DailyMail TAIWAN: World's top ten most significant people EVER

Thursday, March 6, 2014

World's top ten most significant people EVER｜人類史上十大重要人物

歷史人物中誰的地位最崇高？誰又輕於鴻毛？歷史學家們通常都要花一輪口水來評估各個名人的成就，於是，美國有兩位電腦學家決定以數據來幫他們定高下！利用網路新型演算法，分析維基百科中80萬名人物的瀏覽人數等資料及網友們對歷史名人的觀點，為歷史人物知名度進行排序，從貓王到貝多芬，排列了全球有史以來最重要的2000位人物。

Jesus has been named the most significant person in human history, followed by Napoleon and Shakespeare, as ruled by the internet. Based on the impact on opinions certain individuals have had over time, and how that has reflected onto their Wikipedia pages, two computer scientists have come up with the ultimate list.

Professor Steven Skiena and Charles Ward use quantative analysis to rank more than a thousand historical figures and prominent people, from Elvis to Beethoven, Stalin and Queen Victoria. With Jesus as a front runner it comes as no great surprise that the prophet Muhammad is ranked at number four.

significant (adj.) 有意義的；重要的 =historic

This is one of the most significant studies of the subject. 這是對該課題最重要的研究之一。

over time 隨著時間

Like weather, climate also changes over time. 像天氣一樣, 氣候也會隨著時間而改變。

ultimate (adj.) 最後的、最終的

Complete disarmament was the ultimate goal of the conference. 全面裁軍是這次會議的最終目標。

prominent (adj.) 突出的、卓越的；重要的；著名的 =outstanding / distinguished

Sully had a prominent part in the play. Sully在這個戲裡扮演一個重要角色。

prophet (n.) 先知

The prophet foretold a glorious future for the young ruler. 先知預言年輕的統治者會有輝煌的前程。

Leaders of empires are prominent on the list with Napoleon as number second and Alexander the Great at number nine. Alexander’s teacher and the founder of Western philosophy, Aristotle, is listed as number eight.

The list sees three US presidents, two of which were the founding fathers of the United States, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. However despite their indisputable significance in history, they are both outranked by Abraham Lincoln, who is listed as number five.

philosophy (n.) 哲學

He majors in philosophy. 他主修哲學。

indisputable (adj.) 無可爭辯的；不容置疑的

The evidence was indisputable. 這個證據不容置疑。

outrank (v.) 地位高於；階級高於；重要性高於

Peanuts now outrank cotton as the chief crop. 如今花生是比棉花更重要的主要產品。

The top-ten only lists one Briton, the formidable William Shakespeare, author of Romeo and Juliet and responsible for centuries of unreasonable expectations of love. The only entry on the list which serves as a person of impact ‘lest we forget’ is Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, who is ranked as the seventh most significant person in human history. The is an unmissable absence of women on the list, which the authors explain is a result of centuries of inequality meaning the impact of female figures has not been as great.

In the book Who's Bigger? Where Historical Figures Really Rank, Professor Skiena and Mr Ward compare their ranking to Google’s system of ranking web pages in a search. By collection millions of opinions on famous and infamous figures throughout history they have calculated, how successfully the idea of each person has spread in society through time.

‘We would call Jesus "the most significant person ever",’ Professor Skiena told Pacific Standard. ‘With over two billion followers a full 2,000 years after his death, Jesus is an incredibly successful historical meme.’

The pair use English Wikipedia as a base for their algorithm, which has led to some figures ranking higher than they ‘should,’ Skiena says. ‘Our rankings will continue to evolve with Wikipedia, and people can move up or down over time.