c The Spithead.-A roadstead between Portsea Island and the Isle of Wight.d The Nore.-A roadstead in the estuary of the Thames，opposite Sheerness.e 莫斯科：俄国的古老首都，位于该国的中部附近。
2.他于是只好撤退。部队的食物用完了，俄国的冬天已经来临，地上覆盖着厚厚的大雪。在这次可怕的行军回国途中，他的几乎全部精锐部队都死于寒冷和饥饿，以及俄国人的攻击。
3.欧洲各国此时联合起来摧毁拿破仑的实力，一支由俄国人、奥地利人和普鲁士人组成的军队在莱比锡战役a中与他相遇并击败了他，然后挺进巴黎，迫使他交出王权。他被放逐到厄尔巴岛b，路易十八当上了法国国王。
4.然而，第二天年初，拿破仑离开了厄尔巴岛并在法国登陆，然后向巴黎进军。他在那里很快便聚集了数千名老部下，这些人都打算为他效命。他再次登上了王座，但是辉煌仍是昙花一现。他在布鲁塞尔附近的滑铁卢c的原野上，与威灵顿公爵率领的英国与普鲁士联军相遇，在1815年6月18日星期天那场漫长而血腥的战役中，他被完全而彻底地击败。
5.拿破仑从滑铁卢逃跑，但是随后便向英国投降，并锒铛入狱，被送往圣海伦娜d 那个孤独的小岛上。他在那里苟延残喘了六年，并于1821年死在那里。从此，一场漫长而可怕的战争结束了，这场战争在二十二年时间里夺去了数千万人的生命，并使英国国债增加到8.6亿英磅！所幸的是，随后便迎来了长达四十年几乎不被破坏的和平。
6.乔治三世国王在82岁那年也是执政的第六十年去世，这六十年也是英国历史上时间最长、最引人注目的执政时期。他的个人生活非常纯洁，他的举止和衣着也很普通，以至于享有“农民乔治”的美誉。他将百姓的福祉放在心上，由此也换来了百姓的爱戴。在生命中的最后十年里，他不时神情恍惚，由此无法履行国王的职责，于是他的大儿子乔治负责处理朝政。现在，他得以继位即乔治四世。
7.重要事件--在这一统治时期，库克船长进行了三次环球海上航行。他在欧海西e被一名当地人所杀。1797年，英国海军爆发兵变：海员们要求加薪。他们在斯彼特海德f被轻松平定，但是在诺尔g，他们却抢夺船只，直到其头目被处以绞刑后，他们才恢复正常工作。
8.发展标志--在这一统治时期，煤气在伦敦大街小巷首次使用，最早的汽船在克莱德河下水。詹姆斯·瓦特极大地改善了蒸汽机；詹姆斯·哈格里夫斯发明了“珍妮纺纱机”；塞缪尔·克伦普顿发明了名为“骡子”的走锭精纺机；而卡特赖特则发明了动力织机。
a 莱比锡：位于撒克逊，德累斯顿西北60英里处。
b 厄尔巴岛：位于地中海，意大利海岸对面，在科西嘉和托斯卡那之间。
c 滑铁卢：布鲁塞尔以南10英里处。
d 圣海伦娜：南大西洋上的一个岛屿，离非洲海岸1200英里。
e 欧海西：或叫夏威夷，南太平洋上夏威夷群岛中最大也是最南端的岛屿。
f 斯彼特海德：波特西岛和怀特岛之间的一个近岸锚地。
g 诺尔：泰晤士河河口的一个近岸锚地，西尔尼斯对面。
140
WATERLOO
滑铁卢
ascending，going up-hill.
cartridges，paper cases containing powder and ball.
committed，intrusted.
decisive，final；settling the contest.
defended，guarded.endured，bore.intelligence，information.
magnificent，very grand.maintained，held；kept.method，plan.permitted，allowed.
preparations，arrangements；plans.
resource，plan.
veterans，seasoned soldiers.
1.The Duchess of Richmond gave a magnificent ball in her mansion at Brussels one evening in June 1815.It was attended by nearly all the officers of the British army，then waiting to meet Napoleon in battle.At an early hour in the afternoon the Duke of Wellington，who commanded the forces，had received certain intelligence that Napoleon was advancing，and had told it to his leading generals and staff-officers，desiring them，however，when their preparations were all made，to dress and go to the ball，lest the ladies might suspect the truth and be alarmed.
2.When the dancing was at its height，a careful eye might have seen officers in the rich uniform of the staff moving quietly about the ball-rooms and whispering orders to the colonels，who a little later left the gay scene and hurried away to get their men under arms.
“The midnight brought the signal-sound of strife-The morn，the marshalling in arms-the day，Battle‘s magnificently stern array.”
3.The “battle”was that of Quatre Bras，or Four Arms，a place which took its name from the crossing of two roads at a point twenty miles south of Brussels；and in the conflict Wellington maintained his position against the attack of Ney.On the same day Napoleon drove the Prussians back from Ligny.Nextday Wellington fell back on Waterloo，which he had chosen to be the ground for a great decisive battle between Napoleon and himself.
4.The night before the Battle of Waterloo was very wet.The soldiers lay down in the meadows and the rye-fields，sheltering themselves as well as they could，and trying to keep their fires alight under the heavy rain.Before four o’clock thedawn was seen in the sky；and each army，when the mists lifted and permitted a clear view，saw the other drawn out on a ridge.
5.Between the armies there was a hollow.Down in the low ground next the British side there wasaa whit e farm -house ，b
and another
stood near
the crest of the French position.At the western angle of the hill occupiedcby the British，a chateau，built of red brick，formed a fortress，which was garrisoned by many soldiers.Around these three buildings，especially the last，the battle raged hottest.
6.There was great difficulty at first on both sides in getting the muskets ready for action，for the rain had soaked the cartridges in the loaded barrels，so that they would not fire.And when the soldiers，turning their ramroads，tried to draw out the charge，it was so swelled with damp that it would not yield.
7.It seemed at one time as if there was to be no battle，or a battle without musketry.However，an English sergeant found that，by taking his gun by the stock and whirling it round his head，the cartridge became loose and gradually came out.His example was followed，and all along both lines of battle groups of men were seen whirling their guns round their heads，as if they were going to fling them away.
8.The battle began about half-past eleven in the morning.The Duke of Wellington was engaged all day in directing the movements of the British army，wishing earnestly the while that “either night or Blucher （the Prussian general）a A white farm-house.-La Haye Sainte.
b Another.-La Belle Alliance.
c A chateau.-A country house，-the Chateau of Hougoumont.
would come；”but even Wellington had a very confused idea，after all was over，of the details of the fight.
Napoleon‘s plan of attack was to open a heavy fire of cannon on the British array，and then to send forward at full gallop regiment after regiment of horse soldiers，-some defended by steel breastplates，some car-rying lances，and some having the loose jacket of the hussar，with its rich gold lace and fur hanging from their shoulders.
9.The method taken by the British to meet these fierce charges was the formationTHE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.