In the late Sixteen States period, an underdeveloped ethnic minority _ the Tuoba of Xianbei—gradually rose to power.
十六国后期，一个极为落后的少数民族——鲜卑族拓跋部落逐渐强盛起来。
The Tuoba clan of Xianbei tribe mainly lived in the northern part of Daxi,anling( now northeast of China) and led a nomadic life.
建立北魏的鲜卑族拓跋部，最初活动于大兴安岭北端一带,过着游牧生活。
At the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, it was split into three sectors.
西晋末年，拓跋部分为三部分。
In 386, Tuoba Gui set up the state of Dai at Cheng Yue when the Former Qin collapsed and changed Dai into Wei in the same year, which was known as the Northern Wei in history.
公元386年（魏登国元年），拓跋娃乘前秦瓦解之际,在盛乐称代王，重建代国。同年，改国号为魏，史称北魏。
The Northern Wei captured the Later Yan, entered the Central Plains and es-tablished the Northern Wei (386 ?534). Then the Northern Wei wiped out all rival states and brought a long period of warfare to an end.
北魏打败后燕入主中原，在建立北魏政权（386 ~ 534)之后，又消灭各割据政权，统一北方，结束了北部中国长期混战的局面，中国北方开始进入北朝时期。
Historians often regard the 5th year of Taiyan (439), when the Northern Wei unified the northern area of China, as the beginning of the Northern Dynasty.
按照史家的习惯，北魏统一北方的太延五年(439)往往被视为北朝的起始之年。
In its early years, Pingcheng(now Datong in Shanxi) served as the capital. After Emperor Xiaowen ascended to the throne, he removed the capital to Luoyang and vigorously promoted the learning of the Han culture. Therefore, the political center was brought to the central plain as well.
北魏前期以平城(今山西大同）为都，孝文帝大举实行汉化，政治中心也迁徙到中原腹地 洛阳。
The Northern Wei lasted over a century, with 12 emperors of nine generations. It had relatively greater impact on the history of the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
北魏立国100多年，历九代十二帝，是对南北朝历史影响较大的一个王朝。
The Reform of the Emperor Xiaowen： At the beginning, the Northern Wei practised the “Suzerain check and protection” system. From the late fifth century, itquickened its pace of Sinicisation and came into the golden period in history of the Northern Wei thanks to the reform carried out by the sixth descendent, Emperor Xiaowen.
孝文帝的改制:北魏初期，实行宗主督护制，从5世纪后期开始，其汉化趋势加快，开创了北魏黄金时代的正是北魏第六代皇帝，孝文帝元宏。
In 493, Xiaowen moved his capital to Luoyang and took measures to reform traditional Xianbei customs, for example, the surname Tuoba of Xianbei clan was changed into Yuan, Dugu into Liu,Buliu Gu into Lu and Qiumu Ling into Mu.
公元493年孝文帝 迁都洛阳，同时，孝文帝将鲜卑族拓跋姓氏改为元，独孤氏改姓刘氏,步六孤氏改姓陆氏,丘穆陵氏改姓穆氏等。
To achieve the goal of acculturation, he promulgated a decree to implement his people to merge into the Han culture by restricting their own development,for instance, Xianbei language and clothes were banned.
此外他还禁止使用鲜卑语，禁止穿戴鲜卑服饰，并颁诏宣布吸收汉族文化。孝文帝企图通过限制自身文化，来达到与汉族融合的目的。
As for the old political practice, Emperor Xiaowen introduced the “three chiefs” system and the land equalisa-tion system.
孝文帝还实行三长制，颁布均田制，改革了鲜卑旧俗。
After a package of reforms, the advanced Han culture and well-developed political institution were fully functioned in the Northern Wei and the northern China stepped into a stage of culture assimilation, which promoted social and economic development in the north but invited strong opposition from certain conservative aristocrats and Xianbei military men on the other hand.
通过孝文帝的一系列改革，使得汉族的先进文化及先进的政治制度完全融人了北魏的统治中，中国北方已经开始进人了民族融合的阶段,促进了北方社会政治、经济的发展，但也引起了鲜卑贵族和武将的反对。
The reforms of the Emperor Xiaowen was outcome of struggles and culture accommodation of the various ethnics from the north and the west of China. It consolidated the fruits of acculturation in a legal form which on one hand enhanced the feudalization of Xianbei and other minorities in the north and encouraged the melting of various nationalities with Han as the mainframe on the other hand.
