Greece a land calledMacedon，and this land was at a time ruled over by a warlike king named Philip．
Philip of Macedon wanted to become the master of allGreece．So he raised a great army，and made war upon the otherstates，until nearly all of them were forced to call him their king．Then he sent a letter to the Spartans in Laconia，and said，「If I godown into your country，I will level your great city to theground．」
In a few days，an answer was brought back to him．When heopened the letter，he found only one word written there．
That word was「IF」．
It was as much as to say，「We are not of you so longas the little word『if'stands in your way．」
38．簡潔的回答
離羅馬很遠的地方，有一個著名的國家，我們都稱它為希臘。希臘人不像羅馬人那麼團結，而是分成了很多個邦，每一個邦都有自己的統治者。
這個國家南部的一部分人叫做斯巴達，這裡的人以習俗簡樸、行為勇敢而聞名。這個地方叫拉科尼亞。因此，有時候他們被稱為拉科人。
斯巴達人有些奇怪的規矩。其中之一是，說話要簡練，而且從來不用不必要的多餘的詞兒。所以，人們對一種簡短的回答往往說成了拉科人的答法，就是說拉科人是這樣答覆問題的。
希臘北部有一個地方，叫馬其頓。這地方曾經一度被一個好戰的國王菲利普所統治。
馬其頓的菲利普想成為整個希臘的霸主。因此，他募集了一支大軍，向其他邦開戰，最後幾乎所有的邦都被迫稱他為王了。後來，他給拉科尼亞的斯巴達人送去了一封信。信上說，「假如我開進你們的國家，我要把你們這座大城市夷為平地。」幾天以後，他收到了回信。他打開信，發現上面只寫著一個詞。
這個詞就是「假如」。
這等於說「只要『假如』這個小小的詞兒還擋著你們的路，我們就不怕你。」
『名人軼事【39】亞歷山大和比塞弗勒斯』
39．Alexander and Bucephalus
One day King Philip（382-336 B．C．，King of Macedon）bought a fine horse called Bucephalus．He was a noble animal，and the king paid a very high price for him．But he was wild andsavage ，and no man could mount him，or do anything at all withhim．
They tried to whip him，but that only made him worse．Atlast the king bade his servant to take him away．
「It is a pity to ruin so fine a horse as that，」said Alexander，the king's young son．「Those men do not know how to treat him．」
「Perhaps you can do better than they，」said his fatherscornfully ．
「I know，」said Alexander，「that，if you would only give meleave to try，I could manage this horse better than any one else．」
「And if you fail to do so，what then？」asked philip．
「I will pay you the price of the horse，」said the lad．
While everybody was laughing，Alexander ran up to Bu－cephalus，and turned his head towards the sun，for he had noticedthat the horse was of his own shadow ．
He then spoke gently to the horse，and patted him with hishand．When he had quieted him a little，he made a quick spring ，and leaped upon the horse's back．
Everybody expected to see the boy killed outright ．But hekept his place，and let the horse run as fast as he could．Byand by when Brucephalus had become tired，Alexander reined him in and rode back to the place where his father was standing．
All the men who were there shouted when they saw that theboy had proved himself to be the master of the horse．
He leaped to the ground，and his father ran and kissed him．
「My son，」said the king，「Macedon is too small a place foryou．You must seek a larger kingdom that will be worthy of you．」
