英语口语畅谈世界文化之法国31:Napoleon拿破仑

英语口语畅谈世界文化

之法国31 Napoleon 拿破仑

S1 :  Student 1       S2 :  Student 2
S1：学生l               S2：学生2

S1: I'm doing a paper on great figures in military history,  who do you think I should choose?
S1:我在写一篇关于军事史上伟大人物的论文，你认为我该选谁呢？

S2: How about Napoleon?
S2：写拿破仑怎么样？

S1: That's a good idea.  He was known as “The Little Corporal" , did you know that?
S1: 好主意。拿破仑有个绰号叫“小下士”，你知道吗？

S2: Yes, because he was so short! It's hard to think that such a little man could lead an army.
S2：知道，那是因为他长得太矮小了。很难想象一个如此矮小的人能统率大军。

S1: I know what you mean, but he may have been little in stature, but he had a very powerful mind.
S1:我明白你的意思。不过虽然他身材可能是矮了点，但他却很有头脑。

S2: He was one of the greatest military commanders and a risk taking gambler, he was also a workaholic.
S2:他是最伟大的军事将领之一，也是个敢于冒险的赌徒，还是个工作狂。

S1: And a genius. He was also very impatient, he couldn't wait for anything. He was also a vicious cynic who forgave even his closest betrayers.
S1:而且还足个天才。他性情急躁，对任何事情都没有耐心。他还是个自我矛盾的愤世嫉俗者，当他最亲密的人背叛了他时他原谅了他们。

S2: He sounds like a pretty amazing guy. After all, he was emperor of France twice. His military endeavors and sheer personality dominated Europe in person for a decade, and in thought for a century.
S2:听起来他还真了不起。毕竟他在洼国两次称帝。他靠军事行为和独特个性统治了欧洲十来年，其思想影响了欧洲近一个世纪’。

S1: He wasn't born in France though, was he?
S1:但他并不是在法国出生的，是吧？

S2: He wasn't born in mainland France, no. He was born in Corsica, an island owned by France.
S2:是的，他不是在法国大陆出生的。他生在科西赢岛，法国一个附属岛屿。

S1: And he moved to mainland France after he completed his studies at the Ecole Royale Mili-taire de Paris.
S1:在巴黎皇家军事学校完成学业后，他就去了法国大陆。

S2: Yes, but he talked to people in high placed and managed to stay in CorS1ca most of the time. Did you know that he completed his course in just one year? It should have taken three!
S2:是这样，但他跟高层的人有了沟通，并设法在科西嘉岛度过了很长一段时间。你知道吗？他只用了一年时间就学完了所有课程，那本来是要3年才能学完的。

S1: Well, he certainly was strong willed. While he was in Corsica he played an active part in political and military matters, initially supporting the CorS1can rebel Pasquale Paoli, a former patron of Napoleon's father, Carlo Buonaparte.
S1:嗯，他的意志肯定很坚强。还在科西嘉岛的时候，他就积极参与政治和军事活动。最初，他支持科西赢岛起义者帕斯奎尔•保利，拿破仑的父亲卡罗•波拿巴以前曾经追随过保利。

S2: The French Revolution was an important time for Napoleon By December 1793 Bonaparte was the hero of Toulon, a General and favourite of Augustin Robespierre.
S2:法国革命时期对拿破仑来说非常重要。到1793年12月他就成为r土伦战役的英雄，也成了奥古斯汀•罗伯斯庇尔跟前最受重用的将军。

S1: Yes, but shortly after Napoleon was arrested for treason. He got out of it because of tremendous political flexibility. He was saved by Paul de Baras, who would Later become one of France's Directors
S1:是的，但不久之后，拿破仑就因叛国罪而被捕。但由于变幻莫测的政治变动，他被后来成为法国执政官之一的保罗•德•贝洛斯救出。

S2 : Its a good thing that he was saved. Military history as we know it would be very different indeed !
S2:他获救是件好事，否则军事史真的将要改写。

【单词词组讲解】
little in nature身材矮小
people in high place 高层人士
strong willed意志坚定的
play an active part in积极参与

【背景介绍】
拿破仑·波拿巴（Napoléon Bonaparte，1769-1821年），法兰西第一共和国执政、法兰西第一帝国皇帝，出生在法国科西嘉岛，是一位卓越的军事天才。他多次击败保王党的反扑和反法同盟的入侵，捍卫了法国大革命的成果。他颁布的《民法典》更是成为了后世资本主义国家的立法蓝本。他执政期间多次对外扩张，形成了庞大的帝国体系，创造了一系列军事奇迹。1812年兵败俄国，元气大伤；1814年被反法联军赶下台。1815年复辟，随后在滑铁卢之战中失败，被流放到圣赫勒拿岛。1821年病逝，1840年尸骨被迎回巴黎隆重安葬在塞纳河畔。