"There is not and cannot be such a boring and sad city in which a smart, educated person would be unnecessary. Suppose that of the hundred thousand inhabitants of this undoubtedly backward and rude city, there are only three like you. Of course, you cannot conquer the insensitive crowd, you will have to give way little by little, and you will be lost in the crowd of hundreds of thousands, life will suffocate you, but you will not disappear completely, you will not remain without any influence. Later, after you, maybe there will be six people like you, then twelve, and so on, until finally such people will make up the majority. After two or three centuries, life on earth will be amazingly beautiful. People need this kind of life, and if it's not here yet, we have to anticipate it, wait for it, dream about it, and prepare for it. That is why we must always see and know more than our father and grandfather knew and saw.
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Author
Anton Pavlovich ChekhovAll Translations
All Translations
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There is not and cannot be such a boring and sad city in which a smart, educated person would be unnecessary. Suppose that of the hundred thousand inhabitants of this undoubtedly backward and rude city, there are only three like you. Of course, you cannot conquer the insensitive crowd, you will have to give way little by little, and you will be lost in the crowd of hundreds of thousands, life will suffocate you, but you will not disappear completely, you will not remain without any influence. Later, after you, maybe there will be six people like you, then twelve, and so on, until finally such people will make up the majority. After two or three centuries, life on earth will be amazingly beautiful. People need this kind of life, and if it's not here yet, we have to anticipate it, wait for it, dream about it, and prepare for it. That is why we must always see and know more than our father and grandfather knew and saw.
""Nincs és nem is lehet olyan unalmas és szomorú város, melyben az okos, képzett ember felesleges volna. Tegyük fel, hogy e kétségtelenül elmaradott és durva város százezer lakója közül csak hárman vannak olyanok, mint önök. Önök az érzéketlen tömeget természetesen nem képesek meghódítani, lassanként engedniük kell majd, és elvesznek a százezres tömegben, az élet elfojtja önöket, de azért mégsem tűnnek el egészen, mégsem maradnak minden hatás nélkül. Később önök után talán már hat olyan ember lesz, mint önök, aztán tizenkettő, és így tovább, míg végül az ilyenfajta emberek alkotják majd a többséget. Két-három évszázad múltán az élet bámulatos szép lesz a földön. Az embernek ilyen életre van szüksége, és ha az eddig még nincs meg itten, meg kell sejtenünk, várnunk kell, álmodnunk kell róla, készülnünk kell rá. Ezért kell mindig többet látnunk és tudnunk, mint az apánk és nagyapánk tudott és látott."