the finest individuals out of a number of people or things
精英，优秀分子；精华，最好的部分
he wasted the flower of French youth on his dreams of empire.为实现帝国之梦，他荒废了法国的青年精英。
he wasted the flower of French youth on his dreams of empire.
为实现帝国之梦，他荒废了法国的青年精英。