AT THE TIME when this was taking place in Petersburg, the French had passed through Smolensk, and were moving closer and closer to Moscow. —
这件事发生在彼得堡,当时法国人已经经过了斯摩棱斯克,正在逐渐靠近莫斯科。 —

Napoleon’s historian, Thiers, like others of Napoleon’s historians, tries to justify his hero by maintaining that he was drawn on to the walls of Moscow against his will. —
拿破仑的历史学家缇耶尔,像其他拿破仑的历史学家一样,试图通过声称他是不情愿地被吸引到莫斯科城墙上来为他的英雄辩护。 —

He is as right as any historians who seek the explanation of historic events in the will of a man; —
他和试图从一个人的意志中寻找历史事件的解释的历史学家一样正确。 —

he is as right as the Russian historians, who assert that Napoleon was lured to Moscow by the skilful strategy of the Russian generals. —
他和声称拿破仑是被俄罗斯将领们熟练的战略所吸引到莫斯科的俄罗斯历史学家一样正确。 —

In this case, apart from the law of “retrospectiveness,” which makes all the past appear a preparation for the subsequent facts, the element of mutual interaction, too, comes in, confusing the whole subject. —
在这种情况下,除了“回溯性”法则,使得所有过去都看起来是对后续事实的准备,相互作用的因素也涉及其中,使整个问题变得混乱不清。 —

A good chess-player, who has lost a game, is genuinely convinced that his failure is due to his blunders, and he seeks the blunder at the commencement of the game, forgetting that at every move during the whole game there were similar errors, that not one piece has been played as perfectly as possible. —
一个优秀的象棋手,在输掉一局比赛后,真诚地相信他的失败归因于自己的失误,并试图在比赛开始时寻找失误,忘记了在整个比赛的每一步中都有类似的错误,没有一颗棋子被发挥到了最完美的程度。 —

The blunder on which he concentrates his attention attracts his notice simply because his opponent took advantage of it. —
他专注于的失误之所以引起他的注意,只是因为他的对手利用了这个失误。 —

How much more complex is the game of war, which must be played within certain limits of time, in which there is not one will controlling lifeless toys, in which the whole is the resultant of the innumerable collisions of diverse individual wills!
战争的游戏要复杂得多,必须在一定的时间限制内进行,在这个游戏中没有一个意志控制着无生命的玩具,在这个游戏中,整体是由许多不同个体意志相互碰撞的结果!

After Smolensk, Napoleon tried to force on a battle beyond Dorogobuzh, at Vyazma, and then at Tsarevo-Zaimishtche. —
在斯摩棱斯克之后,拿破仑试图在多洛戈布日以外的战斗,维亚兹马,然后是沙里波热-塞连尼。 —

But the Russians could not give battle, owing to innumerable combinations of circumstances, till Borodino, one hundred and twelve versts from Moscow. —
但由于无数的环境组合,俄罗斯人无法在莫斯科一百一十二英里之外进行战斗。 —

From Vyazma Napoleon gave instructions for an advance straight upon Moscow.
从维亚兹马,拿破仑下令直接向莫斯科前进。

“Moscow, the Asiatic capital of this great empire, the holy city of the peoples of Alexander, Moscow, with its innumerable churches in the form of Chinese pagodas!”
“莫斯科,这个伟大帝国的亚洲首都,亚历山大的圣城,莫斯科,有着数不清的教堂,形式如中国的宝塔!”

This Moscow would not let Napoleon’s imagination rest. —
这座莫斯科城让拿破仑的想象无法停止。 —

On the march from Vyazma to Tsarevo-Zaimishtche Napoleon was riding on his cream-coloured English horse, accompanied by his guards, and sentinels, and pages, and adjutants. —
从维亚兹马到查列兹亚因米西机,拿破仑骑着他那骑着他那套乳白色英国马,伴随着自己的卫兵、哨兵、侍从和副官。 —

The commander of the staff, Berthier, had dropped behind to put questions to a Russian prisoner taken by the cavalry. —
参谋长贝尔蒂埃已经落在后面,向俘虏提出了一些问题,这俘虏是骑兵队捉到的俄国人。 —

Accompanied by the interpreter, Lelorme d’Ideville, he galloped after Napoleon, and pulled his horse up with an amused expression.
在解释员黎洛美-迪德维尔的陪同下,他跟随拿破仑一起飞奔,然后愉快地拉住他的马。

“Well?” said Napoleon.
“怎么样?”拿破仑问道。

“A Cossack of Platov’s detachment says Platov is effecting a junction with the main army, and that Kutuzov has been appointed commander-in-chief. —
“普拉托夫的哥萨克队有人说,他们正在与主力部队汇合,库图佐夫已被任命为总指挥。 —

