THE WHOLE of that day, the 25th of August, Napoleon spent, so his historians relate, on horseback, inspecting the locality, criticising the plans submitted to him by his marshals, and giving commands in person to his generals.
整个8月25日,拿破仑据说一直骑马巡视地区,检查他的元帅们提交给他的计划,并亲自向他的将军下达命令。

The original line of the Russian disposition, along the Kolotcha, had been broken through, and, in consequence of the taking of the Shevardino redoubt on the previous day, part of that line—the left flank—had been drawn further back. —
俄军原本的防线沿科洛奇河设置,但由于前一天夺取了谢尔瓦迪诺红oub攻的缘故,这条防线的一部分——左翼——已经被拉了回去。 —

That part of the line had not been strengthened, was no longer protected by the river, and more open and level ground lay before it. —
防线的这一部分没有加强,不再受河流保护,并且面前是更加开阔和平坦的地势。 —

It was obvious to any man, military or non-military, that it was that part of the line that the French should attack. —
任何人,无论是军事人员还是非军事人员,都可以明显看出法军应该攻击的是这一部分防线。 —

One would have thought that no great deliberation would be necessary to reach this conclusion; —
人们本以为不需要进行太多讨论就能得出这个结论; —

that all the care and anxiety of the Emperor and his marshals were unnecessary, and that there was absolutely no need of that peculiar high degree of talent called genius, which they are so fond of ascribing to Napoleon. —
皇帝和他的元帅们的所有关心和焦虑似乎都是不必要的,拿破仑被人们那么喜欢认为的那种特殊的卓越才能——所谓的天才-似乎完全不需要。 —

But the historians, who described the battle afterwards, and the men surrounding Napoleon at the time, and he himself, thought otherwise.
但是事后描述这场战斗的历史学家,以及当时在拿破仑周围的人们,以及拿破仑自己,持不同看法。

Napoleon rode about the field, gazing with a profound air at the country, wagging his head approvingly or dubiously to himself, and without communicating to the generals around him the profound chain of reasoning that guided him in his decisions, conveyed to them merely the final conclusions in the form of commands. —
拿破仑骑着马在战场上转来转去,面带着一种深深的表情注视着周围的乡村景色,对自己的决策表示赞同或疑虑,并没有向周围的将军们传达自己引导决策的深层推理,而只是以命令的形式传达给他们最终的结论。 —

Upon the suggestion being made by Davoust, now styled Duke of Eckmühl, for turning the Russian left flank, Napoleon said there was no need to do this, without explaining why there was no need. —
当时被戴尔福斯提出绕过俄军左翼的建议时,拿破仑说这不必要,却没有解释为什么不必要。 —

But to the proposal of General Compans (who was to attack the advanced earthworks), to lead his division through the forest, Napoleon signified his assent, although the so-called Duke of Elchingen, that is, Ney, ventured to observe that to move troops through woodland is risky, and might break up the formation of the division.
但对于Compans将军的提议(他打算攻击前沿阵地)要带领他的师通过森林,拿破仑表示同意,尽管所谓的埃尔欣根公爵——也就是内伊——冒然观察说,将军们在森林中行动是有风险的,可能会导致师的编队混乱。

After examining the nature of the country opposite the Shevardino redoubt, Napoleon pondered a little while in silence and pointed to the spots where two batteries were to be placed by the morrow for action against the Russian fortifications, and the spots where, in a line with them, the field artillery was to be arranged.
在审视了谢瓦尔底诺红oubt对面地形之后,拿破仑默默地思考了一会儿,然后指出了明天要布置两座炮台对付俄罗斯的防御工事的位置,以及与之相连的战地炮兵的布置位置。

After giving these and other commands, he went back to his quarters, and the disposition of the troops was written down from his dictation.
下达了这些和其他命令后,他回到了住处,部队的部署从他口授的方式被记录了下来。

This disposition, of which the French speak with enthusiasm, and other historians with profound respect, consisted of the following instructions:
关于这个部署,法国人充满热情地讲述,其他历史学家则充满了深深的敬意,它包括以下指示:

