Politics：In his later years, Emperor Wudi squandered money, exhausting the treasuries accumulated in the eariy period.
政治:汉武帝统治后期，挥霍无度，国库空虚。
In order to increase the financial income, he formulated harsh laws and raised taxes, which put a heavy burden on the people.
为增加收人，武帝制定重法，加税、加捐，人民负担加重。
In addition to frequent natural disasters, large quantities of peasants became impoverished and went into exile. Therefore, peasant uprisings broke up constantly throughout the country.
加上灾荒频繁，导致大批农民破产流亡，各地农民起义不断发生。
Confronted with the social crisis, Emperor Wudi decided tQ stop wars to develop agriculture in 90 B. C..
面对社会危机，公元前90年，武帝停止用兵,发展农业生产。
He even went to the fields personally, showing his determination to attach importance to production and his care for people * s life.
他还亲自下地表示今后要重视生产和百姓生活。
With all of these measures, the country became stable ually.
这样，国内才逐渐安定了下来。
In 87 B. C. , Emperor Wudi fell ill on the inspection tour, and died soon.
公元前87 年,武帝外出巡游，不久后病死。
Only a few days before his death, Emperor Wudi named his son Liu Fuling to his successor. Huo Guang and Shangguan Jie, and Jin Midi built a triumvirate to assist the young emperor (posthumous Han Zhaodi) in government.
临死前几天，他立刘弗陵为太子，命霍光、上官桀、金日磾三人辅佐太子。
Emperor Zhaodi who was then only eight years old was assisted by Grand General Huo Guang, Chancellor of Military Affairs.
昭帝刘弗陵继位时年仅8岁，遵照武帝遗诏由霍光辅政。
Facing the intensified conflict in the later years of Emperor Wudi, the new ruler and his regents had to rely on fiscal austerity in order to stabilize the state treasury and to appease the rebellious peasants.
针对武帝末年国内矛盾激化的情况，昭帝及其佐臣依靠节省财政开支的办法，稳定国库，平抚暴乱农民。
Taxes were lowered, and peasant labour was reduced, which lifted the yoke on the peasants.
昭帝多次下令减轻人民负担，减轻赋税，减轻农民的重压。
Meanwhile, the imperial court managed to improve the relationship with Xiongnu, so large-scale wars stopped, which also benefited the economic recovery.
与此同时,改善与匈奴的关系，停止大规模的战争，有助于国内经济的恢复与发展。
Due to the proper internal and external policies, the contradictions left in the later period of Emperor Wudi were under control, and the declining trend of the Western Han was reversed.
由于内外措施得当，武帝后期遗留的矛盾基本得到了控制，衰势得以扭转。
In 74 B. C. , Emperor Xuandi ascended to the throne.
公元前74年，宣帝继位。
He paid great attention to improving the local administration, maintaining that the method of running country should be combined with hegemony1 s and the king * s way, and objecting to the monopoly of Confucianism.
他注重加强地方治理,认为治国之道应以“霸道”“王道”杂治，反对专任儒术。
So during his reign, “officials were qualified to their positions, and the people were contented with their trades”.
为此，宣帝统治期间“吏称其职，民安其业”。
In 72 B. C. , the emperor allied with Wusun to attack Xiongnu, and then taking opportunity of the Xion-gnu’s internal splitting established a friendly relationship with Khan Han Chan Yu.
公元前72年，宣帝与乌孙联合攻打匈奴，后趁匈奴内部分裂之机，与呼韩单于建立友好关 系。
The Han Empire and the Xiongnu were on good terms in the next 40 years or so and the frontiers came to peace gradually.
此后40多年中匈关系良好，边境地区逐步宁息。
The time of Emperor Xuandi is often compared with the peaceful and prosperous time of the Emperors Wendi and Jing-di.
宣帝之治常被与文景之治相媲美，史称“宣帝中兴”。
Nevertheless, all of these positive measures couldn * t compeletly solve the problem that bureacrats and aristocrat annexed lands thoroughly.
然而宣帝推行的一系列积极政策并不足以从根本上解决官僚贵族兼并土地的问题。
In 48 B. C. , when Emperor Yuandi came to the throne, the social conflicts intensified further, and the country couldn* t recover after that, which marked the beginning of the decline of the Western Han.
公元前48年，元帝继位后,社会矛盾进一步激化，终于使西汉王朝一蹶不振。
In 6 B. C. , Wang Mang, a nephew of the empress of Emperor Yuandi, usurped the throne and three years later founded the Xin Dynasty.
公元前6年，王莽篡位，3年后建立新朝。
No long afterwards, peasant uprising broke out all over the country ,resulting in Wang Mang * s downfall and the restoration of the Han sovereignty. Chinese historians call this period as the Eastern Han.
不久全国爆发农民起义，王莽垮台，汉室恢复，史称东汉。
The rise and reign of the Wang Clan: Avdling himself of the political corrup-tion in the later years of the Western Han, Wang Mang, the founder of the Xin Dynasty ,usurped the throne through consort clans monopolizing power.
