改革為什麼失敗? - 古德明

改革為什麼失敗? - 古德明

TheWaroftheAustrianSuccession,1740-48,sawtheAustrianarmyfaringbadlyagainstthePrussians,andMariaTheresa,ArchduchessofAustria,lookedforwaysofimprovingherarmy'sperformance.
Oneday,watchinghertroopsparading,MariaTheresanotedthattheircoatsweretoolong,makingtheminconvenientforthemenonthemarch.ShesuggestedshorteningtheircoatsonthePrussianmodel.TheAustrianofficers,whohadvestedinterestsinthesupplyofuniforms,objectedthatthecoatshadtobelongtokeepthemenwarmatnight,andsaidthePrussiansdidnotneedlongcoatsastheyallsleptintents.MariaTheresarejoinedthathersoldiersmusthavetentsaswell.Thenextdaytheofficerssubmittedgrosslyexaggeratedestimatesofthecostofnewcoatsandtents.ThebillwassoenormousthatMariaTheresahadtogiveuptheidea.

一七四○年至四八年奧地利王位繼承戰之中,奧地利軍隊被普魯士重創。奧國女大公瑪麗亞.德利莎希望改善軍隊表現。
有一天,她檢閱列隊行進的軍隊,見他們戰袍太長,阻礙行進,建議以普魯士軍服為模式,把戰袍改短。奧國軍官在軍服供應上有既得利益,反對這建議,說戰袍不長,晚上不足以禦寒,又說普魯士軍隊都睡在營帳裏,所以軍服可以短些。瑪麗亞.德利莎反駁說,奧軍也須有營帳。第二天,那些軍官遞上新軍服和營帳的估計價錢,誇大了很多,金額之鉅,使瑪麗亞.德利莎不得不打消改革軍服的念頭。
【附注】Rejoin是「回答」,一般帶不滿或批評含義,例如:"That'snotso!"Irejoined(我反駁說:「不是這樣!」)