“Two new batteries, to be placed during the night on the plain occupied by the Duke of Eckmühl, will open fire at dawn on the two opposite batteries of the enemy.
“两个新的炮台,在Eckmühl公爵所占据的平地上,将在黎明时分向敌军两座对面的炮台开火。

“At the same time General Pernetti, in command of the artillery of the 1st corps, with thirty cannons of Compans’s division, and all the howitzers of Desaix and Friant’s division, will move forward, open fire, and shower shells on the enemy’s battery, against which there will be at once in action:
“与此同时,第一军团的炮兵指挥官佩尔内蒂将军率领Compans师的30门大炮和Desaix和Friant师的所有榴弹炮向前推进,开火,并对敌军炮台投掷炮弹。立刻参与作战的将有:

24 cannons of the artillery of the Guards,30 cannons of Compans’s division, and8 cannons of Friant and Desaix’s division—
近卫军的24门炮,Compans师的30门炮,以及Friant和Desaix师的8门炮——

In all 62 cannons.“General Fouché, in command of the artillery of the 3rd corps, will place all the sixteen howitzers of the 3rd and 8th corps at the flanks of the battery, told off to bombard the left fortification, making forty guns in all aimed against it.
在所有62门大炮中,“福歇将军,指挥第三军团的炮兵,将把第三军团和第八军团的所有16门榴弹炮放置在炮台两侧,对准左边的防御工事,总共对它进行40门炮轰。

“General Sorbier is to be in readiness to advance on the word being given, with all the howitzers of the artillery of the Guards against either of the enemy’s fortifications.
“索比耶将军将随时准备行动,凭借近卫军的所有榴弹炮对敌人的任意工事进行攻击。

“During the cannonade Prince Poniatovsky is to advance to the village in the wood, and to turn the enemy’s position.
“在炮轰期间,波尼亚托夫斯基亲王将进军至树林中的村庄,绕过敌人的阵地。

“General Compans will cross the wood to gain possession of the first fortification.
“孔邦将军将穿过树林,占领第一个工事。

“After the attack has begun on these lines, further commands will be given in accordance with the enemy’s movements.
“在这些行动开始后,将根据敌人的动向下达进一步的命令。

“The cannonade on the left flank will begin as soon as the cannons of the right wing are heard. —
“左翼的炮轰将在听到右翼的大炮声后开始。 —

The sharpshooters of Morand’s division and of the viceroy’s division will open a hot fire on seeing the beginning of the attack of the right wing.
“莫朗师和副王师的神射手在右翼发动攻击时,将开火射击。

“The viceroy will take possession of the village of Borodino, and cross by its three bridges, advancing to the same height with Morand’s and Gérard’s divisions, which under his leadership will advance to the redoubt and come into line with the other troops of the army.
“副王将占领伯罗丁诺村,并通过其三座桥梁前进,与莫朗师和杰拉尔师保持同一高度,该两师在他的领导下将前进至堡垒,并与军队的其他部队对齐。

“All this is to be done in good order (le tout se fera avec ordre et méthode), preserving as far as possible troops in reserve.
“这一切要有条不紊地进行,尽可能保留后备部队。

“The imperial camp, near Mozhaisk, September 6, 1812.”
“摩扎伊斯克附近的帝国大营,1812年9月6日。”

These instructions—which strike one as exceedingly confused and obscure, if one ventures to throw off the superstitious awe for Napoleon’s genius in treating of his disposition of his troops—may be condensed into four points—four commands. —
如果一旦抛开对拿破仑天才的迷信,对他的军队布置进行讨论,会发现这些指示极其混乱和晦涩,但可以总结为四个要点,四个命令。 —

Not one of those instructions was or could be carried out.
这些指示没有一个得到或能够得到执行。

In the first place the instruction is given: —
首先给出了这样的指示: —

That the batteries placed on the spot selected by Napoleon, with the cannons of Pernetti and Fouché, which were to join them, in all one hundred and two cannons, were to open fire and shell the Russian earthworks and redoubts. —
按照拿破仑选择的位置放置炮弹,与佩尔内蒂和富谢的大炮一起,总共102门大炮,将对俄罗斯的防线和堡垒进行炮击。 —

