NAPOLEON BEGAN THE WAR with Russia because he could not help going to Dresden, being dazzled by the homage paid him there, putting on the Polish uniform, yielding to the stimulating influence of a June morning, and giving way to an outburst of fury in the presence of Kurakin and afterwards of Balashev.
拿破仑开始对俄罗斯发动战争，是因为他不得不去德累斯顿，那里人们对他表示敬意，他穿上了波兰军装，受到六月早晨的刺激影响，并在库拉金和巴拉舍夫面前爆发了愤怒的情绪。

Alexander refused all negotiations because he felt himself personally insulted. —
亚历山大拒绝进行任何谈判，是因为他感到受到了个人侮辱。 —

Barclay de Tolly did his utmost to command the army in the best way possible, so as to do his duty and gain the reputation of a great general. —
巴克雷·德·托利竭尽全力以最佳方式指挥军队，以履行自己的职责并获得伟大将军的声誉。 —

Rostov charged the French because he could not resist the temptation to gallop across the level plain. —
罗斯托夫冲向法军，是因为他无法抵制在平坦的原野上飞驰的诱惑。 —

And all the innumerable persons who took part in the war acted similarly, in accordance with their personal peculiarities, habits, circumstances, and aims. —
而参与战争的无数人也都以各自的个性、习惯、环境和目标行动，这符合他们的个人特点。 —

They were all impelled by fear or vanity, enjoyment, indignation, or national consideration, supposing that they knew what they were about and that they were acting independently, while they were all the involuntary tools of history and were working out a result concealed from themselves but comprehensible to us. —
他们都是出于恐惧或虚荣、享受、愤怒或国家考虑而行动，他们以为自己知道自己在做什么，认为他们是独立行动的，而实际上他们都是历史的无意识工具，他们正在展现出一个对自己隐藏的结果，但对我们来说是可以理解的。 —

Such is the invariable fate of all practical leaders, and the higher their place in the social hierarchy, the less free they are.
这是所有实际领导者的不可避免的命运，他们在社会等级中的地位越高，他们就越没有自由。

Now the leading men of 1812 have long left their places; —
现在，1812年的领导人早已离开他们的位置； —

their personal interests have vanished, leaving no trace, and nothing remains before us but the historical results of the time.
他们的个人利益已经消失，不留下任何痕迹，我们面前只剩下那个时代的历史结果。

But once let us admit that the people of Europe under Napoleon’s leadership had to make their way into the heart of Russia and there to perish, and all the self-contradictory, meaningless, cruel actions of the men who took part in this war become intelligible to us.
但是，一旦我们承认，在拿破仑的领导下，欧洲人民不得不进入俄罗斯的核心并在那里灭亡，那么参与这场战争的人们所采取的所有自相矛盾、无意义、残酷的行动对我们来说就变得可以理解了。

Providence compelled all those men in striving for the attainment of their personal aims to combine in accomplishing one immense result, of which no one individual man (not Napoleon, not Alexander, still less any one taking practical part in the campaign) had the slightest inkling.
上帝强迫所有那些为了实现个人目标而努力的人们联合起来实现一个巨大的结果，而没有一个人（不是拿破仑，也不是亚历山大，更不用说那些实际参加战役的人）有任何一丝预感。

Now it is clear to us what was the cause of the destruction of the French army in 1812. —
现在我们清楚了1812年法国军队覆灭的原因。 —

No one disputes that the cause of the loss of Napoleon’s French forces was, on one hand, their entering at too late a season upon a winter march in the heart of Russia without sufficient preparation; —
没有人否认拿破仑的法军之所以失败，一方面是因为他们在没有足够准备的情况下在俄罗斯深入冬季行军； —

and on the other, the character the war had assumed from the burning of Russian towns and the hatred the enemy aroused in the peasantry. —
另一方面，战争的性质取决于俄罗斯城镇的焚烧和敌人在农民心中引起的仇恨。 —

But obvious as it seems now, no one at the time foresaw that this was the only means by which the best army in the world, eight hundred thousand strong, led by the best of generals, could be defeated in a conflict with the inexperienced Russian army of half the strength, led by inexperienced generals. —
然而，显而易见的是，当时没有人预见到这是唯一能够击败世界上最强大的八十万人的最佳军队，在与经验不足、由经验不足的将军领导的俄罗斯军队的冲突中，这是唯一的办法。 —

