As journalists, we try never to get imaginary about the famous people we cover, ever mindful of our responsibilities as neutral observers of the world — and the unavoidable fact that every icon (偶像), no matter how towering, eventually turns out to have feet of clay (致命的弱点)．I've had the privilege during my career of having reported from more than 70 countries — one­third of all the nations on the planet. I've witnessed and recorded some of the most creative moments in modern history: the fall of the Berlin Wall, the destruction of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

　　But I can say that nothing I've ever witnessed can match the moment when I watched Mandela walk out of Victor Verster Prison on a brilliant sunny afternoon on Feb. 11, 1990.

　　A few hours later, before a huge crowd in the city center, the very first public words Mandela spoke, after 27 years in prison, were filled with humility (谦逊) and generosity.

　　“I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all，” Mandela said. “I stand here before you not as a prophet (预言家) but as a humble servant of you, the people.”That was the thing about Mandela. People around the world might have regarded him as a saint (圣人) or a king, but he would never wear that cloak.Even after his release from prison, as he negotiated the end of the racist apartheid (种族隔离) government and directed his divided nation toward the first democratic elections in its history.

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