This could not be done, since from the spots fixed on by Napoleon the shells did not carry so far as the Russian earthworks, and these one hundred and two cannons fired in the air till such time as the nearest officer in command ordered them to advance, in opposition to Napoleon’s instructions.
这无法完成,因为从拿破仑确定的位置炮弹无法射到俄罗斯的防线,这102门大炮只能朝空中射击,直到最近的指挥官下令前进,违背了拿破仑的指示。

The second instruction given is that Poniatovsky, advancing to the village in the wood, should turn the Russian left flank. —
第二项指令是,波尼亚托夫斯基应该前进到木村,转移到俄罗斯的左翼。 —

This was not, and could not be done, as Poniatovsky, on advancing to the village in the wood, found Tutchkov there barring his way, and did not, and could not, turn the Russian position.
这没能完成,因为波尼亚托夫斯基前进到木村时,发现图切科夫阻挠他前进,无法转移俄罗斯的阵地。

The third instruction is: General Compans will move into the wood to take possession of the first Russian fortification. —
第三项指令是:孔帕将军将前往木村,占领第一个俄罗斯堡垒。 —

Compans’s division did not take the first fortification, but was beaten back, because, as it came out of the wood, it had to form under a fire of grapeshot, of which Napoleon knew nothing.
孔帕的师没有占领第一个堡垒,因为它走出树林时,必须要在炮弹的火力下集结,拿破仑并不知晓这一点。

The fourth instruction is: That the viceroy will take possession of the village (Borodino), and cross by its three bridges, following to the same high ground as Morand’s and Friant’s divisions (nothing is said of whence and when they were to advance), which under his leadership will advance to the redoubt and form in a line with the other troops. —
第四项指令是:副王将占领这个村庄(博罗季诺),通过三座桥梁前进,跟随莫朗和弗里昂的师向同样的高地前进(没有说明他们应该从哪里和何时前进),在他的领导下,他们将前进到堡垒并与其他部队一起排成一线。 —

As far as one can make out, not so much from this confused paragraph, as from the attempts made by the viceroy to carry out the orders given him, he was to advance through Borodino from the left to the redoubt, and the divisions of Morand and Friant were to advance simultaneously from the front. —
从这个混乱的段落中可以推测出来的是,副王要从左侧穿过博罗季诺,前往堡垒,而莫朗和弗里昂的师则同时从正面前进。 —

All this, like the other instructions, was impossible to carry out. —
像其他指令一样,这一切都是不可能完成的。 —

After passing through Borodino the viceroy was beaten back at the Kolotcha, and could advance no further. —
副王在通过博罗季诺后在科洛恰被击退,无法再进一步前进。 —

The divisions of Morand and Friant did not take the redoubt, but were driven back, and at the end of the day the redoubt was captured by cavalry (in an action probably unforeseen by Napoleon; —
Morand和Friant的师没有夺取这个工事,而是被击退了,而且在这一天的结束时,这个工事被骑兵夺取了(这是拿破仑预料不到的行动,他也没有听说过)。 —

and not heard of by him).
他对此事没有听说过。

And not one of the instructions given was, or could be, carried into effect. —
而且没有一个所给出的指示能够被执行。 —

But in the disposition was the statement, that after the battle had begun, further instructions would be given in accordance with the enemy’s movements; —
但是在部署中写明,在战斗开始后,进一步的指示将根据敌人的行动进行。 —

and so it might be supposed that all necessary instructions had been given by Napoleon during the battle. —
因此可以认为在战斗期间拿破仑已经给出了所有必要的指示。 —

But this was not, and could not be, the case, because, during the whole battle Napoleon was so far from the scene of action that (as it turned out later) he knew nothing of the course of the battle, and not a single instruction given by him during the fight could possibly be executed.
但事实并非如此,因为整个战斗期间,拿破仑远离战场(后来证明),对战斗进程一无所知,并没有一条他在战斗中给出的指令能够被执行。