文章简介

The.First.Emperor

Qin Shi Huangdi remains a controversial figure in Chinese history. After unifying China, he and his chief adviser Li Si passed a series of major economic and political reforms. He undertook gigantic projects, including the first version of the Great Wall of China, the now famous city-sized mausoleum guarded by a life-sized Terracotta Army, all at the expense of many lives. To ensure stability, Qin Shi Huang outlawed Confucianism and buried many scholars alive. All books other than those officially decreed were banned and burned in what is known as the great Confucian purge. Despite the tyranny of his autocratic rule, Qin Shi Huang is regarded as a pivotal figure....

英语文本

Never life-size or in such incredible detail. But the huge army is just the beginning. The researchers have so far uncovered over 180 separate pits, and they are still digging. And the more they unearth here, the greater the riches promised by the ultimate prize, the emperor's tomb itself.

For 2,000 years, all that could be seen was a vast mound of earth as big as the largest Egyptian Pyramids. Now professor Jeffery Riegel is hoping that new experimental archeology will unlock the secrets of the tomb, and finally reveal the truth behind the legend of the emperor. For the first time, archaeologists are probing the mound, and Riegel hopes to be able to answer centuries-old questions. Is the emperor's tomb actually there? Has it been plundered? And could it, as the legend says, really contain rivers and seas of flowing mercury? And if this turns out to be true, what does that say about the rest of the incredible legend?

If someone could be responsible for a burial complex of that size, of that enormity, then yes all of these now suddenly rings true.

The first emperor shows little sign of greatness the day he becomes king of the western Chinese state of Chin. It's 247BC, the omens aren't good. The previous king of Chin has just last three years.

Majesty, the King is dead. Long live the King.

King Yingzheng is barely 13 years old, already the sharks begin to circle hungry for power, and caught up at their heart is his own mother.

My dear boy, I'm so sorry, but...The queen has a longtime lover, the last King's advisor, Lü Buwei.

We are here for you.

重点词汇

Uncover: to find out about something that has been kept secret 揭露;发现

By a sudden movement we uncovered the enemy's right flank.
我们的突击行动使敌人的右翼暴露无遗。

Unearth: (从地下)发掘,掘出

They unearthed a box buried under a tree.
他们挖出了一个埋在树下的盒子。

Plunder: 掠夺,劫掠,抢劫

The conquerors plundered their wealth and burned their cities.
征服者掠夺他们的财富,烧毁他们的城市。

Mercury: 水银, 汞, 使者

Poisoning caused by mercury or a compound containing mercury.
汞中毒由水银或含水银的化合物引起的中毒

Ring: 听上去,听起来

Her promise rang hollow.
她的许诺听上去像是空话。

Omen: 预兆,兆头

Some magpies were singing in the tree when I left home for the first time, a good omen in Chinese culture.
当我初次离家时,喜鹊在树上唱歌,在中国文化中这是个好预兆。
an omen of defeat
失败的前兆