"I need a hero!" So many people in distress have said this, but why?
"我需要一个英雄!" 在危难中的人都这么说，但为什么呢？
What kind of hero do we need and do we even really even need a hero at all?
我们需要什么样的英雄，我们真的需要一个英雄吗？
Well, if you look at any piece of literature written for page, script, or stage, the answer is yes!
嗯，如果你看看任何文学作品，在书上、剧本上或舞台上的，答案是“肯定的!”
But, heroes come in all shapes and sizes, depending on what needs to be dealt with.
但英雄的形状和大小各自不同，取决于面对的是什么问题。
First, you have your epic heroes.
首先，有史诗般的英雄。
Epic heroes usually come from a famous family, have super-human strength, are unusually good-looking.
史诗般的英雄通常来自于一个著名的家庭，有超人的力量，都异常地好看。
They take on challenges that no one else will and succeed.
他们接受没有人会接受的挑战并取得成功。
They have great journeys and adventures, some supernatural and some, right here on Earth.
他们经历过伟大的旅程和冒险，有些是超自然物，有些就在地球上。
Beowulf does all of this. He travels across the sea with his band of warriors
贝奥武夫具备这一切。他与他的战队穿越大海，
to help another king defeat a supernatural monster that has been terrorizing his kingdom.
帮助另一位国王打败了一个一直在威胁他的王国的超自然怪物。
He defeats the monster and the monster's mother in an epic battle, and then goes back home and becomes king himself.
在一场史诗般的战争中，他击败了怪物和怪物的母亲，然后回到了家，并成为了国王。
In his old age, he has one more monster to face, one more threat that he must keep from his people, a dragon.
在他年老时，他还有一个怪物要面对，他必须要确保他的人民不受威胁，那是一条龙。
Now, being an epic hero, of course he wins, but he is also human, and so he also dies.
现在，身为一个史诗般的英雄，当然他赢了，但他也是人，于是他也死了。
But he leaves behind stories to inspire others even today.
但他所留下的故事即使到今天也在激励其他人。
Next, we have our tragic heroes. Tragic heroes are usually leaders or powerful characters,
接下来是悲剧英雄。悲剧英雄通常是领导者或是很有能力的角色，
but the tragic hero is also majorly flawed and that flaw usually leads him down the path to a horrible and tragic death.
但悲剧英雄通常也有缺点，而这缺点通常导致他走向恐怖与悲剧般的死亡。
Take the story of Oedipus the King, for example.
比如说俄狄浦斯国王的故事。
One day, a young man travels to a town called Thebes.
有天，一位年轻人旅行到一个叫做底比斯的小镇。
On the way, he kills a man for not yielding to him on the road in the first documented case of road rage.
在路上，他因为对方不让路而杀了一个人，堪称是文献记载的第一次道路冲突。
He also defeats a magical creature and is rewarded by becoming the King of Thebes, and thus, marrying their queen.
他也打败了一只魔法怪物，然后被奖赏成为底比斯的王，顺理成章地娶了他的王后。
Well, that's not so tragic, right? Wrong! The queen he just married is actually his birth mother!
听起来不太悲剧，对吧？错了！他娶的王后恰恰就是他的生母！

Oedipus was supposed to have been killed as a child by a servant, but instead he was given to another family.
俄狄浦斯原本是要在童年时就被仆人杀掉的，但他却被送到了别人家里。
Oh, and the man he killed on the road, the previous King of Thebes and his dad.
噢，那位他在路上杀死的人，正是前任底比斯王，他的父亲。
So he killed his father and married his mother. Now that is quite tragic.
所以他杀了自己的父亲，并娶了自己的母亲。实在是够悲剧的。
Not tragic enough for you? Try this one.
还不够悲剧吗？试试这个。
Romeo Montague is a guy born into a wealthy family and finds the love of his life at a party, Juliet.
罗密欧·蒙特克是一个出生在富裕人家的家伙，并且在一场宴会中发现了他的挚爱--朱丽叶。
But, Juliet is from a different family that just so happens to hate his family.
但是朱丽叶来自另一个家族，恰巧这两家是世仇。
Instead of being patient and working through the family feud,
罗密欧没有耐心化解这场家族间的恩怨，
Romeo decides he must have his love now, and his impatience leads to bloodshed and death, including his own and Juliet's.
反而决定他现在就要得到他的挚爱，而他的性急导致了包括了他自己和朱丽叶的流血与死亡。
Moving on to romantic heroes.
再来说说浪漫英雄。
Now these guys might sound like they might have a better love life and chance at happiness, but that's not always the case.
这种英雄听起来是这样的：他们原本有一段更好的爱情以及美满的生活，但并不总是这样。
These heroes are emotional and very human. But there is something magical about them.
这些英雄富有情感并且与人性相符。但他们身上又有神奇的元素。
Some have a miraculous birth and then are separated from their family.
有些是奇迹般地出生，然后与家庭分离。
Others use enchanted swords or get help from magical beans.
另一些则会用魔法剑，或者有魔豆的帮助。
They could also reject the expectations of society and adhere to their own code of morality.
他们摒弃世俗的规范，然后遵从他们自己的一套道德。
And in the end, the hero triumphs over evil in an idyllic way, but at great personal, emotional sacrifice.
而最后，英雄会以一种田园诗般的方式战胜邪恶，但会赔上伟大的个人情感上的牺牲。
King Arthur is a good example of a romantic hero.
亚瑟王就是一个典型的浪漫英雄。
Sure, he became king and married the love of his life, but he was also killed by his son,
当然，他成为了国王，并于一生所爱结婚，但也被他的儿子杀死，
who was born out of wedlock, and had his wife cheat on him with his best friend.
实际上是他的私生子，而他的王后也瞒着他，和他最好的朋友密会。
So, although he, too, like Beowulf, was a great king,
所以，尽管他像贝奥武夫一样，是一位伟大的君王，
he suffered much more for the greater purpose of society, which makes him more human and relatable to us all.
但他会因为更伟大的社会目标而经历更多，这让他更富有人性，也和我们更息息相关。
There are different heroes for different situations.
在不同情境下会有不同英雄。
Sometimes we need the strong warrior to slay the evils of the world.
有时候我们须要一个强壮的战士来打击世上的邪恶。
At other times, we need a common person who becomes great so that they can inspire us all to be better.
而有时候，我们须要一个平凡人来成就非凡，好来激励我们向上。
So do we need heroes? Absolutely!
所以我们须要英雄吗？当然！
No matter what the time or place, we still need something to believe in.
不论在何时何地，我们都须要某些人来让我们相信。
They remind us of the good in each of us, and the need for hope and the importance of knowledge.
他们提醒我们每个人心中的善念、对希望的依赖以及知识的重要性。