北魏的改革实际上是西、北各族陆续进入中原后，民族斗争、融合的一次总结, 它以法律的形式肯定了各族融合的成果，反过来又促进了以鲜卑族为中心的北方各族的封建化和以汉族为主体的民族大融合的发展。
Adapting to the historical trend, gearing with determination of his political and social pratice to Han people, Emperor Xiaowen’s reformation was by no means negligible and he earned himself fame of brilliant statesman in Chinese history.
孝文帝顺应历史发展的趋势，放弃自己民族的旧俗，毅然地进行改革，对中国历史的发展作出了重要的贡献，不愧是中国历史上一位杰出的政治家。
The Downfall of the Northern Wei: After the death of Emperor Xiaowen’s, the rulers of the Northern Wei gradually abandoned the peaceful ethnic polices and restored the privileges of Xianbei nobles. Therefore the new contradictions were there and the administration of the Northern Wei was dwindled.
北魏的灭亡:孝文帝死后，由于部分守旧贵族和鲜卑武人的反对，北魏统治者 逐渐废弃了以前的民族和解政策，又恢复了鲜卑族的特权，于是新的矛盾产生了， 北魏开始逐步走向衰落。
At the late of the Northern Wei, the Xianbei nobles were gone rotten in their extravagant life.
北魏后期，鲜卑门阀在优裕的生活中已经完全腐化。
For example, Yuanyong, King of Gaoyang, was served by 6 000 myrmidons and 500 housemaids and it was said that he spent ten thousands of silver on each meal. Yuan Chen was more wasteful ： his ten horses were fed with silver stables and his guests were treated with crystal pots and jade bowels which were all rarities exported from abroad.
如高阳王元雍有家仆六千，使女五百，吃一顿饭要花费数万钱;河间王元琛更为奢侈，他有十几匹骏马都用银槽来喂养，请客用的器皿如水晶钵、玛瑙碗等，都是由外国买来的稀罕之物。
Meanwhile, corruptions were in such rampage in government that the positions in court could be sold and bought. Still the Buddhists temples were booming.
同时，政治日益腐败，卖官鬻爵，贿赂盛行，佛教寺庙如云。
The mother of the Emperor Hu, ordered to establish Yongning Temple in Luoyang, which cost numerous money with more than one thousands rooms, decorated with jades and splendid silks and a pagoda of nine layers.
胡太后在洛阳造永宁寺，内有僧房一千间，都用珠玉锦绣装饰。寺内有九层浮图（塔）。
In the 4th year of Zhengguang(523) during the Emperor Xiaoming’s reign, six towns rose to rebel. The Northern Wei was disunified and plunged into civil war.
孝明帝正光四年(523)，六镇起兵,北魏陷人分裂和内战。
In the final years of the Emperor Xiaowu’s reign, two powerful ministers，Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai, split the Northern Wei into the eastern and western parts.
北魏孝武帝末年，权臣高欢、宇文泰将北魏辖区切割成东、西两块。
The Eastern Wei(534 ?550) had one emperor ruling for 16 years, with Yecheng as its capital. The Western Wei(535 ?556) had a history of 22 years，ruled by three em-perors with Chang，an as its capital. These two states were later replaced by the Northern Qi( 550 ?577) and the Northern Zhou (557 ?581) respectively.
东魏（534 ~ 550)以邺城为都，历主16年;西魏(535 ~556)都长安，经3帝，共享国22年。东、西魏先后被北齐(550 ~577)和北周（557 ~581)取代。
Estab-lished by the Gao family of the Xianbeised Han, the Northern Qi had a history of 28 years, with six emperors of three generations.
北齐是鲜卑化汉人高氏所建的政权，立国28年，有三代六帝。
In 577, the Northern Zhou ended the Northern Qi, then the north got reunified.
公元577年，周灭齐，北方重新统一。
The Northern Zhou was ruled by the Yuwen family of the Xianbei，with five emperors of three generations for 24 years.
北周是宇文氏鲜卑人统治的王朝，历三代五帝，计24年。
In 581, Yang Jian, a family member of Northern Zhou’s empress usurped the throne and changed the name to the Sui.
公元581年，北周外戚杨坚废静帝自立，改国号为隋，是为文帝，北朝结束。最终由隋文帝杨坚灭南朝陈，重新统一了中国。
In history, the five dynasties in the north-the Northern Wei, the Eastern Wei, the Western Wei, the Northern Qi, and the Northern Zhou were called the Northern Dynasties. And historians referred to this period when the Southern Dynasties and the Northern Dynasties co-existed as the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
历史上把北方的几个朝代一一北魏、东魏、西魏、北齐、北周叫做北朝，与南方同时存在的几个朝代一起称南北朝。