中英雙語話歷史 第64期:唐朝(武周革命)
In April, 649, Taizong passed away, his son Li Zhi ascended the throne that is Emperor Tang Gaozong, and the title of his reign is Yonghui.
Gaozong kept on carrying out Taizong’s “methods of managing state affairs”，so in Yonghui period, there still retained the reliquary of Zhenguan period.
他依然執行唐太宗的“治國之道”，故唐永徽年間仍有貞觀遺風。In 655, Gaozong made Wu Zetian his queen, whose father was ever a timber businessman and an important official in the early Tang Dynasty.
高宗於永徽六年(655年）立武則天爲皇后，其父曾爲木材商人、唐初大臣。
Wu Zetian was shrewd and tactful, and also an expert in literature and history.
武則天精明機智,通文史。Because of eye disease, Li Zhi could not read well, he often made Wu his assistant in verdict the government affairs.
唐高宗因患風眩，目不能視，使武則天協助裁決政事。In 683, Emperor Tang Gaozong died in bed； the throne prince Li Xian(Wu，s third son) became the new emperor, that’s Tang Zhongzong.
公元683年（弘道元年），唐高宗病死，太子李顯（武則天第三子）即位，是爲唐中宗。The year, Wu Zetian dethroned him as King of Luling, made Li Dan (her fourth son) the emperor, that’s Tang Ruizong，but uncrowned him soon.
次年,武則天廢中宗爲廬陵王，另立李旦（武則天第四子）爲皇帝，是爲唐睿宗，旋即廢黜。In 690, Wu Zetian declared to change the Tang into the Zhou Dynasty, made Luoyang the deity capital, Tang Ruizong the royal heir, herself the historical event was referred as “Wu Zhou Revolution” in history.
公元690年（天授元年），武則天宣佈改唐爲周，以洛陽爲神都,降唐睿宗爲皇嗣，自稱皇帝，史稱“武周革命”。Wu Zetian is the only empress in Chinese history.
武則天是中國歷史上僅有的一個女皇帝。During her reign, the politics,* economy kept developing progressively.
武則天在位期間，將唐朝的政治、經濟的發展又向前推進了一步。But in the late period of her reign, she specially trusted crafty and fawning officials which caused the dissatisfaction of her ministers. In 705, she was seriously ill, Prime Minister Zhang Jianzhi and other ministers came into contact with General Li Duozuo of right armed escorts to launch a place coup, forcing Wu passed the imperial throne to Tang Zhongzong Li Xian, thus the Tang Dynasty was recovered. Thereby, the history that empress ruled came to an end after 15 years.
但執政末期，她寵信侯臣，深爲大臣不滿，到公元705年（神龍元年）她82歲時得了重病，宰相張柬之等人聯絡右羽林衛大將軍李多祚發動政變，強迫武則天傳帝位給唐中宗李顯，復唐國號,武則天共做了16年皇帝。Because Li Xian was mediocre and incompetent, his queen Empress Wei and his daughter Princess Anle forcibly occupied the power and played politics. Li Longji, Li Dan’s son bom down Empress Wei’s gang and ascended the throne, that’s Emperor Tang Xuanzong, the title of his reign was Kaiyuan.
中宗李顯庸懦無能，致使皇后韋氏與安樂公主弄權，李旦之子李隆基擊敗了韋后而即位，改國號開元，是爲唐玄宗。Xuanzong was another enlightened emperor after Li Shimin in the Tang Dynasty.
玄宗是唐代繼李世民之後又一位開明國君。During the Kaiyuan period, he made great effort to develop the country, attached great importance to the selection of officials, examined the reposting county magistrates in person.
開元年間,玄宗勵精圖治，重視官員的人選，親自考覈新任命的縣令。He appointed talented Yao Chong and Song Jing as his chief ministers, reformed the government system and military system. Meantime, he effectively developed economy, reformed tax system, started irrigation construction. With these efforts, the feudal Chinese society presented unprecedented flourishing atmosphere, reaching the peak of feudal Chinese society.
他任用了有才幹的姚崇、宋景做宰相，改革官制和兵制，與此同時大力發展經濟，改革稅制，興修水利，中國封建社會呈現前所未有的盛世景象，達到了中國封建社會的最高峯。So far, China reached the height of power and splendour among her contemporary empires. This period was “Kaiyuan Flourishing Age” in history.
至此，中國在世界同時代的國家中已成爲鼎盛帝國,史稱“開元盛世”。
