▌第一章　短命的秦朝

　　秦國歷史概要：從建國到秦昭襄王。呂不韋的政治投機，《呂氏春秋》，呂不韋之死。秦始皇：秦王政與李斯，滅六國，中央集權制，焚書坑儒，嚴刑峻法。陳勝吳廣起義。

　　秦朝（西元前221年－西元前207年）是中國歷史上第一個統一的中央集權王朝。西元前221年，秦王嬴政滅掉六國、建立秦朝時，自稱「始皇帝」，其後的皇帝稱為「二世」、「三世」……，他希望秦朝可以延續萬世，「傳之無窮」。不料，秦朝竟二世而亡，國祚僅十五年。
　　二世而亡的秦朝固然短命，但秦朝的前身秦國卻有比較悠久的歷史。
　　
◆第一節　秦國歷史概要
【建國】
　　秦國的歷史可以追溯到周孝王時期（西元前891年－西元前886年）。秦國先祖嬴非因養馬有功，被周孝王分封在秦邑，號稱「秦嬴」，後人稱其為「秦非子」。
　　到了周宣王時期（西元前827年－西元前782年），周宣王封秦非子曾孫秦仲為大夫，命他討伐西戎。秦仲在征討西戎時陣亡，其長子即位，是為秦莊公。周宣王召見秦莊公兄弟五人，交給他們七千士兵，命令他們討伐西戎。秦莊公率軍打敗西戎，收復犬丘。犬丘原本就是秦嬴家族的祖居地，後來被西戎所侵佔。周宣王將犬丘歸還秦嬴家族，並封秦莊公為西垂大夫。西垂即西陲，說明秦嬴家族的封地處於周朝的最西邊。此時，秦莊公還只是周王室的大夫，並非正式的諸侯。
　　秦莊公死後，其子秦襄公即位。經過數代人的慘澹經營，秦嬴家族終於在西陲站穩了腳跟，逐步發展壯大。
　　平王東遷時，秦襄公帶兵護送周平王至雒邑。周平王封秦襄公為諸侯，並將岐山以西的土地賜予他。岐山一帶是周人的發祥地，此時淪陷於犬戎之手。周平王對秦襄公說：「戎人不講道義，侵奪我岐、豐等地。你們若能趕走戎人，這些土地就歸你們所有。」
　　周平王與秦襄公立下誓約，封他為伯爵。從這時起，秦國正式建國。
　　
【從秦襄公到秦穆公】
　　西元前766年，秦襄公率軍討伐西戎，抵達岐山時，便溘然而逝。其子秦文公即位後，率軍打敗西戎，收復了岐、豐等地，大大擴張了秦國版圖。
　　秦武公時期（西元前697年－西元前678年），秦國吞併了附近戎人的地盤，並向東擴張，直至華山腳下。
　　西元前678年，秦武公去世，秦國用六十六個活人殉葬。
　　西元前677年，秦國遷都至雍。雍離中原較近，使秦國與中原諸國的交流便捷了不少，對秦國的發展大有裨益。
　　由於秦國地處西陲，文化比較落後，人才匱乏，秦穆公（西元前659年－西元前621年在位）積極搜羅各國人才，獲得了百里奚、蹇叔等賢能之士，並委以重任，首創秦國任人唯賢的客卿制度。在百里奚等客卿的輔佐下，秦國國力日益強盛，對天下形勢開始具有舉足輕重的影響。
　　西元前621年，秦穆公去世，殉葬人數高達一百七十七人，其中包括三位大夫。這三位子車氏（也叫「子輿氏」）的大夫是秦國公認的良臣，秦國人民作《黃鳥》一詩進行哀悼，並控訴人殉制度的罪惡。
　　秦穆公死後不久，楚國強勢崛起，與晉國爭霸中原。秦國奉行「聯楚攻晉」的方針，但多次被晉國打敗，因而國力日漸衰落。
　　
▌Chapter 1 The Short-Lived Qin Dynasty

　　Overview of the History of Qin State: From its founding to King Zhaoxiang of Qin. The political speculation of Lü Buwei, Lü Shi Chun Qiu, and the death of Lü Buwei. Qin Shi Huang: King Zheng of Qin and Li Si, destroying the six states, the centralized system of power, burning books and burying scholars, and the implementation of severe laws. The uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang.

