Directions: Fill in the blank.

A man who cannot win honor in his own _________ will have a very small chance of winning it from posterity.

The sentence means that establishing one's reputation during one's lifetime is essential, as achieving recognition from future generations (posterity) is extremely difficult if not accomplished in the present. 'Age' is the correct answer - it refers to a person's lifetime or era, contrasting with 'posterity' (future generations).