王氏家族的崛起和篡位:新朝的创立者王莽是利用西汉末年政治腐败，通过外戚专政来夺取皇位的。
Wang Mang was the nephew of the empress of Emperor Yuandi, Wang Zhengjun. When Emperor Pingdi was on the throne, Empress Wang assumed the reign of the government as grandmother. Wang Mang was designated Chancellor of Military Affairs, who was also in charge of civil administration throughout the country.
王莽是汉元帝皇后王政君的侄子，平帝时王政君以太皇太后临朝称制，王莽取得大司马大将军的职位，总揽朝政。
After the death of Emperor Pingdi, Wang Mang placed a two-year old baby, Ruzi Ying in 9 A. D. , on the throne.
平帝死后,王莽立年仅两岁的孺子婴为帝。
No more than three years, he dethroned Ruzi Ying, and proclaimed himself emperor, changing the reign motto to Xin, which marked the end of the Western Han Dynasty.
不到3年，王莽便于公元9年废孺子婴，自立为帝，改国号为 “新”。西汉亡。
Wang Mang pushed forward new policies and carried a series of reforms, hoping to retrieve the glory of Han by adopting policies described in the Confucian classics. He decreed that farmland be renamed as “royal land’’，slaves “private belongings”，and both prohibitted from buying and selling. Five largest markets were set up to manage business, control prices rigidly and strengthen taxes, implement economy monopoly. Currency system was changed several times, which made a multitude of currency items and complicated the exchange, which resulted in a social and economic chaos. So was the official system. Wang Mang also launched wars against Xiongnu, and ethnic minorities on the border of the northeast and the southwest.
王莽在全国范围内推行“托古改制”的新政:他下令天下农田改称“王田”，奴婢改称“私属”，禁止买卖;设立五均，管理工商业，严格管制物价和加强税收，实行经济垄断;屡次改变币制，货币名目繁多，换算复杂，造成社会和经济的极大混乱；更改官制名称，滥加封赏;又发动对匈奴和对东北、西南边境各族的战争。
Heavy taxes and labor corvee, together with harsh penalty, made the complaints to be heard everywhere. In addition to natural disaster in successive years and roaring prices, a nationwide peasant uprising finally broke out.
沉重的赋役，残酷的刑罚，使人民怨声载道，加上连年灾荒，物价飞涨，终于引起全国性的农民大起义。
The peasant rebellions in the later years of the Xin Dynasty first began in the north, and then spread to the Yellow River valley and Yangtze River valley. The first great insurrection was that of the Lulin region (in modern Hubei) led by Wang Kuang and Wang Feng in 17. This group of peasant insurgents is referred to as the Green Wood Army.
新末民众起义首先发生在北方边郡地区，接着在黄河流域、长江流域也爆发了农民暴动。而第一次大规模的农民起义是公元17年发生在湖北绿林地区的王匡、王凤领导的绿林起。这支起义队伍史称绿林军。
Shortly after the first rebellion of the Lulin peasant, Fan Chong led an uprising at Ju (modern Juxian County in Shandong).
绿林起义不久,琅邪人樊崇也在莒(今山东莒县）领导了农民起义。
With its headquarters in Mountain Tai, his army quickly grew to be several tens of thousands.
起义军后来以泰山地区为根据地，展开斗争。队伍很快发展到几万人。
They were called the army of Red Eyebrows because they had their brows painted red as a mark of identification.
因其将眉毛染成红色以识别身份，故被称为“赤眉”。
Meanwhile, scores of big and small insurgent groups rose on the great plain in present-day Hebei and Shandong provinces north of the Yellow River. At Nan yang (modern Nanyang in Henan Province) Liu Xiu and his elder brother Liu Yan, both were the descendants of the Han royal family, hoisted the banner constructing the Han Dynasty.
与此同时，黄河以北的河北、山东等广大地区，大大小小数十支起义队伍也在迅速崛起。西汉皇室宗亲刘縯、刘秀两兄弟亦打着光复汉室的旗帜，在南阳起义。
Scared with the successive victories of the rebellious armies, Wang Mang hurriedly dispatched his generals Wang Xun and Wang Yi at the head of a crack unit of 420 000 to launch yet another offensive war on the Green Wood army.
起义军节节胜利王莽十分恐慌，急派王寻、王邑，征调精兵42万人，迎击起义军。
Initially, they had 100 000 soldiers besiege the Kunyang city.
先以10万人围攻昆阳。
The insurgent leader, Wang Feng with about 9000 men held fast to the city, while Liu Xiu broke through the tight encirclement and went enlisting reinforcement elsewhere.
起义军将领王凤自率约9000人坚守昆阳城，派刘秀率小部突围，收集各县起义军回救昆阳。
He mustered a unit of several thousand men, and then raided on the Wang * s headquarters, which disturbed the enemies greatly.
刘秀收集了数千人，突人王莽军的指挥中心，莽军大乱。
The Green Woodmen defending the Kunyang city also came out to join in a converging attack on Wang Mang ’s men，who ran over each other in a helter-skelter retreat. Consequently，Wang Xun was killed，and Wang Yi fled in a fluster.
