偉大さとは老いてから実現した若き日の夢である。 Greatness is the dream of youth realized in old age.〔フランスの作家アルフレッド?ビクター?ビニー(1797-1863)の言葉〕
例文
Those who rendered distinguished service to the state - 国家に偉勲ある者。
The other group consists of those who were granted the title of duke because of their great achievements although their families were not peers such as court nobles or lords . 公家・諸侯等の華族に相当する家の出身でないにもかかわらず「偉勲」によって公爵を叙爵されたグループ。
One group consists of those who were qualified to be given a peerage , but received a higher title than they should have been given , due to their great service being taken into account , although they did not make distinguished achievements . 一つは「偉勲」がなくとも華族たる資格を持っていた家のうち、功績が加味されて本来よりも高い爵位を与えられたグループである。
Kanpaku (chief advisor to the emperor ) and daijo-daijin (grand minister of state ), or those who rendered distinguished service as seii taishogun (literally , " great general who subdues the barbarians " ) and others who accomplished great deeds for the nation were granted this rank . 関白や太政大臣、あるいは征夷大将軍として功労をなした者その他、国家に対する偉勲の著しい者が叙されている。
After the beginning of the meiji period , shoshii (senior fourth rank ) was conferred as a posthumous honor on those who had accomplished a great deed , except for those who had already received a rank above jusanmi (junior third rank ), kazoku (new nobility ) such as kugyo and daimyo , and especially on people of merit who had died during the ' revere the emperor , expel the barbarian ' -period and the meiji restoration . 明治時代以降は、幕末の尊皇攘夷や明治維新において亡くなった功労者のうち、従三位以上に叙せられた元勲や公卿、大名などの華族を除いた、特に偉勲著しい者に対して正四位が贈位された。