AFTER ALL NAPOLEON had said to him, after those outbursts of wrath, and after the last frigidly uttered words, “I will not detain you, general; —
在拿破仑对他说完所有的话之后，经历了那些愤怒的发作之后，最后冷冷地说了句“我不会耽搁你，将会收到我的信”，巴拉绍夫确信拿破仑不会再想见到他，确实会避免再次见到这个被他藐视并目睹他愤怒暴怒的使者。 —

you shall receive my letter,” Balashov felt certain that Napoleon would not care to see him again, would avoid indeed seeing again the envoy who had been treated by him with contumely, and had been the eyewitness of his undignified outburst of fury. —
但令巴拉绍夫惊讶的是，他通过迪罗克收到了邀请，邀请他当天晚上在皇帝的宴会上共进晚餐。 —

But to his surprise Balashov received through Duroc an invitation to dine that day at the Emperor’s table.
晚餐时，贝西埃尔、柯蓝图尔和贝尔提耶尔也在场。

There were present at dinner, Bessières, Caulaincourt, and Berthier.
拿破仑以友好而亲切的态度接见了巴拉绍夫。

Napoleon met Balashov with a good-humoured and friendly air. —
他完全没有尴尬或对早晨的暴发作出任何懊悔的样子。 —

He had not the slightest appearance of embarrassment or regret for his outbreak in the morning. —
相反，他似乎在试图鼓励巴拉绍夫。 —

On the contrary he seemed trying to encourage Balashov. —
很明显，长久以来，拿破仑坚信自己不可能犯错。 —

It was evident that it had long been Napoleon’s conviction that no possibility existed of his making mistakes. —
看样子拿破仑坚信自己不会犯错已经有很长一段时间了。 —

To his mind all he did was good, not because it was in harmony with any preconceived notion of good or bad, but simply because it was he who did it.
在他看来，他所做的一切都是好的，并不是因为它与任何预先设定的好与坏的概念相一致，而仅仅是因为这是他做的。

The Emperor was in excellent spirits after his ride about Vilna, greeted and followed with acclamations by crowds of the inhabitants. —
皇帝在维尔纳的骑行之后情绪极好，被一群居民的欢呼声所迎接和跟随。 —

From every window in the streets through which he had passed draperies and flags with his monogram had been hanging, and Polish ladies had been waving handkerchiefs to welcome him.
他所经过的每个街道的窗户上都悬挂着他的单字徽章的挂帘和旗帜，波兰女士们挥舞着手帕欢迎他。

At dinner he sat Balashov beside him, and addressed him affably. —
晚餐时，他将巴拉绍夫安排在他身旁，并友善地对他说话。 —

He addressed him indeed as though he regarded Balashov as one of his own courtiers, as one of the people, who would sympathise with his plans and be sure to rejoice at his successes. —
实际上，他对待巴拉绍夫的态度就像对待自己的朝臣之一，认为他会同情他的计划，并肯定会为他的成功而高兴。 —

He talked, among other things, of Moscow, and began asking Balashov questions about the ancient Russian capital, not simply as a traveller of inquiring mind asks about a new place he intends to visit, but apparently with the conviction that Balashov as a Russian must be flattered at his interest in it.
他谈到了莫斯科等其他事情，并开始问巴拉绍夫关于古老的俄罗斯首都的问题，这不仅仅是一个好奇心强烈的旅行者问他打算去参观的一个新地方的问题，而且显然是希望巴拉绍夫作为一个俄罗斯人能够为他对此感兴趣而感到荣幸。

“How many inhabitants are there in Moscow, how many horses? —
“莫斯科有多少居民，多少马？” —

Is it true that Moscow is called the holy city? —
莫斯科被称为圣城，这是真的吗？ —

How many churches are there in Moscow?” he asked.
莫斯科有多少座教堂？”他问道。

And when he was told there were over two hundred churches, he said: —
当他被告知有两百多座教堂时，他说： —

“Why is there such a great number of churches?”
“为什么会有这么多教堂？”

“The Russians are very religious,” replied Balashov.
“俄罗斯人非常虔诚，”巴拉绍夫回答道。

“A great number, however, of monasteries and churches is always a sign of the backwardness of a people,” said Napoleon, looking at Caulaincourt for appreciation of this remark.
“然而，众多的修道院和教堂总是一个民族落后的标志，”拿破仑说着，看着柯琳图尔为了欣赏这个说法。

Balashov ventured respectfully to differ from the opinion of the French Emperor.
巴拉绍夫谦恭地对法国皇帝的观点表示不同意。

