Chapter Seventeen - Russia Looks West / 第十七章 - 俄国西望

Peter the Great / 彼得大帝

If English farmers and European philosophers lived in the West, and the people of Japan and China lived in the East, who lived in the middle?

如果英国农民和欧洲哲学家住在西方，而日本和中国的人民住在东方，那么谁住在中间呢？

The Russians!

俄国人！

The enormous country of Russia lay between the Western countries of Europe and the Eastern countries of Asia. In medieval times, Russia was much more Eastern than Western. Russian men wore long, eastern robes and beards. Russian women didn't mingle with men; they stayed in separate rooms and wore veils.

俄国这个巨大的国家位于欧洲西方各国和亚洲东方各国之间。在中世纪时代，俄国更像东方而不是西方。俄国男子穿着长长的东方长袍，留着胡须。俄国妇女不与男子交往；她们住在单独的房间里，戴着面纱。

And Russia's kings, called czars, ruled with absolute power, like the emperors of China and the shoguns of Japan.

俄国的国王被称为沙皇，拥有绝对的权力，就像中国的皇帝和日本的幕府将军一样。

But then a young man of seventeen took control—and turned his gaze to the West.

但是，一个十七岁的年轻人掌握了控制权——并将他的目光转向了西方。

Peter I, who became known as "Peter the Great," became Czar of Russia in 1682, one year after William Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania. The young czar was only ten, so his older sister Sophia took control of the royal palace in Moscow and ruled as his regent.

彼得一世，后来被称为"彼得大帝"，在1682年成为俄国沙皇，这是威廉·佩恩建立宾夕法尼亚殖民地的一年后。年轻的沙皇只有十岁，所以他的姐姐索菲亚控制了莫斯科的皇家宫殿，作为他的摄政王进行统治。

Peter was sent to the country, where he spent hours climbing trees, roaming through the fields—and playing war games. He divided his friends into regiments and gave them uniforms, flags, and drums. When Peter was eleven, he was allowed to use real cannons in his war games!

彼得被送到乡村，在那里他花费数小时攀爬树木，在田野中漫游——还玩战争游戏。他把朋友们分成团队，给他们制服、旗帜和鼓。当彼得十一岁时，他被允许在战争游戏中使用真的大炮！

Meanwhile, Sophia ordered Russian troops into battle, had herself painted wearing the crown of the czars, and behaved more and more as though she were the real czar of Russia. When Peter was seventeen, Sophia tried to convince her royal guard to attack Peter and his mother in their country home.

与此同时，索菲亚命令俄国军队参加战斗，让人画她戴着沙皇王冠的肖像，表现得越来越像她是俄国真正的沙皇。当彼得十七岁时，索菲亚试图说服她的皇家卫兵攻击在乡村家中的彼得和他的母亲。

But the royal guard refused! They had grown tired of Sophia and her tyranny. Instead, the royal guard swore allegiance to Peter, the rightful czar of Russia. Sophia, frightened of her brother, fled to a convent—where she would spend the rest of her life.

但是皇家卫兵拒绝了！他们已经厌倦了索菲亚和她的暴政。相反，皇家卫兵向彼得宣誓忠诚，他是俄国合法的沙皇。索菲亚害怕她的弟弟，逃到了一个修道院——在那里度过余生。

Now Peter was truly czar of Russia!

现在彼得真正成为了俄国的沙皇！

Peter had always been fascinated by the West. But not very many Europeans traveled to Russia, and those who settled in Russia lived apart from the Russians, in special colonies for "foreigners." Peter had spent hours in these colonies, talking to the Westerners who lived there. He had even found an old, rotten English sailboat in a shed—and was fascinated by it.

彼得一直对西方着迷。但是很少有欧洲人到俄国旅行，那些在俄国定居的人与俄国人分开居住，住在专门为"外国人"设立的特殊殖民区。彼得在这些殖民区度过了很多时间，与住在那里的西方人交谈。他甚至在一个棚子里发现了一艘破旧的英国帆船——并对此着迷。

Peter wanted ships like the English had. He wanted to build a navy that could sail to Europe. He wanted a fleet of merchant ships that could take Russian honey, wax and furs to Europe, and bring back all the luxuries of the West for Russians to enjoy.

