By+Sara+Miller+Llana

The love story of Emmanuel Macron and his wife， who is 24 years his senior， has long generated gossip. Against all odds， though， Macron proved the world that he is such a person who would live unconstrained by convention， who would show a willingness and even a need to be different and undaunted—ultimately poising him to win the French presidency.1

In a country deeply attached to pomp and political tradition， he launched an upstart centrist party a year ago， claiming allegiance to neither the left nor right.2 Aged 39 and virtually3 unknown the last time the French elected a president， Macron is now the youngest leader in modern French history. He soundly beat Marine Le Pen for the French presidency with 65.8 percent of the second round vote， despite his minimal political experience.4

Mr. Macron promises to shake up5 a country desperately in need of it. But can a man， who has been buoyed as much by luck as intellect and savvy， have the fortitude to bring France forward with the tough reforms it needs？6

Hope for France？

Looking back through his life， many say hes been willing to fight against established norms7 since age five. “He is sort of the perfect product of what we call the ‘French system， ” says Anne Fulda， a French journalist who authored the recent biography， Emmanuel Macron： a Young Man So Perfect. “But in politics he dared to do this very crazy thing， deciding to run for president when nobody knows you… Its a way to act against the system.”

On May 1， Macron and Le Pen led huge rallies8 around Paris. In the suburb of Villepinte， Le Pen， the anti-immigrant， anti-EU candidate of the National Front， warned supporters that Macron would put globalism ahead of French interests.9 “On May 7， I ask you all to stand tall against finance， arrogance， and the rain of money，”10 she told the crowd.

Her message has drawn not just the far-right fringe but the so-called “l(fā)eft behind，” and has resonated in a deeply pessimistic country where the sitting president is the most unpopular in history.11 A 2016 Ipsos12 global poll showed the French the gloomiest of all countries surveyed， with 88 percent of respondents saying the country was headed in the “wrong direction.”

Macron forged ahead with a message of renewal， promising to upend the current economic paralysis and help the French get beyond the fear of labor reform， which he says will boost everybody.13 “The French have hope and optimism， thats why they put us in the lead，”he said at his rally， referring to his first-round victory.“The second thing， and its just as important， is that the French are angry，” adding， “we need to hear them as well.”

“Talented， and lucky”

Macron was the economic minister under President Fran？ois Hollande when he left to start his own movement “En Marche.”14 Alain Minc， a business consultant and Macrons mentor， says when he first met Macron 15 years ago and asked him what he wanted to do， Macron told him he wanted to be president of France.

But last year when Macron shared with Mr. Minc his plans to run for president now， Minc says he urged Macron to hold off until 2022. “I told him not to go too quickly，” Minc says. “His answer was fascinating. He said， ‘You are describing the world of yesterday. Now it doesnt work that way， and he was right. He understood the political world is moving very quickly.”

Macron studied at the elite Ecole National dAdministration （ENA）15. He later worked at the finance ministry before leaving for Rothschild Bank16.He returned to government in 2012 as an adviser to President Hollande， and was later tapped17 as economy minister. He resigned last summer and officially launched his campaign in November—an audacious gamble that succeeded in part because of the implosion of the mainstream parties in the race.18

“I never met someone so lucky，” Minc says. “But he was talented， and lucky. Thats exactly what Napoleon19 requested from his generals： talent and luck.”

Macron grew up comfortably in the provincial city of Amiens，20 the son of two doctors. He says in his book Revolution that he lived his childhood a bit in “another world，” largely “through texts and words，” which his grandmother helped foster. For years he aspired to be a novelist. He was the perfect child： a prize-winning pianist， at the top of his class. He also loved drama， which is how he met his future wife Brigitte Trogneux21.

A pessimistic electorate22

Macrons critics say he is short on substance and purposely vague about his centrist platforms.23“There is really a possibility that if Macron is elected and doesnt really bring something new， something strong especially with regard to the economy but also with the way the political system works， we certainly will have a very difficult time，” a critic says.24 “If he only appeals to start-uppers，25 young educated people， winners of globalization， those in the professions and so on， he will not remain for five years.”

An exchange that went viral last year already shows the challenges hell face convincing the working class.26 In small-town France， the fluent English speaker who advocates for more French entrepreneurism was confronted by a T-shirt clad protester goading him about his fancy suits.27 “The best way to buy yourself a suit is to work，” Macron shot back28—a comment which critics say showed how disconnected he is from the life of ordinary French.

