-败类
【中英对照】中国传统文化经典名人故事
Countries and Statesssic Anecdotes of
Traditional Chinese Culture
Cla
一、江山社稷
1.
大禹治水
King Yu
Tamed the Flood
Long time ago, it was said that a
deluge engulfed a huge area of land claimed many
lives, so
King Shun sent Yu to control
the flood.
Talking with seniors, Yu drew lessons
from the past water-control experience. After the
field
survey, he
made up a
feasible plan. Then he led people to divert he
floods, and during this
time, though he
actually passed by the door of his own home
fo
r three times, he didn’t go in.
With
13-year
persistent
efforts
under
his
leadership,
9
large
rivers
were
finally
dredged
leading floods into the sea.
While
harnessing
the
floods,
Yu,
along
with
others,
helped
people
rebuild
their
homes,
fallowed lands and
resumed production. In this way, he gave the
common people a peaceful
and contented
life and achieved an immortal feat. At that time,
to commemorate Yu the Great,
the whole
country was called “the City of Yu”; and for his
feat, a mausoleum called “Yu Ling”
was
built in his honor by the later generations.
2.
贞观之治
Reign
of
Zhenguan
Reign
of
Zhenguan
(627-649
AD)
was
the
golden
and
prosperous
age
of
early
Tang
Dyna
sty
under
the
reign
of
Emperor
Taizong,
Li
Shimin.
He
is
typically
considered
one
of
the
great
est
emperors
in
the
whole
Chinese
history.
Emperor
Taizong’s
reign
was
regaded
ad
the
exemplary
model
against
whicj
the
emperors
of
later
generations
were
measured,
and
was
considered
required
study
for
future
crown
princes.
During
his
23-year
reign,
the
nat
ion
enjoyed
stability
and
prosperity
with
the
fourishing
economy
and
powerful
troops,
and
the
people
lived
in
peace.
The
emperor
put
people
in
the
first
place.
He
saw
people
as
water
and
emperor
as
boat,
and
believed
that
the
water
could
bear
the
coat
and
swallow
it
as
well
(
民，水也；君，舟
也。水能载舟，亦能覆舟。
)
Taking
the
downfall
of
Sui
Dynasty
as
a
negative
example,
Emperor
Taizong
appointed
people
on
their
merits
and
put
them
in
the
most
suitable
plac
e,
besides,
he
encouraged
the
free
airing
of
views,
accepted
criticism
with
modesty
and
ga
ve
important
position
to
the
capable
chancellors
such
as
房玄龄、
杜如晦和魏征
and
so
on.
He
made
a
peaceful
society
by
takibg
a
series
of
policies,
such
as
putting
great
emphasi