中英雙語話史記 第126期:太平起義

Qing Dynasty

清朝

The Taiping Rebellion

太平起義

During the mid-nineteenth century, China’s problems were compounded by natural calamities of unprecedented proportions, including droughts, famines, and floods.

19世紀中期，中國的麻煩由空前的自然災害造成，包括乾旱、饑荒和洪水。

Government neglect of public works was in part responsible for this and other disasters, and the Qing administration did little to relieve the widespread misery caused by them.

政府對於市政工程的忽視是造成災害和其他一些災難的部分原因，並且清政府並沒有實行舉措來緩解由它們帶來的大範圍苦難。

Economic tensions, military defeats at Western hands, and anti-Manchu sentiments all combined to produce widespread unrest, especially in the south.

經濟緊張、與西方國家交戰失敗和反清的情緒共同導致了廣泛的動盪，尤其是在南方地區。

South China had been the last area to yield to the Qing conquerors and the first to be exposed to Western influence.

中國南方是最後一片向清朝屈服也是最早受到西方影響的地方。

It provided a likely setting for the largest uprising in modem Chinese history---- the Taiping Rebellion.

這爲中國近現代史上最大的一次起義——太平起義創造了條件。

The Taiping rebels were led by Hong Xiuquan (1814—1864), a village teacher and unsuccessful imperial examination candidate.

太平起義軍由洪秀全（1814——1864）領導，他是一個鄉村先生，在科舉考試中名落孫山。

Hong formulated an eclectic ideology combining the ideals of pre-Confucian utopianism with Protestant beliefs.

洪秀全制定了一個折衷的意識形態，將早先儒家的烏托邦思想與新教的信仰結合起來。

He soon had a following in the thousands who were heavily anti-Manchu and anti-establishment.

他迅速擁有了成千上萬反清和反建制的追隨者。

Hong’s followers formed a military organization to protect against bandits and recruited troops not only among believers but also from among other armed peasant groups and secret societies.

追隨者們成立了一個軍事組織以對抗土匪並從其他農民武裝組織和機密團體而不僅僅是教徒中招募軍人。

In 1851 Hong Xiuquan and others launched an uprising in Guizhou Province.

1851年，洪秀全和其他人在貴州省發動起義。

Hong proclaimed the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace (or Taiping Tianguo) with himself as king.

他建立了太平天國並自己稱帝。

The new order was to reconstitute a legendary ancient state in which the peasantry owned and tilled the land in common; slavery, concubinage, arranged marriage, opium smoking, footbinding, judicial torture, and the worship of idols were all to be eliminated.

新規規定要重新建立一個傳說中的國度，農民共同擁有和耕作土地；奴隸制、納妾制、包辦婚姻、抽鴉片、纏足、嚴星拷問和偶像崇拜都被禁止。

The Taiping tolerance of the esoteric rituals and quasi-religious societies of south China---- themselves a threat to Qing stability---- and their relentless attacks on Confucianism---- still widely accepted as the moral foundation of Chinese behavior ---- contributed to the ultimate defeat of the rebellion.

太平天國對於中國南方的神祕儀式和準宗教社會的寬容使它們成爲了清朝的一大威脅，它們對於仍被認作是中國行爲道德根基的儒家文化的殘酷攻擊導致了起義的最終失敗。

Its advocacy of radical social reforms alienated the Han Chinese scholar-gentry class.

它們對激進的社會改革的擁護使其遭到了中國漢家上流學者階層的孤立。

The Taiping army, although it had captured Nanjing and driven as far north as Tianjin, failed to establish stable base areas.

太平軍儘管攻佔了南京又向北打到了天津卻沒能建立一個穩定的根據地。

The movements leaders found themselves in a net of internal feuds, defections, and corruption.

統治者間存在着內部紛爭、變節與貪污腐敗。

Additionally, British and French forces, being more willing to deal with the weak Qing administration than contend with the uncertainties of a Taiping regime, came to the assistance of the imperial army.

不僅如此，英國和法國的軍隊更希望與清朝談判而不願與太平天國的不確定作鬥爭，他們爲朝廷軍提供了幫助。

Before the Chinese army succeeded in crushing the revolt, however, 14 years had passed, and well over 30 million people were reported killed.

在中國軍隊成功摧毀起義前已經過去了14年，據傳被殺害的人數超過了30000000.

To defeat the rebellion, the Qing court needed, besides Western help, an army stronger and more popular than the demoralized imperial forces.

爲了擊敗叛亂，清廷除了需要西方軍隊的幫助外還需要一隻更強大、比士氣低迷的朝廷軍更得民心的軍隊。

In 1860, scholar-official Zeng Guofan (1811—1872), from Hunan Province, was appointed imperial commissioner and governor-general of the Taiping-controlled territories and placed in command of the war against the rebels.

1860年，來自湖南省的士大夫曾國藩（1811——1872）被任命爲欽差大臣以及太平天國統治地區的總督，他被命令與起義軍開戰。

Zeng’s Hunan army, created and paid for by local taxes, became a powerful new fighting force under the command of eminent scholar-generals.

曾國藩由當地稅收創建和支付薪酬的湘軍，在這位傑出的士大夫將領的指導下，成爲了一支強大的新的作戰部隊。

Zeng’s success gave new power to an emerging Han Chinese elite and eroded Qing authority.

他的勝利爲出現的漢人精英提供了新的力量並瓦解了清朝的主權。

Simultaneous uprisings in north China (the Nian Rebellion) and southwest China (the Muslim Rebellion) further demonstrated Qing weakness.

在中國北部（捻軍起義）和西南部（穆斯林起義）同時發生的叛亂進一步展現了清朝的軟弱無能。