中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第23期:項羽

Xiang Yu (232 B. C.~202 B. C.), was a Chinese general and leader of the rebel forces that overthrew the Qin Dynasty.

項羽(公元前232年~公元前202年)，楚國名將，推翻秦朝的起義軍領袖。

He was the principal contestant for control of China with Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty.

在角逐統治中國的權力的時候，項羽是漢朝開國皇帝劉邦的主要競爭對手。

Xiana Yu's defeat signaled the end of the old aristocratic ruling in China.

項羽的失敗意味着中國貴族統治的結束。

Xiang Yu was a member of a prominent family in Chu, one of the Chinese states absorbed by the Qin Dynasty when it united China and abolished the small feudal kingdoms into which the country had been divided.

項羽出身於楚國貴族家庭。秦朝統一中國之時吞併了很多封建小國，楚國就是其中一個。

When rebellions erupted against the Dynasty, Xiang Yu joined the Ch'u armies led by his uncle, eventually succeeding him as supreme commander.

反秦起義爆發後，項羽參加了他叔叔領導的楚軍，最後繼承他的位置成了最高統帥。

Xiang Yu's forces captured the Qin capital and executed the last Qin emperor.

項羽軍隊佔領了秦都，處死了秦朝最後一個皇帝。

Xiang Yu then attempted to restore the earlier ruling system. He gave the title of emperor to a member of the former imperial family of the state of Ch'u and divided the country among the various insurgent generals, making each a ruler of one of the old royal houses.

那時項羽試圖恢復原來的統治體系，擁原來楚國的一位王室成員爲帝，並且割地封王。

Hsiang Yu took the old territory of Ch'u and reserved for himself the title of hegemon king.

項羽自立爲西楚霸王，取原楚國領地。

Soon, however, he had the emperor executed, thus precipitating a struggle for supremacy with his rival generals, the foremost of whom was Liu Bang, who had been given control of western China.

但是，不久項羽就處死了皇帝，引發了他與競爭對手之間的霸權爭奪鬥爭。項羽最重要的競爭對手，是當時統治着中國西部的劉邦。

Of peasant origin, Liu was a blunt, crude man but one who knew how to win the hearts of the people.

劉邦是農民出身，雖然粗魯但是知道如何獲得人心。

He had gradually eliminated his rivals in the west and consolidated his position. Hsiang Yü, by contrast, epitomized the aristocrat.

劉邦已經逐漸除去了他西部的競爭對手，鞏固了自己的地位，相比而言項羽卻是典型的貴族。

He was tall and muscular, a poet and an educated man, and a superb military tactician; yet he lacked the personal magnetism to gain and hold the loyalty of the common people.

項羽長得高大強壯，是個很有教養的詩人，還是一個極好的軍事戰略家，但是他卻缺乏獲得人心的個人魅力。

The truce that the two rivals for power concluded was violated almost immediately by Liu Bang, who also repeatedly declined Xiang Yu's offers to settle their conflict in hand-to-hand combat.

停戰協議簽訂完畢，劉邦幾乎馬上就把它拋到腦後。劉邦還一次又一次地拒絕項羽通過自刃戰解決問題的提議。

In 202 Xiang Yü's forces were overwhelmed, and he chose suicide rather than capture.

202年，項羽戰敗，但寧死不降。

His heroism, especially during the final battle, has been glorified in Chinese stories and poetries.

項羽的英雄氣概，特別是最後決戰時期表現出來的，在中國故事和詩歌中得到讚譽。