中原工学院中国传统文化概论英语课件第七章HistoryinBrief

第七讲HistoryinBrief中国史略DynastiesandEmperors（朝代与帝王）InChinesehistory,newdynastieswereoftenestablishedbeforeoverthrowofanexistingregime.Thusitishardtodemarcateclearlythebeginningofadynasty.Inhistory,dynastiesthatruledChinawerefoundedbydifferentethnicgroups.Forexample,theHanDynasty,theTangDynastyandtheMingDynastywereestablishedbyHanChinese;theYuanDynastywasestablishedbyMongolians,andtheQingDynastywasfoundedbyManchu.Therehadbeennearly400EmperorsinthehistoryofChina.Theemperorsclaimedthemselvesasthe“SonofHeaven”.(天子）QinShiHuang1）QinShiHuangwasthefirstemperorwhounitedChina.2）Afterunifyingthesixstates,theFirstEmperorofQingaveChinaacommoncurrency,unifiedwritingcharactersandstandardizedsystemsofweightsandmeasures,whichpromotestheamalgamationofethnicgroupsinChina.ThesepolicieslaidthegroundfortheunificationofChina.(秦始皇统一六国后，采用“书同文，车同轨”的政策，统一了六国的货币、文字、度量衡，促进了中国各民族的进一步融合。这些政策的执行，奠定了统一中国的基础。）3）QinShiHuangburnedtheclassicbooks,especiallythoseofConfucianism,andburiedmanyConfucianscholarsalive,destroyingmanypreciousculturalheritagesofthepre-QinPeriod.4）QinShiHuangforcedendlesslabortolinkuptheoriginalsectionsoftheGreatWall,whichprovokedwidespreaddiscontentandacceleratedtheoverthrowoftheQinDynasty.Chu-HanContention（楚汉相争）

1）Chu-HanContentionendedwithLiuBang’stotalvictory.ChinawasreunitedunderthenewHanempire,whichwastobecomeoneofthestrongestempiresinthehistoryoftheworld.2)Chu-HanContention,thoughshortinhistory,madeastrongimpactonChinesecultureandlanguage.ManyChinesefour-characterproverbsandshortstoriescomefromtheChuHanwar.HanDynasty（大汉王朝）1)

Theappellationsof“HanPeople”and“HanLanguage”originatedfromtheHanDynasty.2)ContemporaryempiresofHanDynastyandtheRomanEmpirewerethetwosuperpowers.Accordingtohistoricalrecords,envoyssetoutbytheRomanEmpirereachedtheChinesecapitalLuoyangin166AD.3)EmperorWuofHanDynastydispatchedZhangQiantwiceashisenvoytotheWesternregions,andintheprocesspioneeredtherouteknownastheSilkRoad.TangDynasty（大唐王朝）1)TheTangdynastyisconsideredthezenithpointofChinesecivilization.StimulatedbythecontactwithIndiaandtheMiddleEast,TangEmpiresawafloweringofcreativityinmanyfields.2)TheAnLushan-ShiSimingRebellionmarkedaturningpointfortheTangEmpire,itbegantodeclinethereafter.3)EmpressWuZetianwastheonlyfemalemonarchofChina.ChineseRenaissance(中国的文艺复兴）

TheSongDynastyisoftencalleda“ChineseRenaissance”.Itprogressedintechnologyandinventions.GenghisKhanandKublaiKhan(成吉思汗与忽必烈）1)GenghisKhanwasoriginallygiventhenameTemujin.Withoutstandingmilitarytalents,heunitedthenomadictribesofMongoliaandestablishedthepowerfulMongolEmpire.2)KublaiKhan,agrandsonofGenghisKhan,foundedtheYuandynasty,andmadeBeijingthecapitalofcalledDadu.3)DuringthewaningdaysofYuanDynasty,severalnaturaldisastersandpeasantrebellionsbrokeout.Finally,ZhuYuanzhang,aleaderofpeasantuprising,overthrewtheemperoroftheYuanDynastyandfoundedtheMingDynasty.EmperorYongle(永乐皇帝）1)EmperorYonglebuilttheForbiddenCityandtheMingGreatWall,andcommissionedthecompilationofYongleEncyclopedia,(永乐大典）whichistheworld’slargestgeneralencyclopedia.2)EmperorYongledispatchedZHengHetomakefar-rangingvoyagestotheWesternOcean.Thefirstexpeditionis18yearsearlierthatthePortuguesevoyagessponsoredbyHenrytheNavigator.Emperorkangxi(康熙大帝）1)EmperorkangxiandEmperorQianlong’sreigniscelebratedasthe“Kang-QianGoldenAge”,duringwhichtheQingDynastyreachedthezenithofitssocial,economicandmilitarypower.2)DuringKangxi’sreign,hedefeatedThreefeudatories,restoredthecentralempire’sruleoverTaiwan,andexpandedtheterritoryoftheQingEmpire.Kangxi’sreignbroughtaboutlong-termstabilityandrelativewealth.HealsocommissionedthecompilationoftheKangxi’sDictionary.(康熙字典）3)TheQingDynastywasoverthrownbythe

XinhaiRevolution,whenthelastemperorabdicated,markingtheendoffeudalmonarchyinChina.

AddresstheEmperor(皇帝的称谓）

Itwastabootorefertotheemperorbyhisgivenname.Theemperorwasnevertobeaddressedas“you”.Anyonewhospeakstotheemperorwastoaddresshimas陛下（yourimperialmajesty),皇上（EmperorAboveorEmperorHighness),天子（thesonofHeaven)圣上(theDivineAboveortheHolyHighness).Servantsoftenaddressedtheemperoras万岁爷(LordofTen-Thousand-Year).Theemperorreferredtohimselfas朕infrontofsubjects.

EraName(年号）

Anemperoralsoruledwithaneraname.sincetheadoptionofaneranamebyEmperorWuofHanDynastyandupuntiltheMingDynasty,andpeopleoftenreferredtopastemperorswiththattitle.

Inearilerdynasties,theemperorswereknownwithatemplename(庙号)give