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The courtiers at Versailles loved Franklin
凡尔赛宫的侍臣很喜欢富兰克林
because he was a pseud, like they were,
因为他们都擅长于不懂装懂
they dressed up as shepherdesses,
凡尔赛的侍臣打扮成牧羊人的模样
he dressed up as a fur trapper.
而富兰克林则打扮成捕羊的猎人
When Benjamin Franklin arrived in France,
本杰明·富兰克林来到法国之时
he was an absolute celebrity.
法国人早已久仰他的大名
There was a real sort of frenzy, really,
那时法国民众几近疯狂地追捧他
a Franklin-mania almost,
几乎是爆发了一场富兰克林热
as everybody wants to be seen with the great man.
每个人都争先恐后地想伴于这位伟人身旁
The war may have been successful,
美国独立战争的确胜利在望
but it was costing more every year that it dragged on.
可是一年年拖下去 军费消耗越来越多
Finance Minister Necker had already
财政部长内克向各界的贷款
borrowed up to the hilt,
早已达到了最高限额
and was now struggling to get a grip on royal spending.
他只能如虎口夺食一般节制王室的消费
War is increasingly expensive
这场战争需要越来越多的资金投入
and the French political system
但法国封建专制的政治体制
is not set up to impose taxes
却造成了一个现象
on the people who are best able to pay them.
即税款大多出自平民 富人却得以避税
So the fundamental problem of
所以法国面临的
the French state is, "How do you tax the rich?"
根本问题是 如何向富人征税
