中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第16期:朱元璋

Zhu Yuanzhang (born Oct. 21, 1328, Hao-chou, died June 24, 1389), reign name Hongwu，posthumous name Gaodi, temple name Taizu, was the founder of China's Ming Dynasty.

朱元璋，132s年1o月21日生於濠州，卒於1398年6月24日，年號洪武，諡號高帝，廟號太祖，中國明朝的開國皇帝。

A poor peasant orphaned at 16, he entered a monastery to avoid starvation.

朱元璋出身農民家庭，16歲成了孤兒。爲了不至於餓死，朱元璋出家當了和尚。

Later, as a rebel leader，he came in contact with educated gentry from whom he received an education and political guidance.

後來，作爲起義領袖，朱元璋接觸了有教養的貴族，並從他們那得到了教育和政治上的指導。

He was advised to present himself not as a popular rebel but as a national leader against the foreign Mongols whose Yuan Dynasty was on the point of collapse.

別人給朱元璋提議:不要只做一個受歡迎的造反者，而要當民族領袖，反抗處於崩潰邊緣的元朝統治者——外來的蒙古人。

Defeating rival national leaders，Zhu proclaimed himself emperor in 1368，establishing his capital at Nanjing and adopting Hongwu as his reign title.

打敗與其竟爭的民族領袖之後，朱元璋於公元1368年稱帝，建都南京，年號洪武。

He drove the last Yuan emperor from China that year and reunified the country by 1382.

同年，朱元璋將元朝最後一個皇帝趕出中國。到1382年朱元璋重新統一中國。

His rule was despotic: he eliminated the posts of prime minister and central chancellor and had the next level of administration report directly to him. He prohibited eunuchs from participating in government and appointed civilian officials to control military affairs.

朱元璋很專制:取消中書省，廢除宰相制度，讓下一級官員直接對其負責，禁止宦官參政，委派文官管理軍務。