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Louis recovered his health, but other troubles were looming.
路易康復后其他問題卻浮現出來
His fame and success had earned him many enemies.
他的名聲與成功樹敵不少
Two years after his operation,
手術2年后
France began a costly war
法國與西班牙 英格蘭
against Spain, England and Sweden.
和瑞典開戰 開銷巨大
As the fighting dragged on, some of Versailles' silver
戰事持久 凡爾賽宮的部分銀子
was quietly removed and melted down to pay the King's soldiers.
也被拿去熔化 以作為軍餉
Unable to win the war,
路易因無法贏得戰爭
Louis signed an unfavourable peace treaty,
只得簽署對法國不利的和平條約
conceding territory to his enemies.
割讓土地給敵人
The Sun King was finally in decline and,
太陽王終究日薄西山
although he continued to make small improvements
盡管他繼續逐漸改進
to his great palace,
他宏大的宮殿
he lost much of his enthusiasm.
他已經興趣盡失
After just four years of peace, a new crisis threatened.
4年的和平后 新的危機浮現
The Spanish king died, leaving his empire to Louis' grandson.
西班牙國王死后王位傳與路易之孫
If Louis accepted on the boy's behalf,
如果路易以孫子的名義接受
he knew the other European powers would try to stop him.
歐洲其他君主便會阻止他
But if he refused, the territories
但他若拒絕 西班牙的土地
would go to France's rivals in Austria.
便交由法國的對手奧地利
He was in an impossible situation.
他面臨艱難的抉擇
Louis was damned if he did, damned if he didn't.
路易進退兩難
Faced with an issue which concerns the honour of his dynasty,
此問題事關王朝的榮譽
it's perhaps not surprising
意料之中的是
that he opts for the acceptance of the Spanish offer.
他接受了西班牙的王位
But inevitably, therefore,
因此他無可避免地
provokes war with the other major European powers.
挑起了與歐洲其他國家的戰事
This, the most gruelling war of Louis' reign,
路易在位時最漫長的戰爭
lasted for 12 years and brought France to the brink of ruin.
持續了12年 幾乎摧毀了法國