　　Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 207 BC) is the first unified, centralized dynasty in Chinese history. In 221 BC, when King Ying Zheng of Qin destroyed the six states and established the Qin dynasty, he declared himself “First Emperor” (Qin Shi Huang) and envisioned his successors as “Second Emperor”, “Third Emperor,” and so on, hoping the Qin dynasty would last for ten thousand generations and be passed down endlessly. Unexpectedly, the Qin dynasty perished during the reign of its “Second Emperor”, lasting only fifteen years.
　　The Qin dynasty, which fell in its second generation, was indeed short-lived, but its predecessor, the Qin state, had a relatively long history.
　　
◆Section 1 Brief History of Qin State
　　
The Founding of the State of Qin
　　The history of the Qin state can be traced back to the reign of King Xiao of Zhou (891 BC - 886 BC). The ancestor of the Qin state, Ying Fei, was granted land in Qinyi by King Xiao of Zhou due to his meritorious service in horse breeding. He was known as “Qin Ying”, and later generations referred to him as “Qin Feizi”.
　　During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou (827 BC - 782 BC), King Xuan conferred the title of Dafu on Qin Zhong, the great-grandson of Qin Feizi, and tasked him with attacking the Xirong tribes. Qin Zhong was killed in battle against the Xirong, and his eldest son succeeded him as Duke Zhuang of Qin. King Xuan of Zhou summoned Duke Zhuang of Qin and his brothers, a total of five brothers, providing them with seven thousand soldiers and ordering them to campaign against the Xirong. Duke Zhuang of Qin led his troops to defeat the Xirong and recaptured Quanqiu, which had originally been the ancestral home of the Qin Ying family but had been occupied by the Xirong. King Xuan of Zhou returned Quanqiu to the Qin Ying family and conferred the title of Xichui Dafu on Duke Zhuang of Qin. Xichui refers to the western frontier, indicating that the fiefdom of the Qin Ying family was located at the westernmost edge of the Zhou dynasty. At that time, Duke Zhuang of Qin was only a Dafu of the Zhou royal court and not yet an official feudal lord.
　　After the death of Duke Zhuang of Qin, his son Duke Xiang of Qin ascended to the throne. After several generations of hard work and struggle, the Ying family of Qin finally established a solid foothold in the western frontier and gradually grew in strength.
　　When King Ping of Zhou moved eastward, Duke Xiang of Qin escorted him to Luoyi. King Ping conferred the title of feudal lord upon Duke Xiang and granted him the land west of Mount Qi. The area around Mount Qi was the birthplace of the Zhou people, but at this time it had fallen into the hands of the Quanrong (a barbarian tribe). King Ping said to Duke Xiang, “The Rong people do not act righteously, they have seized my lands at Qi and Feng. If you can drive the Rong people away, these lands will belong to you.”
　　King Ping of Zhou made an oath with Duke Xiang of Qin and bestowed the title of earl upon him. From this point on, the state of Qin was officially established.
　　
From Duke Xiang of Qin to Duke Mu of Qin
　　In 766 BC, Duke Xiang of Qin led an army to campaign against the Xirong tribes. Upon reaching Mount Qi, he unexpectedly passed away. After his death, his son Duke Wen of Qin ascended to the throne, leading the army to defeat the Xirong and reclaim the lands such as Qi and Feng, significantly expanding the territory of the Qin state.
　　During the reign of Duke Wu of Qin (697 BC - 678 BC), the Qin state annexed the land of the nearby Rong tribes and expanded eastward, reaching the foot of Mount Hua. Duke Wu of Qin passed away in 678 BC and was buried with 66 living persons as sacrifices.
　　In 677 BC, Qin moved its capital to Yong. The proximity of Yong to the Central Plains facilitated the communication between Qin and the states of the Central Plains, which was of great benefit to the development of Qin.
　　Due to its location in the western frontier, the Qin state had a relatively backward culture and a shortage of talented individuals. Duke Mu of Qin (reigned 659BC–621 BC) actively sought out talented individuals from various states, and obtained capable figures such as Baili Xi and Jian Shu, whom he entrusted with important responsibilities, which pioneered the system of appointing guest ministers by abilities. With the assistance of these talented guest ministers, the strength of Qin grew increasingly robust, allowing it to begin exerting a significant influence on the situation in the world.
　　In 621 BC, Duke Mu of Qin passed away, and as many as 177 people were buried alive with him, including three Dafu. These three Dafu from the Ziche clan (also known as the Ziyu clan) were recognized as virtuous officials in the state of Qin. The people of Qin mourned them by composing the poem Yellow Bird, which also condemned the cruel practice of human sacrifice in burials.
　　Shortly after the death of Duke Mu of Qin, the state of Chu rose strongly and competed with the Jin state for dominance in the Central Plains. The Qin state pursued a strategy of “allying with Chu to attack Jin”, but was repeatedly defeated by Jin, leading to a gradual decline in its national strength.

