What caused the French Revolution? - Tom Mullaney

譯者: LAS CC 審譯者: Regina Chu

What rights do people have, and where do they come from?

人民有什麼權利？ 這些權利又從何而來呢？

Who gets to make decisions for others and on what authority?

誰能為他人做決定？ 這樣的權利又是誰賦予的呢？

And how can we organize society to meet people's needs?

我們要如何組織社會 以滿足人們的需求？

These questions challenged an entire nation

這些問題在法國大革命的動盪之中

during the upheaval of the French Revolution.

激蕩著整個國家

By the end of the 18th century,

18 世紀末

Europe had undergone a profound intellectual and cultural shift

歐洲歷經了一場 強烈的思想與文化轉變

known as the Enlightenment.

又稱「啟蒙運動」

Philosophers and artists promoted reason and human freedom

哲學家與藝術家提升了 理性及人的自由

over tradition and religion.

使其超越了傳統和信仰

The rise of a middle class and printed materials

中產階級和印刷術的興起

encouraged political awareness,

提高了人們的政治意識

and the American Revolution had turned a former English colony

而美國獨立戰爭 將從前的英國殖民地

into an independent republic.

轉變成為獨立的共和政權

Yet France, one of the largest and richest countries in Europe

然而，法國身為歐洲 最大、最富有的國家之一

was still governed by an ancient regime of three rigid social classes

卻仍然以舊制度實行統治 由古板的三個社會階層組成

called Estates.

叫做「階級」

The monarch King Louis XVI based his authority on divine right

國王路易十六 利用君權神授穩固統治權

and granted special privileges to the First and Second Estates,

並賦予特權給第一和第二階級

the Catholic clergy, and the nobles.

分別是天主神教職人員以及貴族

The Third Estate, middle class merchants and craftsmen,

第三階級，包括中產階級商人及工匠

as well as over 20 million peasants, had far less power

以及超過兩千萬的農民 則擁有非常少的權利

and they were the only ones who paid taxes,

而他們是唯一需要繳稅的族群

not just to the king, but to the other Estates as well.

不只繳納給國王 還要繳納給其他階級

In bad harvest years,

收成不好的時候

taxation could leave peasants with almost nothing

納稅幾乎讓農民所剩無幾

while the king and nobles lived lavishly on their extracted wealth.

而國王和貴族卻利用 這些壓榨來的財富極盡奢華

But as France sank into debt due to its support of the American Revolution

由於支持美國獨立戰爭 使得法國負債累累

and its long-running war with England,

加上其與英國的長期戰爭

change was needed.

現況急需改變

King Louis appointed finance minister Jacques Necker,

路易斯國王任命 雅克·內克爾為財務大臣

who pushed for tax reforms

他奮力爭取稅務改革

and won public support by openly publishing the government's finances.

並藉由公佈政府的財政 來贏得大眾的支持

But the king's advisors strongly opposed these initiatives.

然而國王的顧問 卻強烈地反對這些措施

Desperate for a solution, the king called a meeting of the Estates-General,

國王苦求解決之道 於是召集了三級會議

an assembly of representatives from the Three Estates,

這個會議是由三個階級代表組成

for the first time in 175 years.

這樣的情況是 175 年來第一次

Although the Third Estate represented 98% of the French population,

雖然第三階級 代表多達 98% 的法國人民

its vote was equal to each of the other Estates.

但是他們和其他階級 擁有的投票數是一樣的

And unsurprisingly, both of the upper classes favored keeping their privileges.

不意外，兩個上層階級 都傾向保留他們的特權

Realizing they couldn't get fair representation,

意識到無法獲得平等的代表效力

the Third Estate broke off,

第三階級與之決裂

declared themselves the National Assembly,

並宣誓自己為國民議會

and pledged to draft a new constitution with or without the other Estates.

並誓言起草新的憲法 無論有沒有其他階級參與

King Louis ordered the First and Second Estates

路易國王命令第一和第二階級

to meet with the National Assembly,

與國民議會會面

but he also dismissed Necker, his popular finance minister.

