MANY HISTORIANS assert that the French failed at Borodino because Napoleon had a cold in his head; —
许多历史学家声称，法国在博罗迪诺战役失败是因为拿破仑感冒了。 —

that if he had not had a cold the orders given by him before and during the battle would have been even more remarkable for their genius, and Russia would have been lost and the face of the world would have been changed. —
如果他没有感冒，他在战斗前和战斗期间发布的命令会因其天才而更加卓越，俄国就会失败，世界的面貌也将改变。 —

To historians, who can maintain that Russia was transformed at the will of one man—Peter the Great—and that France, from a republic, became an empire, and that the French army marched into Russia at the will of one man—Napoleon—the conclusion that Russia has remained a power because Napoleon had a bad cold on the 26th of August may seem indisputable and convincing. —
对于历史学家来说，他们可以坚称，俄罗斯是在一个人的意志下而发生了变革——彼得大帝，而法国则从一个共和国变成了一个帝国，并且法军进入俄国是基于一个人——拿破仑的意志，所以断定俄国之所以保持了实力是因为拿破仑在8月26日感冒了是毫无争议和有说服力的。 —

Had it depended on Napoleon’s will to fight, or not to fight, at Borodino, or had it depended on his will whether he gave this order or that, it is evident that a cold, affecting the manifestation of his will, might be the saving of Russia, and consequently the valet, who forgot to put on Napoleon’s waterproof boots on the 24th, would be the saviour of Russia. —
如果在博罗迪诺是否战斗，或者是否下达这个命令还是那个命令上，取决于拿破仑的意志，显然，一次影响他意志表现的感冒可能就是俄国的救星，因此那个在24日忘记给拿破仑穿防水靴的男仆将成为俄国的救世主。 —

On that method of reasoning such a deduction is inevitable; —
按照这种推理方法，这样的推论是不可避免的。 —

as inevitable as the contention which Voltaire maintains in jest (unconscious what he was ridiculing) that the Massacre of St. Bartholomew was due to an attack of dyspepsia from which Charles IX was suffering. —
就像伏尔泰拿来开玩笑时（并不知道他在嘲笑什么）所坚持的，圣巴托洛缪大屠杀是由于查理九世患上了消化不良。 —

But for minds that cannot admit that Russia was transformed at the will of one man—Peter the Great—and the French empire was created, and the war with Russia begun, at the will of one man—Napoleon—such a contention will seem not merely unsound and irrational, but contrary to the whole nature of humanity. —
但对于那些无法接受俄罗斯是在一个人——彼得大帝的意志下变革，法国帝国是被创造的，与俄国发生战争是在一个人——拿破仑的意志下开始的这种主张，不仅听起来不合理和不讲道理，而且违背了整个人类的本性。 —

The question, What constitutes the cause of historical events? —
关于历史事件的原因是什么？ —

will suggest to them another answer, resting on the idea that the course of earthly events is predestined from on high, depends on the combination of all the wills of the men taking part in those events, and that the predominant influence of Napoleon in those events is purely external and fictitious.
对他们提出另一个答案，基于这样一个想法：地球事件的进程是来自高处的命定，它取决于参与这些事件的所有人的意愿的结合，而拿破仑在这些事件中的主导影响只是外在的和虚构的。

Strange at first sight as appears the proposition that the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, the order for which was given by Charles IX., was not the result of his will, and that it was only in his fancy that the command he had given was the cause of it, and that the Borodino slaughter of eighty thousand men was not due to Napoleon’s will (though he gave the order for the commencement of the battle), and that it was only his fancy that it was his doing, strange as this proposition appears, yet human dignity, that tells us that every one of us is neither more nor less a man than Napoleon, bids us admit that solution of the question, and historical researches abundantly confirm the proposition.
乍一看，主张圣巴托洛缪大屠杀是在查理九世的命令下发生的，但实际上不是他的意愿造成的，而只是他幻想自己的命令是其原因，而拿破仑虽然下令开始战斗，但莫斯科附近的波罗的海战役八万人的屠杀并不是由他的意愿造成的，只是他的幻想。虽然这个观点看起来很奇怪，但是人类的尊严告诉我们，我们每个人都与拿破仑一样，我们必须承认这个问题的解决方案，并且历史研究充分证实了这个观点。

At the battle of Borodino Napoleon did not fire at any one, nor kill any one. —
在波罗的海战役中，拿破仑没有开枪，也没有杀人。 —

All that was done by his soldiers. Therefore it was not he who killed those men. —
所有这些都是他的士兵所做的。因此，不是他杀了那些人。 —

The soldiers of the French army went out to slay their fellow-men at Borodino, not owing to Napoleon’s commands, but through their own desire to do so. —
法国军队的士兵出于自己的愿望去波罗的海杀害他们的战友，而不是拿破仑的命令。 —

