中英雙語話歷史 第63期:唐朝的創建和發展
In 618, Li Yuan established the Tang Dynasty after the fall of the Sui Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty lasted for 289 years till 907, when Zhu Wen destroyed it.
Usually, the Tang Dynasty is divided into two periods by historians ,namely the early stage or prosperous stage, and the later stage or declining stage, with the “An-and-Shi Rebellion” as their dividing line.
唐朝一般分爲兩個時期，即前期和後期，中間以安史之亂爲界限，前期是昌盛期，後期則是衰亡期。It was Li Yuan, Emperor Tang Gaozu who established the Tang Dynasty, but it was his son, Li Shimin, Emperor Tang Taizong who spent 10 years unifying the whole country by fighting wars.
建立唐朝的是唐高祖，唐太宗李世民領兵用十年時間完成統一大業。
Li Shimin ascended the throne upon the “Xuanwu Gate Coup D’Amato”.
玄武門之變，李世民登位。During his reign, he devoted all his efforts to make the country prosperous, that the faMous period “Zhenguan Times of Peace”，when politics, economy and culture, etc. achieved great success ranked the leading status in the world.
他經過勵精圖治,使唐朝在中國封建社會空前繁榮，出現了“貞觀之治”，在政治、經濟、文化等各方面都居於當時世界領先地位。Afterwards, during the period of Emperor Tang Xuanzong, the country was strong and the common people were wealthy, the peaceful period went forth again, thafs uKaiyuan Flourishing Age”. However, it was also during the reign of Emperor Tang Xuanzong, the <4an-and-shi rebellionm broke out, thus drove the tang dynasty towards decline and fall.
<4an-and-shi rebellionm broke out, thus drove the tang dynasty towards decline and fall.<4an-and-shi rebellionm broke out, thus drove the tang dynasty towards decline and fall.
此後的唐玄宗時期又出現了“開元盛世”，國強民富，昇平之世再次出現，但唐玄宗時期，發生了安史之亂,從此唐朝走向了衰亡。In the late period of the Tang Dynasty, the state was in anarchy, from “Party Struggles between Niu and Li ” to “Eunuch Grabbing All the Powers”， while farmers’ revolts emerging from time to time. At last, Huang Chao Revolt burst out. Zhu Wen, one of its leaders replaced the Tang Dynasty with the Post-Liang,he first dynasty of the Five Dynasties Period.唐朝後期政治混亂，從牛、李黨爭到宦官專權，其間農民起義不斷髮生，終於爆發了大規模的黃巢起義，起義領袖之一朱溫開始叛降唐朝，後又取代唐朝自立爲帝，建立了五代的第一個王朝——後梁。
The Tang Dynasty is one of the most splendid dynasties in the Chinese history. With its puissant national power, prosperous economy and glorious culture, it reached the height of Chinese feudal society.唐朝是中國歷史上最爲輝煌的一個王朝，其國力強盛，經濟繁榮，文化燦爛，達到了中國封建社會發展史上的最高峯。
As the strongest and most advanced country, its high civilization influenced Japan, Korea and many other countries and areas.它的高度文明影響了日本、朝鮮等許多國 家和地區，是當時世界上最強大、最先進的國家。
The Tang Dynasty experienced 289 years and 20 emperors (including 16 years when Wu Zetian replaced the Tang with the Zhou), Together with the Han Dynasty ,it was considered as the strongest and most prosperous dynasty in Chinese history.唐共傳二十二帝，歷國289年（其間有武則天改唐爲周16年），其與漢朝並稱爲中國歷史上兩大強盛王朝。
At its prime time, the Tang territory extended to Andong Prefecture (now Pyongyang in Korea) in the east, the Anxi Prefecture (now kuche in Xinjiang) in the west, the Rinan Prefecture(now Qinghua in Vietnam) in the south and the An-bei Prefecture(now Halahelin in Inner Mongolia) in the north.其盛時疆域東至安東府（今朝鮮平壤），西至安西府 (今新疆庫車），南至日南郡(今越南清化），北至安北府（今蒙古哈拉和林）。
After the Revolts of An Lushan and Shi Siming, Hexi and Longyou were conquered by the Turfan and not recovered until the reign of Dazhong (847 ?860) and the reign of Xiantong (860 ?874).安史之亂後，河西、隴右陷於吐蕃，至大中（847 ~ 860 )、鹹通（860 ~ 874)始復。
During the early stage of the Tang Dynasty，from Emperor Tang Tai-zong to Kaiyuan reign of Emperor Tang Xuanzong, the country kept developing rapidly, its economy, politics, military, foreign affairs and culture, etc. reached all-time prosperity.唐王朝的前期，由唐太宗李世民至玄宗開元年間國家一直處於大發展階段，經濟、政治、軍事、外交、文化等方面都空前繁榮。
The “Zhenguan Times of Peace” and “Kaiyuan Flourishing Age” structured the “Tang Flourishing Atmosphere” which gave all Chinese people matchless pride and made China distinct in the world.在此期間出現的“貞觀之治”、“開元盛世”構成了中華民族引以驕傲的盛唐氣象。從而,使中國的世界地位顯赫一時。
The “An and Shi Rebellion” appeared during the late period of Emperor Tang Xuanzong’s reign, made the Tang Dynasty begin to decline.唐玄宗後期出現的安史之亂，使唐王朝逐漸沒落。
In the middle and late stage of Tang Dynasty, the emperors lost their power in economy, politics and military affairs.在中晚唐時期，皇帝在經濟、政治、軍事上已無實權，致使藩鎮割據局面形成。
Eventually, vassal states broke away from the rule of the Tang Dynasty to set up separatist regimes one after another.最後，各方紛紛脫離唐王朝的統治而成立各自獨立的政權。