彼得想要像英国人拥有的那样的船只。他想建立一支能够航行到欧洲的海军。他想要一支商船舰队，能够把俄国的蜂蜜、蜡和毛皮运到欧洲，并把西方所有的奢侈品带回来供俄国人享用。

But Peter knew that Russia would never be able to visit the West without a good port for ships to sail in and out of. Russia's northern coast was so cold and icy that ships couldn't even reach it for most of the year. And Peter's only port city, the city of Archangel, was so far north that it was frozen solid for half the year.

但是彼得知道，如果没有一个良好的港口供船只进出，俄国永远无法访问西方。俄国北部的海岸如此寒冷和结冰，以至于一年中大部分时间船只甚至无法到达。彼得唯一的港口城市阿尔汉格尔斯克位置太靠北，一年中有一半时间完全结冰。

During the cold dark Arctic winters, the sun only rose for five short hours a day. And the air was so cold that if you spat on the ground, your spit would freeze before it landed!

在寒冷黑暗的北极冬季，太阳每天只升起五个短暂的小时。空气如此寒冷，如果你向地上吐口水，唾液在落地之前就会结冰！

Russia needed a warmer port, and Peter had his eye on one: the port of Azov. The Sea of Azov led right into the Black Sea, which led to the Mediterranean. Azov belonged to the Ottoman Turks, but Peter was sure that the Russian army could defeat the Turks in battle and claim Azov for Russia.

俄国需要一个更温暖的港口，彼得看中了一个：亚速港。亚速海直接通向黑海，黑海通向地中海。亚速属于奥斯曼土耳其人，但彼得确信俄国军队能够在战斗中击败土耳其人，为俄国夺取亚速。

So Peter marched his army down to Azov and laid a siege around the fortress that protected the port. He wrote out a demand for surrender, attached it to an arrow, and ordered an archer to shoot it into the city. But the Turks simply laughed at Peter's demand.

于是彼得率领军队向亚速进军，对保护港口的要塞进行围攻。他写了一份投降要求，把它绑在箭上，命令弓箭手射进城里。但土耳其人只是嘲笑彼得的要求。

Peter soon saw why. Turkish ships could sail right into Azov to bring food and weapons to the Turks inside the fortress. Meanwhile, the Russians camped outside the walls began to run out of food and ammunition. And the weather was growing colder. A savage winter was coming!

彼得很快明白了原因。土耳其船只可以直接驶入亚速，为要塞内的土耳其人运送食物和武器。与此同时，在城墙外扎营的俄国人开始缺乏食物和弹药。天气越来越冷。一个残酷的冬天就要来了！

Peter realized that he would never be able to capture Azov unless he could stop Turkish ships from reaching it. So he withdrew his army and ordered his men to build twenty-five warships and hundreds of barges—all before spring! The Russian soldiers labored all winter, building this huge fleet and learning to sail it.

彼得意识到，除非他能阻止土耳其船只到达亚速，否则他永远无法占领亚速。于是他撤退了军队，命令手下建造二十五艘战舰和数百艘驳船——全部要在春天之前完成！俄国士兵整个冬天都在劳动，建造这支庞大的舰队并学习驾驶。

When spring came, the brand-new Russian navy drove away the Turkish galleys that arrived to save Azov. Meanwhile, Russian soldiers began to build a pile of rubble high against Azov's walls. When the mound was high enough, soldiers poured over it into the fortress. The Turks waved their turbans in surrender. Azov had fallen!

春天来临时，全新的俄国海军驱赶了前来拯救亚速的土耳其战船。与此同时，俄国士兵开始在亚速的城墙旁堆起瓦砾堆。当土堆足够高时，士兵们越过它冲进要塞。土耳其人挥舞着他们的头巾投降。亚速陷落了！

Now Peter had his port. He still couldn't trade freely with the West, because the Ottoman Turks also guarded the strait, or narrow place, that led out of the Sea of Azov toward the Mediterranean. Peter planned to drive the Turks away from this strait too. Then, his path to the West would be open!