He is very shrewd and talkative.”
他非常机智而健谈。”

Napoleon smiled, and bade them give the Cossack a horse and bring him before him. —
拿破仑微笑着吩咐给这名哥萨克一匹马,并把他带到他面前。 —

He wished to talk to him himself. Several adjutants galloped off, and within an hour Denisov’s serf Lavrushka, whom his master had left with Rostov, rode up to Napoleon, sitting on a French cavalry saddle, wearing an orderly’s short jacket, and looking sly, tipsy, and mirthful. —
他想亲自跟他交谈。几名副官飞奔而去,一个小时后,丹尼索夫的奴隶拉夫鲁什卡骑着一匹法国骑兵的马来到拿破仑身边,穿着一个助理的短上衣,看起来狡猾、喝醉和愉快。 —

Napoleon bade him ride at his side and began questioning him.
拿破仑吩咐他骑在他身边,并开始询问他。

“Are you a Cossack?”
“你是个哥萨克吗?”

“Yes; a Cossack, your honour.”
“是的,阁下,我是个哥萨克。”

“The Cossack, ignorant in whose company he was, since Napoleon’s plain appearance had nothing to suggest to the Oriental imagination the presence of a monarch, talked with extraordinary familiarity of the incidents of the war,” says Thiers, relating this episode. —
泰尔斯在描写这一情节时说:“这个哥萨克无知地不知自己是谁的伴侣,因为拿破仑朴实的外表没有引起东方的想象,也没有展现出君主的存在。他非常熟悉地谈论起战争的事件来。” —

In reality Lavrushka, who had been drunk the previous evening, and had left his master without dinner, had been thrashed for it, and sent to the village in quest of fowls, where he was tempted on by plunder till he got caught by the French. —
事实上,拉夫鲁什卡在前一天晚上喝醉了,没有给他的主人留下晚饭,因此被抓了,被打了一顿,然后被派去村里找鸡,结果被掠夺的诱惑所吸引,一直到被法军捉住。 —

Lavrushka was one of those coarse, impudent lackeys who have seen a good deal of life, look on it as a duty to do nothing without cunning and trickery, are ready to do any kind of service for their masters, and are particularly keen in scenting out the baser impulses of their superiors, especially on the side of vanity and pettiness. —
拉夫鲁什卡是那些粗鲁、傲慢的仆从之一,他们经历了很多事情,视之为一种职责而不做任何事情不带心机和诡计,愿意为主人做任何种类的服务,并且特别善于发现上司的卑微和琐碎的动机,特别是在虚荣和小气的一面。 —

On coming into the presence of Napoleon, whom he easily and confidently recognised, Lavrushka was not in the least taken aback, and only did his utmost to win the favour of his new master.
在看到拿破仑的时候,拉夫鲁什卡毫不惊讶,并且竭尽全力赢得新主人的青睐。

He was very well aware that this was Napoleon, and Napoleon’s presence impressed him no more than Rostov’s or the quartermaster’s with the rod in his hand, because he had nothing of which either the quartermaster or Napoleon could not deprive him.
他非常清楚这就是拿破仑,拿破仑的存在对他来说并没有比罗斯托夫或军需官手中的杖更有影响力,因为他没有任何东西是军需官或拿破仑无法剥夺的。

He had repeated all the gossip that was talked among the officers’ servants. Much of it was true. —
他把军官仆人们之间谈论的所有闲话都重复了一遍。其中很多都是真的。 —

But when Napoleon asked him whether the Russians expected to conquer Bonaparte or not, Lavrushka screwed up his eyes and thought a bit.
但是当拿破仑问他俄国人是否预计征服波拿巴或者不预计时,拉夫鲁申升起眼睛,思考了一下。

He saw in the question a sharp piece of cunning, as cunning fellows, like Lavrushka, always do in everything. —
他在问题中看到了一种狡猾的锋利思维,就像拉夫鲁什卡这样的狡猾家伙总是能看到一切。 —

He frowned and paused a minute.
他皱着眉头停顿了一分钟。

“Well, if it does come to a battle,” he said thoughtfully, “and pretty soon, then yours will win. —
“嗯,如果真的会发生战斗,”他若有所思地说道,“而且很快就会发生,那么你们的一定会赢。” —

That’s sure thing. But if now, three days and there’s a battle after that, well then, I say, that same battle will be a long job. —
没错。但是如果现在是三天后,之后还会有一场战斗,那么,我可以说,那场战斗将是一个漫长的任务。 —

