Napoléon was born in Corsica to parents of noble Italian ancestry and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France。 Bonaparte rose to prominence under the French First Republic and led successful campaigns against the First and Second Coalitions arrayed against France。 In 1799， he staged a coup détat and installed himself as First Consul； five years later the French Senate proclaimed him emperor。 In the first decade of the 19th century， the French Empire under Napoléon engaged in a series of conflicts—the Napoléonic Wars—involving every major European power。 After a streak of victories， France secured a dominant position in continental Europe， and Napoléon maintained the French sphere of influence through the formation of extensive alliances and the appointment of friends and family members to rule other European countries as French client states。 Napoléon’s campaigns are studied at military academies throughout much of the world。
The French invasion of Russia in 1812 marked a turning point in Napoléon’s fortunes。 His Grande Armée was badly damaged in the campaign and never fully recovered。 In 1813， the Sixth Coalition defeated his forces at Leipzig； the following year the Coalition invaded France， forced Napoléon to abdicate and exiled him to the island of Elba。 Less than a year later， he escaped Elba and returned to power， but was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815。 Napoléon spent the last six years of his life in confinement by the British on the island of Saint Helena。 An autopsy concluded he died of stomach cancer， though Sten Forshufvud and other scientists have since conjectured he was poisoned with arsenic。
拿破仑有句脍炙人口的名言：不想当将军的士兵，不是好士兵。这是他亲口说的或是用笔写下来的。但我估计他心里还有没说的另外一句：不想当皇帝的将军，不是好将军！
和几乎所有伟人一样，拿破仑不说从小就有当皇帝的大志，但是好斗的性格则是从娘胎里出来就有的——好斗是成为一个伟人的必要条件。伟人和凡人的区别就是：伟人制定游戏规则，凡人遵守游戏规则。而只有具备了好斗的性格，才有可能会不屈从于原来的规则，并且试着去改善、改变甚至完全打破一切约束去制定规则的眼光、勇气以及能力。这些对于成为一个伟人来说是缺一不可的。很幸运，拿破仑就是这样的人物，至少他有成为一个伟人的天赋。
Key words ＆ Sentences
关键词句全知道
Napoléon reunited the country。
拿破仑重建了国家。
Napoléon’s militaristic ambition was finally to his downfall。
拿破仑的军国主义野心最终还是失败了。
Napoléon had no superior as a general。
作为一个将军没人比拿破仑更优越。
Napoléon’s fleet was annihilated by Nelson。
拿破仑的舰队为纳尔逊所消灭。
Napoléon’s exile to Elba was brief。
拿破仑被放逐到厄尔巴岛的时间很短。
Napoléon is the ruler of France。
拿破仑是法国的统治者。
Even in places with a Napoléonic code， lawyers abound。
即便是拿破仑法典的国家也盛产律师。
Napoléon’s commanders insisted that he should give up the throne。
拿破仑的司令官们也坚决主张他放弃帝位。
Our teacher outlined Napoléon’s Russian Campaign in class。
我们老师在课堂上概述拿破仑的征俄战役。
Napoléon’s attempt to alter that balance was characteristically bold and risky。
拿破仑改变均势的企图非常大胆，也十分冒险。
Napoléon had great prestige in the army， and his men idolized him。
拿破仑在军队里颇有威信，他的士兵非常崇拜他。
It was so long ago。 Napoléon hadn’t even invaded us then！
那是很久以前的事了。那时拿破仑还没有侵略我们！
Napoléon divorced his French wife in order to marry an Austrian princess。
为了娶一位奥地利公主，拿破仑和他的法国妻子离了婚。
The Institute had the academician， Napoléon Bonaparte， stricken from its list of members。
法兰西学院任人把院士拿破仑·波拿巴从它的名册上除名。
The laws of France were codified from 1804 to 1810 by order of Napoléon I。
法国法典系受拿破仑一世之命自1804至1810年编成。
Napoléon probably died of stomach cancer。
拿破仑可能死于胃癌。
Napoléon was astonished。
拿破仑感到很惊讶。
“Either you are mad， or I am。” Napoléon declared。
拿破仑断言道：“不是你疯了，就是我疯了”。
In the annals of history， Steve Jobs appeared to have one－upped Napoléon。
在历史纪录上，斯蒂夫·乔布斯看起来似乎已经胜过了拿破仑。
When he viewed a military problem he would ponder how Napoléon or Caesar would have dealt with it。
审视军事问题，韦维尔会思索拿破仑或恺撒犹在，将会如何应对。
Napoléon’s political life ended at Waterloo， but the decisive turning point was his defeat at Moscow。
拿破仑的政治生命，终结于滑铁卢，而其决定点，则是在莫斯科的失败。
History tells us how Russia made a courageous retreat to avoid a decisive engagement and then defeated Napoléon， the terror of his age。
历史上，俄国以避免决战，执行了勇敢的退却，战胜了威震一时的拿破仑。
Napoléon’s intention was not to occupy Russia or overthrow Alexander by stirring a domestic revolt against him。
拿破仑侵略的目的不是占领俄国而是通过掀起国内叛乱推翻亚历山大的统治。
Napoléon dismissed Britain as a nation of shopkeepers， but its emerging might as a trading power helped fight him off。
拿破仑鄙视英国是店主之国，但或许正是因为其作为一个贸易国家的新兴威力帮助打败了他。
Napoléon returned from the island of Elba。
拿破仑从厄尔巴岛回来了。
Napoléon’s campaigns saw such voracious plundering that his fors eventually forced France to give much of it back。
在拿破仑时代的战争中，法国士兵进行了大量贪婪掠夺，后来其敌国迫使法国归还了其中大部分东西。
That’s a memoir of Napoléon。
那是拿破仑的回忆录。
Let’s Talk！
开始交流吧！
Mike： Do you know the story of Napoléon·
麦克：你知道拿破仑的故事吗·
Daisy： I only know that he is a great militarist in France。
黛西：我只知道他是法国历史上伟大的军事家。
Mike： He has won countless wars。
麦克：他赢过了无数场战争。
Daisy： He is an ambitious man。
黛西：他是个很有野心的人。
Mike： You need to have ambition to be exceptional。
麦克：你必须要有野心才能变得卓越。
Daisy： Just as Napoléon said the soldiers who do not want to be generals are not good soldiers。
黛西：正如拿破仑所说的不想当将军的士兵不是好士兵。
Mike： But he failed in his last battle。
麦克：但他在最后一场战役中失败了。
Daisy： Yes， it’s a pity。
黛西：是的，的确很遗憾。
Mike： But he left many valuable legacies， such as the law。
麦克：但他留下了很多宝贵的财富，比如说法典。
Daisy： He will always be remembered。
黛西：他会永远被人们记住的。
Mike： I want to buy an Autobiography of Napoléon to know more about him。
麦克：我想买一本《拿破仑传》来更好地了解他。
Daisy： Let’s drop by the book store later。
黛西：我们一会儿去一下书店吧。
Oliver Cromwell
奥利弗·克伦威尔
三百多年前，在资本主义生产方式发展典型的英国，发生了揭开近代史时期的资产阶级革命。这次革命沉重地打击了英国的封建专制制度，为英国资本主义的发展扫清了道路，并且沉重打击了整个封建体系。正是在这个时期，奥利弗·克伦威尔成了这次革命的领导者。这场革命的全部特色反映在他的身上，他成了这次革命的政治焦点，成了这个时代的一面镜子。
About Cromwell
关于克伦威尔
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known in England for his overthrow of the monarchy and temporarily turning England into a republican Commonwealth and for his rule as Lord Protector of England， Scotland and Ireland。