King Wu ： When Chang, the son of Ji Li, was in the reign, the state had been powerful and prosperous, for he was benevolent and courteous, and many scholars went to Zhou.

武王伐封:季历的儿子昌在位时，国富民强。昌，仁慈爱民，礼贤下士，天下士人都来投奔。

Fearing for the prosperity of the Zhou, King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty imprisoned Chang in Youli for seven years.

周的发展，使商纣感到威胁，于是将西伯昌囚禁于羑里7年。

The Zhou people ransomed him with jewels and beauties. Hereafter, under the assistance of Lu Shang, Chang pretended to be obedient and make merry every day, but actually accumulated virtue ,pleasing common people, developing production, having more vassals submit to him and subduing hostile ones. Eventually, Chang controlled much of the world, and in the name of the Mandate of Heaven he proclaimed himself king, namely King Wen of Zhou. King Wen moved the capital to Fengyi (now on the west bank of Fengshui of Southwest of Chang^n county in Shaanxi).

周人以珍宝和美女将西伯赎出，此后，在吕尚的辅佐下，昌表面上耽于游乐，对殷纣十分驯服，实际上却更为积善修德，和悦百姓,大力发展生产，使更多的诸侯前来归附，进而征讨不驯服的诸侯和商的盟国，自称王，即周文王，并将都城迁到丰邑（今陕西长安西南沣水西岸）。

Nine years later, King Wen died, and his son came to the throne, Known as King Wu.

9年后，周文王逝世，其子发继位，称武王。

With Lu Shang as teacher, Duke Dan of Zhou, Zhao and Bi as assistants, King Wu continued his fathers unfinished cause.

他继续以吕尚为师，周公旦为辅，召公、毕公等人为主要助手，继续文王未尽的事业。

In 1048 BC, King Wu called in eight hundred vassals to have a meeting, making a pledge to conquer the Shang Dynasty at Mengjin.

将都城扩至沣水以东的镐京（今陕西长安县境），积极作灭商的准备。公元前1048年，武王在孟津召集八百诸侯会师盟誓伐纣。

Two years later, he led army to depart from Tongguan, allying various vassal states, and marching eastward. In the next February, King Wu defeated the Shang forces at the battle of Muye； then established the Zhou Dynasty.

两年后，文王兵出潼关,联合各方诸侯，挥师东向，于次年2月在牧野打败商朝的军队，建立了周朝。

King Cheng (1042 ~ 1006): King Cheng was succeeded to King Wu.

周公辅成王:武王死后,其子成王继位。

However, King Cheng was young, and the Zhou Dynasty had just brought order to the empire. Duke Dan of Zhou was afraid that the patrician lords would rebel against Zhou, so he assumed the powers of a regent to administer the state.

成王年少，天下初定，周公旦恐怕诸侯不服，以王叔摄政。

Guan Shu and Cai Shu, dissatisfied, together with, under the standard of Wu-geng, the son of the last Shang king Zhou, rose up in rebellion against the Zhou Dynasty.

管叔、蔡叔不服，与殷纣之子武庚，发动叛乱。

Duke Dan of Zhou resolutely commanded the troops to launch on eastern expedition, which led to the deaths of Wu-geng and Guan Shu, and to the banishment of Cai Shu. Subsequently, he pacified the orient states.

周公毅然率兵东征，平定了叛乱，诛杀了武庚和管叔，放逐了蔡叔，再相继平定了东方诸国。

The unification was finally completed through the war.

经过这次战争，周的统一事业才告完成。

In order or to enhance the control over the east, Duke Dan of Zhou acted under the order of King Cheng, taking charge of the task of building Luoyi.

为了加强对东方的统治，周公奉成王之命负责营建洛邑的工作。

After the completion of the city, Duke Dan of Zhou installed Wei-zi Kai, a prince of Yin, as the clan leader of the Yin lineage and gave him a patrimonial estate in Song, the former capital of the Shang Dynasty. Then he rounded up many of the remnant people of Yin and presented them to his youngest brother Feng，who became the ruler of the land of Wei under the title Kang Shu.

洛邑建成后，周公封降周的商贵族微子凯于商朝故都宋地;封武王少弟康叔于纣都，成立卫国，赐以殷国，赐以殷民六族。

Thus, the remnants of the Yin had been split, who came to submit to the Zhou Dynasty gradually.

这样，殷商余民已被分割，逐渐服从于周朝的统治。

Duke Dan of Zhou occupied the office of regent for seven years. When King Cheng came to age, Duke Dan of Zhou returned to him the reigns of government and faced north at court in the position of a minister.

周公执政7年，成王成年后他就把政权交给成王管理，自己则面北称臣。

Duke Dan of Zhou established the Rites of Zhou and created the Classic of Music, setting up various institutions and systems, which led to the establishment of the patriarch system.

周公还制礼作乐,建立了周朝的各项典章制度，确立了以宗法制度为中心的政治体制。

King Cheng had headed the troops to launch a punitive expedition on Dongyi tribes and ensured the stability of the eastern regions.

成王曾亲自讨伐东夷，使东部得以安定。

After the death of King Cheng, his son King Kang succeeded him to the throne. He carried on the cause of his farther, being diligent in the governmental affairs, amiable to the people. The penal punishment had never been used over the period of several decades, and the society was more stable.

成王死后，继位的康王继承先王的事业，勤于政事，平易近民，刑罚几十年不用，社会更加安定。

Guoren^ Uprising and the Period of Gonghe ： In the later period of the Western Zhou, the social economy got a rapid development with mountains, forests, land and swamps exploited in certain degree.

