The Prince — Page 4

English → Chinese Preface Level 8/10

Whereas the magnificence of the Medicean rule during the life of Lorenzo appeared to have impressed Machiavelli strongly, for he frequently recurs to it in his writings, and it is to Lorenzo's grandson that he dedicates _The Prince_.

洛伦佐在世期间，美第奇统治的辉煌壮丽显然给马基雅维利留下了深刻印象，因为他在著作中屡屡提及此事，而他将《君主论》题献给的正是洛伦佐的孙子。

Machiavelli, in his "History of Florence," gives us a picture of the young men among whom his youth was passed.

马基雅维利在其《佛罗伦萨史》中，为我们描绘了他青年时代所处环境中那些年轻人的面貌。

He writes: "They were freer than their forefathers in dress and living, and spent more in other kinds of excesses, consuming their time and money in idleness, gaming, and women; their chief aim was to appear well dressed and to speak with wit and acuteness, whilst he who could wound others the most cleverly was thought the wisest."

他写道："他们在穿着与生活上比其先辈更为放纵，在各种奢靡之事上挥霍无度，将时间与金钱消耗在游手好闲、赌博和女色之中；他们最主要的追求是衣着光鲜、谈吐机智犀利，而那些最善于讽刺挖苦他人者，则被视为最有智慧之人。"

In a letter to his son Guido, Machiavelli shows why youth should avail itself of its opportunities for study, and leads us to infer that his own youth had been so occupied.

在一封写给儿子圭多的信中，马基雅维利阐明了年轻人为何应当把握求学机会，并使我们由此推断，他自己的青年时代正是如此度过的。

He writes: "I have received your letter, which has given me the greatest pleasure, especially because you tell me you are quite restored in health, than which I could have no better news; for if God grant life to you, and to me, I hope to make a good man of you if you are willing to do your share.

他写道："我已收到你的来信，信中内容令我倍感欣慰，尤其是你告知我你的身体已完全康复，此消息令我无比欣喜；因为若上帝赐予你我长寿，只要你愿意尽己之力，我希望能将你培养成一个正直的人。