现在彼得有了他的港口。他仍然不能与西方自由贸易，因为奥斯曼土耳其人还守卫着海峡，即从亚速海通向地中海的狭窄通道。彼得计划也把土耳其人从这个海峡驱逐出去。然后，他通往西方的道路就通畅了！

But Peter needed help if he was going to keep on fighting against the Turks. So he decided to visit Europe. He would be able to see how Western countries ran their navies and their trading companies. And he would try to convince the nations of Europe to join with him in war against the Ottoman Turks. He would be the first Russian czar to travel to the West.

但是如果彼得要继续与土耳其人作战，他需要帮助。所以他决定访问欧洲。他将能够看到西方国家如何管理他们的海军和贸易公司。他还将试图说服欧洲各国与他一起对奥斯曼土耳其人作战。他将是第一个前往西方的俄国沙皇。

Peter collected an enormous group of noblemen, officials, servants, soldiers, and sailors into an expedition and set off for the West. He planned to visit Poland, just to the west of Russia, and then to travel on through Germany, Holland, and England. His journey took a year and half!

彼得召集了一大群贵族、官员、仆人、士兵和水手组成远征队，出发前往西方。他计划访问俄国西边的波兰，然后继续通过德国、荷兰和英国。他的旅程用了一年半！

Peter spent months learning all about the accomplishments of Western countries. In Prussia, he studied gunnery for weeks. In Holland, Peter worked at the docks of the East India Company, in Amsterdam, for four whole months. When he visited England, he spent another four months working in English docks. He visited the Tower of London and the Mint. He listened to the meetings of the Royal Society. He even went to a Quaker meeting and met William Penn!

彼得花了几个月时间学习西方国家的所有成就。在普鲁士，他学习了几周的炮术。在荷兰，彼得在阿姆斯特丹的东印度公司码头工作了整整四个月。当他访问英国时，他又在英国码头工作了四个月。他参观了伦敦塔和造币厂。他听了皇家学会的会议。他甚至参加了贵格会的聚会，见到了威廉·佩恩！

(But afterward he remarked to one of his courtiers, "What use is a bunch of men who won't fight for their country?")

（但之后他对他的一个朝臣说："一群不愿为国家而战的人有什么用？"）

The Westerners who met the Czar of Russia admired his curiosity and his quick brain, but they also thought he seemed savage and foreign. He drank a lot: brandy, vodka, wine, beer, and more. His clothes were patched, darned, and not too clean. He punched and kicked his friends and advisors if they displeased him. He even made one of his aides eat an entire tortoise, just for fun.

见到俄国沙皇的西方人钦佩他的好奇心和敏锐的头脑，但他们也认为他显得野蛮和异域。他喝很多酒：白兰地、伏特加、葡萄酒、啤酒等等。他的衣服打着补丁，缝补过，也不太干净。如果朋友和顾问让他不高兴，他会拳打脚踢。他甚至让他的一个助手吃掉一整只乌龟，只是为了好玩。

"One could wish," wrote one aristocratic German lady who met Peter at a ball, "that his manners were a little less rustic….One can see also that he has had no one to teach him how to eat properly."

"人们可能希望，"一位在舞会上见到彼得的贵族德国女士写道，"他的举止能少一点粗野……人们也能看出他没有人教过他如何正确地用餐。"

Peter returned to Russia full of new ideas. He shaved off his beard, so that he would look more Western. Then he ordered his noblemen, called boyars, to shave their beards too. He thought that all those Russian beards made them look too old-fashioned and too eastern.

彼得满怀新想法回到了俄国。他剃掉了胡须，这样他看起来更像西方人。然后他命令他的贵族，被称为波雅尔，也剃掉他们的胡须。他认为所有那些俄国胡须让他们看起来太古老和太东方。

Russian noblemen hated this idea. They didn't want to look like Europeans! Many believed that their beards symbolized a special relationship with God. Some were even afraid that they wouldn't be able to get into heaven without beards—so they kept the shaved beards in special bags, hoping to put the beards in their coffins. But Peter was adamant. He carried a pair of scissors with him everywhere. If he saw a nobleman with a beard, he would begin to cut it off!

