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人类的历史写作仿佛是一种竞争——挖掘者与那种掩盖史实的力量之间的竞赛。太多的显赫一时的人物在死后迅速被忘却,或者因为事功肤浅,声名虚张,或者因为某种党派立场或集体心理,成为心照不宣的禁忌。如果说历史学家的使命是最大限度地复原历史事实的本来面目,那么打破禁忌、挖掘真相便是历史写作的题中应有之义。罗伯逊先生的这本巨著正是这样的正本清源之作。对于英国历史有所涉猎的读者都会知道,发生在距今300多年前的对于查理一世的审判是一起意义重大的事件,查理一世在断头台上慷慨赴死的一幕也是人们津津乐道的历史大场面之一。
Human history is like a race of historical writing - the race between the digger and the power that masks historical facts. Too many prominent figures are rapidly forgotten after their death, either because of superficial acquittal, infamy, or because of partisan or collective psychology, becoming tacit taboo. If the historian’s mission is to restore the true nature of historical facts to the maximum extent, breaking the taboo and tapping the truth is the proper meaning of historical writing. This masterpiece of Mr. Robertson is exactly such an original source. Readers of British history will know that what happened in the trial of Charles I more than 300 years ago is a significant event and that the scene of Charlie I’s generous death on the guillotine is also a rehearsal of history one.