Not only was this utterly unforeseen, but every effort indeed was being continually made on the Russian side to hinder the one means that could save Russia; —
这不仅完全没有被预见到，而且事实上，俄罗斯方面不断努力阻止能够拯救俄罗斯的手段； —

and in spite of the experience and so-called military genius of Napoleon, every effort was made on the French side to push on to Moscow at the end of the summer, that is to do the very thing bound to bring about their ruin.
尽管拿破仑有经验和所谓的军事天才，但法国方面仍然不断努力在夏末前进莫斯科，也就是做着必将导致他们灭亡的事情。

In historical works on the year 1812, the French writers are very fond of saying that Napoleon was aware of the danger of lengthening out his line, that he sought a decisive engagement, that his marshals advised him to stay at Smolensk, and similar statements to show that even at the time the real danger of the campaign was seen. —
在关于1812年的历史著作中，法国作家非常喜欢说拿破仑意识到了拉长战线的危险，寻求决定性的战斗，他的元帅们建议他留在斯摩棱斯克，以及类似的声明来显示即使在当时也看到了战役的真正危险。 —

The Russian historians are still fonder of declaring that from the beginning of the campaign there existed a plan of Scythian warfare by leading Napoleon on into the heart of Russia. —
俄罗斯历史学家更喜欢宣称从战役开始就存在引诱拿破仑深入俄罗斯内陆的斯基泰亚战争计划。 —

And this plan is ascribed by some writers to Pfuhl, by others to some Frenchman, and by others to Barclay de Tolly; —
有些作家将这一所谓的计划归因于普福尔，有些归功于一些法国人，另一些归功于巴克雷·德·托利； —

while other writers give the credit of this supposed scheme to the Emperor Alexander himself, supporting their view by documents, proclamations, and letters, in which such a course of action certainly is hinted at. —
而其他作家则将这一所谓的计划归功于亚历山大皇帝自己，并通过文件、宣言和信件支持他们的观点，在这些文件中确实暗示了这样的行动。 —

But all these hints at foreseeing what actually did happen on the French as well as on the Russian side are only conspicuous now because the event justified them. —
但所有这些对法国和俄罗斯方面发生的事情的预测，现在只是因为事件证实了它们才被注意到。 —

If the event had not come to pass, these hints would have been forgotten, as thousands and millions of suggestions and suppositions are now forgotten that were current at the period, but have been shown by time to be unfounded and so have been consigned to oblivion. —
如果事件没有发生，这些预测将被遗忘，就像那些在当时流行但经过时间证明是无根据的，已被遗忘的数以千计的推测和假设一样。 —

There are always so many presuppositions as to the cause of every event that, however the matter ends, there are always people who will say: —
每个事件的原因总是有很多先决条件，所以无论事件如何结束，总会有人说：“我当时说会这样”，而很容易忘记在他们所做的众多假设中还有其他建议，暗示着完全相反的事态发展方向。 —

“I said at the time that it would be so”: —
尽管这些反对观点已经被证明是错误的，对于那些认为事件会如此发展的人来说，这些观点现在显得非常明显。 —

quite oblivious of the fact that among the numerous suppositions they made there were others too suggesting just the opposite course of events.
认为拿破仑意识到延展自己阵线的危险，以及俄国人有一个诱敌进入俄罗斯腹地的计划，显然属于同一类别；只有有极大偏见的历史学家才会将这样的反思归因于拿破仑和他的元帅，或这样的计划归因于俄罗斯将领。

The notion that Napoleon was aware of the danger of extending his line, and that the Russians had a scheme for drawing the enemy into the heart of Russia, obviously belong to the same category; —
所有的事实都与这种观点直接相反。 —

and only historians with a great bias can ascribe such reflections to Napoleon and his marshals, or such plans to the Russian generals. —
俄国人远非希望将法国人引诱进入俄罗斯腹地，他们在整个战争中竭尽全力阻止法国人的进展，从他们越过边境的时候开始。 —

All the facts are directly opposed to such a view. —
拿破仑对于扩展其通信线的担忧，扭转了他前几次战役中如此渴望巷战的态度，并对每一次前进都感到欢欣鼓舞。 —

Far from desiring to lure the French into the heart of Russia, the Russians did their utmost to arrest their progress throughout the war from the time they crossed the frontier. —
在战役刚开始的时候，我们的军队就被分割了，我们努力的唯一目标就是将它们团结起来，而如果我们的目标是撤退并引诱敌人进入国家腹地，那么团结它们将毫无益处。 —

And far from dreading the extension of his line of communications, Napoleon rejoiced at every step forward as a triumph, and did not seek pitched battles as eagerly as he had done in his previous campaigns.
皇帝与军队在一起，鼓舞士气，决不让他们退让一寸俄罗斯土地，无论如何也不撤退。

