Useful Words,Expressions and Sentences
Words and Expressions
1.三皇五帝 the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
2.世袭制 the hereditary system
3.甲骨文 Oracle bone script
4.象形文字Pictograms Characters
5.宗法制 the patriarchal clan system
6.战国七雄 the Seven Powers of the Warring States Period
7.诸子百家 Hundred Schools of Thought
8.孔子学院Confucius Institute
9.孔孟之道Confucius-Mencius doctrines
10.三公九卿制 Three Lords and Nine Ministers System
11.焚书坑儒 burning of books and burying of scholars
12.科举制 Imperial Examination System
13.杯酒释兵权 remove from military position by means of cups of wine
14.宋明理学 the Neo-Confucianism
15.《清明上河图》 Along the River During the Qingming Festival
16.虎门销烟 destruction of opium at Humen
17.洋务运动 The Self-Strengthening Movement
18.辛亥革命 the Revolution of 1911
19.紫禁城 the Forbidden City
20.翰林院 Imperial Academy
21.御花园 Imperial Garden
22.午门 the Meridian Gate
23.天坛 Temple of Heaven
24.太和殿 the Hall of Supreme Harmony
25.《西游记》The Journey to the West
26.《三国演义》The Romance of the Three Kingdoms
27.《红楼梦》A Dream in Red Mansions
28.《水浒传》Heroes of the Marshes
29.《史记》Records of the Grand Historian
30.道法自然 Tao operates naturally./Tao models itself after nature.
31.无为而治 letting nature take its own course/govern by noninterference
32.修身、齐家、治国、平天下 self-cultivation，a well-managed family，and the ability to administer the state and to bring peace to the nation
33.礼制 ethical codes
34.唐三彩Tri-color Pottery of the Tang Dynasty
35.兵马俑Terra-Cotta Warriors
36.象形文字 Pictograms Characters
37.旗袍 Cheongsam
38.中山装 Chinese tunic suit
39.天干地支 heavenly stem and earthly branch
40.十二生肖 the twelve Chinese zodiac signs
41.游牧民族 Nomadic group
42.《离骚》Li sao
43.《中庸》The Doctrine of the Mean
44.《本草纲目》Compendium of Materia Medica
45.罢黜百家，独尊儒术 to promote Confucianism and suppress other schools of thoughts
46.内阁 Grand Secretariat
47.通商口岸 treaty ports
48.洋务运动 The Self-Strengthening Movement
49.戊戌变法 Hundred Days’ Reform
50.半殖民地半封建社会 semi-colonial and semi-feudal society
Sentences
1.与世界历史对照，当古埃及、古巴比伦、古印度文明发展进步之时，中国正经历文明勃兴的夏、商、西周王朝。当欧洲希腊、罗马城邦国家繁荣之时，正是中国春秋战国思想文化昌盛的时代。东西方文明交相辉映，地中海地区和中国，逐渐形成世界两大文明的中心。
When the ancient Egyptian,Babylonian and Indian civilizations were progressing,the ancient Chinese civilization in the Xia,Shang and Western Zhou dynasties was already in full bloom.When the Greek and Roman city states were in their heyday,the thought and culture of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods was flourishing in ancient China.With a broad view of the ancient world civilization,one may find that the two stars of civilization -one in the East,the other in the West—were shining at the same time.This gradually developed into two centers of world civilization.
2.秦汉时期，开始于公元前221年，结束于公元220年。秦朝是中国历史上第一个封建大一统的时代，也是统一的多民族国家的奠基时期。秦汉王朝开创的许多制度，为以后历代封建统治者所沿用。
The period of the Qin and Han dynasties began in 221 B.C.and ended in 220 A.D.The Qin Dynasty was the first feudal dynasty to rule all of China.It laid the foundation of a united multi-ethnic country.Many institutions initiated in the Qin and Han dynasties were inherited continuously by later dynasties.
3.秦朝建立于公元前221年，秦始皇采取了一系列巩固统一的措施，建立了一整套的统治制度，中国成为第一个统一的中央集权的多民族国家。但是，秦始皇和他的继承者对农民空前残暴的压迫和剥削，导致秦的统治在公元前206年被农民起义推翻。
The Qin Empire was established in 221 B.C.by Emperor Qinshihuang,who adopted a series of reforms bringing the whole system under his rule.He made the Qin Empire the first united multi-ethnic country with a centralized autocratic monarchy.However,the heavy-handed methods of Qinshihuang and his successor led to the overthrow of the Qin Dynasty in 206 B.C.by a peasant uprising.
4.唐朝时期，中国是东方最先进的国家，日本先后派了十几批遣唐使前往长安学习唐朝的政治制度、文化和佛法，人数多时达五六百人。这些遣唐使回国以后，积极传播中国的社会制度和文化，促进了中日友好关系和文化交流。
During the Tang Dynasty,China was the most advanced country in the East.On a dozen occasions,Japan sent groups of 500 to 600 students at a time to study in China.After these envoys returned to Japan,they spread knowledge of Chinese social institutions and culture,which did a great deal to promote the friendly relations and cultural exchanges between China and Japan.
