History vs. Napoleon Bonaparte - Alex Gendler

翻译人员: Kaitlyn Yu 校对人员: Menglu Zhang

After the French Revolution erupted in 1789,

1789年，法国大革命爆发后，

Europe was thrown into chaos.

欧洲陷入了一片混乱之中。

Neighboring countries' monarchs feared they would share the fate of Louis XVI,

邻国君主们担心自己 也会遭到路易十六被推上断头台的命运，

and attacked the New Republic,

对新共和国群起而攻，

while at home, extremism and mistrust between factions lead to bloodshed.

而此时法国各党派中的极端主义和叛乱份子的 杀戮暴行，又让国内血流成河。

In the midst of all this conflict,

在这场混战当中，

a powerful figure emerged to take charge of France.

一位强大的领袖诞生了， 开始执掌法国政权。

但他究竟是挽救还是破坏了这场革命呢？

But did he save the revolution or destroy it?

"Order, order, who's the defendant today? I don't see anyone."

“肃静，肃静，今日被告是何人？ 为何缺席法庭？”

"Your Honor, this is Napoléon Bonaparte,

“法官大人，被告是拿破仑・波拿巴，

the tyrant who invaded nearly all of Europe

那个侵略了几乎所有欧洲国家的暴君，

to compensate for his personal stature-based insecurities."

只为了弥补个人身高缺陷造成的不安全感。”

"Actually, Napoléon was at least average height for his time.

“实际上，拿破仑的身高 至少达到了那个时代的平均水平。”

The idea that he was short comes only from British wartime propaganda.

他所谓的矮，仅是一种英国 战期宣传时的说法。

And he was no tyrant.

况且，他并不是个暴君。

He was safeguarding the young Republic from being crushed

他保卫了年轻的共和国

by the European monarchies."

不被欧洲的君主们毁灭。”

"By overthrowing its government and seizing power himself?"

“通过推翻政府， 独揽军政大权来保卫共和国？”

"Your Honor, as a young and successful military officer,

“（咳咳）法官大人，作为一名年轻有为的军官，

Napoléon fully supported the French Revolution,

拿破仑竭尽全力支持法国大革命，

and its ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

及其自由，平等，博爱的精神。

But the revolutionaries were incapable of real leadership.

但是之前的革命者们 都没能掌握真正的领导权。

Robespierre and the Jacobins who first came to power

先掌权的罗伯斯庇尔和雅各宾派

unleashed a reign of terror on the population,

对民众进行了白色恐怖统治，

with their anti-Catholic extremism

他们借用反天主教极端思想

and nonstop executions of everyone who disagreed with them.

对每个反对者赶尽杀绝。

And The Directory that replaced them was an unstable and incompetent oligarchy.

而取代雅各宾派政权的 是个内政混乱又软弱无能的寡头组织。

They needed a strong leader who could govern wisely and justly."

他们需要一个强有力的领导者， 既有治国韬略又能兼济各方。”

"So, France went through that whole revolution

“所以，法国经历了革命的种种，

just to end up with another all-powerful ruler?"

结局只是变成另一个 集权的君主统治国家？”

"Not quite.

“也不尽然。

Napoléon's new powers were derived from the constitution

拿破仑的新政权由宪法授予，

that was approved by a popular vote in the Consulate."

而宪法则是经过民主投票后 由国会通过的。”

"Ha! The constitution was practically dictated at gunpoint in a military coup,

“哼！那个宪法基本上是 在政变军队枪口威胁下口述出来的，

and the public only accepted the tyrant

民众之所以接受那个暴君

because they were tired of constant civil war."

只是因为他们已经不愿忍受 接连不休的内战了。”

"Be that as it may,

“就算是这样，

Napoléon introduced a new constitution and a legal code

拿破仑引入了新的宪法及一部法典，

that kept some of the most important achievements of the revolution in tact:

让法国大革命的重要成就得以完整保留：

freedom of religion

即，宗教自由，

abolition of hereditary privilege,

废除世袭特权，

and equality before the law for all men."

及法律面前人人（男人）平等。”

"All men, indeed.

“确实是‘男人’平等。

He deprived women of the rights that the revolution had given them

他剥夺了大革命中赋予女性的权利，

and even reinstated slavery in the French colonies.