In 617，the late stage of the Sui Dynasty，when the peasants’revolts were flourished, Li Yuan raised troops in Taiyuan.公元617年，隋末農民起義蓬勃發展時，李淵在太原起兵。
At that time, the Wagang Troop and Hebei peasants Troop were fighting bravely in central plains； their fighting held down a great deal army corps of the Sui Dynasty, thus the defending forces in Chang，an，the capital and the nearby areas were very weak. In the autumn, Li Yuan led 30000 soldiers to leave Taiyuan for Guanzhong.這時瓦崗軍和河北農民軍正在中原地區奮戰，牽制了大量隋軍，隋京都長安地區的防守力量很薄弱這年秋天，李淵率三萬人由太原出發，向關中進軍。
In the end of the year, Li Yuan captured Chang，an，and kinged the Sui prince Yang You as the puppet em-peror.年底，李淵攻克長安，立隋朝代王楊侑爲傀儡皇帝。
In 618, Emperor Yang of Sui was killed； Li Yuan dethroned Yang You and made himself the emperor, namely, emperor Tang Gaozu. Li Yuan and his son LiShimin wiped out separate forces everywhere, suppressed peasants revolting armies and eventually unified the whole country.公元618年，隋煬帝被殺，李淵廢楊侑，在長安稱帝，是爲唐高祖。李淵和他的兒子李世民消滅了各地割據勢力，鎮壓了各股農民起義軍,統一了全國。
During the process of establishing the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan，s second son, Li Shimin’s contribution was greatest, but the eldest son, Li Jiancheng was selected as the crown prince.唐高祖李淵建立唐朝，次子李世民功不可沒，但長子李建成被立爲太子。
In order to consolidate his position as the heir of emperor, Li Jiancheng hooked in his forth younger brother. Li Yuanji to cope with Li Shimin. Thus the conflict between them grew in intensity.李建成爲了鞏固自己的地位，遂拉攏四弟李元吉共同對付李世民，雙方矛盾愈演愈烈。
In 626(the ninth year of Wude)， Li Shimin anticipated Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji by laying an ambush at the Xuanwu Gate and shooting them, thus his rivals were perished. The event was called the “Xuanwu Gate Coup D’Amato” in history.公元626年（武德九年），李世民先發制人，在皇宮的玄武門設下埋伏，射殺李建成和李元吉，消滅了對手，史稱“玄武門之變”。
Shortly afterwards, Li Yuan gave up the throne to Li Shimin, who is the historically famous Emperor Tang Taizong, and the title of his reign is Zhenguan.此後不久，李淵就把帝位讓給了李世民，史稱唐太宗，年號貞觀(627 ~ 649)。
In Zhenguan period, the Tang Dynasty came to be strong.貞觀年間，唐朝強大起來。
The fact that the Sui Dynasty was overthrown by farmers’ revolts impressed Li Shimin deeply.隋末農民戰爭推翻隋王朝的事實，給李世民留下深刻的印象。
After being an emperor, he often summed up the historic lessons from the perish of the Sui with his officials.稱帝后，經常和臣下總結前朝滅亡的歷史教訓。
He always said, “The emperor is just like a boat, while the common people like water； water can carry the boat, and it also can overturn the boat.”他常說:人君好比舟,人民好比水；水能載舟，也能覆舟。
In order to avoid the disaster of “overturning the boat”，he aroused all his efforts to make the country prosperous.爲了避免 “覆舟”之禍，他勤於政事，勵精圖治。
He took much account of selecting officials, thus the important officials around him, such as Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Li Jing, Wen Yanbo, Dai Zhou, etc. all were elites of the time with their own strong points.唐太宗很重視選官用人，他左右掌權的大臣, 如房玄齡、魏徵、李靖、溫彥博及戴胄等人各有所長，都是一時之俊。
At the beginning of his reign, the society and e-conomy suffered serious destroy, the masses had no means to live.唐太宗即位之初，社會經濟遭到嚴重破壞，民不聊生。
However,only a few years later，The situation changed, according to the history record, “There appeared bumper harvest throughout the country, outcasts all returned their home-town. The price of 10 litres rice was only 0.3 ~0.4 hang . The number of criminals sentenced to death was only 29 in one year.幾年之後,據史書載：天下大稔，流散者鹹 歸鄉里，鬥米不過三四錢,終歲斷死刑才29人。
From as far as the sea in the east to the Five Ridges in the south, all the common families needed not bolt their doors at night.”.東至於海，南極五嶺,皆外戶不閉。
In the second year of his reign, Emperor Tang Taizong appointed General Li Jing, the minister of Department of War to crusade against the Turkis and won completely, hence eliminated the threat from the Western Regions.貞觀二年，太宗命兵部尚書大將李靖討伐突厥，大獲全勝，從此消除了西域各族對中原的威脅。
Meanwhile, Taizong adopted many political measures to maintain the unification and to strengthen centralized emperor rule.與此同時，太宗採取了許多有利於維護統一和加強君主專治中央集權的政治措施。
Under his rule, with a series of political, economic, cultural and educational reforms, the great Tang Empire flourished unparalleled. The period was called ^Zhenguan Times of Peace(namely, the golden ageof the Tang) ” in history and became the time which was yearned towards by later ages.在其統治下，通過一系列的政治、經濟、文教等方面的改革，大唐帝國空前繁榮，史稱“貞觀之治”，也成爲後世嚮往的理想時代。