Vocabulary

在世: zài shì — To be alive; living in the world.
期间: qījiān — During a period of time; interval.
统治: tǒngzhì — To rule or govern; political control over others.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
辉煌: huīhuáng — Glorious, brilliant, splendid achievement or appearance.
壮丽: zhuànglì — Magnificent, grand, and impressive in appearance.
显然: xiǎnrán — Obviously, clearly, evidently without doubt.
给: gěi — To give; for; to (preposition).
留下: liú xià — To leave behind; to make a lasting impression.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or change.
深刻: shēnkè — Deep, profound; making a strong impression.
印象: yìnxiàng — Impression; mental image formed from experience.
因为: yīnwèi — Because; for the reason that.
他: tā — He, him; third-person masculine pronoun.
在: zài — At, in, on; indicating location or ongoing action.
著作: zhùzuò — Written works; literary or academic writings.
中: zhōng — In, within, inside; middle.
屡屡: lǚlǚ — Repeatedly, again and again, time after time.
提及: tí jí — To mention, bring up, or refer to something.
此事: cǐ shì — This matter; this particular thing or affair.
而: ér — And, yet, but; connecting clauses or contrasting ideas.
将: jiāng — To take; will; future action particle.
题献: tí xiàn — To dedicate a work to someone; formal dedication.
正是: zhèng shì — Precisely is; exactly; it is none other than.
孙子: sūnzi — Grandson; son's son.
其: qí — His, her, its, their; that (formal pronoun).
为: wèi / wéi — For; to be; serves as preposition or verb.
我们: wǒmen — We, us; first-person plural pronoun.
描绘: miáohuì — To depict, portray, or describe vividly in detail.
青年: qīngnián — Youth, young person, typically ages 15–35.
时代: shídài — Era, age, period of time in history.
所处: suǒ chǔ — The environment or situation one is placed in.
环境: huánjìng — Environment, surroundings, circumstances one lives in.
那些: nàxiē — Those; referring to plural things or people.
年轻人: niánqīng rén — Young people, youth, those who are young.
面貌: miànmào — Appearance, look, face; overall character or aspect.
写道: xiě dào — To write as follows; states in writing.
他们: tāmen — They, them; third-person plural pronoun.
穿着: chuānzhuó — Dress, attire; the way one dresses.
与: yǔ — And, with; linking nouns or clauses together.
生活: shēnghuó — Life, livelihood; daily living and lifestyle.
上: shàng — Above, on; in terms of (aspect marker).
比: bǐ — To compare; than; comparison preposition.
先辈: xiānbèi — Predecessors, forebears, earlier generations of people.
更为: gèng wéi — Even more, to a greater degree, more so.
放纵: fàngzòng — Indulgent, unrestrained, licentious; to give free rein.
各种: gè zhǒng — All kinds of, various types of things.
奢靡: shēmí — Extravagant, lavish, wastefully luxurious lifestyle.
挥霍无度: huīhuò wúdù — To spend extravagantly without restraint or limit.
时间: shíjiān — Time; a period or point in time.
金钱: jīnqián — Money, currency, financial resources.
消耗: xiāohào — To consume, expend, or use up resources.
游手好闲: yóu shǒu hào xián — To idle about, loaf around doing nothing productive.
赌博: dǔbó — To gamble; betting money on uncertain outcomes.
和: hé — And; together with; connecting words or phrases.
之中: zhī zhōng — Within, among, in the midst of something.
最: zuì — Most, the most; superlative degree marker.
主要: zhǔyào — Main, primary, most important aspect or element.
追求: zhuīqiú — To pursue, seek after; aspiration or goal.
是: shì — To be; is, am, are (copula verb).
衣着: yīzhuó — Clothing, attire, the way one is dressed.
光鲜: guāngxiān — Bright and fresh-looking; stylish, shiny in appearance.
谈吐: tántǔ — Manner of speaking; style of conversation and expression.
机智: jīzhì — Witty, quick-witted, clever and resourceful in response.
犀利: xīlì — Sharp, incisive, penetrating; keen and cutting in wit.
善于: shànyú — Good at, skilled in, adept at doing something.
讽刺: fěngcì — To satirize, mock; use of irony to criticize.
挖苦: wākǔ — To mock sarcastically; to ridicule with cutting words.
他人: tārén — Others, other people, someone else besides oneself.
者: zhě — One who; person that does something (formal suffix).
则: zé — Then, thus; indicating consequence or contrast.
被视为: bèi shì wéi — To be regarded as, considered to be something.
智慧: zhìhuì — Wisdom, intelligence; deep understanding and insight.
一封: yī fēng — One letter; measure word for correspondence.
写给: xiě gěi — To write to someone; addressed to a recipient.
儿子: érzi — Son; one's male child.
信中: xìn zhōng — In the letter; within the written correspondence.
阐明: chǎnmíng — To clarify, explain clearly, set forth a reason.
为何: wèihé — Why, for what reason; asking for a purpose.
应当: yīngdāng — Should, ought to; indicating moral obligation.
把握: bǎwò — To grasp, seize; to make the most of opportunity.
求学: qiúxué — To pursue education; to study and seek knowledge.
机会: jīhuì — Opportunity, chance, occasion to do something.
并: bìng — And, furthermore; in addition; simultaneously.
使: shǐ — To cause, make, enable; to send or use.
由此: yóu cǐ — From this, hereby, thus derived from this point.
推断: tuīduàn — To infer, deduce, draw a conclusion from evidence.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself, self; reflexive pronoun referring to the subject.
如此: rúcǐ — Like this, in such a way, so, thus.
度过: dùguò — To spend or pass time; to get through a period.
我: wǒ — I, me; first-person singular pronoun.
已: yǐ — Already; indicating completion of an action (formal).
收到: shōu dào — To receive, to have gotten something sent to you.
你: nǐ — You; second-person singular pronoun.
来信: láixìn — Incoming letter; a letter received from someone.
内容: nèiróng — Content, substance; what something contains or covers.
令: lìng — To cause, make; to order (formal causative verb).
倍感: bèi gǎn — To feel doubly, to feel all the more strongly.
欣慰: xīnwèi — Gratified, comforted, pleasantly relieved and satisfied.
尤其: yóuqí — Especially, particularly, in particular above others.
告知: gàozhī — To inform, notify, let someone know something.
身体: shēntǐ — Body; physical health and condition of a person.
完全: wánquán — Completely, entirely, fully, totally without exception.
康复: kāngfù — To recover from illness; restoration to good health.
此: cǐ — This; referring to something just mentioned (formal).
消息: xiāoxi — News, information, tidings about events or people.
无比: wúbǐ — Incomparably, extremely, without equal; peerlessly.
欣喜: xīnxǐ — Delighted, joyful, elated and pleased about something.
若: ruò — If, should; supposing that (formal conditional).
上帝: Shàngdì — God; the supreme deity in Christian belief.
赐予: cìyǔ — To bestow, grant, give as a gift from above.
你我: nǐ wǒ — You and I; both of us together.
长寿: chángshòu — Long life, longevity; living to an old age.
只要: zhǐyào — As long as, provided that; conditional conjunction.
愿意: yuànyì — To be willing to, want to, desire to do.
尽己之力: jìn jǐ zhī lì — To do one's utmost; exert all one's own effort.
希望: xīwàng — To hope, wish; expectation or desire for something.
能: néng — Can, to be able to; indicates capability or possibility.
培养成: péiyǎng chéng — To cultivate into, raise to become a certain type.
一个: yī gè — One; indefinite article equivalent with measure word.
正直: zhèngzhí — Upright, honest, principled; having moral integrity.
人: rén — Person, human being, people in general.

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