At the very beginning of the campaign, our armies were divided up, and the sole aim for which we strove was to unite them; —
在整个战役的初期，我们的军队被分割，我们唯一的目标就是将它们团结起来；尽管如果我们的目标是撤退并引诱敌人进入国家腹地，那么团结起来将毫无益处。 —

though there was no benefit to be derived from uniting them if our object was to retreat and draw the enemy into the heart of the country. —
皇帝与军队在一起，激励他们不让一寸俄罗斯土地，决不撤退。 —

The Emperor was with the army to inspire it not to yield an inch of Russian soil and on no account to retreat. —
让敌人进入俄罗斯的内陆是毫不利益可得的，我军不停地努力牵制和拖延他们的进展，以保护祖国。 —

An immense camp was fortified at Drissa in accordance with Pfuhl’s plan, and it was not proposed to retreat further. —
根据普富尔的计划，在德里萨修建了一个巨大的营地，并且没有打算进一步撤退。 —

The Tsar reprimanded the commander-in-chief for every retreat. —
沙皇指责了总司令的每一次撤退。 —

The Tsar can never have anticipated the burning of Moscow, or even the enemy’s presence at Smolensk, and when the armies had been reunited, the Tsar was indignant at the taking and burning of Smolensk without a general engagement having been fought before its walls. —
沙皇不能预料到莫斯科的燃烧，甚至不知道敌军出现在斯摩棱斯克，当军队重聚时，沙皇对斯摩棱斯克被夺取和焚烧，而没有在城墙前进行总体战的计划感到愤怒。 —

Such was the Tsar’s feeling, but the Russian generals, and the whole Russian people, were even more indignant at the idea of our men retreating.
这是沙皇的感受，但俄国将军和整个俄罗斯人民对我们的士兵撤退的想法更加愤怒。

Napoleon, after dividing up the army, moved on into the heart of the country, letting slip several opportunities of an engagement. —
拿破仑在划分了军队后，向着国家的内部进发，并错过了几次交战的机会。 —

In August he was in Smolensk and thinking of nothing but advancing further, though, as we see now, that advance meant inevitable ruin.
8月份，他来到斯摩棱斯克，除了进一步进军外，他没有思考其他任何事情，尽管现在我们看到，这样的进军意味着不可避免的毁灭。

The fact shows perfectly clearly that Napoleon foresaw no danger in the advance on Moscow, and that Alexander and the Russian generals did not dream at the time of luring Napoleon on, but aimed at the very opposite. —
事实清楚地表明，拿破仑没有预料到在进攻莫斯科时会面临危险，而亚历山大和俄罗斯将军在当时也没有想过要引诱拿破仑，相反地，他们的目标正好相反。 —

Napoleon was drawn on into Russia, not through any plans—no one dreamed of the possibility of it—but simply through the complex play of intrigues and desires and motives of the actors in the war, who had no conception of what was to come and of what was the sole means of saving Russia. —
拿破仑之所以前往俄国，不是因为任何计划 - 没有人曾想到这种可能性 - 而仅仅是由于战争参与者的复杂的阴谋、愿望和动机，他们对即将发生的事情没有概念，以及拯救俄国的唯一手段。 —

Everything came to pass by chance. The army was split up early in the campaign. —
一切都是偶然发生的。在战役的早期，军队就被分裂了。 —

We tried to effect a junction between the parts with the obvious intention of fighting a battle and checking the enemy’s advance; —
我们试图将两支部队连接起来，明显是为了进行一场战斗，阻止敌人的进攻； —

and in this effort to effect a junction, avoiding a battle with a far stronger enemy, we were forced to retreat at an acute angle, and so drew the French after us to Smolensk. —
在努力达成联合、避免与实力强大的敌人交战的过程中，我们被迫以锐角度撤退，从而将法军引到斯摩棱斯克。 —

But it is not enough to say that both parts of the army retreated on lines inclined at an acute angle, because the French were advancing between the two armies. —
但仅仅说两支军队都朝着一个锐角度撤退是不够的，因为法军正在两支军队之间挺进。 —

The angle was made the more acute and we retreated further because Barclay de Tolly, an unpopular German, was detested by Bagration, and the latter, in command of the second half of the army, did his utmost to delay a junction with Barclay de Tolly in order to avoid being under his command. —
由于巴格拉季昂对巴克拉依·托利（Barclay de Tolly）这个不受欢迎的德国人感到厌恶，角度变得更为锐利，我们进一步后退，因而巴格拉季昂尽其所能延迟与巴克拉依·托利的会合，以避免处在他的指挥之下。 —

