中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第7期:李斯

Li Si (born 280 B. C.，Chu state，central China，died 208 B. C.，Xianyang) was a Chinese statesman who utilized the ruthless but efficient ideas of the political philosophy of Legalism to weld the warring Chinese states of his time into the first centralized Chinese empire，the Qin Dynasty.

李斯，大概公元前280年生在中國中部的楚國，公元前208年死於咸陽，政治家。李斯利用無情但是有效的法家思想統一了戰國時期的各個諸侯國，建立了中央集權的中國帝國---秦朝。

In 247 B. C. he entered the state of Qin to begin almost 40 years of service under the ruler later known as Shih Huang-ti (“First Sovereign Emperor").

公元前247年李斯來到秦國，開始了將近40年的爲秦王(後來的始皇帝)的服務。

As minister to the emperor，Li was responsible for most of the radical political and cultural innovations made in Qin after 221 B. C..

作爲始皇帝的大臣，李斯負責了秦國公元前221年後大多數的政治和文化改革。

Li caused the empire to be divided into 36 regions，each governed by a centrally appointed official.

李斯促使帝國分爲36個地區，每個地區由中央委派官員治理。

Under his guidance the emperor standardized coinage and weights and measures and began construction of the Great Wall to keep out barbarians from the north.

在李斯的指導下，秦始皇統一了度量衡並且爲了防止北方的蠻人人侵開始修建長城。

Li Si was also influential in creating a unified writing system，which remained substantially the same until recent times.

對於文字的統一，李斯也是有影響的。統一後的文字一直使用到近代。

Finally，in an effort to prevent the growth of subversive thought，Li in 213 B. C. forbade the teaching of history and ordered the “burning of the books，” for which he earned the opprobrium of all future generations of Confucian scholars.

最後，爲了避免破壞性思想的成長，李斯於公元前213年禁止教授歷史並且下令“焚書”，李斯因此受到了後來所有儒生的責罵。

When the emperor died in 209 B. C.，Li became involved in the eunuch Zhao Kao's plot to void the proper succession.

公元前209年始皇帝駕崩，李斯卷人了宦官趙高取消正當繼位的陰謀。

But the two conspirators quarreled，and Zhao Kao had Li executed.

但是這兩個陰謀家發生了反目，趙高處死了李斯。