” This was translated to Napoleon. “If a battle is fought within three days the French will win it, but if later, God knows what will come of it,” Lelorme d’Ideville put it, smiling. —
“这段话被翻译成了拿破仑。”莱洛姆·迪达维尔笑着说:“如果战斗在三天内发生,法国将会赢得胜利,但如果稍晚,只有上帝知道会发生什么。” —

Napoleon did not smile, though he was evidently in high good humour, and told him to repeat the words.
拿破仑没有微笑,尽管他显然心情愉快,他告诉他重复这些话。

Lavrushka noticed that, and to entertain him further, said, pretending not to know who he was:
拉夫鲁什卡注意到这一点,并为了进一步取悦他,假装不知道他是谁说: 1,Lavrushka注意到这一点,并为了更进一步逗乐他,假装不知道他是谁说:

“We know, you have got your Bonaparte; he has conquered every one in the world, ay, but with us it will be a different story …” himself hardly aware how and why this bit of bragging patriotism slipped out. —
“我们知道,你们有你们的波拿巴;他征服了世界上的每个人,是吗,但对于我们来说,情况将会不同……”他自己几乎没有意识到这种夸夸其谈的爱国主义是如何滑出口的。 —

The interpreter translated these words without the conclusion; and Bonaparte smiled. —
解释员没有把这些话翻译出来就结束了,波拿巴笑了笑。 —

“The young Cossack brought a smile on to the lips of his august companion,” says Thiers. —
“这位年轻的哥萨克给他的尊贵同伴带来了笑容”,提尔斯说。 —

After a few paces in silence, Napoleon turned to Berthier, and said he should like to try the effect “sur cet enfant du Don” of learning that the man with whom he was speaking was the Emperor himself, the very Emperor who had carved his immortally victorious name on the Pyramids. —
走了几步,拿破仑静静地转向贝蒂尔,表示他想尝试“sur cet enfant du Don”这个效果,了解与他交谈的人实际上是皇帝本人,他就是那个在金字塔上刻下他不朽胜利名字的皇帝。 —

The fact was communicated. Lavrushka—discerning that this was done to test him, and that Napoleon expected him to be panic-stricken—tried to gratify his new masters by promptly affecting to be astounded, struck dumb; —
事实已经传达了。拉夫吕什卡意识到这是在测试他,拿破仑期望他恐慌失措,于是他迅速假装惊讶,目瞪口呆; —

he opened round eyes, and made the sort of face usual with him when he was being led off to be thrashed. —
他睁大了眼睛,露出了他被责打时常见的表情; —

“Hardly,” says Thiers, “had Napoleon’s interpreter spoken, than the Cossack was struck dumb with amazement; —
“拿破仑的口译员一开口,哥萨克就惊讶地哑口无言; —

he did not utter another word, and walked with his eyes constantly fixed on the great conqueror, whose fame had reached him across the steppes of the East. All his loquacity suddenly vanished, and was replaced by a na? —
他一言不发,目不转睛地走在那位伟大征服者身边,他的声音突然消失了,被一种天真而寂静的敬畏所取代; —

ve and silent awe. Napoleon made the Cossack a present, and ordered him to be set at liberty like un oiseau qu’on rend aux champs qui l’ont vu na?tre.”
拿破仑送给哥萨克一个礼物,并命令释放他,就像让鸟儿回到它出生的田野一样。”

Napoleon rode on, dreaming of that Moscow that filled his imagination, while the bird returning to the fields that had seen him born, galloped back to the outposts, inventing the tale he would tell his comrades. —
拿破仑骑马继续前进,幻想着在他的想象中充满了莫斯科,而那只鸟儿回到了曾经见证他诞生的原野上,奔驰着回到哨所,构思着要告诉战友们的故事; —

What had really happened he did not care to relate, simply because it seemed to him not worth telling. —
他并不想转述真实发生的事情,仅仅因为他觉得那是不值得提及的; —

He rode back to the Cossacks, inquired where was his regiment, now forming part of Platov’s detachment; —
他骑马返回哥萨克人那里,询问他的团现在隶属于普拉托夫的分队; —

and towards evening found his master, Nikolay Rostov, encamped at Yankovo. —
天黑前,他找到了他的主人,尼古拉·罗斯托夫,在杨科沃扎营。 —

Rostov was just mounting his horse to ride through the villages near with Ilyin. He gave Lavrushka another horse and took him with them.
罗斯托夫正准备骑马和伊林在附近的村庄里游荡。他给了拉夫吕什卡一匹马,带着他一起去。