Lafayette/拉法耶特

This book is a biography of Jean-François Lafayette, a historical figure from 18th-century France. As a local nobleman under the French feudal system, he first witnessed the rigidity of the system and the pervasive inequality in late Bourbon rule. Later, by chance, he traveled to North America to support the American Revolutionary War. Upon his return, his experiences in America became his motivation to support reforms. However, the depth and intensity of the contradictions between different classes in France exceeded everyone's expectations. The concessions made by the monarchy to reconcile these contradictions quickly catalyzed the French Revolution after the Bastille impeachment. Lafayette's fate thus took an unexpected turn.

本书是法国十八世纪历史人物拉法耶特的传记。他以法国封建王朝制度下地方贵族的身份，首先见证了法国波旁王朝末期制度的僵化和社会普遍存在的不平等；随后因一个偶然的机会，他远赴北美，支援美国的独立战争；归国后，他在美国的所见所闻又成了他支持改革的动机。但法国不同阶级间的矛盾之深刻和激烈，出乎所有人的预料。王室为调和矛盾作出的让步举措，在巴士底狱事件后迅速催化了遍及全法的大革命。拉法耶特的命运，也因此出现了意想不到的转折。