中英雙語話歷史 第29期:漢朝(休養生息)
Han Dynasty inherited most of the Qin's administrative systems. Given its rapid perdition, Emperor Gaozu abolished harsh laws of Qin, and adopted the Huang-Lao thought, which was based upon Daoism, exerting a regime of laissez-faire, and carried out more humane policies： lowering rental and taxes； reducing labor corvee； ordering officers, soldiers, and refugees to return home and providing them with houses and fields； restraining merchants and restricting the annexation of the peasantry by them.
These measures stabilized the social order, restored and developed agriculture, which laid foundation for the prosperous Han.
這些措施穩定了社會秩序，使農業生產得到恢復、發展，爲強大的漢朝盛世奠定了基礎。In 195 B. C. , the Emperor Huidi was succeeded to the throne when Emperor Gaozu died, but it was Empress Lu Zhi who actually took over the reign.
公元前195年，高祖崩，傳位惠帝劉盈，但此時政權實際已掌握在漢高皇后呂雉的手中。
Being in power for 16 years, this woman was one of the few female rulers in Chinese history.
呂后前後共掌權16年，是我國曆史上爲數不多的女統治者之一。In 183 B. C. , Emperor Wendi was enthroned. Both he and his son Emperor Jingdi pursued the policies set by Gaozu. Consequently, the social economy was booming，and people’s life was stable and national power strengthened. The time of Emperors Wendi and Jingdi, is characterized by most historians as a period of a prospering economy.
公元前183年，文帝即位，他與兒子景帝都繼續執行高祖所制定的“休養生息”的政策，使社會經濟蓬勃發展，人民生活安定，國力大大增強，史家稱這一階段爲“文景之治”。In the early Han, there had been a grand system of dukes and princes, and prince* s power of various principalities expanded gradually. During the reign of Emperor Wendi, the u Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms^ occurred eventually. Fortunately, the emperor succeeded in putting it down , which weakened the power of fiefdoms and enhanced the centralization at the same time.
由於漢初大封諸侯王，地方諸侯王勢力膨脹，景帝時出現了“七國之亂”，平叛後諸侯王勢力大大削弱，中央集權制也加強了。From the early Han down to the reign of emperors Wendi and Jingdi, the social e-conomy rehabilitated gradually in sixty years or more.
漢初至文帝、景帝的60多年內，社會經濟逐漸恢復發展。Political System and Policies ： When scrambling for sovereignty with Xiang Yu, Liu Bang enfieffed Han Xin, Ying Bu, Wu Rui and others as princes, who were known as kings who were not relative to the imperial family.
西漢初的制度和政策:劉邦在與項羽爭奪天下的時候，曾封韓信、英布、吳芮等數人爲王，史稱“異姓王”。However, the contradiction emerged with the failure of Xiang Yu, and Han Xin and Ying Bu were killed one after another.
可是項羽敗後，劉邦與這些人的矛盾迅速暴露，韓信、英 布等相繼被誅除。Hoping to perpetuate the supremacy of the imperial court, Liu Bang installed princes of royal blood to head fiefdoms, which co-existed with prefectures.
爲鞏固統治，在實行郡縣制的同時,劉邦又大封其子弟爲“諸侯王”，史稱“同姓王”。All of these fiefdoms had vast territories and large population, and most were rich and strong and politically quasi-independent.
這些封國的疆土廣大，人口衆多，多數王國很富庶，在政治上處於半獨立狀態。Take Prince Wu, Liu Bi as an example, he had three prefectures that embraced 53 counties.
如吳王劉濞有3郡，計53縣。Prefectures and fiefdoms were all directly under the imperial court control, but prefectures were far superior to fiefdoms.
諸侯王國和郡都直屬於中央，但諸侯王國的地位遠遠高於郡。The Reign of Emperors Wendi and Jingdi ： During the reign of Emperors Wendi and Jingdi, they improved policies further, which alleviated the people's burdens and made economy evolve from restoration to development.
