中英雙語話歷史 第85期:清朝(總論)

The age of the Qing Dynasty is, not only in the eyes of Westerners, but also in the mind of Chinese，a period of prosperity, of decay，of stag-nation，of revolution，of laziness and of challenges that came upon a population that seemed to sleep a beauty’s sleep of Confucian social ethics in a paradise where a wise ruler governed over a satisfied and happy population，and on the other side a society that was bound by rules of a backward social thinking.

清朝無論在西方人的眼中還是在中國人的眼中，是一個經歷了繁榮、腐敗、停滯、革命、惰性和挑戰的時代，所有這些都發生在這個國家國人的身上。它就像是沉睡在天國裡封建道德中的睡美人。在那裡，聰明的統治者統治著滿足和幸福的國民，也統治著一個受落後的社會思想束縛的社會。

The period of early and middle Qing Dynasty Is the culmination of two thousand years of bureaucratical administration, two thousand years of literature, thinking and art.

清朝早中期是中國2000年官僚統治的頂峰，也是2000年文學、思想和藝術的頂峰。

Their rule over the majority ofculturedand highly sophisticated Chinese population was only possible by a mixture of authoritarianism, or force, and paternalism, or benevolence.

他們對於這個有文化的、老於世故的絕對大漢族的統治只有通過多方面的專制來實現—— 要麼是武力，要麼是家長制統治，要麼是親善。

The second and third generation emperors of the Qing learned that it was only possible to rule China if the Manchu became Chinese themselves , not racially, but culturally and mentally.

清朝的第二代、第三代皇帝懂得，只有滿人漢化才能統治中國。所謂的漢化，不僅僅是種族上，關鍵是文化和思想意識。

Therefore, the three great emperors with the reign mottos Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, saw themselves as protectors of Chinese literature and art.

所以，清朝的三位皇帝以“康熙、雍正和乾隆”為座右銘，將自己看作是漢文化藝術的保護者。

China was the largest, richest and most effectively governed state of the world till the 18th century.

直到18世紀,中國在世界上是最大、最富有、最有影響力的政權國家。

Internal problems and external conflicts led to the decay of a glorious empire from the beginning of 19th century, focusing on the Opium war and the following unequal treaties.

內憂外患，尤其是鴉片戰爭和戰後一系列不平等條約,最終導致了在19世紀開始輝煌的帝國的最終滅亡。