▌第一章　短命的秦朝

　　秦國歷史概要：從建國到秦昭襄王。呂不韋的政治投機，《呂氏春秋》，呂不韋之死。秦始皇：秦王政與李斯，滅六國，中央集權制，焚書坑儒，嚴刑峻法。陳勝吳廣起義。

　　秦朝（西元前221年－西元前207年）是中國歷史上第一個統一的中央集權王朝。西元前221年，秦王嬴政滅掉六國、建立秦朝時，自稱「始皇帝」，其後的皇帝稱為「二世」、「三世」……，他希望秦朝可以延續萬世，「傳之無窮」。不料，秦朝竟二世而亡，國祚僅十五年。
　　二世而亡的秦朝固然短命，但秦朝的前身秦國卻有比較悠久的歷史。
　　...

▌序
　　文明是人類擺脫蒙昧野蠻狀態後的一種社會形態。
　　文明是一種秩序，但秩序卻並不等於文明。文明是一種良性秩序。一個遵循叢林法則的社會似乎也會呈現出某種秩序，而一個實行嚴刑峻法的社會更是顯得秩序井然，但這樣的秩序顯然不是良性秩序。
　　對一個文明社會而言，物質文明只是必要條件，精神文明才是文明社會之所以稱為文明的本質規定。而尊重人作為精神存在的價值的人文精神，則是精神文明的核心。
　　在孔子看來，周朝就是這樣一個文明社會──
　　子曰：「周監於二代，郁郁乎文哉！吾從周。」
　　周公「制禮作樂」，在夏商二代的基礎上，設計了一套比較完善的禮樂制度。周朝禮樂制度所呈現的秩序之美，華夏士大夫們在言行舉止中所散發的從容與優雅，與當時周邊蠻夷的混亂無序，以及蠻族人身上那種無法遮掩的粗魯與鄙陋，形成了極其鮮明的對照。事實上，禮樂制度在規範文明行為的同時，也在拒斥野蠻。換言之，禮樂制度猶如一道堤岸，維護著文明秩序，將野蠻的洪流拒之於外。
　　然而，美好的事物往往是脆弱的。一朵美麗的鮮花，倘若遭到風吹雨打，很快就會凋零。文明也是如此。文明的堤岸一旦被野蠻的洪流所衝垮，一個美盛的文明就會土崩瓦解。
　　在古代世界，導致一個文明社會崩潰的直接原因，往往是外部的蠻族。但一個文明社會的覆滅，一般都是內外交困的結果，其中起決定作用的還是內因。所謂千里之堤潰於蟻穴，文明的衰亡往往肇始於內部的腐敗。而腐敗的根本原因，則在於人心的敗壞和制度的鬆弛。
　　人心之所以容易敗壞，追根究底，是因為「人之所以異於禽獸者幾希」──人性中潛藏著大量獸性成分，被人之所以為人的那一點點善性所制約，猶如猛獸暫時被關押在牢籠裡。一旦人的善性不足以遏制獸性，一旦社會的道德體系全面崩潰，人類社會就會墮落為弱肉強食的原始叢林。
　　在人類歷史上，中華文明是一個極其獨特的偉大文明。其他那些曾經輝煌一時的文明，只需遭遇一次滅頂之災，從此便徹底掩埋在歷史的塵埃裡。中華文明卻不然，數千年來，雖然多次面臨滅頂之災，卻總能觸底反彈，重建文明的堤岸。
　　中華文明何以有如此堅韌的生命力？
