《君主论·第二十一章·君主如何博得尊崇》第1节
Nothing makes a prince so much esteemed as great enterprises and setting a fine example. We have in our time Ferdinand of Aragon, the present King of Spain. He can almost be called a new prince, because he has risen, by fame and glory, from being an insignificant king to be the foremost king in Christendom; and if you will consider his deeds you will find them all great and some of them extraordinary. In the beginning of his reign he attacked Granada, and this enterprise was the foundation of his dominions. He did this quietly at first and without any fear of hindrance, for he held the minds of the barons of Castile occupied in thinking of the war and not anticipating any innovations; thus they did not perceive that by these means he was acquiring power and authority over them. He was able with the money of the Church and of the people to sustain his armies, and by that long war to lay the foundation for the military skill which has since distinguished him. Further, always using religion as a plea, so as to undertake greater schemes, he devoted himself with pious cruelty to driving out and clearing his kingdom of the Moors; nor could there be a more admirable example, nor one more rare. Under this same cloak he assailed Africa, he came down on Italy, he has finally attacked France; and thus his achievements and designs have always been great, and have kept the minds of his people in suspense and admiration and occupied with the issue of them. And his actions have arisen in such a way, one out of the other, that men have never been given time to work steadily against him.
注释摘要
马基雅维利在第二十一章开宗明义地提出，没有什么比宏伟的事业和树立非凡典范更能让君主博得尊崇。他以当时在位的西班牙国王阿拉贡的费尔南多为活生生的例证，展开了一连串冷峻的推理。在他看来，费尔南多几乎可以被视为一个“新君主”，因为他从一位原本并不显赫的国王，一跃成为基督教世界首屈一指的君主。这里之所以强调“新君主”，是因为马基雅维利认为依靠世袭的君主容易维持，而…