君主論（英文版）

君主論：一本讓你重新理解“惡”的書 馬基雅維裏寫這本書的時候，大概沒想到自己會因此變成一個形容詞。五百多年來，“馬基雅維裏式”成了權謀、陰險、不擇手段的同義詞。但讀完這本英文版，你會發現它更像一本赤裸裸的政治解剖學——不教人變壞，只是把政治這臺機器的真實運轉方式拆開給你看。 書的核心其實不復雜：君主應該像獅子一樣兇猛，像狐狸一樣狡猾。獅子驅不散豺狼，狐狸躲不開陷阱，所以兩者都得會。這種直白的、不帶道德濾鏡的表述，在當時是驚世駭俗的。他不說“君主應該仁慈”，他說“仁慈可能讓你亡國”；他不說“守信是美德”，他說“如果守信對你不利，就別守”。這些話聽起來冷酷，但他只是在陳述一個事實：在權力遊戲裏，道德常常是奢侈品。 讀這本書最難受的地方在於，你明知道他在講一些不太光彩的手段，卻很難反駁他的邏輯。他舉了很多歷史上的例子，每一個都在說同一個道理：君主的首要任務是保住國家，其他都是次要的。這種“目的證明手段”的思維方式，後來被無數人濫用，但馬基雅維裏自己其實是有底線的——他從不主張無意義的殘暴，只主張必要的狠心。 有趣的是，這本書的英文版翻譯自馬里奧特版，語言帶着那個時代的典雅，讀起來像是在聽一個老謀深算的顧問在你耳邊低聲說話。他在最後一章突然變得激昂，呼籲把意大利從外族手中解放出來。那一章的語調與前面截然不同，像一個一直冷靜分析病情的外科醫生，突然摘下口罩說：這病得治，而且得馬上治。 合上書你會發現，馬基雅維裏不是在教人作惡，他是在說：政治有自己的邏輯，你不能拿個人的道德標準去衡量它。你可以不認同他，但你很難假裝他說的那些事不存在。五百年後，那些他描述的權力遊戲，還在世界的各個角落上演。這大概就是這本書的冷酷之處：它從來就沒有過時。

Herein he expresses in his own masterly way his views on the founding of a new state, taking for his type and model Cesare Borgia, although the latter had failed in his schemes for the consolidation of his power in the Romagna. The principles here laid down were the natural outgrowth of the confused political conditions of his time. He merely had the candor and courage to write down what everybody was thinking and what everybody knew. He merely gives us the impressions he had received from a long and intimate intercourse with princes and the affairs of state. It was Lord Bacon, I believe, who said that Machiavelli tells us what princes do, not what they ought to do. When Machiavelli takes Cesare Borgia as a model, he in nowise extols him as a hero, but merely as a prince who was capable of attaining the end in view. The life of the State was the primary object. It must be maintained. And Machiavelli has laid down the principles, based upon his study and wide experience, by which this may be accomplished. He wrote from the view-point of the politician,--not of the moralist. He had been married in 1502 to Marietta Corsini, who bore him four sons and a daughter. He died on June 22, 1527, leaving his family in the greatest poverty, a sterling tribute to his honesty, when one considers the many opportunities he doubtless had to enrich himself. Machiavelli's life was not without blemish--few lives are. We must bear in mind the atmosphere of craft, hypocrisy, and poison in which he lived,--his was the age of Cesare Borgia and of Popes like the monster Alexander VI.

72# The Prince ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 ISBN：9787205079581 Apr 11th 花了好幾天硬啃下來的，絕對經典，這本必須實體書收藏。 它是學習定語從句、狀語從句、虛擬語氣的絕佳教材！

感覺我們中國也可以出一本。不會比這個差。

Nothing makes a prince so much esteemed as great enterprises and setting a fine example. It has always been the opinion and judgment of wise men that nothing can be so uncertain or unstable as fame or power not founded on its own strength. A prince, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. Therefore a wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer. For this reason many consider that a wise prince, when he has the opportunity, ought with craft to foster some animosity against himself, so that, having crushed it, his renown may rise higher. For injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend less; benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last longer.

我英文基礎不太好，正在學習，讀英文版有些喫力。君主論中文、英文版都看完了，略微有點失望，大概是因爲久負盛名，我在閱讀時卻沒達到預期的期望。關於帝王權術，我們華夏文明並不遜色於西方國家，還是要有名族自信力啊。

老外搞這個怎麼搞得過牢中？我們幾千年前有個姓商的早把你這套理論玩了個遍了

The wise man's plan must combine advantages and disadvantages. In the disadvantageous situation, we think about the advantages, and then everything will go well. Similarly, in the advantageous situation, we think about the disadvantages,and then the problem will be solved smoothly.

看過了譯文版，英文版沒興趣再仔細讀了，畢竟不是搞翻譯的