When fate hasn't dealt you the best hand in life, it's easier to complain than to work change it. But throughout history, there have been people who just grab the whole deck for themselves, rising from those humble beginnings to seize more power than anyone could have ever thought possible. As we're about to tell you, sometimes even the lowliest peasants can rise to the highest stations.
当命运之神不曾眷顾你的时候，是选择抱怨还是努力改变现状？前者似乎更容易一些。然而纵观历史，不乏拼尽全力与命运抗争之辈，他们出身卑微，却最终达到一般人无法企及的权力巅峰。正如我们将在本文中为你讲述的，即使是地位最低下的农民，也可以登上权力金字塔的顶端。

10.Catherine I – Russia
10.叶卡捷琳娜一世——俄罗斯

Catherine was born in 1684 to a peasant family, and orphaned just three years later when both parents died from the plague. She was raised by a pastor in Latvia until she was 17, when the Russians invaded and took her captive. Catherine proved to be one of the more valuable acquisitions of the conquest, and thanks to her good looks was passed around as a favor in the court, eventually being given to Peter the Great in 1705.
1684年，叶卡捷琳娜出生于一个农民家庭，三岁时父母死于瘟疫，成为孤儿。随后，拉脱维亚(Latvia)的一位牧师收养了她，直到17岁那年俄军入侵，她被俘虏。日后的故事表明这位传奇女子是非常有价值的战利品，因为相貌出众，她在宫廷里被当作礼物几经转手，最终于1705年送到彼得大帝(Peter the Great)的身边。
Somewhat unexpectedly, Peter and Catherine fell in love, and she even managed to save his empire in from the Turks in 1711, offering her jewels as a bribe and allowing the Russians to retreat rather than face annihilation. Their relationship was marred towards the end by Catherine's alleged affair with William Mons, but Peter had him executed and they were able to reconcile just before Peter's death. Catherine was his successor and, despite not really having any political ambition, became the first female emperor of Russia.
令人意想不到的是，彼得和叶卡捷琳娜竟然坠入爱河。1711年，彼得陷入土耳其军队的重围（译注：1711年俄土战争，彼得一世亲征普鲁特河），叶卡捷琳娜用珠宝贿赂敌军，帮他突围保住皇位，并令俄军撤退，使其免遭歼灭。叶卡捷琳娜和威廉·蒙斯(William Mons)有婚外情的传闻，险些导致她和彼得关系破裂，但是最后彼得处死威廉，并在自己死前与叶卡捷琳娜重修旧好。叶卡捷琳娜一世成为彼得一世的继任者，虽然她并没有什么政治抱负，但却成为俄罗斯历史上第一位女皇。

9.Justin I – Byzantium
9.查士丁一世——拜占庭

Justin was born in 453 AD and began life as a simple swineherd, enduring poverty and barbarian raids at an early age. At 20 years old he set off on a journey to Constantinople to seek his fortune. He joined the corps of 300, and quickly rose to a position of command. With military power came political power, and he was given the title of Count.
查士丁出生于公元453年，早年以养猪为生，生活困顿,常遭野蛮劫掠。20岁那年，他离家前往君士坦丁堡谋生。随后加入一支300人的军队，很快就晋升为指挥官。查士丁依靠其军事能力得到政治权力，并被授予伯爵封号。
Emperor Anastasius was childless, and when it came to naming his successor he chose to put his faith in God, saying that whoever came into his room next would become emperor. Rather than a member of his own family, however, it was Justin who entered his chambers and became the new emperor when Anastasius died. It was a position he never really wanted, and he made that clear to the Pope by writing to inform him he had been made emperor against his will. An unwilling, unprepared, and uneducated emperor, he ruled for nine years and proved that some men are born great, and others fall into power ass backwards.
阿纳斯塔修斯一世(Emperor Anastasius)没有子嗣，他把挑选继任者这件事情交给上帝决断，声明下一个进入自己的房间的人将会成为继任皇帝。然而，阿纳斯塔修斯去世之时，进入他寝宫的并非其亲属，而是查士丁。但查士丁根本不想成为皇帝，还给教皇写信，告诉他自己是被迫登上皇位的。就这样，这位没受过教育的皇帝在毫无准备、毫不情愿的情况下执政9年。他的存在向世人证明：有的人生来尊贵，而有的人却阴差阳错获得权利。

8.Diocletian – Rome
8.戴克里先——罗马

Diocletian was the son of a former slave, and was born around 245 AD. He embarked on a career in the army, and through a combination of military skill, ambition, and having the good fortune to be favored by the emperor Carus, Diocletian was able to rise to the rank of commander of the cavalry arm of the imperial bodyguard. When Carus was killed by a bolt of lightning, his sons Numerian and Carinus assumed control of the East and West empires respectively, but it wasn't long before Numerian died.
戴克里先是一个奴隶的儿子，生于公元245年。他的传奇人生从军队开始，由于他出色的军事能力、远大的抱负，以及受到罗马帝国皇帝卡鲁斯(Carus)的青睐，戴克里先很快就当上了帝国保卫骑兵营的指挥官。在卡鲁斯死于雷击之后，他的儿子努梅里安(Numerian)和卡里努斯(Carinus)分别统治了东罗马和西罗马，但是没过多久努梅里安就去世了。
Diocletian won support by killing Aper, the man suspected of having a hand in Numerian's death, in front of all the troops, and was rewarded with the title of Emperor of the East. Carinus was none too pleased with his brother being succeeded by a bodyguard, and moved to meet Diocletian in battle. Unfortunately for Carinus, his unpopularity led to his own men killing him, and put Diocletian to assume control of the entire Roman empire.
当着所有军队，戴克里先杀掉了被怀疑与努梅里安之死有关的艾派(Aper)，因此而获得支持，并被拥戴成为东罗马帝国的皇帝。卡里努斯不满自己哥哥的皇位被一个侍卫继承，于是与戴克里先兵戎相见。不幸的是，卡里努斯因为不得人心，被自己的人所刺杀，从而使得戴克里先统治了整个罗马帝国。

审稿:张茜 编辑:Freya然 校对:CMX