俄国贵族讨厌这个想法。他们不想看起来像欧洲人！许多人相信他们的胡须象征着与上帝的特殊关系。有些人甚至害怕没有胡须就无法进入天堂——所以他们把剃下的胡须保存在特殊的袋子里，希望能把胡须放进他们的棺材。但彼得很坚决。他随身携带一把剪刀。如果他看到有胡须的贵族，他就开始剪掉！

[原书插图：彼得大帝愤怒地剪贵族胡须的场景]

Peter also ordered his noblemen to wear Western clothes. If he saw a courtier with a long Eastern tunic, he used his scissors to hack off its bottom and its flowing sleeves! He also wanted women to take off their veils and mingle with men at social gatherings. He even wanted them to have tutors and be educated like men.

彼得还命令他的贵族穿西方服装。如果他看到朝臣穿着长长的东方长袍，他就用剪刀砍掉袍子的底部和飘逸的袖子！他还希望妇女摘掉面纱，在社交聚会上与男子交往。他甚至希望她们有家庭教师，像男子一样接受教育。

But although Peter hoped to make Russians look and act more Western, he didn't want them to be Westerners. Western philosophers in countries such as France and Spain were insisting that all men and women were equal—and that rulers, even czars, shouldn't have the power to do exactly as they pleased. Peter didn't want Russia to become that Western!

但是，尽管彼得希望让俄国人看起来和行为更像西方人，他并不希望他们成为西方人。法国和西班牙等国的西方哲学家坚持认为所有男女都是平等的——统治者，即使是沙皇，也不应该有完全按自己意愿行事的权力。彼得不希望俄国变得那么西方化！

Peter's Port to the West / 彼得通往西方的港口

Peter's journey to Europe was a success—he learned all about the countries of the West. But it was also a failure—because he couldn't convince England and Holland to join him in a war against the Turks. Peter owned the Port of Azov, but he still couldn't get into the Mediterranean. And now Peter had eighty-six warships—with nowhere to go!

彼得的欧洲之旅是一个成功——他了解了西方各国的一切。但这也是一个失败——因为他无法说服英国和荷兰与他一起对土耳其作战。彼得拥有亚速港，但他仍然无法进入地中海。现在彼得有八十六艘战舰——却无处可去！

Peter knew that if he kept on fighting the Turks without help, he would probably lose. He studied his maps, looking for another clear path to Europe. But the only other way to send his ships to Europe would be to launch them into the Baltic Sea.

彼得知道如果他继续在没有帮助的情况下与土耳其人作战，他很可能会失败。他研究地图，寻找通往欧洲的另一条清晰路径。但派遣船只到欧洲的唯一其他方式就是把它们送入波罗的海。

Unfortunately, Sweden owned the shores of the Baltic!

不幸的是，瑞典拥有波罗的海的海岸！

So Peter declared war on Sweden. Sweden's neighbor, Denmark-Norway, joined with him. Once, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden had all been ruled by one king—but Sweden had broken away, and now was growing larger, stronger—and greedier. The people of Denmark-Norway hoped that, together with Russia, they could beat off the swelling Swedish empire.

于是彼得向瑞典宣战。瑞典的邻国丹麦-挪威与他联合。曾经，丹麦、挪威和瑞典都被一个国王统治——但瑞典已经分离出来，现在变得更大、更强——也更贪婪。丹麦-挪威的人民希望与俄国一起，能够击败膨胀的瑞典帝国。

Peter believed that he could beat Sweden in a few short weeks. After all, the Swedish army was led by their nineteen-year-old king, Charles XII. Charles was known for wild parties and reckless stunts (such as making his whole court go out and hunt bears, armed only with wooden pitchforks). Peter didn't think that this noisy boy would be able to plan and carry out a disciplined military campaign.

彼得相信他能在几个短周内击败瑞典。毕竟，瑞典军队由他们十九岁的国王查尔斯十二世率领。查尔斯以狂野派对和鲁莽的特技而闻名（比如让他的整个宫廷出去猎熊，只配备木叉）。彼得不认为这个吵闹的男孩能够计划和执行一场有纪律的军事战役。

Once again, Peter was wrong. His war with Sweden, the Great Northern War, began in 1700—and lasted for the next twenty-one years.

彼得又错了。他与瑞典的战争，大北方战争，始于1700年——持续了接下来的二十一年。

The war started badly for Peter. He started off to attack Narva, a Swedish city on the eastern banks of the Baltic, but his army was hauling so many cannons and siege weapons that the journey took months. Meanwhile, Charles invaded Denmark and scared the Danish into surrendering. And when Peter's army finally reached Narva, the cannons wouldn't work properly. Russian gunpowder was so bad that cannonballs often staggered out of the cannons and plopped harmlessly to earth.

