《君主论》开篇：英文原著带中文翻译

Those who strive to obtain the good graces of a prince are accustomed to come before him with such things as they hold most precious, or in which they see him take most delight; whence one often sees horses, arms, cloth of gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments presented to princes, worthy of their greatness.

凡欲博得君主恩宠之人，惯于觐见时献上自己最为珍视或见君主最为喜爱之物。因此，人们常看到马匹、兵器、金丝锦缎、宝石及类似饰物被献给君主，以配其尊贵。

Desiring therefore to present myself to your Magnificence with some testimony of my devotion towards you, I have not found among my possessions anything which I hold more dear than, or value so much as, the knowledge of the actions of great men, acquired by long experience in contemporary affairs, and a continual study of antiquity; which, having reflected upon it with great and prolonged diligence, I now send, digested into a little volume, to your Magnificence.

因此，我欲向阁下献上某种表明我效忠之意的证物，而在我的所有物中，我未找到比我对伟人行动之了解更为珍视或看重之物，此乃通过当代事务之长期经验及对古代之持续研究而获得。经我长久勤勉地思考后，现将此整理成一小册，呈献给阁下。

And although I may consider this work unworthy of your countenance, nevertheless I trust much to your benignity that it may be acceptable, seeing that it is not possible for me to make a better gift than to offer you the opportunity of understanding in the shortest time all that I have learnt in so many years, and with so many troubles and dangers; which work I have not embellished with swelling or magnificent words, nor stuffed with rounded periods, nor with any extrinsic allurements or adornments whatever, with which so many are accustomed to embellish their works; for I have wished either that no honour should be given it, or else that the truth of the matter and the weightiness of the theme shall make it acceptable.

尽管我认为此作品不配阁下的尊容，但我深信您的仁慈会使其被接受，因为我不可能献上比这更好的礼物，即让您在最短时间内理解我在如此多年、如此多困苦与危险中所学到的一切。此作品我未用浮夸或华丽的辞藻来修饰，也未堆砌圆润的句子，更未用任何外在的诱惑或装饰，而许多人惯于以此修饰其作品。因为我希望要么它不应获得任何荣誉，要么事物的真相与主题的庄重便足以使其被接受。

Nor do I hold with those who regard it as a presumption if a man of low and humble condition dare to discuss and settle the concerns of princes; because, just as those who draw landscapes place themselves below in the plain to contemplate the nature of the mountains and of lofty places, and in order to contemplate the plains place themselves upon high mountains, even so to understand the nature of the people it needs to be a prince, and to understand that of princes it needs to be of the people.

我也不赞同那些人，他们认为若一个出身低微卑贱之人胆敢讨论并决定君主的事务，便是狂妄。因为正如绘制风景之人，将自己置于低处平原以观察山岳和高地之性质，而为观察平原则将自己置于高山之上，同样，要理解人民的性质，需身为君主，而要理解君主的性质，则需身为人民。

Take then, your Magnificence, this little gift in the spirit in which I send it; wherein, if it be diligently read and considered by you, you will learn my extreme desire that you should attain that greatness which fortune and your other attributes promise. And if your Magnificence from the summit of your greatness will sometimes turn your eyes to these lower regions, you will see how unmeritedly I suffer a great and continued malignity of fortune.

那么，阁下，请以我呈送此礼物的心意接受这份小礼。其中，若您勤勉阅读并思考，您将了解我极度的愿望，即您应达到命运和您其他品质所承诺的伟大。而若阁下从您伟大的巅峰有时将目光转向这些较低之处，您将看到我如何不应得地承受着巨大而持续的命运恶意。