国人暴动与共和行政:西周后期，社会经济发展较快，山林川泽有所开发。

When King Li was on the throne，he took over all of these natural resources in the vicinity of the capital and had them under the control of royal house. Therefore, the nobles of lower ranks were excluded from using them, and the common people were not allowed to enter these areas to cut wood, pick, go hunting and fishing.

至厉王时，他把王畿以内的山林川泽收归王室控制，不许中小贵族利用，亦不准劳动 人民进人樵采捕捞。

The measure led to a wide discon-tentment In response, King Li employed a shaman to watch over the public, and anyone who spoke against him was executed, which intensified the contradiction.

厉王的这一措施引起人们的不满。他就派巫师监视，杀掉议论的人，使矛盾更为尖锐。

In 841 BC, Guoren (also interpreted as freeman referring the common people living in the capital cities with a relatively high social status) could no longer tolerate his tyranny, and rose in armed revolt.

至公元前841年，国人(居住在国都内的人的统称，多是平民，身份较高）发动暴动，反对周厉王。

They attacked the royal palace and forced the king to flee.

他们进攻王宫，厉王出逃。

Then they surrounded the residence of Duke Zhao, where they got the news that Prince Jing, heir to the throne, was hidden. They compelled the Duke to hand over the prince.

这时，有人听说太子静躲在大臣召公家里，他们又立即包围了召公的府邸，逼召公交出太子。

At this critical moment, the Duke made his own son take the place of the prince, thus saving the heir who later became King Xuan.

情急之下,召公只得将自己的儿子顶替太子交了出去，这才保住了太子的性命。太子静就是后来的宣王。

Since King Li had run away, there was no monarch in the imperial court.

厉王逃走后，朝廷里没有国王。

After the discussion of ministers, a decision was made that the Duke of Zhao and the Duke of the Zhou took charge of the government temporarily. This period was called the gonghe，known as"Gong-He".

经大臣们商议，由召公和周公暂时代替厉王执掌朝政，史上称之为“共和执政”。

The first year of the gonghe was 841 B.C. From that year on, we have accurate dates of recorded Chinese History.

从共和元年,也就是公元前841年，中国历史上才有了确切的纪年。

The uprising of guoren shook the foundation of the Zhou Dynasty. The contradiction between the royal the common began to surface, and the prestige of the dynasty declined gradually.

“国人暴动”大大动摇了周王朝的统治基础，贵族与平民的矛盾浮出水面，周朝日趋没落。

Teasing the Dukes with Beacon： The period of Gong-He lasted for 14 years when the despot King Li died in Zhi，where he lived after the flight.

烽火戏诸侯:“共和执政”维持了 14年之久，暴虐的周厉王终于在逃亡地彘死去。

The Dukes of Zhou and Zhao enthroned Prince Jing as King Xuan.

周公和召公立太子静为王，即周宣王。

In the first years of his rule， severe droughts occurred，but didn’t develop into a serious situation.

周宣王统治前期曾发生严重的旱灾，所幸并未酿成大祸。

Later King Xuan carried out wars against some neighboring tribes and states and won some battles, but was defeated eventually.

宣王统治后期不断对周边国家和部落用兵。虽然打了几场胜仗，但还是已失败而告终。

For a time during the reign of King Xuan, there were signs of revival for a time.

宣王统治时期，周朝曾一度有所复兴。

But the conflicts between the Zhou State and the neighboring people, the social contradiction in the Zhou-controlled areas were not resolved.

但是周与周边国家的矛盾以及国家的内部矛盾并没有得到解决。

Moreover, continuous wars consumed much of the dynasty^ manpower and material resources.

此外，长期的战争更是消耗掉了国家大量的人力和物力。

King You, who succeeded King Xuan, was a stupid, self-indulgent and cruel ruler.

继宣王之后的幽王是个愚蠢、任性妄为的暴君。

The existing contradictions grew worse.

这时，王朝的危机更为严重。

The struggle between big and small slave owners became sharper.Severe natural disasters like earthquake, landslide and drying up of rivers occurred one after another in Guanzhong, which compelled people to leave their homes and wander about.

关中地区发生地震、山崩和河水枯竭等严重自然灾害，人民流离失所。

Without comforting and compensating the bereaved people, King You became more extravagant, corruptive and insatiably avaricious.

周幽王不仅不抚恤灾民，反而更加奢侈腐化，贪得无厌。

In order to gain a smile of his favorite concubine Bao Si, he even had the signal fire lighted, deceiving vassals into rescuing the king.

为了博得宠妃褒姒一笑，幽王举 烽火欺骗诸侯前来勤王。

The most serious issue was that he dismissed Queen Shen and the crown prince Yi Jiu； and made Bao Si queen and her son to the throne.

最严重的问题是，幽王废了王后申氏和太子宜臼，另立褒姒为王后，立褒姒的儿子为太子。

Marquise Shen,' father of Queen Shen, attacked the king in collaboration with the Quanrong tribe and other states.

申后的父亲申侯于是联合西方部族犬戎以及其它国家，举兵攻打周幽王。

As the vassals refused to send him reinforcements, King You was killed at the foot of Mount Li.

由于各路诸侯不去救援，幽王被杀死在彌山脚下。

Under the threat of Quanrong and their allies, the Zhou ruler had lost control over the old capital by 771 B.C.

在犬戎和联军的威胁之 下,公元前771年，周王已无法控制旧都。

In the following year, King You’s successor, King Ping, moved the capital to Luoyi with the support of some of the nobles and vassal.

次年,在一些贵族和诸侯的支持下，平王迁都洛邑。

From this year, the dynasty is known as the Eastern Zhou.

从这一年起，东周开始。

The dynasty’power and prestige had declined sharply, and the history entered a new stage.

东周的实力和影响力急剧下降,历史又步入了一个崭新的阶段。