“Every country has its customs,” he observed.
“每个国家都有自己的风俗，”他观察到。

“But there’s nothing like that anywhere else in Europe,” said Napoleon.
“但是在欧洲其他地方可找不到这样的东西。”拿破仑说道。

“I beg your majesty’s pardon,” said Balashov; —
“请您陛下原谅。”巴拉绍夫说道； —

“besides Russia, there is Spain, where there is also a great number of churches and monasteries.”
“除了俄国，还有西班牙，那里也有大量的教堂和修道院。”

This reply of Balashov’s, which suggested a covert allusion to the recent discomfiture of the French in Spain, was highly appreciated when Balashov repeated it at the court of the Emperor Alexander, though at the time at Napoleon’s dinner-table it was very little appreciated and passed indeed unnoticed.
巴拉绍夫的回答含蓄地提到了法国最近在西班牙的失败，当他在亚历山大皇帝的宫廷上重提这一点时，得到了高度赞赏。然而在拿破仑的餐桌上，这个回答几乎没有受到重视，而且实际上也没有引起注意。

From the indifferent and perplexed faces of the marshals present it was obvious that they were puzzled to discover wherein lay the point of the retort, suggested by Balashov’s intonation. —
从在场元帅的淡漠和困惑的表情来看，他们对于巴拉绍夫话语中的点在哪里感到困惑。 —

“If there were a point, we fail to catch it, or the remark was perhaps really pointless,” their expression seemed to say. —
“如果有点的话，我们没抓住，或者这个话语本身可能真的没有什么意义。”他们的表情似乎在说。 —

So little effect had this retort that Napoleon indeed certainly saw nothing in it; and he na? —
这个回答实际上几乎没有产生任何效果，拿破仑确实没有看出其中的含义；他不解吧？ —

vely asked Balashov through what towns the direct road from Vilna to Moscow passed. —
维利亚询问巴拉舒夫，从维尔纳到莫斯科的直接道路经过哪些城镇。 —

Balashov, who had been all dinner-time on his guard, replied that as, according to the proverb, every road leads to Rome, every road leads to Moscow; —
巴拉舒夫在饭桌上时刻保持警惕，回答说正如谚语所说，所有的道路都通向罗马，所有的道路都通向莫斯科； —

that there were very many roads, and among them was the road to Poltava, the one selected by Charles XII. Balashov could not help flushing with delight at the felicity of this reply. —
有很多道路，其中有一条是选择查理十二世前往波尔塔瓦的道路。巴拉舒夫对这个回答的巧妙之处感到高兴。 —

Balashov had hardly uttered the last word “Poltava” when Caulaincourt began talking of the badness of the road from Petersburg to Moscow and his own Petersburg reminiscences.
巴拉舒夫刚刚说完“波尔塔瓦”这个词，科拉扬古尔就开始谈论从圣彼得堡到莫斯科的道路状况以及他在圣彼得堡的回忆。

After dinner they went to drink coffee in Napoleon’s study, which had four days before been the study of the Emperor Alexander. —
晚饭后，他们去了拿破仑的书房喝咖啡，这个书房在四天前还是亚历山大皇帝的书房。 —

Napoleon sat down, stirring his coffee in a Sèvres cup, and motioned Balashov to a seat beside him.
拿破仑坐下来，用一只塞夫勒斯杯搅动着咖啡，并示意巴拉舒夫坐在他旁边。

There is a well-known after-dinner mood which is more potent than any rational consideration in making a man satisfied with himself and disposed to regard every one as a friend. —
人们都知道，在晚饭后的情绪更加强烈，比任何理性考虑都能使一个人对自己感到满意，并倾向于把每个人都视为朋友。 —

Napoleon was under the influence of this mood. —
拿破仑也受到这种情绪的影响。 —

He fancied himself surrounded by persons who adored him. —
他幻想自己周围都是崇拜他的人。 —

He felt no doubt that Balashov too after his dinner was his friend and his worshipper. —
他毫不怀疑巴拉绍夫在晚饭后也是他的朋友和崇拜者。 —

Napoleon addressed him with an amicable and rather ironical smile.
拿破仑以友善而有些讽刺的微笑对他说道。

“This is the very room, I am told, in which the Emperor Alexander used to sit. —
“据说这正是亚历山大皇帝过去常呆的房间。”他显然毫不怀疑这句话可能会给俄国人带来不悦，因为它证明了他，拿破仑，对亚历山大的优越性。 —

Strange, isn’t it, general?” he said, obviously without the slightest misgiving that this remark could be other than agreeable to the Russian, since it afforded a proof of his, Napoleon’s, superiority over Alexander.
总是感到奇怪，将军，不是吗？”他继续说道，仍然带着那股自信和嘲讽的微笑。

