纪录片《凡尔赛宫》 13凡尔赛宫的奇观之一

Even the King's mealtimes turned into a performance,

就连国王的晚餐也变成了表演

where the nobles stood

贵族们站在一边

and watched the King eat, waiting for him to speak to them.

观看国王进餐 等着他开口

One of the phenomena¹ of Versailles

凡尔赛的一大奇观

was the sight of leading nobles

便是高等贵族

adopting these very deferential² poses.

对国王唯命是从的姿态

This was actually a very powerful signal

这是实际上强烈反映了

that the monarchy³ was back in charge.

君主重掌大权

For the courtiers, flattery became a way of life.

奉承国王成了贵族生存的途径

For instance, one courtier, a great nobleman in his province,

比如 路易曾对一位贵族幕僚说

Louis says to him, "When is your wife's baby due?"

你的妻子何时产子

And this nobleman says, "When your majesty⁴ wishes it."

贵族回答"当陛下希望的时候"

As well as accommodating thousands of courtiers and officials,

凡尔赛宫不仅容纳数千幕僚与官员

Versailles was also used by the King to promote France itself.

也提升了法国的形象

There was a deliberate intention to create a showcase

宫中故意建了一处陈列柜

for French manufacturers and to rival or outdo

以展现法国工艺品足以匹敌甚至超越

Italy above all,

意大利工艺品

which was the great source of taste in the 17th century.

后者在17世纪颇受青睐

The magnificence of the interior,

宫殿内部之宏伟

of course, it was all about the splendour

诚然尽数展现了

of the monarchy and the splendour of Louis XIV.

路易十四及其君权的显赫

Louis personally loved rich materials and fine craftsmanship⁵.

路易个人喜欢精致奢华的工艺品

But it was also a careful orchestration of Louis XIV's,

但凡尔赛也悉数展示了路易与法国

France's - claim to lead Europe in terms of taste and the arts.

引领优雅品味与艺术

As building progressed, Louis commissioned hundreds of paintings,

建造继续进行 路易要求制作

sculptures and other decorations,

数百画作 雕塑与其他饰品

many containing images of himself

其中不少饰物以他为主题

as the embodiment of French glory.

象征着法国的荣耀

This was no accident.

这并非巧合

If you compare Louis with rulers before,

若比较路易和他的前辈

it is remarkable⁶ how he had professional advice.

路易拥有更优秀的专业建议

So, he's not presenting his image by himself.

所以他并不亲自打造自己的形象

There was a whole back-up team of intellectuals, writers.

他拥有一支包括学者和作家的智囊团

This is a real innovation, that there should be a small committee

这是纯粹的创新 所以

of people who are simply working on

必须有一小批人专注于

how to present the king's image

如何尽可能壮丽地

in the most grand manner possible.

打造国王的形象

1 phenomena   

n.现象

参考例句：

• Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
• The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

2 deferential   

adj. 敬意的，恭敬的

参考例句：

• They like five-star hotels and deferential treatment.他们喜欢五星级的宾馆和毕恭毕敬的接待。
• I am deferential and respectful in the presence of artists.我一向恭敬、尊重艺术家。

3 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

4 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

5 craftsmanship   

n.手艺

参考例句：

• The whole house is a monument to her craftsmanship. 那整座房子是她技艺的一座丰碑。
• We admired the superb craftsmanship of the furniture. 我们很欣赏这个家具的一流工艺。

6 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。