Preface: Qin Shi Huang, the founder of the Qin Dynasty, the first authoritarian centralised state in Chinese history, was the first Chinese monarch to claim the title of Emperor, and was known as the ‘First Emperor of the Ancient World’.
秦始皇 ， 名叫嬴政 ， 是中国古代一位非常重要的皇帝 。
Qin Shi Huang, whose name was Ying Zheng, was a very important emperor in ancient China.
他出生在战国时期的秦国 ， 年轻时便聪明睿智 ， 志向远大 。
He was born in the Qin State during the Warring States period and was intelligent and ambitious when he was young.
通过一系列的政治斗争和军事征服 ， 他成功统一了六国 ， 结束了长达几百年的分裂局面 。
Through a series of political struggles and military conquests, he successfully unified the six rival states, ending a divided situation that lasted for hundreds of years.
公元前 221 年 ， 他建立了中国历史上第一个统一的封建王朝 —— 秦朝 ， 并自称为 “ 始皇帝 ”， 意为 “ 第一位皇帝 ”。
In 221 BC, he established the first unified feudal dynasty in Chinese history, the Qin Dynasty, and called himself ”Qin Shi Huang,” meaning ”the First Emperor.”
为了巩固统治 ， 他推行了一系列改革措施 。
To consolidate his rule, he implemented a series of reform measures.
他统一了度量衡 、 货币和文字 ， 使国家管理更加有序 。
He unified measures, weights, currencies, and writing systems, making national administration more orderly.
此外 ， 他还下令修建了长城 ， 以抵御北方游牧民族的侵袭 。
In addition, he ordered the construction of the Great Wall to defend against invasions from nomadic tribes in the north.
传说他寻长生不老药 ， 派徐福东渡 。
Legend has it that he searched for the elixir of life and sent Xu Fu on an expedition to the east.
传说 ， 徐福是日本人的祖先 。
Legend has it that Xu Fu was an ancestor of the Japanese.
然而 ， 秦始皇的统治也极为严苛 ， 百姓负担沉重 ， 导致民怨沸腾 。
However, Qin Shi Huang’s rule was also extremely harsh, placing a heavy burden on the people and causing widespread resentment.
公元前 210 年 ， 秦始皇去世 ， 他的暴政也为秦朝的迅速崩溃埋下了伏笔 。
In 210 BC, Qin Shi Huang died, and his tyranny laid the groundwork for the rapid collapse of the Qin Dynasty.
他的陵墓至今没有打开 ， 里面充满了神秘和辉煌 。
His tomb remains unopened and is full of mystery and splendour.
闻名于世的兵马俑仅是他巨大陵墓中的一角 。
The world-famous Terracotta Warriors and Horses are just the tip of his huge tomb.
有关他的历史传说还有很多很多 。
There are many, many more historical legends about him.
通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!