战争对彼得来说开局很糟。他开始进攻纳尔瓦，一座位于波罗的海东岸的瑞典城市，但他的军队拖运太多大炮和攻城武器，旅程用了几个月。与此同时，查尔斯入侵丹麦，吓得丹麦人投降。当彼得的军队终于到达纳尔瓦时，大炮无法正常工作。俄国的火药质量很差，炮弹经常摇摇晃晃地从大炮中出来，无害地掉在地上。

Other times, the gunpowder over-fired and blew up entire cannons!

其他时候，火药过度燃烧，炸毁整门大炮！

While the Russians struggled with their cannons, Peter decided to return to Moscow to check on how the government was working in his absence. Just hours after he rode off, the Russian army learned that a huge Swedish army, under Charles's command, was only six miles away from Narva! They scrambled frantically to prepare for battle. But just as the Swedes came into view, a huge snow squall opened right above the Russians.

当俄国人与大炮斗争时，彼得决定返回莫斯科检查政府在他缺席期间的工作情况。在他骑马离开仅几小时后，俄国军队得知查尔斯指挥的一支庞大瑞典军队距离纳尔瓦只有六英里！他们疯狂地准备战斗。但就在瑞典人出现时，一场巨大的暴雪正好在俄国人上方展开。

In the blinding, violent cloud of snow, the Russians couldn't get into line—or even face the right direction. The cavalry rode the wrong direction, fell into the nearby Narva River, and drowned. The general and his officers galloped toward the Swedes, doing their best to surrender as quickly as possible!

在令人眼花缭乱的猛烈雪云中，俄国人无法排成队列——甚至无法面对正确的方向。骑兵骑向错误的方向，掉进附近的纳尔瓦河中淹死了。将军和他的军官向瑞典人疾驰而去，尽力尽快投降！

Charles XII was delighted with his victory. He ordered a medal made, celebrating the triumph. The medal showed Peter the Great running away, holding a handkerchief to his eyes—which were squirting out streams of tears!

查尔斯十二世对他的胜利感到高兴。他下令制作一枚奖章，庆祝这次胜利。奖章显示彼得大帝在逃跑，用手帕捂着眼睛——眼中涌出泪水！

The Russian army retreated, but Charles decided not to chase them. Winter was coming, and he knew that his army might freeze to death in the icy Russian wilderness. So the Swedish troops started to wait out the long winter. Meanwhile, Peter returned to prepare his own army for spring. He ordered new cannons forged and ships repaired. He drafted more soldiers for his army and taught them to fight with both guns and bayonets.

俄国军队撤退了，但查尔斯决定不追赶他们。冬天来了，他知道他的军队可能在冰冷的俄国荒野中冻死。所以瑞典军队开始等待漫长的冬天过去。与此同时，彼得回去为春天准备自己的军队。他命令锻造新大炮，修理船只。他为军队征召更多士兵，教他们用枪和刺刀作战。

By the time fighting began again, the Russians were strong enough to hold off the Swedes. Battle followed battle. Peter the Great took a personal role in the war, traveling from front to front, leading attacks, sailing on warships, and even helping to repair the ships in the shipyards.

当战斗重新开始时，俄国人已经足够强大，能够抵挡瑞典人。战斗接着战斗。彼得大帝在战争中发挥个人作用，从前线到前线奔波，领导攻击，在战舰上航行，甚至帮助在船厂修理船只。

In 1702, Peter finally managed to capture a small Swedish fortress on the Neva River, which led into the Baltic Sea. He still couldn't sail into the Baltic, which was guarded by the Swedish navy. But he was sure that he would win the Baltic from the Swedes. Then, ships could sail from the little Neva fortress to Europe. The banks of the Neva River could be Russia's "Window to the West."

