中英雙語話史記 第96期:北宋
Song Dynasty
宋朝Northern Song Dynasty
北宋In 959, following the death of Emperor Shizong who had been a wise monarch, a seven year old child succeeded to the throne as Emperor Gong.
959年，英明的宋世宗駕崩後，7歲的高宗繼承了帝位。
In the next year, Zhao Kuangyin seized power and forced Emperor Gong to abdicate in his favor.
一年後，趙匡胤奪取政權，逼迫高宗退位。Zhao took the name Taizu and established his capital city in Dongjing (present city of Kaifeng).
趙匡胤自立爲“太祖”並定都東京（今開封）。His first task was to ensure that there would be no further military coups and he did this by establishing a professional army loyal to the dynasty with its military com-manders under the strict control of the central government.
他登基後的第一個任務就是確保不會再有任何兵變，他爲此建立了一支專業的朝廷軍隊，這些軍隊的將領受到了中央政府的嚴格控制。For the remainder of his reign, Taizu concentrated his efforts upon whining over the southern states.
之後，太祖一直專注於收復南部的國家。Such was his success that by the time of his death in 976 apart from Zhejiang, Shanxi, Nanzhao and the area ruled by the Khitan, the country had come under Song's control.
截至976年他去世時，宋朝已經收回了除浙江、山西、南詔和契丹人控制的地區以外的區域。The activities of the warlords had been brought to an end.
羣雄並據的時代結束了。
Taizu was succeeded by his brother, Taizong who brought Zhejiang and Shanxi back into the fold.
太祖駕崩後，他的弟弟宋太宗繼承了帝位，收復了浙江和山西。He was unsuccessful in his two attempts to drive out the Khitan and was forced to deal with them on equal terms.
他兩次驅逐契丹人的嘗試都已失敗告終並被迫與契丹簽訂了平等條約。From then on the Song Dynasty sought to defend its borders against invasion and unlike the Tang never ruled a universal empire.
從那時起，宋朝一直試圖抵抗來自邊境的侵略，這使得它沒能像唐朝成爲一個世界雄國。Important steps were taken to strengthen the administration under the autocratic control of the emperor.
皇帝採取了重要的措施來加強中央集權和獨裁統治。These developments were supported by important changes in the recruitment to the bureaucracy and the running of the examination system.
這些變化來源於官僚聘用制度和科舉制的改變。The control over the military and the replacement of aristocratic power with something akin to a meritocracy brought about a stability that allowed the country to enjoy a period of prosperity due to the expansion of industry,commerce and agriculture.
軍隊的管理以及替代了貴族統治的精英政治帶來了國家的穩定，使國家可以因爲工業、商業和農業的擴展而繁榮發展。These factors in turn led to the development of new cities as centers of administration, trade, commerce and industry.
這些因素反過來又促進了以政治、貿易、商業和工業爲中心的新興城市的發展。The period of reforms lasted until the death of Emperor Shenzong in 1086.
改革的時代一直持續到宋神宗駕崩時也就是1086年。
