or thinks they know what his work is about.

或者自认为知道他的作品
His name, again, is synonymous with

他的名字象征着
deception, treachery, cunning, deceit.

欺骗背叛和阴谋诡计
Just look at the cover of your book.

看看你们书的封面
Look at his face.

看他的脸
Look at his smile, really more of a smirk.

这微笑一副小人得志的嘴脸
He seems to be saying,

好像是在说
"I know something you don't know."

我知道你不知道的东西
The difficulty with reading Machiavelli today is that we all

当今我们阅读马基雅维利作品的主要困难在于
think we already know what he knows and that is false.

我们错误的认为我们早了解他知道的东西了
Machiavelli was a revolutionary.

马基雅维利算是个革命者
In the preface to his largest book, the Discourses on Livy,

在他最大的著作论李维的序言中