甚至在法国殖民地恢复了奴隶制。

Haiti is still recovering from the consequences centuries later.

海地在之后的几个世纪里 还依然挣扎着从奴隶制的阴影中恢复。

What kind of equality is that?"

这算什么平等？”

"The only kind that could be stably maintained at the time,

“这是当时唯一一种 能稳定保持的平等状况了，

and still far ahead of France's neighbors."

还超越了许多邻国。”

"Speaking of neighbors, what was with all the invasions?"

“说到邻国，它们是怎么被侵略的？“

"Great question, Your Honor."

“问得好，法官大人。”

"Which invasions are we talking about?

“我们要谈的是哪场侵略呢？

It was the neighboring empires who had invaded France

侵略法国的那些周边帝国，

trying to restore the monarchy,

企图恢复君主专制体制，

and prevent the spread of liberty across Europe,

防止自由观念在欧洲传播，

twice by the time Napoléon took charge.

在拿破仑执政前两次侵略法国。

Having defended France as a soldier and a general in those wars,

作为这些法国保卫战中的一名战士和将军，

he knew that the best defense is a good offense."

他知道最好的防守就是伺机进攻。”

"An offense against the entire continent?

“对抗整个欧洲大陆的进攻？

Peace was secured by 1802,

1802年，和平局势稳固下来，

and other European powers recognized the new French Regime.

其他欧洲势力也认可了 这个法国新政权的地位。

But Bonaparte couldn't rest unless he had control of the whole continent,

但是除非掌控整个欧陆， 否则波拿巴不肯罢休，

and all he knew was fighting.

当时的他只知征战各方。

He tried to enforce a European-wide blockade of Britain,

他曾试图强制欧洲各国对英国进行封锁，

invaded any country that didn't comply,

对所有不服从的国家进行侵略。

and launched more wars to hold onto his gains.

发动更多的战争， 想将他获得的一切紧握于手。

And what was the result?

但结果又如何呢？

Millions dead all over the continent,

欧洲百万人在战乱中丧生，

and the whole international order shattered."

国际秩序动荡不安。“

"You forgot the other result:

“你忘了另一个后果：

the spread of democratic and liberal ideals across Europe.

民主和自由的观点传遍欧洲。

It was thanks to Napoléon that the continent was reshaped

幸而有了拿破仑， 整个欧洲才得以从混乱中重振，

from a chaotic patchwork of fragmented feudal and religious territories

从支离破碎的封建割据， 及被宗教恐怖包围的混乱残局中

into efficient, modern, and secular nation states

重建成一个个富有生产力的， 现代化的，稳固的单民族国家，

where the people held more power and rights than ever before."

在这里，民众拥有着前所未有的 巨大权力和各种权益。”

"Should we also thank him for the rise of nationalism

“我们难道还得感谢他 促成民族主义的崛起

and the massive increase in army sizes?

和大规模的扩大军备？”

You can see how well that turned out a century later."

你会意识到，这些在一个世纪后 发展成了什么‘好结果’。”

"So what would European history have been like if it weren't for Napoléon?"

“那么，如果没有拿破仑， 欧洲的历史会变成怎样？”

"Unimaginably better/worse."

“出人意料的蒸蒸日上。” “难以想象的江河日下。”

Napoléon seemingly unstoppable momentum would die in the Russian winter snows,

拿破仑看似锐不可当的势头在 俄罗斯的冬雪中消磨殆尽，

along with most of his army.

随葬的还有他绝大部分军队。

But even after being deposed and exiled,

但即便在被废黜和流放后，

he refused to give up,

他也并未就此放手，

escaping from his prison and launching a bold attempt at restoring his empire

他从监狱里逃出， 企图大胆发起战争，复辟他的帝国，

before being defeated for the second and final time.

然而，他的军队再次， 也是最后一次被击溃。

Bonaparte was a ruler full of contradictions,

波拿巴的统治里充满了矛盾，

defending a popular revolution by imposing absolute dictatorship,

通过强施专制独裁以保卫民主革命，

通过帝国战争来传播自由理念，

and spreading liberal ideals through imperial wars,

and though he never achieved his dream of conquering Europe,

尽管他从未实现征服整个欧洲的梦，

he undoubtedly left his mark on it, for better or for worse.

但无论光荣显赫或臭名昭著， 他都无疑在历史上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔。