MANY HISTORIANS assert that the French failed at Borodino because Napoleon had a cold in his head; that if he had not had a cold the orders given by him before and during the battle would have been even more remarkable¹ for their genius, and Russia would have been lost and the face of the world would have been changed. To historians, who can maintain that Russia was transformed at the will of one man—Peter the Great—and that France, from a republic, became an empire, and that the French army marched into Russia at the will of one man—Napoleon—the conclusion that Russia has remained a power because Napoleon had a bad cold on the 26th of August may seem indisputable and convincing. Had it depended on Napoleon's will to fight, or not to fight, at Borodino, or had it depended on his will whether he gave this order or that, it is evident that a cold, affecting the manifestation² of his will, might be the saving of Russia, and consequently the valet, who forgot to put on Napoleon's waterproof³ boots on the 24th, would be the saviour⁴ of Russia. On that method of reasoning such a deduction⁵ is inevitable⁶; as inevitable as the contention⁷ which Voltaire maintains in jest (unconscious what he was ridiculing) that the Massacre⁸ of St. Bartholomew was due to an attack of dyspepsia from which Charles IX was suffering. But for minds that cannot admit that Russia was transformed at the will of one man—Peter the Great—and the French empire was created, and the war with Russia begun, at the will of one man—Napoleon—such a contention will seem not merely unsound and irrational⁹, but contrary to the whole nature of humanity. The question, What constitutes the cause of historical events? will suggest to them another answer, resting on the idea that the course of earthly events is predestined from on high, depends on the combination of all the wills of the men taking part in those events, and that the predominant influence of Napoleon in those events is

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1 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。

2 manifestation
n.表现形式；表明；现象
参考例句：
Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。 What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。

3 waterproof
n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水
参考例句：
My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。 All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

4 saviour
n.拯救者，救星
参考例句：
I saw myself as the saviour of my country.我幻想自己为国家的救星。 The people clearly saw her as their saviour.人们显然把她看成了救星。

5 deduction
n.减除，扣除，减除额；推论，推理，演绎
参考例句：
No deduction in pay is made for absence due to illness.因病请假不扣工资。 His deduction led him to the correct conclusion.他的推断使他得出正确的结论。

6 inevitable
adj.不可避免的，必然发生的
参考例句：
Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。 The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

7 contention
n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张
参考例句：
The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。 The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

8 massacre
n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀
参考例句：
There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。 If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

9 irrational
adj.无理性的，失去理性的
参考例句：
After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。 There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

10 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

11 fictitious
adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的
参考例句：
She invented a fictitious boyfriend to put him off.她虚构出一个男朋友来拒绝他。 The story my mother told me when I was young is fictitious.小时候妈妈对我讲的那个故事是虚构的。

12 slaughter
n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀
参考例句：
I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。 Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

13 slay
v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮
参考例句：
He intended to slay his father's murderer.他意图杀死杀父仇人。 She has ordered me to slay you.她命令我把你杀了。

14 ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的
参考例句：
A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。 Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

15 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

16 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

17 consolation
n.安慰，慰问
参考例句：
The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。 This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

18 reminder
n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示
参考例句：
I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。 It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

19 posterity
n.后裔，子孙，后代
参考例句：
Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。 The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

20 absurdity
n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论
参考例句：
The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。 The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

21 conquerors
征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The Danes had selfconfidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual. 这些丹麦人具有征服者的自信，而且他们的安全防卫也是漫不经心的。 The conquerors believed in crushing the defeated people into submission, knowing that they could not win their loyalty by the victory. 征服者们知道他们的胜利并不能赢得失败者的忠心，于是就认为只有通过武力才能将他们压服。

22 ordained
v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定
参考例句：
He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句

23 slaughtered
v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 victorious
adj.胜利的，得胜的
参考例句：
We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。 The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

25 criticise
v.批评，评论；非难
参考例句：
Right and left have much cause to criticise government.左翼和右翼有很多理由批评政府。 It is not your place to criticise or suggest improvements!提出批评或给予改进建议并不是你的责任！

26 consequential
adj.作为结果的，间接的；重要的
参考例句：
She was injured and suffered a consequential loss of earnings.她受了伤因而收入受损。 This new transformation is at least as consequential as that one was.这一新的转变至少和那次一样重要。

27 excellence
n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德
参考例句：
His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。 My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

28 condemned
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。 The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

29 supreme
adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的
参考例句：
It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。 He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

30 tact
n.机敏，圆滑，得体
参考例句：
She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。 Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。