Eventually, Bacon climbed without being lifted from above; but every step cost him many years.
最终，培根凭借自己的努力爬上去了，尽管每一步都耗费了他许多时间。
In 1583 he was elected to Parliament for Taunton; and his constituents liked him so well that they returned him to his seat in election after election.
1583年，他被选为议员，自此，他深受选民爱戴并获得了几次连任。
He had a terse and vivid eloquence in debate, and was an orator without oratory.
辩论时，他的发言简明生动，是一位不耍嘴皮子的雄辩家。
"No man," said Ben Jonson, "ever spoke more neatly, more (com)pressedly, more weightily, or suffered less emptiness, less idleness in what he uttered. No member of his speech but consisted of its own graces. His hearers could not cough or look aside from him without loss. He commanded where he spoke ...No man had their affections more in his power. The fear of every man that heard him was lest that he should make an end." Enviable orator!
本.琼森说：“没有比他的发言更简明扼要的人了，他不说空话，也不讲陈词滥调。他的每一句话都具备独特魅力。他的听众不敢斜视或咳嗽，唯恐错过了任何精彩内容。他一旦开口就立即立即抓牢了人们的情感......没有人比他更能感染听众。听众们唯一担心的是他的演讲即将结束。”多么让人妒忌的演说家啊！
One powerful friend was generous to him—that handsome Earl of Essex whom Elizabeth loved unsuccessfully, and so learned to hate.
一位有权势的朋友对他很慷概，这就是英俊的埃塞克斯伯爵，伊丽莎白曾属意于他，却没有得到回应，于是便怀恨在心。
In 1595 Essex, to atone for his failure in securing a political post for Bacon, presented him with a pretty estate at Twickenham.
1595年，埃塞克斯送给培根他在特维克纳姆的美丽庄园来弥补未能替他谋到职位的歉疚。
It was a magnificent gift, which one might presume would bind Bacon to Essex for life; but it did not.
这是一份厚礼，人们以为培根会与埃塞克斯从此成为莫逆之交，实则不然。
A few years later Essex organized a conspiracy to imprison Elizabeth and select her successor to the throne.
几年后，埃塞克斯阴谋策划软禁伊丽莎白，并推选她的继承人上位。
Bacon wrote letter after letter to his benefactor, protesting against this treason; and when Essex persisted, Bacon warned him that he would put loyalty to his Queen above even gratitude to his friend.
培根再三写信劝他停止这种叛变行为，但埃塞克斯一意孤行，培根警告说，自己将把对女王的忠诚远远置于对朋友的感恩之上。
Essex made his effort, failed, and was arrested.
埃塞克斯还是铤而走险，最后事败被捕。
Bacon pled with the Queen in his behalf so incessantly that at last she bade him "speak of any other subject."
培根反复向女王求情，以致女王最后命令他“谈点别的话题”。
When Essex, temporarily freed, gathered armed forces about him, marched into London, and tried to rouse its populace to revolution, Bacon turned against him angrily.
埃塞克斯后来暂时获释就立即召集人马进攻伦敦，试图煽动群众暴动。培根气愤地与之抗争。
Meanwhile he had been given a place in the prosecuting office of the realm; and when Essex, again arrested, was tried for treason, Bacon took active part in the prosecution of the man who had been his unstinting friend.
此时的培根任职于该地区的检察院，在埃塞克斯再次被捕并以叛国罪接受审讯时，培根积极参与了对他这位慷慨朋友的起诉。
曾子曰：“吾日三省吾身：为人谋而不忠乎？与朋友交而不信乎？传不习乎？”
培根从某方面是极度复杂的人物性格。
Essex was found guilty, and was put to death.
埃塞克斯被判死刑。
Bacon's part in the trial made him for a while unpopular; and from this time on he lived in the midst of enemies watching for a chance to destroy him.
培根在这场审判中充当的角色让他一度颇受非议，不受人待见；自此之后，他有了许多宿敌，那些人总在伺机置他于死地。
His insatiable ambition left him no rest; he was ever discontent, and always a year or so ahead of his income.
他的野心让他难有片刻安宁；他从不满足，时常入不敷出。
He was lavish in his expenditures; display was to him a part of policy.
他挥霍无度，把铺张炫耀当权术。
When, at the age of forty-five, he married, the pompous and costly ceremony made a great gap in the dowry which had constituted one of the lady's attractions.
他45岁结婚时，奢华的婚礼用掉了新娘大部分的陪嫁，而这嫁妆本就是那新娘的魅力之一。
In 1598 he was arrested for debt.
1598年，因负债太多，他被捕入狱。
Nevertheless, he continued to advance.
即便如此，他的官职仍在高升。
His varied ability and almost endless knowledge made him a valuable member of every important committee; gradually higher offices were opened to him: in 1606 he was made Solicitor-General; in 1613 he became Attorney-General; in 1618, at the age of fifty-seven, he was at last Lord Chancellor.
知识渊博、才华过人的他是每一个重要委员会的机要成员。1606年，他被任命为总检察长；1613年，升为总律师；1618年，57岁的他终于成为首相。
英国做重要决策都在委员会内做。
语言点
constituent: n. 选民
terse: adj. 简洁的
orator: n. 演说家
oratory: n. 华丽辞藻；陈词滥调
lest: conj. 唯恐，以免；担心
atone for: 补偿
conspiracy: n. 阴谋
treason: n. 叛国罪
incessantly: adv. 反复地
unstinting: adj. 慷慨的
a year or so ahead of on
