先来欣赏林语堂的Moment in Peking当中描写慈禧太后的句子:
1.The ignorant old woman who ruled for the entire last half of the nineteenth century did more than any other single person to hold back China’s progress. Without her the progressive Emperor Kuangshu would certainly have gone on with his reforms. To the end, the Emperor, like an eagle deprived of its wings, remained submissive to his aunt. Ignorance added to a strong character was a double curse; stupidity joining hands with stubbornness was twice stupid.
张振玉先生的译文:
那个愚蠢无知的老太婆统治了19世纪的后50年,使中国不能进步,她可算功劳第一。若没有她,锐意求进的光绪皇帝,一定会进行他的维新大计。光绪皇帝,像个剪去翅膀的苍鹰,一直对他这位大权在握的老伯母必恭必敬,百依百顺。愚而妄,其为祸则加倍地强烈。愚蠢再与刚愎携手,则愚蠢倍增。