那是最好的時代

"那是最好的時代" 這句話出自英國作家查爾斯·狄更斯(Charles Dickens)的小說《雙城記》(A Tale of Two Cities)的開篇。原文是:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."

這句話表達了對一個時代的複雜評價,既體現了時代的美好與進步,也揭示了其中的問題和混亂。在《雙城記》中,狄更斯通過這句話反映了法國大革命時期英國和法國社會的對比,以及那個時代人們經歷的希望與絕望、智慧與愚昧、信仰與懷疑。

這句話也被廣泛引用來形容其他時代或情況,通常是用來表達對某個時期既有正面也有負面評價的複雜情感。