not for a tour of duty, but they went there to stay.

不是工作所需而是为了在那里定居
Settlers were often committed to the colonies for life.

移民者前往去殖民地常常是生活所迫
They gave up the resources they possessed at home,

他们辞去原有工作
they took to the colonies whatever capital

把一切能随身携带的
and whatever possessions they could get and could carry with them.

资金与财产都带到了殖民地
The colonies were not hospitable places, needless to say.

毫无疑问殖民地并非乐土
Remoteness from France and relatives, tropical diseases,

远离祖国与亲属备受热带病折磨
and a very understandable hostility of indigenous populations

以及当地人理所当然的敌视
were a deterrent major for many people.

这些都是阻人成行的存在
However, a number of French men and women

然而还是有许多法国男女
did dare a new life in the Maghreb,

在马格里布印度支那或者西非
in Indochina or in West Africa.

过上了崭新的生活