LESSON 51 Crossing the alps

第五十一课 翻越阿尔卑斯山

When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Italy the second time (A. D. 1800),

当拿破仑第二次入侵意大利时（A. D. 1800），

he led his army across the cold and stormy Alps, where the snow lies deep all the year round,

他让他的军队横跨寒冷，且夹杂着暴风雨的阿尔卑斯山，那里终年覆盖着厚厚的积雪，

and the roads are often blocked up by masses of ice.

道路经常被大量的冰堵塞住。

He himself crossed by the St. Bernard Pass in May; and a few months later he ordered one of his generals, Marshal Macdonald,

他自己在五月翻越了圣伯纳德山口；几个月后，他命令一名将军，元帅麦克唐纳，

to cross by the Splugen, with 15,000 soldiers, and join him on the plains below.

翻越施普吕根大山口，带领15000名士兵，然后在下面的平原汇合。

It was then the end of November, and the winter storms were raging among the mountain passes.

那是11月末，冬季的风暴在山道上肆虐。

It was a perilous undertaking, yet he must obey; and the men began their terrible march,

这是一项危险的任务，但他必须克服；然后男人们开始了他们可怕的行进，

through narrow defiles, past overhanging precipices, six thousand feet up, up, up among the gloomy solitudes of the Alps!

通过狭窄、污损、突出的悬崖断壁，六千英尺向上，向上，向上，跨过这阴沉孤独的阿尔卑斯山。

The cannon were placed on rough sleds, each drawn by a long team of soldiers, or, when the roads permitted, by oxen;

大炮放在粗糙的雪橇上，由一长队士兵拉着，或是在道路允许时，用牛来拉；

and the ammunition was packed on mules. First came the guides, driving their long black poles into the snow in order to find the path;

弹药装在骡子身上。走在第一的是导游，用着他们又黑又长的雪杖，在雪里找出一条路来；

then came workmen to clear away the drifts; then the dragoons, mounted on their most powerful horses, to beat down the track;

然后是工兵清除积雪，随后是骑兵，配备着他们最强壮的马匹，来消除留下的踪迹；

after whom followed the main body of the army.

在他们的主要部队跟过去之后。