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The courtiers at Versailles loved Franklin
凡爾賽宮的侍臣很喜歡富蘭克林
because he was a pseud, like they were,
因為他們都擅長于不懂裝懂
they dressed up as shepherdesses,
凡爾賽的侍臣打扮成牧羊人的模樣
he dressed up as a fur trapper.
而富蘭克林則打扮成捕羊的獵人
When Benjamin Franklin arrived in France,
本杰明·富蘭克林來到法國之時
he was an absolute celebrity.
法國人早已久仰他的大名
There was a real sort of frenzy, really,
那時法國民眾幾近瘋狂地追捧他
a Franklin-mania almost,
幾乎是爆發了一場富蘭克林熱
as everybody wants to be seen with the great man.
每個人都爭先恐后地想伴于這位偉人身旁
The war may have been successful,
美國獨立戰爭的確勝利在望
but it was costing more every year that it dragged on.
可是一年年拖下去 軍費消耗越來越多
Finance Minister Necker had already
財政部長內克向各界的貸款
borrowed up to the hilt,
早已達到了最高限額
and was now struggling to get a grip on royal spending.
他只能如虎口奪食一般節制王室的消費
War is increasingly expensive
這場戰爭需要越來越多的資金投入
and the French political system
但法國封建專制的政治體制
is not set up to impose taxes
卻造成了一個現象
on the people who are best able to pay them.
即稅款大多出自平民 富人卻得以避稅
So the fundamental problem of
所以法國面臨的
the French state is, "How do you tax the rich?"
根本問題是 如何向富人征稅
