What is happening today in the Arab world is a revolution that may turn out to be for the Middle East the equivalent of what the French Revolution was for Europe in 1789: a profound and radical change that alters completely the situation that prevailed before. How many Bastilles will ultimately fall in the region, and at what pace, no one can say.
今天在阿拉伯世界发生的革命可能演变为中东版欧洲1789年法国大革命： 一场彻底改变以前普遍情况的深远而彻底的变革。 没有人能说清楚中东地区会以何种速度垮掉多少座巴士底狱。 近期唯一的类似事件是苏联集团的崩溃，以及之后的1989－1991年苏联自身解体。