中英双语话历史 第57期:南北朝(萧梁)
Xiao Yan, the founder of Liang, was a master of poems and was appointed the Garrison Commander of Yongzhou in 499. Taking advantages of confusion in Southern Qi, he secured the throne and established Liang.
He was called Emperor Wu of Liang and his court existed 48 years.
萧衍是为梁武帝，共在位48年。At that time the Wei in the south was split and weak enough to be defeated, however, the rulers of Liang let the opportunity slip through their fingers except focus their minds on exploiting their people. With no rules from the Emperor to regulate, Liang underwent a dark situation in which the children of prestigious family acted at their wills or even killed persons and seized his goods to the view；the officials of the court were mad in gathering money. One governor, Yu Hong once said that he would snatch all the wealth to the extent that there was no fish in water, no games in woods, no grains in fields and no people in towns.
在武帝时期,北方的魏国已经衰落，再无能力对南方形成威胁。这本应是南方发展的大好时机，但武帝却昏庸无能，纵容大臣剥削人民，在萧衍的纵容下，梁朝政治腐败。贵族子弟在京城胡作非为，甚至公开杀人越货。梁朝官吏可以公开贪污，三任郡守鱼弘说他做官要做到四尽:“水中鱼鳖尽，山中獐鹿尽，田中米谷尽，村里民庶尽。”
Besides , the rulers of Liang were merciless to their people. For example there were as much as 5000 civilians was sentenced to prisonment above two years given the fact that the total registered permanent residents was 500 000 then. The prison was always crowded.
萧衍对百姓用刑极其残酷，南朝注籍的户口只有500多万人，梁每年判处二年以上徒刑的就达5000人之多，国家监狱里总是塞得满满的。In 547, Hou Jing, the general of the Eastern Wei, had a quarrel with Gao Cheng, who held an important position in the government.
公元547年（太清元年），东魏大将侯景因与掌权的高澄发生矛盾，表示愿献所据河南十三州之地降梁。To betray his country and to contribute to Liang, Hou Jing promised to surrender with 13 cities south of the Yellow River under his administration.
梁武帝贪图利益，派萧渊明率大军北上接应侯景，结果被东魏在彭城打败，萧渊明被俘。Tempted by this, Emperor Wu sent general Xiao Yuanming to march north to receive the surrender.
不久,东魏又在涡阳（安徽蒙城）瓦解了侯景40000之众，侯景率800人退据寿阳。However, Xiao Yuan-ming was defeated and captured by the armies of the Eastern Wei.
高澄为挑起侯景与梁朝的矛盾,表示愿与梁重新通好。Shortly afterwards, the Eastern Wei disintegrated 40 000 of Hou Jing’s solders in Guoyang(now Meng city, Anhui) and the latter retreated to Shouyang.
梁武帝不顾大臣和侯景的一再反对，同意通好，并答应以侯景交换萧渊明。To further destroy Hou Jing, Gao Cheng plotted to build friendly terms with Liang.
侯景走投无路，于548年8月反于寿阳。侯景渡江，很快攻下建康石头城和东府城,但萧衍所住的台城却一时攻打不下。Without approvals from his ministers Emperor Wu of Liang agreed and promised to hand out Hou Jing in return of Xiao Yuanming.
随后，台城在久围之下，粮食断绝，饿死者十之八九。Trapped in the corner in 548, Hou Jing fought back to Shouyang, crossed the Yangtze River, seized the Shitou Cheng(Stone district) and Dong Cheng(Eastern City District)of Jiankang City and isolated Tai Cheng, the district where Xiao Yan resided.
次年3月，侯景攻入台城，萧衍被软禁，不久饿死在台城。Being isolated and surrounded, most the soldiers starved to death. In March the following year, Tai Cheng was occupied, Xiao Yan was put under house arrest and starved to death soon.
萧衍死后，侯景立太子萧纲为傀儡皇帝。Xiao Gang became a figurehead emperor after Xiao Yan died.
侯景虽然攻下了建康，但当他的势力向四周扩展时，却遇到梁军和地主武装的强烈抵抗。However, while projecting his influence, Hou Jing was confronted by severe opposes from the re-maining army of Liang and local militia. The army led by Wang Sengbian，subordinate of King of Xiang Dong，Xiao Yi，the seventh son of Xiao Yan，beat Hou Jing and headed for the east. Even worse, governor Chen Baxian of Liang also set out with his army from Guang Dong.
萧衍第七子、湘东王萧绎派大将王僧辩东讨，连败侯景，并乘胜东下，梁太守陈霸先也从广州率兵北上。Being eager to ascend to throne, Hou Jing dethroned Xiao Gang, then Xiao Dong and proclaimed to be Emperor of Han accompanied with the mass killing of Xiao9s families. Up to now, Liang was at the end of the rope.
侯景见形势不利，急于称帝，于是废萧纲，萧栋自立，改国号汉，大杀萧衍子孙，此时梁已完全处于崩溃的边缘。In 552, Wang Sengbian and Chen Baxian captured Jiankang and Hou Jing was killed by his followers in an attempted escape.
公元552年，王僧辩、陈霸先攻下建康，侯景企图逃胞，被部下所杀。In 557, Chen Baxian replaced Liang with Chen.
公元557年，陈霸先灭梁，建立陈。