　　原因是多方面的，除了政治、經濟、語言、習俗、地理等諸多因素之外，我們認為最重要的是中華文明擁有以儒道兩家為核心的思想傳統。
　　春秋戰國時期，正值周朝禮樂制度全面崩潰之際，諸子蜂起，百家爭鳴，各家在思想理論方面雖各有所長，若論對中華文明的貢獻之大，則莫過於儒道兩家。
　　子曰：「克己復禮為仁。一日克己復禮，天下歸仁焉。為仁由己，而由人乎哉？」
　　對孔子來說，恢復禮樂制度只是手段，其最終目的是為了提高天下人的道德水準，使人人都懷有仁愛之心。
　　周公創制的禮樂制度以各種行為規範來拒斥野蠻的洪流，而孔子的仁道則為禮樂制度提供了道德依據。即使到了禮崩樂壞的時代，野蠻的洪流已經衝垮了文明的堤岸，只要心懷仁愛的仁人志士尚存，文明的堤岸很快就會得以重建。
　　如果說崇尚「天行健，君子以自強不息」的儒家代表了中華文明陽剛的一面，那麼，提倡無為不爭、柔弱退讓的道家則代表其陰柔的一面。
　　老子說：「柔弱勝剛強。」
　　又說：「見素抱樸。」
　　老子所說的「柔弱」，其實是一種百折不撓的堅韌；而老子所說的「見素抱樸」，則反映了對真實和自然的推崇和渴求。
　　兩千多年來，深受道家思想浸潤的中華民族，早已將堅忍和求真等理念鐫刻在心靈深處，與儒家的仁愛思想一起成為中華文明的基因。儒道兩家互相拮抗，又互相依存，猶如中華文明的DNA雙螺旋結構。正因為儒道互補，剛柔相濟，中華文明才能如此堅忍不拔，雖歷經滄桑，飽受磨難，卻綿延不絕，至今生機盎然。
　　冷戰結束後，美國學者亨廷頓指出：「在正在來臨的時代，文明的衝突是對世界和平的最大威脅，而建立在多文明基礎上的國際秩序是防止世界大戰的最可靠保障。」
　　當今世界，文明之間的衝突愈演愈烈。衝突的具體原因有很多，但根本原因在於文明之間的差異：各大文明在語言、宗教、文化、歷史等方面的差異，導致各自世界觀和價值觀的差異。
　　如何才能消弭文明之間的衝突？
　　現成的答案顯然並不存在。不過，中華文明中的「和而不同」、「大同世界」等理念，或許能為世人提供一種超越西方文明中固有的二元對立思維模式的啟示。至於是否因此就能找到一條通往多文明和諧共存的路徑，並進而實現世界的永久和平，則殊難預料。
　　本書採用紀傳體、編年體和紀事本末體三者相結合的方式，敘述中國歷史名人和重大歷史事件，從武王伐紂開始寫起，直至辛亥革命，涵蓋近三千年的中國歷史。
　　本書採取中英文對照形式，以人物為中心、年代為序、事件為鏈，力圖向國內外讀者呈現一幅比較完整的中國歷史畫卷。
　　全書分為六卷，分別敘述六個歷史時期的人物與事件：
　　第一卷，先秦時期；第二卷，秦漢時期；第三卷，魏晉南北朝時期；第四卷，隋唐五代時期；第五卷，兩宋時期；第六卷，元明清時期。