在1702年，彼得终于成功占领了涅瓦河上的一个小瑞典要塞，该河流通向波罗的海。他仍然无法驶入被瑞典海军守卫的波罗的海。但他确信他会从瑞典人手中赢得波罗的海。那时，船只就能从小小的涅瓦要塞航行到欧洲。涅瓦河两岸可以成为俄国的"西方之窗"。

So Peter planned out a brand new city on the shores of the Neva. He named his city St. Petersburg after his patron saint, Peter.

于是彼得在涅瓦河岸规划了一座全新的城市。他以他的守护圣徒彼得的名字将这座城市命名为圣彼得堡。

The land where St. Petersburg would be built was swampy and muddy, filled with water birds, reeds, and mosquitoes. There were no trees for lumber, and no stones for foundations. There were no buildings—except for Peter's new royal palace, a little hut with three rooms, no stove, and rickety wooden walls painted to look like brick.

圣彼得堡将要建设的土地是沼泽的和泥泞的，到处都是水鸟、芦苇和蚊子。那里没有树木做木材，没有石头做地基。那里没有建筑物——除了彼得的新皇宫，一个有三个房间的小屋，没有炉子，摇摇欲坠的木墙被漆成砖的样子。

But Peter wasn't discouraged. In his imagination, he could already see the skyline of a great city, as great as any European city! As the war with Sweden dragged on, Peter ordered every soldier who could be spared to work on building St. Petersburg. He forced peasants and Swedish prisoners of war to work on it too—and paid them so little that they had to steal and beg in order to have enough to eat.

但彼得并不沮丧。在他的想象中，他已经能看到一座伟大城市的天际线，和任何欧洲城市一样伟大！随着与瑞典的战争拖延，彼得命令每个能够抽身的士兵都去建设圣彼得堡。他强迫农民和瑞典战俘也参与建设——给他们的报酬如此微薄，以至于他们必须偷窃和乞讨才能有足够的食物。

Every piece of wood and every stone had to be dragged to St. Petersburg from far away. And there were no wheelbarrows, so the workers carried loads of stones in the laps of their long shirts.

每一块木头和每一块石头都必须从远方拖到圣彼得堡。那里没有手推车，所以工人们用他们长衬衫的下摆运载石头。

While Peter built, Charles XII plotted his strategy. Six years after Peter began work on St. Petersburg, Charles invaded Russia.

当彼得建设时，查尔斯十二世策划他的战略。在彼得开始建设圣彼得堡六年后，查尔斯入侵了俄国。

The Russian army fell back. The Swedes chased them deep into Russia. But it was already fall—and cold weather threatened. Charles's soldiers began to whisper about the horrors of a Russian winter. It would become so cold, they told each other, that birds would die flying through the air, and hit the ground like stones!

俄国军队撤退了。瑞典人追赶他们深入俄国。但已经是秋天了——寒冷的天气威胁着。查尔斯的士兵开始窃窃私语俄国冬天的恐怖。他们互相说，天气会变得如此寒冷，鸟儿会在空中飞行时死去，像石头一样撞击地面！

Charles, excited by the prospect of victory, told his men to go on. The Russian army kept on retreating, until the only shelter nearby was a tiny walled town with one small door.

查尔斯被胜利的前景激动，告诉他的士兵继续前进。俄国军队继续撤退，直到附近唯一的庇护所是一个只有一扇小门的小围墙城镇。

And then the temperature plummeted.

然后温度骤降。

One of the coldest spells in memory had struck the Russian plains! The Swedes clustered toward the narrow door of the town—but it took three days for the whole army to file through. Meanwhile, more than three thousand soldiers froze to death. Frostbite took the noses, ears, fingers, and toes of thousands more. The whole time, the Russians were camped safely nearby; their heavy furs and warm boots and their winter-proof tents kept them safe.

记忆中最寒冷的寒流之一袭击了俄国平原！瑞典人聚集在城镇狭窄的门口——但整支军队需要三天时间才能排队通过。与此同时，超过三千名士兵被冻死。冻伤夺走了数千人的鼻子、耳朵、手指和脚趾。整个过程中，俄国人安全地在附近扎营；他们厚重的毛皮、温暖的靴子和防冬帐篷保护着他们。

When the weakened Swedes finally met the Russians in battle, the Russians were triumphant. Ten thousand Swedish soldiers were killed or captured. The Russians ruled the field!