城内守军乘势杀出，莽军大败，死伤无数，王寻被杀，王邑狼狈逃窜。
This is the famous battle “Kunyang Campaign”，which is one of the well-known examples in the annals of war showing how a small army can o-vercome a big one.
这就是军事史上以少胜多的著名战例之一“昆阳之战”。
The Kunyang campaign dealt a crushing blow to Wang AAang both in military affairs and in politics. Liu Xiu also gained the prestige through the Kunyang battle.
昆阳一役在军事和政治上 给王莽以沉重打击，刘秀亦因昆阳之战扬名。
In 23, the Green Woodmen installed Liu Xuan as emperor, a member of the Han royal house, using the reign title of Gengshi.
公元23年，王匡、王凤等立汉室宗亲刘玄为皇帝，国号“汉”，年号“更始”。
However, Liu Yan disagreed with it, intending to proclaim himself emperor, so Liu Xuan and Wang Kuang killed him.
刘縯极力反对立刘玄，自己很想称帝，刘玄和王匡杀掉了刘縯。
Liu Xiu dared not to resist openly due to the weak forces, and outwardly showed his willingness to submit to the insurgents.
刘秀因兵力薄弱，不敢公开反抗，表面上表示忠顺于起义军。
Liu Xuan appointed him as general, sending him to go to Hebei to enlist services of the rebellious armies there.
刘玄封刘秀为将军命他去河北招募起义军。
Taking opportunity of it, Liu Xiu led the army to Hebei to conquer fields with an intention to enlarge in his own influence.
刘秀乘机北上，率军到河北各地，图谋发展自己的势力。
Some changes were taking place within the ranks of the rebellious army as well as in the characteristic of the peasant uprisings.
起义军内部逐渐分裂，农民起义的性质正悄然变化。
In 24，the Green Wood army broke into Chang ’an，where people were also ready to rise in revolt.
公元24年，绿林军攻破长安。此时,长安城里的起义已蓄势待发。
Wang Mang fled to Jiantai, but was killed by a rebellious merchant Du Wu. His death ended the Xin Dynasty.
王莽逃到渐台,被起义商人杜吴杀死，王莽的反动统治至此结束。
In the same month, another detachment of the Green Woodsmen took Luoyang.
同时，另一支绿林军攻克洛阳。
Following the fall of the Xin Dynasty, the Gengshi regime made Luoyang its capital.
新朝覆灭后，更始朝定都洛阳。
It sent emissaries to persuade the Red Eyebrows to surrender.
刘玄派人劝赤眉军归降。
When Fan Chong came to Luoyang with a score of his generals, the Gengshi authorities failed to unite with them.
樊崇率手下入洛阳，但双方并未达成联合的一致意见。
Conflicts began to appear between Gengshi and the Red Eyebrow, and they had to appeal to arms.
更始朝与赤眉军间开始出现矛盾，最终不得不诉诸武力。
In 25，the Gengshi regime moved its capital to Chang’ an. Later，the Red Eyebrow army captured Chang*an, and killed Liu Xuan.
公元25年更始朝迁都长安,后赤眉军破城，杀刘玄。
Meanwhile, Liu Xiu was successful in his activities in Hebei.
此时,刘秀在河北进展得相当顺利。
He gradually detached himself from Liu Xuan and extended his own influence, so that in 25, he proclaimed himself emperor and is known in history as Emperor Guang Wu.
他逐步摆脱了刘玄的控制，扩大自己的势力。公元25年，刘秀称帝，史称汉光武帝。
When the Red Eyebrows entered Chang’ an, it had been utterly dilapidated.
赤眉军进人长安后，长安已残破不堪。
Around it was the forces of landlords everywhere, hoisting the banner of Han, they set up separatist regimes to fight against the Red Eyebrows.
长安城外到处是地主的武装,都打着 “汉”的旗号，割据一方，与赤眉军相对抗。
Occupying Chang’ an for a period of time, the Red Eyebrows were starved out systematically and withdrew to the west in search for supplies, yet were caught in a heavy snowstorm with many soldiers dying of starvation and coldness. They were forced to come back to Chang’ an.
赤眉军在长安日久，缺乏军粮，就离开长安向西寻找给养。又遇大雪，士卒因饥寒而死的极多，赤眉军又回到长安。
At that time，Liu Xiu’s troop had marched into the Guanzhong Region and attacked them repeatedly.
这时，刘秀军队已进人关中，一再进击赤眉军。
With many soldiers woundedand killed, the Red Eyebrows suffered severe losses, and its strength weakened.
赤眉军的士卒死伤惨重，势力大大削弱。
In 27, Liu Xiu wiped out the Red Eyebrows and the remnant forces of the Green Woodsmen. Thus Liu Xiu deprived the fruits of the peasants uprising and eventually re-founded the Han house, a period began that is later called the Eastern Han or Later Han in contrast to the Western Han or Former Han because the capital, Luoyang, was to the east of the Western Han capital of Chang* an.
公元27年，刘秀最终消灭赤眉军和绿林军的残余势力，从而抢夺了农民革命的胜利果实，恢复汉室，定都洛阳，后称东汉或后汉,因为洛阳在西汉都城长安以东而得名。