文景之治:文帝和景帝統治時期，進一步改善政策，減輕人民的負擔，使社會經濟由恢復而發展。史稱“文景之治”。The main measures included： Taxes were lowered to 1/30 of the harvest, labour corvee was reduced to once every three years, heavy physical penalites were abolished, and the taxes on merchants were lowered to 40 qian . The policy of restricting merchants was replaced by that of favoring, which promoted the development of business and handicraft greatly. Meanwhile the brutal physical penalties were also abolished.
主要的改革措施包括:減免田租，以三十稅一爲制;減輕徭役,“三年而一事”，即三年充更卒一個月；對商人的稅收降至40錢，變“抑商”爲“惠商”，使商業和手工業獲得迅速的發展;廢除肉刑。Weakening Fiefdoms ： When Emperor Wendi was in the throne, the contradiction between the imperial court and the princes grew up.
削藩:文帝時,中央和諸侯王之間的矛盾日益發展。Emperor Wendi began to cut down the strength of princes so as to consolidate the centralization.
爲加強中央集權,文帝開始削弱諸侯王勢力。Jia Yi, a famous political commentator, maintained that the large princedoms be divided into several small ones to reduce their political and economical independence.
政論家賈誼主張將王國分割爲若干小國，以削弱其力量。Jia Yi’s proposal was accepted and put into practice, though no serious effort was ever made for its thorough implement.
文帝採納了賈誼的建議，但並未完全付諸實施。When it came to the turn of Emperor Jingdi, the conflicts intensified.
景帝時,中央和諸侯王之間的矛盾更加尖銳。Chao Cuo suggested cutting down the fiefs of princes once they made mistakes. This plan resulted in the rebellion of seven princedoms, which was an insurrection launched by the princes of royal blood with the Prince Wu Liu Bi, the nephew of Emperor Gao Zu Liu Bang as the head.
御史大夫晁錯建議借諸侯王犯錯誤的時機，削減諸侯王的封地，結果導致“七國之亂”。“七國之亂”是以劉邦之侄吳王劉濞爲首發動的一次同姓王聯合大叛亂。Having been plotting for a long time, in 154 B. C. , Liu Bi allied with kingdoms of Chu, Zhao, Jiaodong, Jiaoxi, Zichuan, and Jinan staged a revolt, in the name of getting rid of Chao Cuo.
劉濞蓄謀叛亂，爲時已久。於公元前154年以“誅晃錯，清君側”爲名，串通楚、趙、膠西、膠東、菌川、濟南六國的諸侯王，發動了聯合叛亂。Emperor Jingdi was scared, and killed Chao Cuo hoping to appease the rebelling princes.
景帝因惶恐，捕殺了晁錯，乞求劉濞退兵。However，not only did Liu Bi withdraw the army, but also he proclaimed that he would seize the emperorship as well.
劉濞不僅不退兵，還公開聲言要奪皇位。Emperor Jingdi was finally determined to suppress the rebellion with force.
至此時，景帝才決心以武力進行鎮壓。He sent Marshal Zhou Yafu and Dou Ying on a punitive expedition, which was successful within less than three months.
他命太尉周亞夫與大將軍竇嬰率軍平叛，只用了3個月的時間大破叛軍。Taking advantage of this victory, the emperor took steps to relieve the princes of their administrative powers, reduce the numbers of officials in the principalities and change the title of their prime ministers to ministers.
景帝藉機進一步削弱諸侯王的權力，減縮王國的政權機構，降低王國官職的等級，改丞相爲相。From then on, the princedoms were pure large land estates owned by the princes.
至此，封地就只是諸侯王們純粹的地產了。In 141 B. C.，the last years of Emperor JingdiJ s reign, the state treasury was consolidated, and granaries were full.
公元前141年，景帝在位末年，已是國庫足、倉廩實。
