陶本一校长

世界上有各种各样的人：国王和皇后，总统和首席执行官，教师，工程师，医生和护士等，但这些仅仅是头衔。

我认为，在归纳总结时，有更好的分类方法：中国人使用“好人与坏人”，“大人物和小人物”，“勇士与懦夫”等。但实际上，只有两种类型的人- 普通人与贵族 （我不想用“贵人”因为“贵人”这个词显得很庸俗）。普通人会考虑自己的日常需要，不会成为贵族，也没有家教，能力，智力，远见和财务支撑变成一位贵族。首先，贵族必须是一个出身优良的人，其教养及生活不涉及平民的生存需要的点点滴滴。这样的特权可能是他祖先传承赋予的，也可能是通过他的才智，能力及努力获得的。但是，绝大多数人并没有成为贵族的条件，因为大多数人缺乏这种特权，他们被诅咒必须每天工作八小时来谋生。

一个真正的贵族是一个高尚有远见的人，而不是担心鸡毛蒜皮细节的人。他是一个梦想家和思想家。他梦想着一般人尚无法想象的可能性，并且他总是在思考实现这些梦想的方法。

一个真正的贵族是博学的人。他不一定有两个博士学位，但总体而言，他受生活观念和整体视野的驱使，并不断思考事物背后的原因，以及通过他本人或由他本人做出决定及应采取的适当行动来改变世界。

一个真正的贵族即使需要职位来运作，也不必担心获得或失去某些职位。命运总是那样，一个贵族通常会担任一个职位或有个头衔，而这种职位和头衔又经常恰好符合对他的描述。他将以自己的知识，远见和容忍度以合理的方式行使职能职权，并做出会影响普通人的决策，通常是为了普通人的最大利益。

一个真正的贵族不会陷入泥潭，不停地计算出如何提高自己的投资组合及每项行动的损失和收益。一个真正的贵族不会在乎下层普通人对他的恶意攻击和污名。他的视野超出了他们的理解范围，并且由于这些平民缺乏眼光及合适的词汇，他的行为经常被误解和错判。

世界上没有太多贵族。所以，如果您能遇到一位，您真的很幸运。如果您曾与这样的人一起工作过，那您这一生一定做对了什么事情。如果您因此人受益，您的守护天使肯定一直在您的肩膀上注视着，保护着您呢。

陶先生便是这样的贵族。

There are all sorts of people in the world: There are the kings and the queens, the presidents and the CEOs and teachers and engineers and doctors and nurses, etc., but these are just titles.

I think there is a better way to classify people when we generalize: The Chinese use “good and bad,” “big man and small man,” “brave and cowardly,” etc. But truly, there are only two types of people - there is the common man and there is the noble man. The common man looks into his daily needs to meet and doesn’t dare to consider becoming a noble man, nor does he have the upbringing, the ability, the learning, the vision, nor the financial support to become one. A noble man, first and foremost, must be a privileged man, whose upbringing does not involve survival needs facing the commons. Such privileges may be endowed by the heritance from his ancestors, or maybe earned through his wits, fortunes, and intelligence. Yet, the vast majority of people are not conditioned to be a noble man because they lack such privileges and are condemned to work eight hours a day to make a living.

A noble man is a man of vision, not meticulousness. He is a dreamer and thinker. He dreams about possibilities that are not yet conceivable, and he thinks about ways to achieve these dreams.

A noble man is a learned man. He is driven by ideas and holistic vision of life in general and is constantly thinking about the reasons behind things and the proper actions to take should he be in such a position where decisions are made through or by him.

A noble man is not concerned about gaining or losing certain positions, even though he needs a position to function.  As fate would always have it, a noble man normally holds a position or a title in society where such a position and title properly fits the description. In his capacity, he will function, reasonably, with knowledge, vision, and forbearance and make decisions that will affect the common man, usually, in the best interest of the common man.

A noble man is not bogged down to earth to calculate the losses and gains of each action to enhance his portfolio. A noble man does not take to heart the ill will and smear of reputation imposed upon him by the lower group of common men. His vision is beyond their comprehension, and his actions are often mistaken and ill defined by the lack of available vocabulary among the commons.

There are not too many noble men in the world. And if you meet one you are truly lucky. If you have worked with such a man, you must have done something right; and if you benefit from such a man, your guarding angels have been watching over your shoulders.

Mr. Tao is such a noble man.