Bagration delayed the junction of the armies, though this was the chief aim of all the authorities, because he believed that he would expose his army to danger on the march, and that it would be more advantageous for him to retreat more to the left and the south, annoying the enemy on the flank and rear, and reinforcing his army in Ukraine. —
巴格拉季昂耽搁了军队的会合，尽管这是所有高层的主要目标，因为他认为在行军中会使他的军队暴露在危险之中，而更有利的做法是向左和向南撤退，从侧翼和后方骚扰敌人，并在乌克兰加强他的军队。 —

And he believed this, because he did not want to put himself under the command of the German Barclay, who was his junior in the service, and personally disliked by him.
他之所以这样认为，是因为他不想将自己置于在军龄上比他年轻的德国人巴克拉依·托利的指挥之下，并且他个人对巴克拉依·托利不喜欢。

The Emperor accompanied the army in order to excite its patriotic ardour; —
皇帝随军出征，以激发其爱国热情； —

but his presence and inability to decide on any course of action and the immense number of counsellors and plans that swarmed about him, nullified all action on the part of the first army, and that army too had to retreat.
但他的存在以及对任何行动的决断力的缺乏，加上大量的顾问和计划围绕着他，使第一军无法采取任何行动，而第一军也不得不撤退。

At the camp at Drissa it was proposed to take a stand. —
在德里萨的营地里，有人提议采取战斗态势。 —

But the energy of Paulucci, scheming to become a leading general, affected Alexander; —
但保卢奇（Paulucci）的活跃，他企图成为一名领军将领，影响了亚历山大（Alexander）； —

and Pfuhl’s whole plan was abandoned, and the scheme of campaign intrusted to Barclay. —
并且放福尔（Pfuhl）的整个计划被放弃，战役计划交给了巴克拉依·托利。 —

But as the latter did not inspire complete confidence, his power too was limited. —
但由于巴克拉依·托利并未产生完全的信任，他的权力也受到了限制。 —

The armies were split up, there was no unity, no supreme command: Barclay was unpopular. —
军队分裂，没有统一的指挥，没有最高指挥官：巴克拉依·托利不受欢迎。 —

But on one side the confusion and division and unpopularity of the German commander-in-chief led to vacillation and to avoiding a battle, which would have been inevitable had the armies been united and any one but Barclay in command of them. —
但一方面，德国总司令的混乱之处和分裂以及不受欢迎，导致了犹豫和避免战斗，如果军队合力一致，除了巴克拉依以外的任何人指挥，战斗将是不可避免的。 —

And on the other hand, it all led to a growing indignation with the Germans and a growing fervour of patriotism.
而另一方面，这一切都导致了对德国人的愈发愤慨和高涨的爱国热情。

At last the Tsar left the army, and, as the only suitable excuse to get rid of him, the happy suggestion was made that he must rouse up the people in the capitals to wage the war on a truly national scale. —
最终，沙皇离开了军队，唯一合适的借口就是让他鼓动首都的人民以全国范围参战。 —

And the Tsar’s visit to Moscow did in fact treble the forces of the Russian army. —
实际上，沙皇访问莫斯科确实使俄国军队的力量增至三倍。 —

The Tsar left the army in the hope that the commander-in-chief would be able to act alone, and that more decisive measures would be taken. —
沙皇离开军队是希望总司令能独自行动，并采取更决定性的措施。 —

But the commander’s position became weaker and even more difficult. —
但总司令的地位变得更加疲软和困难。 —

Bennigsen, the Grand Duke, and a swarm of adjutant generals, remained with the army to watch over the actions of the commander-in-chief, and to urge him to greater activity; —
本尼根、大公和一大群指挥官们留在军队中，监视总司令的行动，并敦促他更加活跃； —

and Barclay, feeling less than ever free to act under the watchful gaze of all these “eyes of the Tsar,” became still more cautious and anxious to avoid a pitched battle, and clung to a prudent inaction. —
巴克莱感到越来越没有行动自由，在所有这些“沙皇眼中”更加谨慎，并且渴望避免决战，坚持谨慎不动。 —

The Grand Duke hinted at treachery, and demanded a general engagement. —
大公暗示叛变，并要求进行总体战。 —