Balashov could make no reply to this, and he bowed in silence.
巴拉绍夫对此无言以对，只能沉默地鞠躬。

“Yes, four days ago, Wintzengerode and Stein were deliberating in this very room,” Napoleon continued, with the same confident and ironical smile. —
“是的，就在四天前，温岑格罗德和施泰因正在这个房间里商讨。”拿破仑带着同样自信和嘲讽的微笑继续说道。 —

“What I can’t understand,” he said, “is the Emperor Alexander’s gathering round him all my personal enemies. —
“我不能理解的是，”他说，“亚历山大皇帝为什么聚集了我所有的个人敌人。” —

That I do not understand. Didn’t he consider that I might do the same?” he asked Balashov; —
我不明白。他没考虑过我可能会做同样的事吗？”他问巴拉绍夫。 —

and obviously the question brought him back to a reminiscence of the morning’s anger, which was still fresh in him. —
显然这个问题让他回忆起早晨的愤怒，这股怒火在他心中仍然炽热。 —

“And let him know that I will do so,” Napoleon said, getting up and pushing away his cup. —
“让他知道，我会这样做，”拿破仑起身推开了杯子。 —

“I’ll drive all his kith and kin out of Germany—the Würtembergs and Badens and Weimars…Yes, I’ll drive them out. —
“我会把他的亲戚们都赶出德国，韦尔特伯爵家族、巴登家族和魏玛家族……是的，我会把他们赶出去。 —

Let him get a refuge ready for them in Russia.”
让他为他们在俄国准备一个避难所。”

Balashov bowed his head, with an air that indicated that he would be glad to withdraw, and was simply listening because he had no alternative but to listen to what was said to him. —
巴拉绍夫低头鞠躬，他的神情表明他很乐意离开，并且他只是在听是因为没有其他选择，不得不听别人说话。 —

Napoleon did not notice this expression. —
拿破仑没有注意到这个表情。 —

He was addressing Balashov now, not as the envoy of his enemy, but as a man now quite devoted to him and certain to rejoice at the humiliation of his former master.
他现在对巴拉绍夫说话，不再视他为敌人的使者，而是一个完全忠于他，肯定会为他以前的主人的屈辱感到高兴的人。

“And why has the Emperor Alexander taken the command of his troops? What’s that for? —
“亚历山大皇帝为何亲自指挥部队呢？这是为了什么？” —

War is my profession, but his work is to reign and not to command armies. —
“战争是我的职业，而他的工作是统治，而不是指挥军队。” —

What has induced him to take such a responsibility on himself?”
“是什么促使他承担如此责任呢？”

Napoleon again took his snuff-box, walked several times in silence up and down the room, and all at once surprised Balashov by coming close up to him. —
拿破仑再次拿起他的鼻烟盒，沉默地在房间里来回走了几步，突然靠近巴拉绍夫，使他感到惊讶。 —

And with a faint smile, as confidently, rapidly, and swiftly, as though he were doing something that Balashov could not but regard as an honour and a pleasure, he put his hand up to the face of the Russian general of forty, and gave him a little pinch on the ear with a smile on his lips.
“他微微一笑，以自信、迅捷、敏捷的速度，仿佛他在做一件巴拉绍夫不得不视之为荣誉和愉快的事情，他将他的手放到这个年约四十岁的俄国将军的脸上，微笑着在他耳朵上轻轻捏了一下。”

To have the ear pulled by the Emperor was regarded as the greatest honour and mark of favour at the French court.
“在法国宫廷，被皇帝捏耳朵被视为最大的荣誉和宠爱标志。”

“Well, you say nothing, admirer and courtier of the Emperor Alexander,” he said, as though it were comic that there should be in his presence a courtier and worshipper of any man other than him, Napoleon. —
“喂，你什么都不说，亚历山大皇帝的崇拜者和顾问，”拿破仑说，仿佛他面前存在着一个崇拜者和顾问，而不是他，拿破仑。 —

“Are the horses ready for the general? —
“马准备好了给将军吗？ —

” he added, with a slight nod in acknowledgment of Balashov’s bow. —
”他点头示意巴拉绍夫的鞠躬，稍微认可了一下。 —

“Give him mine; he has a long way to go.…”
“把我的给他吧；他要走很长的路……”

The letter taken back by Balashov was Napoleon’s last letter to Alexander. —
巴拉绍夫带回去的信是拿破仑写给亚历山大的最后一封信。 —

Every detail of the conversation was transmitted to the Russian Emperor, and the war began.
对话的每一个细节都传达给了俄罗斯皇帝，战争由此开始了。