中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第12期:曹操

Cao Cao, courtesy name Meng-te (born A. D. 155, Anhui Province, died 220, Henan Province) was one of the greatest generals at the end of the Han Dynasty (206 B. C.~A. D. 220) of China.

曹操，字孟德，公元155年生於安徽，公元220年卒於河南，漢末最主要的將軍之一。

Cao's father was the adopted son of the chief eunuch of the imperial court.

曹操的父親是宦官中常侍曹騰的養子。

Cao was initially a minor garrison commander and rose to prominence as a general when he suppressed the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which threatened the last years of Han rule.

黃巾起義給漢末統治帶來了威脅，起初曹操只是一個不起眼的衛戍部隊小頭日--洛陽北部尉，後因鎮壓黃巾起義有功被封爲將軍。

The Dynasty，however, was greatly weakened by the rebellion, and in the ensuing chaos the country was divided aMong the major generals into three kingdoms.

然而黃巾起義極大地削弱了漢朝的力量，在隨後而起的戰亂中，各位大將佔據一方把整個國家分爲三個王國。

Cao occupied the strategic northern section around the emperor's capital at Luoyang and gradually assumed all imperial prerogatives. His domain was known as the kingdom of Wei.

曹操佔領了京師洛陽附近的戰略地區，漸漸地擁有了皇帝的所有特權，其領地就是魏國。

Cao's large armies-at one time he is said to have had a million men under arms-and his skillful maneuvering have long been notorious in Chinese history.

曹操的大軍--據說有100萬人--以及曹操熟練的策略很久以來在中國歷史上都是臭名昭著的。

He was described by Confucian historians and in popular legends as the archetypal shrewd, bold, unscrupulous villain.

在儒家歷史學家的作品和通俗傳說中，曹操被描寫成一個典型的精明、大膽、寡廉鮮恥的惡棍。

He was portrayed in this role in the great 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and since then he has been one of the most popular figures of Chinese legend and folklore, with various evil magic powers ascribed to him.

在14世紀著名的歷史小說《三國演義》中，曹操就被刻畫成這麼一個形象。從此以後，曹操成爲中國傳說中的流傳最廣的人物之一。在這些傳說中，曹操擁有各種各樣的邪惡法力。

Modern historians tend to view Cao as a skillful general and pragmatic politician.

然而現代歷史學家傾向於將曹操視爲善戰的將軍和注重實際的政治家。

After Cao's death the last Han ruler, Hsien-ti, ceded the throne to Cao's son Cao Pi, who proclaimed the Wei Dynasty (220~265).

曹操死後，漢獻帝退位，曹操之子曹丕登基，建立魏國(公元220年至265年)。