美国语文第六册 第102期:拿破仑·波拿巴的性格(2)

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in the hope of a dynasty, he upheld the crescent; for the sake of a divorce, he bowed before the cross; 怀着对建立王朝的希望，他支持奥斯曼帝国；为了离婚，他在十字架前鞠躬；

the orphan⁴ of St. Louis, he became the adopted child of the Republic; 圣路易的孤儿，他成为共和国的养子；

and, with a parricidal⁵ ingratitude⁶, on the ruins both of the throne and the tribune, he reared the throne of his despotism. 还有，在王座和讲坛的废墟上，他凭借杀长上者的忘恩负义，树立起进行专制统治的宝座。

A professed⁷ Catholic, he imprisoned⁸ the Pope; a pretended patriot⁹, he impoverished¹⁰ the country; 作为一名立誓信教的天主教徒，他将教皇囚禁起来；作为一名假装爱国的人，他使这个国家愈发贫困；

and in the name of Brutus, he grasped without remorse¹¹, and wore without shame, the diadem¹² of the Caesars. 他以暗杀恺撒的布鲁图的名义，在攫取皇帝的王权时没有丝毫自责，在发誓时没有任何羞愧。

The whole continent trembled at beholding¹³ the audacity¹⁴ of his designs, and the miracle of their execution. 整个大陆在目睹他退位的大胆举动和属下被处决这一奇迹后瑟瑟发抖。

Skepticism bowed to the prodigies¹⁵ of his performance; romance assumed the air of history; 持怀疑态度的人屈服于他的表演天才；浪漫史披上了历史的外衣；

nor was there aught too incredible for belief, or too fanciful for expectation, 当这个世界见证了来自科西嘉的一名中尉将帝国的大旗覆在她最古老的首都上时，

when the world saw a subaltern of Corsica waving his imperial flag over her most ancient capitals. 对信仰而言，任何事物都不足为信，对期望而言，再多的幻想也是虚妄。

All the visions of antiquity¹⁶ became commonplace in his contemplation: kings were his people; nations were his outposts; 所有对古代幻想在他沉思中成了最寻常不过的事情：国王是他的臣民，国家是他的前哨；

and he disposed of courts, and crowns, and camps, and churches, and cabinets, as if they were the titular¹⁷ dignitaries of the chessboard! 他随意处置法律、王权、军营、教堂和内阁事务，仿佛他们只不过是随意摆布的棋子！

Amid all these changes, he stood immutable¹⁸ as adamant¹⁹. 在所有这些变化中间，他坚如磐石地岿然不动。

 

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