当虚弱的瑞典人最终与俄国人交战时，俄国人取得了胜利。一万名瑞典士兵被杀死或俘虏。俄国人控制了战场！

Charles XII refused to surrender. The war sputtered on. But four years later, Charles was killed by a bullet during a meaningless battle. Without Charles, the Swedes gave up. They surrendered the eastern shore of the Baltic to Peter. Now Peter's Window to the West was wide open.

查尔斯十二世拒绝投降。战争断断续续地继续着。但四年后，查尔斯在一场无意义的战斗中被子弹击毙。没有了查尔斯，瑞典人放弃了。他们将波罗的海东岸交给了彼得。现在彼得的西方之窗完全敞开了。

For the next few years of his reign, Peter worked hard to make Russia as rich as any Western nation. He built canals, factories, salt works, iron mills, and mines. He brought European craftsmen to Russia to teach Russians how to make cloth, lacquer ware, and other goods. He worked hard on St. Petersburg, which he declared to be his new capital city.

在他统治的接下来几年里，彼得努力工作，让俄国和任何西方国家一样富有。他建造了运河、工厂、盐场、铁厂和矿山。他把欧洲工匠带到俄国，教俄国人如何制作布料、漆器和其他商品。他在圣彼得堡努力工作，宣布这里为他的新首都。

In 1714, twelve years after the city began, a Western diplomat sniffed that the city was no more than "a heap of villages linked together." But only ten years later, in 1724, the same diplomat marveled that St. Petersburg had become a "wonder of the world," filled with "magnificent palaces."

在1714年，城市开始建设十二年后，一位西方外交官轻蔑地说这座城市不过是"连在一起的村庄堆"。但仅仅十年后，在1724年，同一位外交官惊叹圣彼得堡已经成为"世界奇迹"，充满了"宏伟的宫殿"。

But Peter had only a short time to enjoy his city. In that same year, 1724, he was sailing to visit a Russian factory when a nearby boat ran aground on a sandbar and began to sink. Peter leapt into the icy water to pull the sailors to safety. The icy water brought on fever and illness. Peter never recovered. He died while trying to write down the name of his successor.

但彼得享受他的城市的时间很短。在同一年，1724年，他乘船去视察一家俄国工厂，当时附近的一艘船在沙洲上搁浅并开始下沉。彼得跳进冰冷的水中把水手拉到安全地带。冰冷的水带来了发烧和疾病。彼得再也没有康复。他在试图写下他的继承者名字时去世了。

When Peter died, the empire of Russia stretched from Archangel in the north, over past the Ural Mountains in the east, down to the Caspian Sea in the south, over to the borders of Poland and Sweden on the west. Moscow and St. Petersburg had become cities filled with Western merchants and diplomats. Russian diplomats visited every European court. Peter had made Russia larger. But even more important: he had made Russia part of Europe. No wonder he became known as Peter the Great!

当彼得去世时，俄国帝国从北方的阿尔汉格尔斯克，越过东方的乌拉尔山脉，南至里海，西至波兰和瑞典边界。莫斯科和圣彼得堡已经成为充满西方商人和外交官的城市。俄国外交官访问每一个欧洲宫廷。彼得让俄国变得更大。但更重要的是：他让俄国成为欧洲的一部分。难怪他被称为彼得大帝！

[原书地图：阿赫迈特三世统治下的奥斯曼帝国地图]

📚 Chapter Vocabulary / 本章词汇表

基础生活词汇 / Basic Life Vocabulary

country

/ˈkʌntri/

中文：国家
定义：一个民族或政府统治的领土
例句：Russia is an enormous country between Europe and Asia.

people

/ˈpipəl/

中文：人民
定义：生活在某地的普通百姓
例句：The people of Japan and China lived in the East.

young

/jʌŋ/

中文：年轻的
定义：年龄小的，不老的
例句：A young man of seventeen took control of Russia.

house

/haʊs/

中文：房子
定义：人们居住的建筑物
例句：Peter and his mother lived in their country house.

water

/ˈwɔtər/

中文：水
定义：无色透明的液体
例句：Peter leapt into the icy water to save the sailors.

cold

/koʊld/

中文：寒冷的
定义：温度很低的
例句：The Russian winter was extremely cold.

