THOMAS CARLYLE a native of Scotland，is a distinguished author of the present day.His principal works are：Life of Schiller ；Sartor Resartus ；The French Revolution ；Life of Cromwell；Hero Worship；etc.
1..W HEN T amer lan e had finished building his pyramid of seventy thousand human skulls，and was seen standing at the gate of Damascus，glittering in his steel，with his battle-ax on his shoulder，Thomas Carlyletill his fierce hosts filed out to new victories and carnage，the pale looker-on night have fancied that Nature was in her death-throes；for havoc and despair had taken possession of the earth，and the sun of manhood seemed setting in a sea of blood.
2.Yet it might be on that very gala-day of Tamerlane①，that a littleboy was playing nine-pins in the streets of Mentz，whose history was more important than that of twenty Tamerlanes.The Khan，with his shaggy demons of the wilderness，“passed away like a whirlwind，”to be forgotten forever；and that German artisan has wrought a benefit which is yet immeasurably expanding itself，and will continue to expand itself，through all countries and all times.
3.What are the conquests and the expeditions of the whole corporation of captains，from Walter the Penniless to Napoleon Bonaparte，compared with those movable types of Faust①？Truly it is a mortifying thing for your conqueror to reflect how perishable is the metal with which he hammers with such violence；how the kind earth will soon shroud up his bloody footprints；and all that he achieved and skillfully piled together will be but like his own canvas city of a camp，this evening，loud with life，to-morrow，all struck and vanished，“a few pits and heaps o straw.”
4.For here，as always，it continues true，that the deepest force is the stillest；that，as in the fable，the mild shining of the sun shall silently accomplish what the fierce blustering of the tempest in vain essayed.Above all，it is ever to be kept in mind，that not by material but by moral power are men and their actions to be governed.How noiseless is thought！No rolling of drums，no tramp of squadrons，no tumult of innumerable baggage-wagons，attend its movements.
5.In what obscure and sequestered places may the head be meditating，which is one day to be crowned with more than imperial authority！for kings and emperors will be among its ministering servants；it will rule not over but in all heads；and with these solitary combinations of ideas，and with magic formulas，bend the world to its will.The time may come when Napoleon himself will be better known for his laws than his battles，and the victory of Waterloo prove less momentous than the opening of the first Mechanics‘Institute.
（FROM CAR LYLE ）
中文阅读
托托马斯·卡莱尔，苏格兰现代著名作家，主要作品有：《席勒的一生》
《萨特·瑞萨特斯》《法国大革命》《克伦威尔的一生》《英雄崇拜》等。
1.当帖木儿①完成了他用七万个头颅建成的金字塔后，人们看到他站在大马士革的城门上，身披铁甲，肩扛战斧，浑身闪闪发光，那些残暴的斗士们鱼贯而出，迎接下一场胜利和屠杀。那些脸色苍白的旁观者幻想着大自然也在做着垂死挣扎，因为浩劫和绝望占据着大地，太阳的大丈夫气概似乎已经坠入血海。
2.这对帖木儿来说可能是个好日子。孩子们在门茨城的街道上玩着九柱游戏。这座城市的历史，要比帖木儿的二十座城市的历史都要重要。而这位可汗，长满粗毛的粗野的恶魔，“像一阵旋风一样消逝了”，被永远地遗忘了。而一个德国工匠带来的好处还在不停地扩展着，而且将来也要扩展下去，扩展到所有的国家。
3.从沃尔特·桑萨瓦尔②到拿破仑·波拿巴，这些远征的战略家所缴获的战利品加起来，有什么可以和浮士德的活字印刷术相比的呢？的确，对于征服者来说，让他们反思自己用蛮力打出的金属是怎样腐烂生锈的确实很没面子，他那带血的足迹很快会被仁慈的大地所掩盖。他所获得的，并且精巧地堆起来的，就像他自己的营帐城一样，今晚人声鼎沸，明天就化为乌有，完全不堪一击，“只剩下几个土坑和大堆的干草”。
4.到此为止，正如一以贯之的那样，将来也是如此。最强有力的力是最沉静的力。正如寓言中说的，狂暴的暴风雨的咆哮这样徒劳的尝试，总是伴随着温和的阳光。最重要的是，要时刻记住，支配人类及其行为的是精神力量，而不是物质力量。当思想活动的时候，是多么的悄无声息！没有击鼓的起伏声，没有骑兵的脚步声，也没有数不清的行李马车转动时的嘈杂。
①帖木儿（1336-1405），帖木儿帝国开国君主，是十四世纪末、十五世纪初中亚和西亚的霸主，与明太祖朱元章处于同一时代，1402年在安哥拉战役中大败如日中天的奥斯曼土耳其帝国，是为其军事生涯中浓重的一笔，后死于进军明朝领土的途中。对此，清末民初著名史学家柯劭忞在其《新元史》中评价帖木儿说：“蒙古三大汗国，帖木儿并其二，克印度，败土尔基（土耳其），卑辞厚币以诳中国，始则诇伺，终及大举。傥不死，明人其旰食乎！”--编者注。
②即历史上著名的“贫穷的沃尔特”，是第一次十字军东征时期的平民十字军领袖之一，1096年10月战死--编者注。
5.一个在无名而又偏远的地方进行沉思的大脑，可能在某一天就会被加冕！这样的加冕获得的权力比帝王的还要多。皇帝和国王也会对他俯首称臣，为他服务。这样的大脑不会凌驾于他人的思想之上，而是和别人一起思考。把所有单一的思想集中起来，运用神奇的公式，服从世界的本愿。这一天终将会到来，当拿破仑以他的法典而非战争闻名于世的时候，当事实证明滑铁卢的胜利不如第一所力学学院创立更重要的时候。