《君主论·第七章·凭他人武力与命运获得的新君主国》第3节
Because, as is stated above, he who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building. If, therefore, all the steps taken by the duke be considered, it will be seen that he laid solid foundations for his future power, and I do not consider it superfluous to discuss them, because I do not know what better precepts to give a new prince than the example of his actions; and if his dispositions were of no avail, that was not his fault, but the extraordinary and extreme malignity of fortune.
注释摘要
这一段出现在第七章的序言部分，正好是马基雅维利将论证从一般原理转向具体范例的关节。他刚刚区分了凭自身能力与凭命运得国的两类新君主，并指出后者纵然上位容易，守成却极难，因为他们缺乏事先打好的根基，只能在事后凭借过人的能力去补救。所谓“基础”，在马基雅维利的语汇里指的是君主自己掌握的武力、忠诚的臣属、稳定的制度以及民众的支持。这些东西如果在夺国之前不曾准备，那…