《论衡·卷十八·齐世篇》
比喻用的材料，往上则寻求至虞、夏时代，往下则寻求殷、周时代，秦、汉时期，有功德奇特操行特殊的人，尚且认为时代太近，又何况当今社会在百代之后，叙述历史的人亲眼见到这些了吗？
比喻之证，上则求虞、夏，下则索殷、周。秦、汉之际，功奇行殊，犹以为后。又况当今在百代下，言事者目亲见之乎？
When looking for examples, they go as far back as the Yu and Xia dynasties, and as far down as the Yin, Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties. Those who made special contributions or had special conduct in the Qin and Han dynasties were still considered too close in time, how much more so for the present society, hundreds of generations later, is it possible for historians to have witnessed these events with their own eyes?
<s>[INST] Identify the key themes in this Classical Chinese text and explain them in English: 比喻之证，上则求虞、夏，下则索殷、周。秦、汉之际，功奇行殊，犹以为后。又况当今在百代下，言事者目亲见之乎？ [/INST] When looking for examples, they go as far back as the Yu and Xia dynasties, and as far down as the Yin, Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties. Those who made special contributions or had special conduct in the Qin and Han dynasties were still considered too close in time, how much more so for the present society, hundreds of generations later, is it possible for historians to have witnessed these events with their own eyes?</s>
Identify the key themes in this Classical Chinese text and explain them in English: 比喻之证，上则求虞、夏，下则索殷、周。秦、汉之际，功奇行殊，犹以为后。又况当今在百代下，言事者目亲见之乎？
user
When looking for examples, they go as far back as the Yu and Xia dynasties, and as far down as the Yin, Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties. Those who made special contributions or had special conduct in the Qin and Han dynasties were still considered too close in time, how much more so for the present society, hundreds of generations later, is it possible for historians to have witnessed these events with their own eyes?
assistant