Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian chancellor.

即奥托·冯·俾斯麦而造成的恶果
It involved one of those obscure things

这牵扯到一些
that one had to learn in Western Civ.,

你们很久以前就在西方文明史里学过的
the way it was taught a long time ago

阴晦繁杂的事情
well I suppose it's worth remembering anyway--

不过我认为这值得再讲下
it involved the candidacy of a Royal Family member,

这里面掺和着王室继承权的事宜
a rather obscure one,

当然这种事就更是一团乱麻了
for the throne of France,

主要就是为了法国王位的争夺
which would have left France surrounded by the Royal Family of Prussia,

这导致法国被普鲁士的王室围困
Hohenzollerns,

即霍亨索伦王室
a name that in this course you need not retain

这个名字你们在这门课上也不用记
unless it's in some extraordinarily complicated crossword puzzle.

除非遇到一些极度变态的字谜游戏