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But as the rooms of Versailles filled up with Louis's offspring,
但当凡尔赛宫住满了路易的子孙后
the King's mind moved toaffairsof state.
国王的注意力转向了国家政务
He decided to copy his illustrious predecessor in another way,
他决定从另一方面模仿他杰出的祖父
by taking France to war.
将法国引入战火
The decision of Louis XV to go to war in 1744
路易十五1744年的开战决定
was hugely popular.
得到了广泛支持
This was what the King of France should do.
人们认为这就是法国国王该做的事
He should be seen at the head of his armies,
他应向世人展现他军队首领的姿态
fighting and leading his troops.
引领他的部队去战斗
Louis's declaration of war against France's traditional enemies,
路易决定向法国的老对手
of Britain, and Austria,
英国和奥地利宣战
made him a hero on the streets.
这使他成为了街头巷尾传诵的英雄
And so did his decision to lead his armies in person,
同样传为佳话的 还有他决定亲征
accompanied, of course, by two of the de Nesle sisters.
并且身边还带着内勒家两姐妹陪同
But war was to bring Louis his first brush with death.
但这场战争将路易首次推向了死亡边缘
While he was at Metz,
在梅斯时
he fell terribly ill,
他得了重病
and it was considered that he was going to die.
人们都认为他要死了
Certainly the doctors had given up hope,
医生也放弃了希望
and back in France, the population were shocked, genuinely,
在法国国内 人们极为震惊
absolutely frozen with fear that they would lose their king.
被失去国王的恐惧吓得手足无措
In order, as a Catholic, to receive the last sacraments,
作为天主教徒 要接受临终圣礼
he had to confess.
他必须忏悔
And, in order to confess, he had to send away his mistress
而要忏悔 他就要遣散情妇
and renounce her.
与之断绝关系
Louis didn't think much of his marriage vows,
路易不甚在乎结婚誓言
but like most people of his age,
但像多数同时代的人一样
he did believe in heaven and hell.
他相信天堂和地狱
And he knew which one he wanted to avoid.
也清楚自己不想进地狱
The King,
国王
like the least of his subjects,
和他最卑微的臣民一样
was afraid of dying without absolution,
都害怕在未被赦免的情况下死去
and wasafraidfor the state of his immortal soul.
害怕他的永恒灵魂会下地狱
He knew that one day he would have to face God,
他知道他终有一天要面见上帝
and give an account of himself,
总结自己的一生
and then he would just be a man before God,
届时他只是上帝面前的一个普通人
like any other man.
与他人一般无二
重点讲解
一.affair：n. 私通，事件，事务，事情
【词义辨析】
affair，business，matter，concern，thing
affair: 含义较广，侧重指已发生或必须去做的任何事情或事务。复数形式多指重大或较复杂的事务。
business: 通常指较重要或较难而又必须承担的事情，也可指商事。
matter: 普通用词，着重指一件考虑中的或需要处理的事。
concern: 往往强调与个人或团体利害有直接或重大关系的事。
thing: 用作“事情”解时，词义较笼统、含糊，多用于指不很具体的事。
【词语用法】
affair的复数形式affairs常指“情形”或“事态”，不指“多件事”。
He asked me how affairs stood.
他问我情形怎么样了。
注意affairs前没有the。
affair有时指“love-affair”，即“风流韵事”。
He has had an affair with the girl.
下列表达方式中用affairs，复数形式：foreign affairs (外交事务)，his financial affairs (他的经济情况），your own affairs (你自己的事情）。
【例句用法】
1.The minister is busy with important affairs of state.
部长忙于重要国务。
2.The party was a dull affair.
这次聚会单调乏味。
3.Mind your own affairs!
别管闲事！
二.afraid：adj. 抱歉的，担心的，害怕的
【词语用法】
much afraid, very much afraid和very afraid都指“很害怕”，但因afraid是表语形容词，very afraid的表达方式不妥当。使用最普遍的是very much afraid，等同于afraid的定语形容词是frightened；
afraid后可加不定式，of和动名词，that或lest引导的从句：
加不定式时，指“怕……”，如afraid to die指“怕死”，afraid to see him指“怕见他”。
加of和动名词时，除了指“怕。。。”，还常指“恐怕将。。。”，如afraid of dying指“恐怕将死”或“怕死”，afraid of seeing him指“（不想见而）恐怕难免要见到他”或“怕见他”。
that从句中，常省略开首的that。
I am afraid (that) we shall be late.
I am afraid有时指“I am sorry”。
I am afraid I cannot tell you.
注意I am afraid不能单独代替I am sorry.
不可用在名词名词前，如可以说John is afraid，或John is a frightened man，不可说John is an afraid man；
在非正式表达方式下，be afraid要比fear使用得更普遍，如Don’t be afraid，而不是Don’t fear。
【例句用法】
1.Have we missed the train? I'm afraid so.
我们误了火车了吗?很遗憾，是误了.
2.I can't help you, I'm afraid.
我帮不了你的忙，对不起。
3.`Have you any milk?' `I'm afraid not.'
‘你有牛奶吗?’‘对不起，没有.’
4.I didn't mention it because I was afraid of upsetting him/afraid (that) I might upset him.
我没有提起那件事，因为我怕他心烦意乱。
5.I'm afraid we can't come.
很抱歉，我们不能来。
6.Are you afraid of snakes?
你怕蛇吗?