《君主论·第一章·君主国有多少种·如何获得》第1节
All states, all powers, that have held and hold rule over men have been and are either republics or principalities. Principalities are either hereditary, in which the family has been long established; or they are new. The new are either entirely new, as was Milan to Francesco Sforza, or they are, as it were, members annexed to the hereditary state of the prince who has acquired them, as was the kingdom of Naples to that of the King of Spain. Such dominions thus acquired are either accustomed to live under a prince, or to live in freedom; and are acquired either by the arms of the prince himself, or of others, or else by fortune or by ability.
注释摘要
马基雅维利在第一章开篇就做了一件看似简单、实则具有奠基意义的工作：给所有统治权分类。他没有从神意、自然法或道德正当性谈起，而是直接从经验事实出发——古往今来所有统治人的权力，要么是共和国，要么是君主国。紧接着他便把共和国搁置一旁，将全书的目光锁定在君主国上，这就清楚地表明本书要讨论的不是公民自治的政治体，而是一个人如何掌握并维系权力。对君主国的进一步拆分同…