中英雙語話史記 第28期:春秋時期

The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period

春秋戰國時期

Spring and Autumn Period

春秋時期

Marked by overlord politics, this period was named after the book Spring and Autumn Annals (the history of Lu) adapted by Confucius.

春秋，這一羣雄爭霸的時期，得名與孔子所編撰的一部魯國史書《春秋》。

After the eastward move of King Ping, some vassal states progressed in social economy.

周平王東遷後，一些諸侯國社會經濟迅速發展。

They became stronger while the royal authority took a nose dive, gradually losing its control over them.

它們日益強盛，而王權則一落千丈，逐漸失去對諸侯們的控制權。

During the Spring and Autumn Period, there were over 150 kingdoms coexisting with Zhou, among them Qi, Lu, Jin, Yan, Qin, Chu, Wu, Yue, etc were the stronger.

在春秋戰國時期，有超過150個諸侯國與周共存，其中齊，魯，晉，燕，秦，楚，吳，越等國較爲強大。

These powerful states, relying on their military and economic advantages, launched wars to expand their territories; forcing small states follow them so as to establish their dominance as overlords.

這些強大的國家，依靠自己的軍事和經濟優勢，發動戰爭以擴大自己的疆土;迫使小國成爲它們的附屬，從而建立自己的統治地位的霸權。

In the early to middle stage of the Spring and Autumn Period, five dukes, namely Huangong of the Qi state, Xianggong of the Song, Wengong of the Jin, Mugong of the Qin and Zhuangwang of the Chu, once fought for the “ overlordship”，known as the “the Five Overlords of the Spring and Autumn Period”，in which Huangong of Qi was the first one to establish his hegemony by advocating respect the king and repulse the alien tribes. ”

春秋前期至中期，五位諸侯，即齊恆公、宋襄公、晉文公、秦穆公、楚莊王，都曾爲了“霸主地位”而發起過戰爭，被稱爲“春秋五霸”，其中齊桓公首先提出“尊王攘夷”的口號以建立自己的霸權。

Continuous wars brought enormous balefulness to the people giving rise to wide opposition in the small states.

連年的戰爭給人民帶來巨大的災難，小諸侯國內開始出現大範圍的反抗。

Finally, in 579 BC and 546 BC, two treaties were made between Jin and Chu kingdoms, resulting in a short peace in the Central Plains.

最終，在公元前579年至公元前546年，秦國和楚國締結條約，爲中原地區帶來了短暫的和平。

In the epilogue to the struggle to become overlord of the Central Plains, Wu and Yue, two kingdoms located in the downstream area of the Yangtze River, rose up.

當中國諸侯爭霸戰爭進入尾聲之時，地處長江下游的兩個國家吳國和越國發展壯大起來。

Firstly defeated by the kingdom of Wu, Goujian, the king of Yue, applied himself to the development of agriculture and training his army.

被吳國打敗之後，越王勾踐臥薪嚐膽，潛心發展農業，訓練軍隊。

He finally got an opportunity to conquer the Wu and became the last overlord during the Spring and Autumn Period.

最後，他抓住機會消滅吳國，成爲在春秋時期的最後一個霸主。

According to historical records, during this period, a total of thirty-six kings were killed and fifty-two vassal states were demolished.

據史料記載，在此期間，共有36國王被殺，52諸侯國被消滅。

This constant conflict and annexation of one state by another during the Spring and Autumn Period hastened social and economic change and had the effect of integrating people of different tribes and nationalities.

春秋時期這種國與國之間不斷的衝突和吞併加劇了社會及經濟的變化，並對來自不同部落和國家的人們產生了深遠的影響。

The consequence of this period of drastic upheavals, reshufflings and regroupings, what had been several hundred states were reconstituted into seven megastates.

經歷了這一時期的劇烈動盪、兼併、重組，數百個諸侯國最終被七大國（齊、楚、燕、韓、趙、魏、秦）吸收兼併。

China entered the Warring States Period.

自此，中國進入戰國時期。