但他同時也解雇了受人愛戴的 財務大臣雅克·內克爾

In response, thousands of outraged Parisians

因此，幾千名憤怒的巴黎人民

joined with sympathetic soldiers to storm the Bastille prison,

加入了同樣不滿的士兵 席捲了巴士底監獄

a symbol of royal power and a large storehouse of weapons.

那裡是皇室權力的象徵 也是相當大的軍火庫

The Revolution had begun.

於是大革命便開始了

As rebellion spread throughout the country,

當叛變蔓延至全國

the feudal system was abolished.

封建制度就被廢除了

The Assembly's Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

國民議會的《人權和公民權宣言》

proclaimed a radical idea for the time --

主張的想法在當時相當前衛

that individual rights and freedoms were fundamental to human nature

個人的權利和自由是人性之根本

and government existed only to protect them.

而政府的存在正是去保護這些

Their privileges gone, many nobles fled abroad,

他們的特權沒了，許多貴族逃到國外

begging foreign rulers to invade France and restore order.

乞求國外的統治者 侵略法國並重建秩序

And while Louis remained as the figurehead of the constitutional monarchy,

路易作為君主立憲制的虛位元首

he feared for his future.

他開始害怕他的未來

In 1791, he tried to flee the country but was caught.

1791 年，他試圖逃亡但最終被抓了

The attempted escape shattered people's faith in the king.

嘗試逃走的行為 使人民對國王的信任瓦解

The royal family was arrested and the king charged with treason.

皇室家族因而被逮 國王則被判叛國罪

After a trial,

審判確立後

the once-revered king was publicly beheaded,

曾受敬重的國王被當眾斬首

signaling the end of one thousand years of monarchy

象徵著長達千年的王族統治的結束

and finalizing the September 21st declaration of the first French republic,

並在 9 月 21 日宣告建立 法國第一個共和政體

governed by the motto "liberté, égalité, fraternité."

以「自由、平等、博愛」為格言

Nine months later,

九個月後

Queen Marie Antoinette,

外籍皇后瑪麗·安東妮

a foreigner long-mocked as "Madame Déficit"

因為奢侈無度而被諷為「赤字夫人」

for her extravagant reputation,

was executed as well.

也被處決了

But the Revolution would not end there.

但大革命並沒有就此結束

Some leaders, not content with just changing the government,

一些首領不滿於僅僅是改換政府

他們尋求徹底改變法國的社會──

sought to completely transform French society --

its religion, its street names,

宗教信仰

街道名稱

even its calendar.

甚至是曆法

As multiple factions formed,

當眾多分歧逐漸形成

the extremist Jacobins lead by Maximilien Robespierre

以馬克西米連·羅伯斯比爾 為首的極端分子雅各賓派

launched a Reign of Terror

展開了恐怖統治

to suppress the slightest dissent,

他們連最輕微的異議都要鎮壓

executing over 20,000 people

在雅各賓派垮臺前 處決了超過兩萬人

before the Jacobin's own downfall.

Meanwhile, France found itself at war with neighboring monarchs

同時，法國也與鄰國展開戰爭

seeking to strangle the Revolution before it spread.

因鄰國君王試圖遏制大革命的擴散

Amidst the chaos, a general named Napoleon Bonaparte took charge,

戰亂之中，拿破崙·波拿巴將軍 接掌政局並當上皇帝

becoming Emperor as he claimed to defend the Revolution's democratic values.

就在他口口聲聲主張 捍衛大革命的民主價值之時

All in all, the Revolution saw three constitutions

總而言之，法國大革命

僅僅在十年之內 見證了三部憲法和五個政權

and five governments within ten years,

followed by decades alternating between monarchy and revolt

接著的幾十年不斷在 君主政治及叛變間更迭

before the next Republic formed in 1871.

直到 1871 年建立了 下一個共和政權

And while we celebrate the French Revolution's ideals,

我們在慶祝法國大革命的理念時

we still struggle with many of the same basic questions

仍舊掙扎於許多兩世紀前 就存在的根本問題

raised over two centuries ago.