Pericles’ Funeral Oration
Let me say that our system of government does not copy the institutions of our neighbours. It is more the case of our being a model to others, than of our imitating anyone else. Our constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty. And, just as our political life is free and open, so is our day-to-day life in our relations with each other. We do not get into a state with our next-door neighbour if he enjoys himself in his own way, nor do we give him the kind of black looks which, though they do no real harm, still do hurt people's feelings. We are free and tolerant in our private lives; but in public affairs we keep to the law. This is because it commands our deep respect.
We give our obedience to those whom we put in positions of authority, and we obey the laws themselves, especially those which are for the protection of the oppressed and those unwritten laws which it is an acknowledged shame to break.
And here is another point. When our work is over, we are in a position to enjoy all kinds of recreation for our spirits. There are various kinds of contests and sacrifices regularly throughout the year; in our own homes we find a beauty and a good taste which delight us every day and which drive away our cares. Then the greatness of our city brings it about that all the good things from all over the world flow in to us, so that to us it seems just as natural to enjoy foreign goods as our own local products.
Then there is a great difference between us and our opponents, in our attitude towards military security. Here are some examples: Our city is open to the world, and we have no periodical deportations in order to prevent people observing or finding out secrets which might be of military advantage to the enemy. This is because we rely, not on secret weapons, but on our own real courage and loyalty. There is a difference, too, in our educational systems. The Spartans, from their earliest boyhood, are submitted to the most laborious training in courage; we pass our lives without all these restrictions, and yet are just as ready to face the same dangers as they are. Here is a proof of this: When the Spartans invade our land, they do not come by themselves, but bring all their allies with them; whereas we, when we launch an attack abroad, do the job by ourselves, and, though fighting on foreign soil, do not often fail to defeat opponents who are fighting for their own hearths and homes. As a matter of fact none of our enemies has ever yet been confronted with our total strength, because we have to divide our attention between our navy and the many missions on which our troops are sent on land. Yet, if our enemies engage a detachment of our forces and defeat it, they give themselves credit for having thrown back our entire army; or, if they lose, they claim that they were beaten by us in full strength. There are certain advantages, I think, in our way of meeting danger voluntarily, with an easy mind, instead of with a laborious training, with natural rather than with state-induced courage. We do not have to spend our time practising to meet sufferings which are still in the future; and when they are actually upon us we show ourselves just as brave as these others who are always in strict training. This is one point in which, I think, our city deserves to be admired. There are also others:
Our love of what is beautiful does not lead to extravagance; our love of the things of the mind does not make us soft. We regard wealth as something to be properly used, rather than as something to boast about. As for poverty, no one need be ashamed to admit it: the real shame is in not taking practical measures to escape from it. Here each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but in the affairs of the state as well: even those who are mostly occupied with their own business are extremely well-informed on general politics—this is a peculiarity of ours: we do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no business here at all. We Athenians, in our own persons, take our decisions on policy or submit them to proper discussions: for we do not think that there is an incompatibility between words and deeds; the worst thing is to rush into action before the consequences have been properly debated. And this is another point where we differ from other people. We are capable at the same time of taking risks and of estimating them beforehand. Others are brave out of ignorance; and, when they stop to think, they begin to fear. But the man who can most truly be accounted brave is he who best knows the meaning of what is sweet in life and of what is terrible, and then goes out undeterred to meet what is to come.
Again, in questions of general good feeling there is great contrast between us and most other people. We make friends by doing good to others, not by receiving good from them. This makes our friendship all the more reliable, since we want to keep alive the gratitude of those who are in our debt by showing continued goodwill to them: whereas the feelings of one who owes us something lack the same enthusiasm, since he knows that, when he repays our kindness, it will be more like paying back a debt than giving something spontaneously. We are unique in this. When we do kindnesses to others, we do not do them out of any calculations of profit or loss: we do them without afterthought, relying on our free liberality.
Taking everything together then, I declare that our city is an education to Greece, and I declare that in my opinion each single one of our citizens, in all the manifold aspects of life, is able to show himself the rightful lord and owner of his own person, and do this, moreover, with exceptional grace and exceptional versatility. And to show that this is no empty boasting for the present occasion, but real tangible fact, you have only to consider the power which our city possesses and which has been won by those very qualities which I have mentioned. Athens, alone of the states we know, comes to her testing time in a greatness that surpasses what was imagined of her. In her case, and in her case alone, no invading enemy is ashamed at being defeated, and no subject can complain of being governed by people unfit for their responsibilities. Mighty indeed are the marks and monuments of our empire which we have left. Future ages will wonder at us, as the present age wonders at us now.
