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But as the rooms of Versailles filled up with Louis's offspring,
但當凡爾賽宮住滿了路易的子孫后
the King's mind moved toaffairsof state.
國王的注意力轉向了國家政務
He decided to copy his illustrious predecessor in another way,
他決定從另一方面模仿他杰出的祖父
by taking France to war.
將法國引入戰火
The decision of Louis XV to go to war in 1744
路易十五1744年的開戰決定
was hugely popular.
得到了廣泛支持
This was what the King of France should do.
人們認為這就是法國國王該做的事
He should be seen at the head of his armies,
他應向世人展現他軍隊首領的姿態
fighting and leading his troops.
引領他的部隊去戰斗
Louis's declaration of war against France's traditional enemies,
路易決定向法國的老對手
of Britain, and Austria,
英國和奧地利宣戰
made him a hero on the streets.
這使他成為了街頭巷尾傳誦的英雄
And so did his decision to lead his armies in person,
同樣傳為佳話的 還有他決定親征
accompanied, of course, by two of the de Nesle sisters.
并且身邊還帶著內勒家兩姐妹陪同
But war was to bring Louis his first brush with death.
但這場戰爭將路易首次推向了死亡邊緣
While he was at Metz,
在梅斯時
he fell terribly ill,
他得了重病
and it was considered that he was going to die.
人們都認為他要死了
Certainly the doctors had given up hope,
醫生也放棄了希望
and back in France, the population were shocked, genuinely,
在法國國內 人們極為震驚
absolutely frozen with fear that they would lose their king.
被失去國王的恐懼嚇得手足無措
In order, as a Catholic, to receive the last sacraments,
作為天主教徒 要接受臨終圣禮
he had to confess.
他必須懺悔
And, in order to confess, he had to send away his mistress
而要懺悔 他就要遣散情婦
and renounce her.
與之斷絕關系
Louis didn't think much of his marriage vows,
路易不甚在乎結婚誓言
but like most people of his age,
但像多數同時代的人一樣
he did believe in heaven and hell.
他相信天堂和地獄
And he knew which one he wanted to avoid.
也清楚自己不想進地獄
The King,
國王
like the least of his subjects,
和他最卑微的臣民一樣
was afraid of dying without absolution,
都害怕在未被赦免的情況下死去
and wasafraidfor the state of his immortal soul.
害怕他的永恒靈魂會下地獄
He knew that one day he would have to face God,
他知道他終有一天要面見上帝
and give an account of himself,
總結自己的一生
and then he would just be a man before God,
屆時他只是上帝面前的一個普通人
like any other man.
與他人一般無二