▌序
　　文明是人類擺脫蒙昧野蠻狀態後的一種社會形態。
　　文明是一種秩序，但秩序卻並不等於文明。文明是一種良性秩序。一個遵循叢林法則的社會似乎也會呈現出某種秩序，而一個實行嚴刑峻法的社會更是顯得秩序井然，但這樣的秩序顯然不是良性秩序。
　　對一個文明社會而言，物質文明只是必要條件，精神文明才是文明社會之所以稱為文明的本質規定。而尊重人作為精神存在的價值的人文精神，則是精神文明的核心。
　　在孔子看來，周朝就是這樣一個文明社會──
　　子曰：「周監於二代，郁郁乎文哉！吾從周。」
　　周公「制禮作...

作者簡介
序／Preface
第一章　短命的秦朝
Chapter 1　The Short-Lived Qin Dynasty
第二章　楚漢相爭
Chapter 2　The Chu-Han Contention
第三章　陸賈：漢朝文化的奠基人
Chapter 3　Lu Jia: The Founder of Han Dynasty Culture
第四章　賈誼與《過秦論》
Chapter 4　Jia Yi and On the Faults of Qin
第五章　晁錯與「七國之亂」
Chapter 5　Chao Cuo and the Rebellion of the Seven States
第六章　董仲舒及其「天人感應」論
Chapter 6　Dong Zhongshu and His Theory of “Interactions Between Heaven and Mankind”
第七章　李廣：命途多舛的飛將軍
Chapter 7　Li Guang: Ill-Fated Flying General
第八章　張騫：絲綢之路的開拓者
Chapter 8　Zhang Qian: The Pioneer of the Silk Road
第九章　衛青與霍去病
Chapter 9　Wei Qing and Huo Qubing
第十章　「史家之絕唱」──司馬遷及其《史記》
Chapter 10　“The Eternal Masterpiece of Historiography”─Sima Qian and his Shiji
第十一章　傅介子千里斬樓蘭
Chapter 11　Fu Jiezi’s Legendary Feat of Slaying King of Loulan from afar
第十二章　蘇武：忠君愛國的典範
Chapter 12　Su Wu: A Model of Loyalty to the Emperor and Patriotism
第十三章　衰落時代的大文豪──揚雄及其所處的時代
Chapter 13　The Great Literary Master of the Decline Era──Yang Xiong and His Time
第十四章　老當益壯──伏波將軍馬援的故事
Chapter 14　Age Should Strengthen the Spirit──The Story of Fubo General Ma Yuan
第十五章　 不事王侯，高尚其事 ─嚴光的故事
Chapter 15　Not to Serve Kings or Lords, but to Hold it Noble to Stand Apart from Worldly Power─The Story of Yan Guang
第十六章　外戚之患──竇氏集團的崛起及其覆滅
Chapter 16　 The Perils of the Imperial Affinal Kin: The Rise and Fall of the Dou Clan
第十七章　大英雄班超
Chapter 17　Ban Chao, A Celebrated Military Hero
第十八章　張衡：史上罕見的全才
Chapter 18　Zhang Heng: A Rare Polymath in History
第十九章　黨錮之禍
Chapter 19　The Disasters of the Partisan Prohibitions
第二十章　亂世降臨──以蔡邕為切入點看東漢末年
Chapter 20　The Coming of Chaos: Viewing the Late Eastern Han Dynasty from the Perspective of Cai Yong

作者簡介
序／Preface
第一章　短命的秦朝
Chapter 1　The Short-Lived Qin Dynasty
第二章　楚漢相爭
Chapter 2　The Chu-Han Contention
第三章　陸賈：漢朝文化的奠基人
Chapter 3　Lu Jia: The Founder of Han Dynasty Culture
第四章　賈誼與《過秦論》
Chapter 4　Jia Yi and On the Faults of Qin
第五章　晁錯與「七國之亂」
Chapter 5　Chao Cuo and the Rebellion of the Seven States
第六章　董仲舒及其「天人感應」論
Chapter 6　Dong Zhongshu and His Theory of “Interactions Between Heaven and Mankind”...