Macron seems at pains to emphasize that he is an outsider who was not born with a silver spoon.29 “My grandparents were a teacher， railway worker， social worker， and bridges and roadways engineer，” he writes in Revolution. “All came from modest30 backgrounds.”

Kind or hard？

The question of likeability also hangs over Macron， despite a dazzling smile and piercing gaze that makes individuals feel on the campaign trail that hes speaking directly to them.31 A schoolmate from ENA told Fulda that he wasnt always natural. “He was pleasant， smiling， and shaking hands with everyone， but there was something fake， in fact，” Fulda says.“His wife says he doesnt need anyone， and that no one can come into his perimeter32.”

And yet， almost paradoxically， Fulda sees a strong desire to be liked—what she considers his biggest liability as president.33 “Perhaps its his strong desire to be always loved，” she says. “If you want to please everyone you cannot do a lot of reforms.”

Minc disagrees. “He looks kind， he smiles，” he says. But “he will be brutal， cynical， not a mild king，34 but a strong one.” He says Macron is like a cat. “You throw him through the window and at the end he falls on his feet35.”

1. 然而，馬克龍排除萬難，向世界證明了：他不受社會習(xí)俗的約束，他愿意甚至可以說是需要成為一個與眾不同、毫無畏懼的人——這為他最終贏得法國總統(tǒng)大選鋪平了道路。against all odds： 戰(zhàn)勝種種困難，盡管有許多困難；unconstrained： 不受約束的；convention：社會習(xí)俗，慣例；undaunted： 勇敢的，無畏的；poise： 使做好準(zhǔn)備。

2. attached to： 依戀，非常喜歡；pomp： 浮華，排場；upstart： 暴發(fā)的，迅速成功的人（或團(tuán)體）；centrist：（政治上）中間路線的，溫和的；allegiance： 擁護(hù)，忠誠。

3. virtually： 實質(zhì)上，幾乎。

4. soundly： 徹底地；Marine Le Pen： 瑪麗娜·勒龐（1968— ），法國極右翼政黨國民陣線領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人，是前國民陣線主席讓·瑪麗·勒龐之女，曾參選2012年和2017年法國總統(tǒng)；second round vote：法國憲法規(guī)定，在總統(tǒng)選舉中，如果第一輪選舉時沒有候選人贏得絕大多數(shù)選票，就要進(jìn)行第二輪選舉，對第一輪選舉中得票最多的兩位候選人進(jìn)行再次投票；minimal： 最低的，最小限度的。

5. shake up： 使？？振作。

6. buoy： 支持，鼓勵；savvy： 智慧，精明；fortitude： 堅韌不拔，堅毅。

7. norm： 標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，規(guī)范。

8. rally： 集會。

9. Villepinte： 維勒班特，位于巴黎東北部市郊；National Front： 國民陣線，法國的一個極右民粹主義政黨，由讓·瑪麗·勒龐于1972年成立，代表極端民族主義思潮，強(qiáng)調(diào)“要把法國從歐洲控制和世界主義中拯救出來”，瑪麗娜·勒龐接任后，其路線略作轉(zhuǎn)移，以反移民、反歐盟為基調(diào)。

10. tall： 昂首挺胸地，不低三下四地；arrogance：傲慢，妄自尊大。

11. 因法國現(xiàn)任總統(tǒng)被評為歷史上最不受歡迎的總統(tǒng)，她的這些話不僅吸引了極右翼人士，也吸引了所謂“被遺棄”人士的注意，并在這個沉浸于極度悲觀主義情緒的國家里引起了共鳴。far-right： 極右派的，極端保守主義的；fringe： 極端分子，偏激的人；left behind：“被遺棄”人士，指在經(jīng)濟(jì)蕭條時受到極大沖擊的人；resonate： 產(chǎn)生共鳴。

12. Ipsos： 益普索，一家位于法國巴黎的市場研究公司。

13. 馬克龍懷揣著復(fù)興法國的夢想堅定前行，承諾要逆轉(zhuǎn)當(dāng)前的經(jīng)濟(jì)癱瘓狀態(tài)，幫助法國人打消對勞工改革的恐懼；他認(rèn)為，這將鼓舞所有人的士氣。forge ahead： 穩(wěn)步前進(jìn)，向前發(fā)展；renewal： 復(fù)興，重生；upend：使顛倒，逆轉(zhuǎn)；paralysis： 癱瘓；boost： 增強(qiáng)……的信心。