5.禹从他的父亲那里学到了技术并采用了疏通水道、引河入海的新方法。他全心全意进行治水的工程。据传在治水期间，禹曾三过家门而不入。
Yu learned techniques from his father and adopted a new way of dredging water channels and conducting the river to the sea.He went into this project of water control with all his heart,and it was said that during this period of time,he passed by his house three times but never went inside.
6.当遇到洪水、干旱、闪电和雷鸣抑或是一些重大事件例如皇家狩猎、旅行、军队作战时，古人们可以通过占卜，“解读”自然信息，从而预知未来。
When there were floods,drought,lightning and thunder,or some big events,like royal hunts,journeys and military campaigns,through divination,ancients would predict the future by “reading” the messages of nature.
7.四书五经是中国传统文化的重要组成部分，更是中国历史文化古籍中的宝典。它在世界文化史、思想史上也具有极高的地位。
The Four Books and the Five Classics are not only an integral part of traditional Chinese culture but also treasured books of Chinese historical and cultural classics.They also rank very high in the cultural and intellectual history of the world.
8.路漫漫其修远兮，吾将上下而求索。
The road ahead will be long and our climb will be steep.
9.温故而知新，可以为师矣。
If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge,so as continually to be acquiring new,he may be a teacher of others.
10.其身正，不令而行；其身不正，虽令不从。
If the ruler himself is upright,all will go well even though he does not give orders.But if he himself is not upright,even though he gives orders,they will not be obeyed.
11.两年后，国都迁至咸阳，秦朝的31个郡县推行第二次变法，建立郡县制、废除井田制、实行土地私有制、统一度量衡。
Two years later,the capital was shifted to Xianyang and the second political reform was then introduced to establish the political system of county in which the State of Qin was divided into 31 counties,to abolish the nine-square system and make land private,and unify weights and measures.
12.山海关是长城东北部关键的关口，它位于河北省秦皇岛市东北15千米处。
Shanhai Pass is the pivotal northeastern pass of the Great Wall of China located 15 kilometers northeast of Qinhuangdao city,Hebei Province.
13.明清时期，由于资本主义的萌芽和城市地区的融合与发展，抵抗黑暗的独裁政治的早期启蒙思想开始出现。
During the Ming and the Qing dynasties,on account of the sprouting of capitalism and the merging and developing of the urban areas,the ideology of early enlightenment,which was directed against the dark autocratic politics,started to rise.
14.五岳归来不看山，黄山归来不看岳。
The landscape of the Five Famous Mountains tops those of elsewhere,and the landscape of Huangshan Mountain tops that of the Five Famous Mountains.
15.甲午战争的失败对清政府来说是个分水岭，其结果表明，自1867年明治维新以来，日本的改革已经实现了显著的现代化，尤其是与中国的洋务运动相比。
Losing the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894—1895 was a watershed for the Qing government and the result demonstrated that reform had modernized Japan significantly since the Meiji Restoration in 1867,especially as compared with the Self-Strengthening Movement in China.
16.工艺的进步以陶轮的引入和铜冶炼的开始为标志。
The improvement in craftsmanship was marked by the introduction of the potter’s wheel and the beginning of the metallurgy of copper.
17.他的杰出贡献为他赢得了人们的尊敬，人们尊称他为“大禹”和“土地之神”。
His celebrated contributions won him the respect of the people who honored him as “Yu the Great” and “God of the Soil”.
18.商朝的统治者频繁对周围的部落发动战争，因为他们拥有青铜武器和带尖刺轮子的战车。
The Shang rulers frequently waged wars on neighboring clans,being superior to them in their possession of bronze weapons and chariots with spiked wheels.
19.这一时期和后面的战国时期充满了动荡，战争不断，权力放纵，贫富悬殊。
This period and the Warring States Period which followed was a time of turmoil with incessant wars,unbridled power and the great extremes of wealth and poverty.
20.农作物产量的显著增长促进了人口增长。
The marked increase in agricultural production gave rise to a population growth.
21.秦政府是高度官僚机构，由等级制度的官员管理，所有人都为第一任皇帝服务。
The Qin government was highly bureaucratic,and was administered by a hierarchy of officials,all serving the First Emperor.
22.赵政自称始皇帝（第一位至高无上的皇帝），发动改革，计划创造出一个完全中央集权的行政体系。
Zhao Zheng calls himself the emperor (the first supreme emperor),and initiated reforms designed to create a fully centralized administration.
23.在他的统治期间，清朝与中华文化高度融合。
Over the course of his reign,the Qing became highly integrated with Chinese culture.
24.在此期间，随着越来越多的公爵和侯爵获得了实际上的区域自治，周朝的王室权威逐渐受到侵蚀，在洛邑的周朝廷遭到蔑视，王朝内部战乱四起。
During this period,the Zhou royal authority over the various feudal states eroded,as more and more dukes and marquesses obtained de facto regional autonomy,defying the king's court in Luoyi,and waging wars amongst themselves.