让我从这里开始：我们的政体并不照搬邻邦的制度。与其说我们在模仿别人，倒不如说我们是他人学习的楷模。我们的体制之所以被称为“民主制”，是因为权力掌握在全体人民手中，而非少数人手中。
在解决私人争端时，法律面前人人平等；在选拔人才担任公职时，我们考量的不是其出身或所属的阶层，而是他所具备的真实才干。只要一个人有能力为国家效力，他绝不会因为贫穷而在政治上默默无闻。
我们的政治生活自由且开放，日常相处亦是如此。如果邻人以他喜欢的方式自娱自乐，我们不会愤愤不平，也不会投以虽无实害、却伤人感情的冷眼。在私人生活中，我们宽容豁达；但在公共事务中，我们严守法律。这是源于我们对法治深切的敬畏。我们服从掌握权威的人，服从法律本身——特别是那些保护受压迫者的法律，以及那些虽未成文、但违背之后必将蒙受公认羞辱的道德准则。
此外，在劳作之余，我们拥有丰富的精神消遣。一年四季，我们有各种竞赛和祭祀仪式；在我们的居所中，随处可见赏心悦目的高雅陈设，令我们每天都心情愉悦，忘却忧愁。正因为这座城市的伟大，全世界的优选物资都流向我们，使我们享用异国产品就像享用家乡土产一样自然。
在军事安全方面，我们与对手也大不相同。例如：我们的城市对世界敞开，我们从不定期驱逐外国人，也不会为了严防敌人窥探军事机密而搞封锁。这是因为我们所倚仗的，不是秘密武器，而是我们自身真正的勇气与忠诚。
在教育制度上，差别同样显著。斯巴达人从幼年起就接受极其艰苦的训练以培养勇气；而我们生活自由，不受这些束缚，却依然随时准备迎接同样的危险。事实胜于雄辩：当斯巴达人入侵我们的领土时，他们从不敢孤军奋战，必须带上所有盟友；而当我们远征海外，在异国土地上作战时，尽管面对的是保家卫国的对手，我们也往往能轻松取胜。
事实上，还没有哪个敌人领教过我们的全部实力，因为我们要分散精力去维持海军，并在陆上执行多项任务。然而，如果敌军击败了我们的一个小分队，他们就自诩击退了我们的全军；如果他们战败了，又声称是被我们的主力所击。
我认为，我们以闲适的心境而非苦行的训练，以天性而非强迫的勇气去面对危险，是有巨大优势的。我们不必为了预感中的未来痛苦而提前消耗生命；而当挑战真正降临时，我们表现出的英勇毫不逊色于那些时刻处于严酷训练中的人。
这正是我们城市值得钦佩的地方之一。此外，还有其他方面：
我们爱好美，但并不奢靡；我们热爱思考，但并不因此变得软弱。 我们将财富视为一种恰当使用的工具，而非吹嘘的资本。至于贫困，承认它并不丢人，真正的耻辱是不采取实际行动去摆脱贫困。在雅典，每个人不仅关心私人事务，也关心国家大事；即使是那些忙于生计的人，对政治也了如指掌。这是我们的一大特色：我们不把一个不参与政治的人看作是“安分守己”，而是认为他在雅典简直无事可做。
我们雅典人亲自参与政策的决策，或将其提交讨论。我们不认为言论与行动是不相容的；相反，最危险的事情是在充分讨论后果之前就草率采取行动。这是我们优于他人的另一点：我们既敢于冒险，又能事先审慎评估。而其他人往往因无知而大胆，一旦思考便开始畏缩。
那些最能洞悉生活的甘甜与艰辛、却依然无所畏惧地挺身迎接挑战的人，才称得上是真正的勇敢。
在待人接物上，我们也与众不同。我们通过施恩而非受恩来结交朋友。这使我们的友谊更加稳固，因为施恩者会继续展现善意，以维持受恩者的感激之情；而受恩者的感情则没那么热烈，因为他知道自己的回报更像是在偿还债务，而非自发的慷慨。我们是独一无二的——我们帮助他人，并非出于利害计算，而是凭着自由者的博大胸怀，不计后果。
综上所述，我要说：雅典是全希腊的学校。 在我看来，我们每一位公民，在生活的各个领域，都能以非凡的优雅与多才多艺，展现出他作为自身主宰的独立人格。
这绝非此时此刻的空洞吹嘘，而是由我所提到的这些品质所铸就的、实实在在的力量。在所有已知的城邦中，唯有雅典在经受考验时，其表现超越了它的名声。在雅典面前，入侵的敌人不会因败在弱者手中而感到羞辱，受统治的属邦也不会抱怨统治者德不配位。
我们帝国的伟业已留下了无数丰碑。后世将会惊叹于我们，正如现世对我们感到惊叹一样。