約瑟芬早年過得十分動(dòng)蕩，她嫁的丈夫博阿爾內(nèi)子爵是個(gè)花花公子，一事無成只會花天酒地，后來在法國大革命中被推上了斷頭臺。約瑟芬受他的牽連下獄和死囚關(guān)在一起，本來也是要送命的，卻因?yàn)槊烂捕玫缴饷?。同年，拿破侖結(jié)識約瑟芬，1796兩人結(jié)為夫妻。拿破侖對約瑟芬的感情熱烈而真摯，從情書中可見一斑。

I have your letter, my adorable love. It has filled my heart with joy since I left you I have been sad all the time. My only happiness is near you. I go over endlessly in my thought of your kisses, your tears, your delicious jealousy. The charm of my wonderful Josephine kindles a living, blazing fire in-my heart and senses.

　　我收到了你的信，我祟拜的心上人。你的信使我充滿了歡樂……自從與你分手以后，我一直悶悶不樂，愁眉不展。我唯一的幸福就是伴隨著你。你的吻給了我無限的思索和回味，還有你的淚水和甜蜜的嫉妒。我迷人的約瑟芬的魅力像一團(tuán)熾熱的火在心里燃燒。
 

When shall I be able to pass every minute near you, with nothing to do but to love you and nothing to think of but the pleasure of telling you of it and giving you proof of it?
　　什么時(shí)候我才能在你身旁度過每分每秒，除了愛你什么也不需做；除了向你傾訴我對你的愛并向你證明愛的那種愉快，什么也不用想了?
 

I loved you some time ago; since then I feel that I love you a thousand times better. Ever since I have known you I adore you more every day. That proves how wrong is that saying of La Bruyere "Love comes all of a sudden. "
　　 我不敢相信不久前愛上你，自那以后我感到對你的愛更增一千倍。自我與你相識，我一天比一天更崇拜你。這正好證明了La Bruyere說的"愛，突如其來"多么不切合實(shí)際。
 

Ah, let me see some of your faults; be less beautiful, less graceful, less tender, less good. But never be jealous and never shed tears. Your tears send me out of my mind they set my very blood on fire.
　　哎，讓我看你的一些美中不足吧。再少幾分甜美，再少幾分優(yōu)雅，再少幾分溫柔撫媚，再少幾分姣好吧。但決不要嫉妒，決不要流淚。你的眼淚使我神魂顛倒，你的眼淚使我熱血沸騰。
 

Believe me that it is utterly impossible for me to have a single thought that is not yours, a single fancy that is not submissive to your will. Rest well. Restore your health. Come back to me and then at any rate before we die we ought to be able to say: "We were happy for so very many days!" Millions of kisses even to your dog.
　　相信我，我每時(shí)每刻無不想你，不想你是絕無可能的。沒有一絲意念能不順著你的意愿。好好休息，早日康復(fù)。回到我的身邊，不管怎么說，在我們謝世之前，我們應(yīng)當(dāng)能說："我們曾有多少個(gè)幸福的日子啊!"千百萬次吻，甚至吻你的愛犬。  

詞匯點(diǎn)津：

adorable 可愛的

jealousy 嫉妒

kindles 點(diǎn)燃

adore 愛慕

Love comes all of a sudden. 愛琴突然降臨。

set on 把……置于……上

utterly 完全地

submissive 順從的

 ought to 應(yīng)該