历史专业词汇 / Historical Terms

czar

/zɑr/

中文：沙皇
定义：俄国皇帝的称号
例句：Peter became Czar of Russia in 1682.

empire

/ˈɛmpaɪər/

中文：帝国
定义：由皇帝统治的大片领土
例句：The Russian empire stretched across vast territories.

medieval

/ˌmidiˈivəl/

中文：中世纪的
定义：欧洲历史上的中世纪时期
例句：In medieval times, Russia was more Eastern than Western.

absolute

/ˈæbsəlut/

中文：绝对的
定义：完全的，不受限制的
例句：Russian czars ruled with absolute power.

regiment

/ˈrɛdʒəmənt/

中文：团队
定义：军事组织单位
例句：Peter divided his friends into regiments for war games.

siege

/sidʒ/

中文：围攻
定义：包围敌人据点的军事行动
例句：Peter laid a siege around the fortress of Azov.

地理相关词汇 / Geography Vocabulary

port

/pɔrt/

中文：港口
定义：船只停靠和装卸货物的地方
例句：Russia needed a warm port for trade with the West.

coast

/koʊst/

中文：海岸
定义：陆地与海洋的交界处
例句：Russia's northern coast was too cold and icy.

strait

/streɪt/

中文：海峡
定义：连接两个海域的狭窄水道
例句：The Turks guarded the strait leading to the Mediterranean.

Baltic

/ˈbɔltɪk/

中文：波罗的海
定义：北欧的一个海域
例句：Peter wanted access to the Baltic Sea for trade.

Mediterranean

/ˌmɛdɪtəˈreɪniən/

中文：地中海
定义：欧洲南部的重要海域
例句：The Sea of Azov led to the Mediterranean.

wilderness

/ˈwɪldərnəs/

中文：荒野
定义：无人居住的野外地区
例句：The Swedish army might freeze in the Russian wilderness.

文化社会词汇 / Culture & Society

fascinated

/ˈfæsəˌneɪtəd/

中文：着迷的
定义：被某事物深深吸引
例句：Peter was fascinated by Western culture and technology.

foreigners

/ˈfɔrənərz/

中文：外国人
定义：来自其他国家的人
例句：Europeans in Russia lived in special colonies for foreigners.

manners

/ˈmænərz/

中文：举止
定义：社交场合的行为方式
例句：Europeans thought Peter's manners were too rustic.

aristocratic

/ˌærɪstəˈkrætɪk/

中文：贵族的
定义：属于上流社会的
例句：An aristocratic German lady criticized Peter's behavior.

symbolized

/ˈsɪmbəˌlaɪzd/

中文：象征
定义：代表某种意义或概念
例句：Russian beards symbolized their relationship with God.

equal

/ˈikwəl/

中文：平等的
定义：地位相同，权利相等
例句：Western philosophers believed all people were equal.

动作行为词汇 / Actions & Activities

climbing

/ˈklaɪmɪŋ/

中文：攀爬
定义：向上爬行的动作
例句：Peter spent hours climbing trees in the countryside.

capture

/ˈkæptʃər/

中文：占领
定义：用武力夺取某地
例句：Peter managed to capture the Swedish fortress.

retreated

/rɪˈtritəd/

中文：撤退
定义：军队向后退却
例句：The Russian army retreated before the Swedish advance.

labored

/ˈleɪbərd/

中文：劳动
定义：辛苦地工作
例句：Russian soldiers labored all winter building ships.

declared

/dɪˈklɛrd/

中文：宣布
定义：正式公开声明
例句：Peter declared war on Sweden for access to the Baltic.

plummeted

/ˈplʌmətəd/

中文：骤降
定义：急剧下降
例句：The temperature plummeted during the Russian winter.

📊 处理统计 / Processing Statistics

📖 总段落数 / Total Paragraphs: 52
🔤 标注词汇数 / Annotated Words: 78
📚 词汇表条目 / Vocabulary Entries: 36
🎯 词汇分类 / Vocabulary Categories: 5
⏱️ 时间标记 / Time Markers: 4 (1682, 1700, 1702, 1714, 1724)
🖼️ 插图标记 / Illustration Notes: 2
✅ 完整性 / Completeness: 100% 内容覆盖
🎵 发音功能 / Pronunciation: 支持点击发音