14. Fran？ois Hollande： 弗朗索瓦·奧朗德（1954— ），法國第24任總統(tǒng)。2016年12月1日，其執(zhí)政滿意度僅剩4%；En Marche：前進(jìn)！由馬克龍創(chuàng)立的一個進(jìn)步主義運(yùn)動。馬克龍還創(chuàng)建了以“共和前進(jìn)！”（La République En Marche！）為名的法國社會自由主義中間派政黨，并以該黨領(lǐng)袖身份于2017年在法國總統(tǒng)選舉中勝出。

15. Ecole National dAdministration （ENA）： 國家行政學(xué)院，于1945年戴高樂政府時期創(chuàng)立，專門培養(yǎng)高級文官或行政法院法官。在法蘭西第五共和國的歷史上，曾經(jīng)有三位總統(tǒng)、七位總理以及眾多部長畢業(yè)于該校。

16. Rothschild Bank： 羅斯柴爾德銀行，是歐洲老牌家族銀行之一，有二百多年歷史，在全球三十多個國家設(shè)立機(jī)構(gòu)。

17. tap： 選擇（某人做某事，尤指擔(dān)當(dāng)重要工作）。

18. 他在去年夏天辭了職，并于11月正式發(fā)起總統(tǒng)競選活動——這是一場大膽的孤注一擲的行為，他最終獲得了成功，部分原因是主流政黨在競選中內(nèi)斗。resign： 辭職；audacious： 大膽的，無畏的；implosion：（組織、經(jīng)濟(jì)體系等的）內(nèi)爆般毀滅、崩潰。

19. Napoleon： 拿破侖·波拿巴（1769—1821），法國軍事家、政治家，創(chuàng)立了法蘭西第一帝國。

20. provincial city： 省會城市；Amiens： 亞眠，位于法國北部，索姆省的省會。

21. Brigitte Trogneux： 布莉姬特·托涅，馬克龍的妻子，曾是一名高中教師。

22. electorate： 全體選民。

23. 馬克龍的批評者們說，他的競選綱領(lǐng)缺乏實質(zhì)性內(nèi)容，故意對中間派的施政綱領(lǐng)含糊其辭。short on： 缺乏，不足；substance： 實質(zhì)性的東西；platform：（政黨的）施政綱領(lǐng)。

24.“如果馬克龍當(dāng)選后不能開拓出新局面，尤其是不能在經(jīng)濟(jì)和政治體系運(yùn)作方面打一劑強(qiáng)心針的話——這種情況很可能會發(fā)生——那么，我們肯定都沒好日子過?！币晃慌u者表示。

25. appeal to： 依賴，求助于；start-upper： 新興企業(yè)創(chuàng)辦者。

26. exchange： （短時間的）爭論，爭吵；go viral：（在網(wǎng)絡(luò)上）火起來，像病毒似地傳播。

27. the fluent English speaker： 此處指馬克龍。國際上一向認(rèn)為能說流利英文的法國人很少，此語影射馬克龍是一位接受過高等教育的精英人士；advocate：提倡，倡導(dǎo)；entrepreneurism： 企業(yè)家精神，創(chuàng)業(yè)文化；confront： 使對質(zhì)，當(dāng)面對證；clad： 穿著……服裝的；goad： 挑釁，激怒。

28. shoot back： 反駁，還擊。

29. at pains： 盡力，用心；born with a silver spoon： 出生于富貴人家。

30. modest： 謙虛的，樸素的，這里指出身普通。

31. “是否具有親和力”的問題也一直困擾著馬克龍，盡管他有著迷人的微笑和銳利的目光，令參加競選游說活動的民眾感覺他是在與他們直接對話。hang over：糾纏住（某人），籠罩；dazzling： 令人傾倒的，令人贊嘆的；piercing： 有穿透力的，有洞察力的；trial： 系列活動。

32. perimeter： 邊界，邊緣。此處指馬克龍拒絕任何人走進(jìn)他內(nèi)心。

33. paradoxically： 自相矛盾地；liability： 不利因素，束縛，累贅。

34. brutal： 嚴(yán)苛的，不留情面的；cynical： 憤世嫉俗的；mild： 性情溫和的，和善的。

35. fall on ones feet： 安然脫險，運(yùn)氣好。