After that，Alexander and Bucephalus were the best offriends．They were said to be always together，for when one ofthem was seen，the other one was sure to be not far away．But thehorse would never allow any one to mount him but his master．
Alexander became the most famous king and warrior thatwas ever known；and for that reason he is always called Alexanderthe Great．Brucephalus carried him through many countries and inmany fierce battles，and more than once did he save his master'slife．
39．亞歷山大和比塞弗勒斯
一天，國王菲利普（公年前―前年，馬其頓國王）買來一匹好馬，叫比塞弗勒斯。這是一匹良種馬，國王是出了很高價格買來的。但是它既野又凶，誰都駕馭不了它。誰也對它沒辦法。
他們用鞭子抽它，但那隻能使它更野更凶。最後，國王吩咐僕人把它牽走。
「把這麼一匹好馬毀了，真可惜，」國王的小兒子亞歷山大說。「那些人不懂得怎麼對待它。」
「也許你比他們都高明，」他父親以諷刺的口吻說。
「我懂得，」亞歷山大說，「只要您同意讓我試試，我就可以把這匹馬馴得比任何人馴得都好。」
「可是假如你做不到這一點，那又該怎麼辦？」菲利普問道。
「我就把您買這匹馬的錢償還給您，」小夥子說。
大家正笑著的時候，亞歷山大就跑向比塞弗勒斯，把它的頭對著太陽。他已經注意到，這匹馬害怕自己的影子。接著他溫和地對馬說起話來，用手撫摸著它。他使它稍微安靜下來以後，就飛快地一躍，跳上了馬背。
大家都以為這個男孩會當場被摔死。但是他穩坐在馬背上，讓這匹馬盡情地飛跑。不久，比塞弗勒斯跑累了，亞歷山大就騎著它，回到他父親的地方。
在場的人們看到這個男孩確實夠資格成為這匹馬的主人，都歡呼起來。
他跳下馬來，他父親跑過來吻他。「我的兒子，」國王說，「馬其頓這個地方對你來說太小了。必須找一個更大的地方才容得下你。」
從那以後，亞歷山大和比塞弗勒斯成了最好的朋友。人們都說他倆總在一起。因為只要看到其中的一個，另一個肯定就在不遠的地方。可是，這匹馬除了他的主人外，從來不許任何人騎它。
亞歷山大成了最著名的國王和勇士。因為這個緣故，人們總稱他亞歷山大大帝。比塞弗勒斯曾馱著他去過很多國家，參加過許多激烈的戰爭，而且不止一次救過它主人的性命。
『名人軼事【41】吞毒的國王』
41．The Great King Who Swallowed Poison
Mithradates（c．131―63 B．C．），the great king of Pontus and enemy of Rome，is said to have swallowed toxic substances systematically ，increasing the doses until he made himself im－mune from assassination by poison．
Ironically ，when he was defeated and cornered by theRomans，he tried to commit suicide by poison，only to find that it had no effect ．He had to get a soldier to kill him with asword．
41．吞毒的國王
據說，偉大的本都國王、羅馬的敵人米特拉達梯（約公元前131―63前年）曾有步驟地吞服各種有毒的東西，並不斷地加大劑量，直到後來能不被毒藥暗殺。
具有諷刺意義的是，當後來他被羅馬人打敗而走投無路，曾想服毒自殺時，卻發現毒藥對他沒有效力，他不得不叫一個士兵用劍將自己殺死。
『名人軼事【42】尼祿最大的心愿』
42．Nero's Dearest Ambition
After becoming Emperor of Rome，Nero cherished his dearestambition which was to sing in public．After taking lessons，hemade his debut in Naples．An earth tremor shook the theater，causing some of the audience to depart while Nero continuedsinging．
At a later performance elsewhere，he had the gates locked sono one could leave while he was on stage．Some women gave birth in the stands ．Some men，tired out with listening and applaud－ing，furtively leaped over the walls．Three clever citizens tricked the guards into letting them an exit ：one pretended to be dead andthe other two carried him out．
42．尼祿最大的心愿
尼祿當上羅馬皇帝后，最熱切的願望是當眾演唱。他在上了唱歌課以後在那不勒斯首次登台表演。一場地震使劇場搖晃起來，尼祿還在演唱，有的聽眾就離開了。
後來在另一個地方的一次演出中，尼祿讓人把門鎖上，他在舞台上時不許任何人出去。有的婦女在聽眾席上生了孩子。有的聽眾實在聽厭了，拍手也拍煩了就偷偷翻牆跑了。有三個聰明的公民耍了個花招，讓守衛放他們出去：其中一人裝死，另外兩人抬著他出去。
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