Shih Huang-ti built it to protect China's many hardworking and peaceable peasants and townspeople from the wild tribes of the steppes,

秦始皇修建它是为了保护中国众多勤劳、爱好和平的农民和民众，使其免遭草原上野蛮部落的侵犯，

whose warlike horsemen roamed the vast plains of inner Asia.

这些部落的好战的骑兵漫游在在亚洲腹地的辽阔平原上。

It had to be strong enough to resist their incessant raids, with all their looting and killing.

这座城墙必须足够坚固才可以抵抗这些一再入侵的部落的掠夺和杀戮。

And he succeeded. Of course, over the centuries the wall has often been rebuilt and strengthened, but it is still there today.

他成功了。当然，几千年来长城自然也常常需要重建和加固，但它今天依然还在。

Shih Huang-ti didn't have a long reign. Soon a new family ascended the throne of the Son of Heaven.

秦始皇本人在位时间不长。在他之后不久一个新的家族登上了天子宝座。

This was the Han family.

这就是汉朝。

They saw no need to undo all Shih Huang-ti's good works, and under their rule China remained strong and unified.

他们发现没有必要破坏秦始皇建立起来的大好江山，在他们的统治之下中国仍然是一个牢固的、统一的国家。

But by now the Hans were no longer enemies of history.

但他们不再是历史的敌人了。

On the contrary, they remembered China's debt to the teachings of Confucius and set about searching high and low for all those ancient writings.

相反，他们回忆起过去认为孔子的学说对中国功不可没，于是到处搜寻这些古书。

It turned out that many people had had the courage not to burn them after all.

结果表明许多人有胆有识没有将它们烧毁。