Chapter 1: 宴桃園豪傑三結義，斬黃巾英雄首立功
Three Heroes Swear Brotherhood In The Peach Garden; One Victory Shatters The Rebels In Battlegrounds
1:1
話說話說: it is said
天下天下: under heaven
大势大势: general trend of events
，
分分:split
久久: for long
必必: must
合合: unite
，
合合: unite
久久: for long
必必: must
分分: divide
:
Under heaven, it is said that generally, what is long divided, must unite; what is long united, must divide.
周末周末: weekend
七國七國: seven kingdoms
Annotation: Seven Kingdoms during the Warring States period (475 to 221 BCE).
分爭分爭: fight
,
并入於并入於: enter into/merged into
秦。秦: Qin (Dynasty)
Annotation:First dynasty of Imperial China (221 to 206 BC).
Seven warring nations led to the Qin Dynasty.
及及: and
秦秦: Qin (Dynasty)
Annotation:First dynasty of Imperial China (221 to 206 BC).
滅滅: extinguished
之後之後: afterwards
,
楚楚: Chu (Xiang Yu's Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC))
漢漢: Han (Faction lef by Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC))
分爭分爭: fight
,
又又: Again
并入於并入於: enter into/merged into
漢。漢: Han (Dynasty)
Annotation: Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 220 AD).
After Qin was extinguished, Chu fought Han, leading to the Han Dynasty.
漢朝漢朝: Han Dynasty
Annotation: Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 220 AD).
自自: from
高祖高祖: ancestors
斬斬: cut
白蛇白蛇: white serpent
Annotation: Uprising of the Slaying of the White Serpent 斬白蛇起義 was a prophesy of Liu Bangs's ascension to rulership.
而而: and therefore
起義起義: rise up
,
一統一統: unite
天下。天下: under heaven (the world)
Liu's ancestor killed a white serpent, leading to Han Dynasty's ascension, uniting the world.
後來後來: After
光武中興光武中興: (refers to a period of recovery and prosperity under Emporer GuangWu)
A prosperous period of Eastern Han, after the interregnum.
中興:
傳至傳至: Pass to
獻帝獻帝: Emporer Xian
遂遂: then
分為分為: split to
三國。三國: Three Kingdoms
After emperor Guangwu's restoration of Han after the interregnum, the throne was passed down to Emporer Xian before splitting into three kingdoms
推推: Push
其其: its
致亂致亂: cause chaos
之由之由: the reason
，
殆始於殆始於: Almost started with
桓靈桓靈: Huan-Ling
Annotation: Emperor Huan of Han (Reigned 146-168), Emperor Ling of Han (Reigned 168–189), were the fourth and third last emporers of the Han Dynasty.
二帝二帝: Two emperors
The cause for the chaos can be traced to the reign of the two emporers, Huan and Ling
桓帝桓帝: Emperor Huan
Annotation: Emperor Huan (Reigned 146-168), the 11th and fourth last emporers of the Han Dynasty.
禁锢禁锢: restrain
善类善类: kind class (scholarly beaucratic)
，
崇信崇信: empower
宦官宦官: eunuch
。
Emporer Huan restrained the scholarly noblemen of the court and empowered the court eunuchs.
及及: and
桓帝桓帝: Emperor Huan
Annotation: Emperor Huan (Reigned 146-168), the 11th and fourth last emporers of the Han Dynasty.
崩崩: collapse
，
靈帝靈帝: Emperor Ling
Annotation: Emperor Ling (Reigned 168–189), the 12th and third last emporers of the Han Dynasty.
即位即位: ascended the throne
，:
大大: Great
將軍將軍: General
竇武竇武: Dou Wu
Annotation: Dou Wu was a Han era politician, his daughter became empress dowager and regent for Emperor Ling.
、:
太傅太傅: Grand Tutor
陳蕃陳蕃: Chen Fan
Annotation: Chen Fan was Han era politician, served as Grand Tutor in Emperor Ling's time.
，:
共相輔佐共相輔佐: together adivsed
。
When Emporer Ling ascended the throne after Emporer Huan, he was adivsed by Grand Mashal Dou Wu and Grand Tutor Chen Fan.
時有時有: Later
宦官宦官: eunuch
曹節曹節: Cao Jie
Annotation: Cao Jie was a eunuch-official who lived in the Eastern Han dynasty.
等等: et al.
弄權弄權: Get power
，:
竇武竇武: Dou Wu
Annotation: Dou Wu was a Han era politician, his daughter became empress dowager and regent for Emperor Ling.
陳蕃陳蕃: Chen Fan
Annotation: Chen Fan was Han era politician, served as Grand Tutor in Emperor Ling's time.
謀誅之謀誅之: Conspiracy
，:
作事作事: work
不不: not
密密: secret
，:
反為反為: instead
所害所害: victimized
。
Dou Wu and Chen Fan's consipracy (to elimintae the enuchs) was exposed by Cao Jie and other eunuchs, leading to their execution.
中涓中涓: pronoun of eunuch
自此愈自此愈: ever since
橫橫: crude, violent, and arrogant
。
The eunuchs' power has been consolidated ever since.
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