Lubomirsky, Bronnitsky, Vlotsky, and others of the same sort, helped to swell the clamour to such a point that Barclay, on the pretext of sending papers to the Tsar in Petersburg, got rid of the Polish generals, and entered into open conflict with Bennigsen and the Grand Duke.
卢博米尔斯基、布罗尼茨基、弗洛茨基和其他同类人士帮助扩大了这种声浪，以至于巴克莱以将文件送到圣彼得堡见沙皇为借口摆脱了波兰将领，并与本尼根和大公发生公开冲突。

In Smolensk, in spite of Bagration’s wishes to the contrary, the armies were at last united.
尽管巴格拉季昂希望相反，但在斯摩棱斯克，军队终于合并了。

Bagration drove up in his carriage to the house occupied by Barclay. —
巴格拉季昂开着马车驶到巴克莱所居住的房子前。 —

Barclay put on his official scarf, and came out to greet and to present his report to his senior officer, Bagration. —
巴克莱系上他的官方围巾，走出来迎接并向他的高级官员巴格拉季昂呈交报告。 —

Bagration, to rival his magnanimity, acknowledged Barclay as his superior officer, in spite of his own seniority; —
为了超越他的慷慨，巴格拉季昂承认巴克莱为他的上级军官，尽管他自己的资历更高； —

but he was less in accord with him than ever. —
但他与巴克莱的一致性比以往更差。 —

At the Tsar’s command, he sent reports personally to him, and wrote to Araktcheev: —
按照沙皇的命令，他亲自向沙皇呈报，还给阿拉克奇耶夫写信： —

“My sovereign’s will is law, but I can do nothing acting with the minister” (so he called Barclay). —
“吾主的意愿即为法，但我在与部长一起行动时无能为力”（他称之为巴克莱）。 —

“For God’s sake, send me somewhere else, if only in command of a regiment, for here I can do nothing. —
“求求你，把我送到其他地方去，哪怕只是作为一个团的指挥官，因为在这里我一无所能。” —

The head-quarters are crammed full of Germans, there’s no living here for a Russian, and no making head or tail of anything. —
总部里挤满了德国人，对于一个俄国人来说，在这里无法生存，也无法弄明白事情的来龙去脉。 —

I supposed I was serving my sovereign and my country, but in practice it comes to serving Barclay. —
我原以为我是为我的君主和国家服务，但实际上就是在为巴克莱服务。 —

I must own I do not care to.”
我必须承认我并不在乎。”

The swarm of Bronnitskys, Wintzengerodes, and others like them, embittered the feud between the commanders still further, and there was less unity than ever. —
布龙尼茨基、文岑格罗德等人的群起效仿，更加加深了指挥官们之间的争斗，团结比以往更加少了。 —

Preparations were made to attack the French before Smolensk. —
准备好攻击斯摩棱斯克前的法国人。 —

A general was sent to review the position. —
派遣一位将军审核这个位置。 —

This general, detesting Barclay, visits a friend of his own, a commander of a corps, and after spending the day with him, returns and condemns on every point the proposed field of battle without having seen it.
这位将军，痛恨巴克莱，拜访了自己的一个朋友，一个军团的指挥官，在他那里呆了一天后，退回来对所提议的战斗地点做出了每一点上的否定，而并未亲眼目睹过它。

While disputes and intrigues were going on as to the suitable spot for a battle, and while we were looking for the French and mistaking their line of advance, the French fell upon Nevyerovsky’s division, and advanced upon the walls of Smolensk itself.
在争论和阴谋中，寻找着一个适合战斗的地点，而我们却在寻找法国人并误判了他们的前进线路时，法国人袭击了涅韦罗夫斯基的师，并向斯摩棱斯克的城墙前进。

We were surprised into having to fight at Smolensk to save our communications. —
我们被迫在斯摩棱斯克战斗以保护我们的通信。 —

A battle was fought. Thousands were slain on both sides.
一场战斗开始了。双方都有数千人丧生。

Smolensk was abandoned against the will of the Tsar and the whole people. —
斯摩棱斯克被背离，违反了沙皇和全体人民的意愿。 —

But Smolensk was burnt by its own inhabitants, who had been deceived by their governor. —
但斯摩棱斯克却被自己的居民烧毁，他们被他们的州长欺骗了。 —

And those ruined inhabitants, after setting an example to the rest of Russia, full of their losses, and burning with hatred of the enemy, moved on to Moscow. —
那些遭受毁灭的居民，在向整个俄罗斯示范自己的损失，并怀着对敌人的仇恨而前往莫斯科。 —

Napoleon advances; we retreat; and so the very result is attained that is destined to overthrow Napoleon.
拿破仑前进；我们撤退；这样就达到了命运中将拯救我们的结果。