The whole army—French, Italians, Germans, Poles—hungry, ragged, and exhausted by the march, felt at the sight of an army, barring their way to Moscow: —
整个军队-法国人、意大利人、德国人、波兰人-在征途中又饥饿、衣衫褴褛、疲惫不堪之际，当看到一支阻挡他们去莫斯科的军队时： —

the wine is drawn, it must be drunk. Had Napoleon forbidden them at that point to fight the Russians, they would have killed him, and have proceeded to fight the Russians, because it was inevitable for them.
酒已开，必须喝。如果拿破仑在那个时候禁止他们与俄国人战斗，他们会杀了他，然后继续与俄国人战斗，因为这是不可避免的。

When they heard Napoleon’s proclamation, offering them as consolation for maiming and death the reminder that posterity would say that they had been at the battle before Moscow, they shouted, “Vive l’Empereur,” just as they shouted “Vive l’Empereur” at the sight of the picture of the little boy playing cup and ball with the earth, and just as they shouted “Vive l’Empereur” at every absurdity that was said. —
当他们听到拿破仑的宣言时，为了补偿他们所承受的伤害和死亡，告诉后人他们曾经在莫斯科前线战斗中，他们高呼：“万岁！皇帝！”就像他们在看到一个小男孩用地球玩弹珠的图片时一样，就像他们在听到任何荒谬的言论时一样高呼：“万岁！皇帝！” —

There was nothing left for them to do but to shout “Vive l’Empereur! —
他们别无选择，只能高喊：“万岁！皇帝！”并为了成为征服者在莫斯科获得食物和休息而战斗。 —

” and to fight so as to get food and rest as conquerors in Moscow. —
因此，他们杀死自己的同胞不是因为拿破仑的命令。 —

Therefore it was not owing to Napoleon’s commands that they killed their fellow-men.
而且，拿破仑也没有规定战斗的进程，因为他的任何指令都没有得到执行，他对眼前的事情一无所知。

And it was not Napoleon who ordained the course of the battle, because none of his instructions were put into execution, and he knew nothing of what was passing before him. —
因此，这些人互相残杀的方式并不取决于拿破仑的意愿，而是独立于他的意志，而是来自数以十万计参与战斗的人的意愿。 —

Therefore the manner in which these men slaughtered one another did not depend on Napoleon’s will, but proceeded independently of him, from the wills of the hundreds of thousands of men who took part in the affair. —
只是拿破仑觉得所有这些都是他的意愿。 —

It only seemed to Napoleon that all this was due to his will. —
因此，拿破仑是否头痛与历史无关，就像后勤部队中最低级士兵的感冒一样无足轻重。 —

And therefore the question whether Napoleon had or had not a cold in his head is of no more interest to history than the cold of the lowest soldier of the commissariat.
一些作家声称拿破仑感冒是他在战斗中对之前的指示和命令变得比平常弱的原因，这完全没有根据。

The contention of some writers, that Napoleon’s cold was the reason of his previous instructions and commands during the battle being weaker than usual, is completely groundless.
这里重现的指示绝对不比他在过去的胜利中获得的许多类似安排差，甚至更好。

The instructions that have been reproduced here are by no means inferior, are indeed superior, to many similar arrangements by which he had gained victories in the past. —
他在战斗期间所假定的指示也不比他在以前的战斗中给出的命令逊色，而与往常相同。 —

His supposed instructions during the day were also in no way inferior to the commands he had given in previous battles, but were much the same as usual. —
但是这些指示被认为是逊色的，只是因为勃罗迪诺是拿破仑首次战败的战斗。 —

But these instructions are supposed to be inferior, simply because Borodino was the first battle in which Napoleon was not victorious. —
这些指示被认为是逊色的仅仅因为勃罗迪诺是拿破仑首次战败的战斗。 —

The finest and profoundest combinations seem very poor, and every military student can criticise them with a consequential air, when the battle has not been won by means of them; —
最优秀和深刻的组合在没有通过这些手段赢得战斗之前，似乎都很差劲，每个军事学生都能以一种果断的姿态批评它们。 —

and the stupidest combinations will seem exceedingly ingenious, and serious writers will fill volumes in proving their excellence, when the battle that followed chances to have been a victory.
而最愚蠢的组合，当接下来的战斗刚好取得胜利时，似乎异常巧妙，认真的作家会填写大量卷册来证明它们的优势。

The plan composed by Weierother at Austerlitz was a model of perfection in its own line, but it has yet been condemned, and condemned for its very perfection, for its over-minuteness in detail.
韦罗特在奥斯特里茨制定的计划在其自身领域中是完美的典范，但却因其过度的细节缜密而受到谴责。

At Borodino Napoleon played his part as the representative of supreme power as well, or even better, than he had done at previous battles. —
在博罗季诺战役中，拿破仑在作为至高无上权力的代表方面表现得同样好，甚至更好，比之前的战斗更好。 —

He did nothing likely to hinder the progress of the battle; he yielded to the most sensible advice; —
他没有做任何可能妨碍战斗进展的事情；他听从了最明智的建议； —

he was not confused, did not contradict himself, did not lose his presence of mind, nor run away from the field of battle, but with his great tact and military experience, he performed calmly and with dignity his role of appearing to be in supreme control of it all.
他没有困惑，没有自相矛盾，没有失去冷静，也没有逃离战场，而是凭借他的高超战术和军事经验，以冷静和尊严的方式扮演着似乎对一切都有绝对掌控的角色。