Neighboring countries' monarchs feared they would share the fate of Louis XVI, and attacked the New Republic, while at home, extremism and mistrust between factions led to bloodshed.

鄰國的君主害怕他們的下場會與路易十六一樣，因而攻擊新的共和國， 同時，法國極端主義及派系間的不信任導致流血衝突。

In the midst of all this conflict, a powerful figure emerged to take charge of France. But did he save the revolution or destroy it?

在爭端之中，一位叱吒風雲的人物出現，坐鎮法國，到底他是拯救還是摧毀了革命呢？

"Order, order, who's the defendant today? I don't see anyone."

「肅靜！肅靜！今天的被告是誰？我沒看到人。」

"Your Honor, this is Napoléon Bonaparte, the tyrant who invaded nearly all of Europe to compensate for his personal stature-based insecurities."

「庭上，這位是拿破崙．波拿巴，幾乎把整個歐洲都侵略的暴君，就只為了補償他因身高帶來的不安全感。」

"Actually, Napoléon was at least average height for his time. The idea that he was short comes only from British wartime propaganda, and he was no tyrant. He was safeguarding the young Republic from being crushed by the European monarchies."

「其實拿破崙的身高至少有當時的平均高度，他很矮的說法只是英國的戰爭宣傳手段，況且他也不是暴君，他保護了新建立的共和國不被歐洲王權摧毀。」

"By overthrowing its government and seizing power himself?"

「用發動政變為自己奪權這種方法？」

"Your Honor, as a young and successful military officer, Napoléon fully supported the French Revolution, and its ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. But the revolutionaries were incapable of real leadership.

「庭上，身為年輕有為的軍官，拿破崙完全支持法國大革命及其自由、平等、博愛的理想，但是那群革命志士沒有真正的領導能力。

Robespierre and the Jacobins who first came to power unleashed a reign of terror on the population, with their anti-Catholic extremism and nonstop executions of everyone who disagreed with them. And The Directory that replaced them was an unstable and incompetent oligarchy. They needed a strong leader who could govern wisely and justly."

羅伯斯比和雅各賓黨等率先奪權的人，對人民發動腥風血雨的恐怖統治，不但帶著反天主教激進主義，還不斷地處決與他們意見相左的人，而其後接掌的督政府又是不穩定、無能的寡頭政治，他們需要一位強人來賢明公正的治理國家。」

"So, France went through that whole revolution just to end up with another all-powerful ruler?"

「所以，法國經歷了整場革命的結局竟是另一位霸權統治？」

"Not quite. Napoléon's new powers were derived from the constitution that was approved by a popular vote in the Consulate."

「不盡然，拿破崙的新政權有憲法依據，此憲法獲得執政府多數同意。」

"Ha! The constitution was practically dictated at gunpoint in a military coup, and the public only accepted the tyrant because they were tired of constant civil war."

「笑話！這部憲法實際上是在軍事政變的槍口下決定的，人民接受這位暴君只因為他們厭煩了打不停的內戰。」

"Be that as it may, Napoléon introduced a new constitution and a legal code that kept some of the most important achievements of the revolution intact: freedom of religion, abolition of hereditary privilege, and equality before the law for all men."

「就算是這個原因，拿破崙也推行了新憲法及新法典，使得革命最重要的成就不受影響：宗教自由、廢除世襲特權及法律之前人人平等。」

"All men, indeed. He deprived women of the rights that the revolution had given them and even reinstated slavery in the French colonies. Haiti is still recovering from the consequences centuries later. What kind of equality is that?"

「的確，所有的「男人」都平等，他剝奪了革命賦予的女權，甚至還在法國殖民地恢復蓄奴制度，海地在數世紀後仍在努力從這個制度的後果中恢復，這算什麼平等？」

"The only kind that could be stably maintained at the time, and still far ahead of France's neighbors."

「這是當時唯一能穩定維持的方法，而且此舉還是遙遙領先鄰國。」

"Speaking of neighbors, what was with all the invasions?"

「說到鄰國，那些侵略又是怎麼回事？」

"Great question, Your Honor."

「這問題問得太好了！庭上。」

"Which invasions are we talking about? It was the neighboring empires who had invaded France, trying to restore the monarchy and prevent the spread of liberty across Europe, twice by the time Napoléon took charge. Having defended France as a soldier and a general in those wars, he knew that the best defense is a good offense."

「我們在說哪個侵略？是鄰近帝國為了要恢復王權，避免自由在歐洲傳播開來而侵略法國，他們在拿破崙掌權時侵略了兩次，在這幾場戰爭中，他以軍人及將軍的身分保衛法國，因而知道攻擊就是最好的防守。」

"An offense against the entire continent? Peace was secured by 1802, and other European powers recognized the new French Regime. But Bonaparte couldn't rest unless he had control of the whole continent, and all he knew was fighting.

「攻擊整片歐陸？1802 年和平終於來臨，其它歐洲強權承認新法國政權，但是波拿巴在他能控制整片大陸之前寢食難安，而且他也只知道戰鬥，

He tried to enforce a European-wide blockade of Britain, invaded any country that didn't comply, and launched more wars to hold onto his gains. And what was the result? Millions dead all over the continent, and the whole international order shattered."

他試圖強迫全歐洲對英國實施封鎖。他侵略任何不聽話的國家並發動更多戰爭以保護既得利益，結果是什麼？ 歐陸數以百萬人死於非命，整個國際秩序完全破壞。」

"You forgot the other result: the spread of democratic and liberal ideals across Europe. It was thanks to Napoléon that the continent was reshaped from a chaotic patchwork of fragmented feudal and religious territories into efficient, modern, and secular nation states where the people held more power and rights than ever before."

「你忘了另一個結果，民主自由的理想傳遍歐洲得感謝拿破崙的努力，歐陸得以重新改造，從支離破碎、雜亂無章的封建及宗教領地轉變成高效率、現代化及政教分離的國家，人民擁有前所未有的力量及權利。」

"Should we also thank him for the rise of nationalism and the massive increase in army sizes? You can see how well that turned out a century later."

「難道我們也該感謝他興起民族主義及大規模擴編軍隊？ 看得出來這在一世紀後演變成什麼樣的結果吧。」

"So what would European history have been like if it weren't for Napoléon?"

「所以，如果沒有拿破崙，歐洲歷史會如何發展？」

"Unimaginably better/worse."

「難以想像的更好 / 更糟。」

Napoléon seemingly unstoppable momentum would die in the Russian winter snows, along with most of his army. But even after being deposed and exiled, he refused to give up, escaping from his prison and launching a bold attempt at restoring his empire before being defeated for the second and final time.

拿破崙破竹般的氣勢在俄國冬雪中消失殆盡，他的軍隊也隨之消亡，但是即使他遭受廢黜及放逐仍然不願放棄，他從監牢逃出，發動大膽攻擊以恢復他的帝國，卻再度也是最後一次戰敗。

Bonaparte was a ruler full of contradictions, defending a popular revolution by imposing absolute dictatorship, and spreading liberal ideals through imperial wars, and though he never achieved his dream of conquering Europe, he undoubtedly left his mark on it, for better or for worse.

波拿巴是位充滿矛盾的統治者，實施強權獨裁以衛人民革命，用帝國戰爭傳播自由理想，雖然他從未實現征服歐洲的夢想，但他無疑在歷史上留下了一席之地，不管是好是壞。