中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第13期:李世民

Li Shimin (600~649), temple name Taizong, was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China from 626 to 649.

李世民( 600~649 ) ，廟號太宗，唐朝第二位皇帝，公元626年至649年在位。

He encouraged his father, Li Yuan, to start the uprising that established the Tang Dynasty from Taiyuan, and many now consider Taizong to have been the co-founder of the Dynasty.

其父李淵在太原發動起義，最後建立了唐朝，而李淵之所以起義還是受到李世民的鼓勵。現在許多人認爲對建立唐朝而言，李淵和李世民的功勞是對等的。

In Taizong's general Li Jing used 3000 cavalry to defeat the Khan at Dingxiang in a surprise attack, therefore conquering the once mignty Eastern Turkic Khanate and allowed Tang to become the major political and military power of the region.

630年，太宗大將李靖用3000騎兵發動奇襲，在定襄打敗可汗軍，從而征服了曾經強大的東突厥，使得唐朝成爲這個地區主要的政治軍事強國。

Accordingly，leaders of bordering tribes convened at Chang'an (modern Xi'an) the same year and asked for Taizong to take on the title of Heavenly Khan.

因而邊界的部落領袖同年集聚長安(今西安)，要求太宗接受天可汗的稱號。

Under his reign，the famous rule of Zhenguan took place (his era name was Zhenguan).

在太宗的統治下，出現了貞觀之治(太宗年號是貞觀)。

At the time，it was said that there was no need for the people to lock doors at night and that items left on the road remained untouched by others.

據說，那時出現了“夜不閉戶，路不拾遺”的社會狀況。

The prosperity of the era and the leadership of Taizong and his renowned officials epitomized the peak of traditional rulership that future generations would strive to emulate.

這個時代的繁榮、太宗的領導能力以及太宗的名臣成爲傳統統治的高峯，爲後代統治者樹立了仿效的榜樣。

His posthumous name was Wenwu-dasheng-daguang Xiao Huangdi, literally “Filial Emperor who is Civil and Martial, Greatly Holy, and Greatly Expansive".

太宗的諡號是“文武大聖大廣孝皇帝”。