WHAT RUSSIAN READER has not known an irksome feeling of annoyance¹, dissatisfaction, and perplexity, when he reads the accounts of the latter period of the campaign of 1812? Who has not asked himself: How was it all the French were not captured or cut to pieces, when all the three Russian armies were surrounding them in superior numbers, when the French were a disorderly, starving, and freezing rabble³, and the whole aim of the Russians (so history tells us) was to check, to cut off, and to capture all the French?

How was it that the Russian army, that with inferior numbers had fought the battle of Borodino, failed in its aim of capturing the French, when the latter were surrounded on three sides? Can the French be so immensely superior to us that we are not equal to beating them, when we have surrounded them with forces numerically superior? How could that have come to pass? History (what passes by that name) answers these questions by saying that that came to pass because Kutuzov, and Tormasov, and Tchitchagov, and this general and that failed to carry out certain man?uvres.

But why did they fail to carry them out? And how was it, if they really were responsible for not attaining⁴ the aim set before them, that they were not tried and punished for their shortcomings? But even if we admit that Kutuzov and Tchitchagov and the others were responsible for the non-success of the Russians, it is still impossible to understand why, in the position the Russian troops were in at Krasnoe and the Berezina, on both occasions with numerically superior forces, the French army and marshals were not taken prisoners, if that really was the aim of the Russians.

The explanation of this phenomenon given by the Russian military historians—that Kutuzov hindered the attack—is insufficient⁶, because we know that Kutuzov was not able to restrain the troops from attacking at Vyazma and Tarutino. Why was it that the Russian army, that with inferior forces gained a victory at Borodino over the enemy in full strength, was unsuccessful at Krasnoe and the Berezina, when fighting in superior numbers against the undisciplined crowds of the French?

If the aim of the Russians really was to cut off Napoleon and his marshals, and to take them prisoners, and that aim was not only frustrated

点击收听单词发音  

1 annoyance
n.恼怒，生气，烦恼
参考例句：
Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？ I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。

2 disorder
n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调
参考例句：
When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。 It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

3 rabble
n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人
参考例句：
They formed an army out of rabble.他们用乌合之众组成一支军队。 Poverty in itself does not make men into a rabble.贫困自身并不能使人成为贱民。

4 attaining
（通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）
参考例句：
Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot's licence. 吉姆就快要拿到飞行员执照了。 By that time she was attaining to fifty. 那时她已快到五十岁了。

5 attain
vt.达到，获得，完成
参考例句：
I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。 His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

6 insufficient
adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的
参考例句：
There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。 In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

7 frustrated
adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧
参考例句：
It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。 The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 shameful
adj.可耻的，不道德的
参考例句：
It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。 We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

9 redounding
v.有助益( redound的现在分词 )；及于；报偿；报应
参考例句：

10 logic
n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性
参考例句：
What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？ I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

11 lyric
n.抒情诗，歌词；adj.抒情的
参考例句：
This is a good example of Shelley's lyric poetry.这首诗是雪莱抒情诗的范例。 His earlier work announced a lyric talent of the first order.他的早期作品显露了一流的抒情才华。

12 eulogies
n.颂词，颂文( eulogy的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Her latest film has brought eulogies from the critics. 她最近的这部电影获得影评界的好评。 来自互联网

13 patriotic
adj.爱国的，有爱国心的
参考例句：
His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。 The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

14 entirely
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。 His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

15 discrepancy
n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾
参考例句：
The discrepancy in their ages seemed not to matter.他们之间年龄的差异似乎没有多大关系。 There was a discrepancy in the two reports of the accident.关于那次事故的两则报道有不一致之处。

16 narratives
记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分
参考例句：
Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。 This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。

17 attainment
n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣
参考例句：
We congratulated her upon her attainment to so great an age.我们祝贺她高寿。 The attainment of the success is not easy.成功的取得并不容易。

18 utterly
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。 I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

19 rations
定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量
参考例句：
They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。 The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

20 secondly
adv.第二，其次
参考例句：
Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。 Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

21 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

22 obstruction
n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物
参考例句：
She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。 The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

23 dwindled
v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。 His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 convoys
n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队
参考例句：
Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》 A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

25 corps
n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组
参考例句：
The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。 When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

26 herd
n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起
参考例句：
She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。 He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

27 trampling
踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯
参考例句：
Diplomats denounced the leaders for trampling their citizens' civil rights. 外交官谴责这些领导人践踏其公民的公民权。 They don't want people trampling the grass, pitching tents or building fires. 他们不希望人们踩踏草坪、支帐篷或生火。

28 justification
n.正当的理由；辩解的理由
参考例句：
There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。 In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

29 proceeding
n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报
参考例句：
This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。 The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

30 incensed
盛怒的
参考例句：
The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。 They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

31 trampled
踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯
参考例句：
He gripped his brother's arm lest he be trampled by the mob. 他紧抓着他兄弟的胳膊，怕他让暴民踩着。 People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit. 有人在拼命涌向出口时被踩在脚下。

32 inertia
adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝
参考例句：
We had a feeling of inertia in the afternoon.下午我们感觉很懒。 Inertia carried the plane onto the ground.飞机靠惯性着陆。

33 rebounding
蹦跳运动
参考例句：
The strength of negative temperature concrete is tested with supersonic-rebounding method. 本文将超声回弹综合法用于负温混凝土强度检测。 The fundamental of basketball includes shooting, passing and catching, rebounding, etc. 篮球运动中最基本的东西包括投篮，传接球，篮板球等。

34 incumbent
adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的
参考例句：
He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。 It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

35 provincial
adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人
参考例句：
City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

36 peril
n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物
参考例句：
The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。 The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

37 oblique
adj.斜的，倾斜的，无诚意的，不坦率的
参考例句：
He made oblique references to her lack of experience.他拐弯抹角地说她缺乏经验。 She gave an oblique look to one side.她向旁边斜看了一眼。

38 worthy
adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

39 bestowed
赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。 He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。

40 graveyards
墓地( graveyard的名词复数 )； 垃圾场； 废物堆积处； 收容所
参考例句：
He takes a macabre interest in graveyards. 他那么留意墓地，令人毛骨悚然。 "And northward there lie, in five graveyards, Calm forever under dewy green grass," 五陵北原上，万古青蒙蒙。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

41 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

42 simplicity
n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯
参考例句：
She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。 The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

43 invaders
入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。 The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

44 warfare
n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突
参考例句：
He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。 Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

45 piecemeal
adj.零碎的；n.片，块；adv.逐渐地；v.弄成碎块
参考例句：
A lack of narrative drive leaves the reader with piecemeal vignettes.叙述缺乏吸引力，读者读到的只是一些支离破碎的片段。 Let's settle the matter at one stroke,not piecemeal.把这事一气儿解决了吧，别零敲碎打了。