伏尔泰(1694～1778年)
Voltaire，原名弗朗瓦-玛丽.阿鲁埃（Fran?ois-Marie Arouet）。
18世纪欧洲最伟大的作家之一。伏尔泰攻读法律，但後来放弃此业而成为作家。他靠古典悲剧成名，一生不断为剧院写作。他因批评时局而二度被送入巴士底狱，1726年被流放至英国，在那里，他对哲学的兴趣渐增；1728或1729年回到法国。他的史诗《亨利亚德》（1728）大受欢迎，但他对摄政体制的奚落和他的自由宗教观点遭致攻击。他在《哲学书简》（1734）中对稳固的宗教及政治体系出言不逊，引起众怒。他逃出巴黎，与沙特莱夫人（她成为伏尔泰的赞助者暨情妇）定居在香槟区的Cirey，在那里转向科学研究和对宗教及文化的系统性探究。在她死後，伏尔泰待过柏林和日内瓦，1754年定居於瑞士。除了论述哲学及道德问题的许多着作以外，他也撰写故事，包括《查第格》（1747）、《米克罗梅加斯》（1752）和他最着名的作品《憨第德》（1759），後者是对哲学乐观主义的讽刺作品。他与多人通信，也对任何不公的事件感到兴趣，特别是起於由宗教偏见的事件。他以反暴政和反盲从的侠义心而留名後世，也因其才智、讽刺作品、批判能力而闻名。
English version：
1694～1778年
Voltaire
French writer, one of the greatest 18th-century European authors. Voltaire studied law but abandoned it to become a writer. He made his name with classical tragedies and continued to write for the theater all his life. He was twice sent to the Bastille for his remarks and in 1726 was exiled to England, where his philosophical interests deepened; he returned to France in 1728 or 1729. His epic poem La Henriade (1728) was well received, but his lampoons of the Regency and his liberal religious opinions caused offense. Lettres philosophiques (1734), in which he spoke out against established religious and political systems, caused an uproar. He fled Paris and settled at Cirey in Champagne with Mme du Chatelet, who became his patroness and mistress, and there turned to scientific research and the systematic study of religions and culture. After her death he spent periods in Berlin and Geneva; in 1754 he settled in Switzerland. In addition to his many works on philosophical and moral problems, he wrote contes (“tales”) including Zadig (1747), Micromégas (1752), and his best-known work, Candide (1759), a satire on philosophical optimism. He kept up an immense correspondence and took an interest in any cases of injustice, especially those resulting from religious prejudice, that came to his notice. He is remembered as a crusader against tyranny and bigotry and noted for his wit, satire, and critical capacity.