为你读书：Napoleon to Josephine 《拿破仑致约瑟芬》

1796年初，27岁的拿破仑，在巴黎邂逅了约瑟芬。当时的约瑟芬是一位33岁的富家遗孀，她仪态万千、风姿曼妙，浑身散发着优雅的迷人风韵。这些都让拿破仑深深痴迷，让他一改往日的沉默寡言，对爱情的狂热“几乎达到了发狂地步”。3个月后，拿破仑与约瑟芬结婚了。婚后不过48小时，拿破仑便奉命出征。他每天趴在战壕里给爱妻写信，字里行间传达的都是他对妻子狂热的爱恋。时过境迁，当年的这段轰动一时的爱恋并没有如童话般以幸福圆满作为结尾，但这一封封情书却以文字的形式记下了这段旷世奇缘。

 

I have your letter, my adorable love. It has filled my heart with joy... since I left you I have been sad all the time. My only happiness is near you. I go over endlessly in my thought of your kisses, your tears, your delicious jealousy. The charm of my wonderful Josephine kindles a living, blazing fire in my heart and senses. When shall I be able to pass every minute near you, with nothing to do but to love you and nothing to think of but the pleasure of telling you of it and giving you proof of it? I loved you some time ago; since then I feel that I love you a thousand times better. Ever since I have known you I adore you more every day. That proves how wrong is that saying of La Bruyere "Love comes all of a sudden. "

 

我收到了你的信，我可爱的心上人。你的信使我充满了欢乐…自从离开你以后，我一直都很伤心。我唯一的幸福就是时刻伴随着你。你的吻给了我无限的思索和回味，还有你的泪水和甜蜜的嫉妒。我迷人的约瑟芬的魅力像一团炽热的火在我的心里燃烧。何时我才能在你身旁度过每分每秒，除了爱你什么也不需做；除了向你倾诉我对你的爱并向你证明爱的那种愉快，什么也不用想了？我不久前爱上你，自那以后我感到对你的爱更增一千倍。自从与你相识，我一天比一天更崇拜你。这正好证明了拉布吕耶尔说的“爱，突如其来”多么不切合实际。

 

Ah, let me see some of your faults; be less beautiful, less graceful, less tender, less good. But never be jealous and never shed tears. Your tears send me out of my mind ... they set my very blood on fire. Believe me that it is utterly impossible for me to have a single thought that is not yours, a single fancy that is not submissive to your will. Rest well. Restore your health. Come back to me and then at any rate before we die we ought to be able to say: "We were happy for so very many days!" Millions of kisses even to your dog.

 

唉，让我看你的一些美中不足吧。再少几分甜美，再少几分优雅，再少几分温柔妩搞，再少几分姣好吧。但绝不要嫉妒，绝不要流泪。你的眼泪使我神魂颠倒…你的眼泪使我热血沸腾。相信我，我每时每刻无不想你，不想你是绝无可能的。没有一丝意念能不顺着你的意愿。好好休息，早日康复。回到我的身边，不管怎么说，在我们谢世之前，我们应当能说：“我们曾有多少个幸福的日子啊！”千百万次吻，甚至吻你的爱犬。

 

词汇点津：

kindle ['kɪnd(ə)l] vt. 点燃；激起

例子：The Second World War kindled his enthusiasm for politics.

第二次世界大战激发了他的政治热情。

out of my mind 

例子：Your tears send me out of my mind ...

你的眼泪使我神魂颠倒……