Battle of Changping
长平之战
During the Warring States Period (战国时期), the Battle of Changping (长平之战）broke out in 260 BC, which results in a decisive victory of the state of Qin (秦国）over Zhao.
长平之战爆发于公元前260年的战国时期，这场战争以秦国决定性的战胜赵国为结局。
In 257 BC, the Qin invaded the Han.
公元前257年，秦国侵略韩国。
Responding to the Han call for help，the Zhao king decided to send Lian Po (廉颇）to deal with the threat.
收到韩国需要救援的信息，赵国国君派出廉颇来对抗秦国。
The two armies met at Changping, situated in the Northern part of the Han lands.
两支军队交战于韩国北部之地，长平。
On one side was the Qin army, led by renowned General Bai Qi, on the other was the Zhao army led by Lian Po.
一支军队是由名将白起率领的秦国军队，另一支则是由廉颇率领的赵国军队。
Lian Po, after looking over the Qin formations, decided that the only way to stop their attack was to wait it out.
观察了秦国军队的排布之后，廉颇决定唯一能够阻止他们进攻的方法就是耐心等待。
Thus he built several fortresses and camped there, waiting for the opposing army to go away or a peace treaty to be concluded by the Han and the Qin.
因此，他建立了一些堡垒并在那里安营扎寨，等待敌方军队离开或是两国和解。

The Qin had no intention of leaving.
秦国军队没有离开的打算。
They sent spies to the state of Zhao and Han, ordering them to spread the word that Lian Po was cowardly and was too old to fight battles.
他们向韩国和赵国派遣间谍，散布廉颇是懦夫以及廉颇太老不能再打仗的传言。
The king, upon hearing this, immediately decided to remove Lian Po and replace him with Zhao Kuo, the son of another famous Zhao general, Zhao She.
国君一听，立刻弃用廉颇，命赵国另一名将赵奢的儿子，赵括出征。
Legend has it that on his deathbed, Zhao She told his wife never to let Zhao Kuo command an army.
传说赵奢临终之时嘱咐他的妻子千万不要让赵括带兵打仗。
So Zhao She’s wife, after hearing of Zhao Kuo;s appointment as general, went up to the King of Zhao and tried to persuade him not to let Zhao Kuo command an army, along with the minister, Lin Xiangru.
所以赵奢的妻子一听说赵括被任命为统帅就和另一位官员蔺相如一起来到赵国国君的面前，想要劝说他不要让赵括领兵。
The king turned their requests down.
国君拒绝了他们的请求。
When Zhao Kuo assumed command, he ordered the army to launch an invasion of the Qin camp.
赵括担任指挥后，命令军队向秦军营地发起进攻。
The Qin were already lying in wait for them and the Zhao forces were eventually driven up a hill, which the Qin then besieged for 40 days.
秦军一直在等着赵军发动进攻，最终赵国军队攀上了秦国军队包围了40天的山峰。
At last, driven mad by hunger and thirst, the Zhao forces made a desperate change down the hill, with Zhao Kuo leading.
最后，由于被饥饿和口渴逼疯，赵国军队在赵括的带领下孤注一掷，闯下山头。
He was shot down by Qin archers.
赵括死于秦军弓箭手的箭下。
The troops of Zhao were routed.
赵国军队被一举击败。
Legends accounted for more than four hundred thousand Zhao prisoners of war massacred but such grossly overestimated number has been disputed.
传说超过400000的赵国战俘被屠杀，但是这样粗略的高估存在着争议。
With this victory, Qin had established military superiority over other states.
通过这场战争的胜利，秦国在其他国家面前树立了军队优势。
More campaigns and battles ensued, especially in the conquest of the state of Chu.
尤其是在征服了楚国之后，秦国发动了更多的战争。
Nevertheless no matter how bloody these military operations would be, Qin's final victory was guaranteed.
不论这些战争有多么的残忍，它们都保障了秦国最终的胜利。