Xiang Yu (232 B. C.~202 B. C.), was a Chinese general and leader of the rebel forces that overthrew¹ the Qin Dynasty.

项羽(公元前232年~公元前202年)，楚国名将，推翻秦朝的起义军领袖。

He was the principal contestant² for control of China with Liu Bang, the founder³ of the Han Dynasty.

在角逐统治中国的权力的时候，项羽是汉朝开国皇帝刘邦的主要竞争对手。

Xiana Yu's defeat signaled the end of the old aristocratic ruling in China.

项羽的失败意味着中国贵族统治的结束。

Xiang Yu was a member of a prominent family in Chu, one of the Chinese states absorbed by the Qin Dynasty when it united China and abolished the small feudal⁵ kingdoms into which the country had been divided.

项羽出身于楚国贵族家庭。秦朝统一中国之时吞并了很多封建小国，楚国就是其中一个。

When rebellions erupted against the Dynasty, Xiang Yu joined the Ch'u armies led by his uncle, eventually succeeding him as supreme⁶ commander.

反秦起义爆发后，项羽参加了他叔叔领导的楚军，最后继承他的位置成了最高统帅。

Xiang Yu's forces captured the Qin capital and executed the last Qin emperor.

项羽军队占领了秦都，处死了秦朝最后一个皇帝。

Xiang Yu then attempted to restore the earlier ruling system. He gave the title of emperor to a member of the former imperial family of the state of Ch'u and divided the country among the various insurgent⁷ generals, making each a ruler of one of the old royal houses.

那时项羽试图恢复原来的统治体系，拥原来楚国的一位王室成员为帝，并且割地封王。

Hsiang Yu took the old territory of Ch'u and reserved for himself the title of hegemon king.

项羽自立为西楚霸王，取原楚国领地。

Soon, however, he had the emperor executed, thus precipitating⁸ a struggle for supremacy⁹ with his rival generals, the foremost of whom was Liu Bang, who had been given control of western China.

但是，不久项羽就处死了皇帝，引发了他与竞争对手之间的霸权争夺斗争。项羽最重要的竞争对手，是当时统治着中国西部的刘邦。

Of peasant origin, Liu was a blunt, crude man but one who knew how to win the hearts of the people.

刘邦是农民出身，虽然粗鲁但是知道如何获得人心。

He had gradually eliminated his rivals in the west and consolidated¹⁰ his position. Hsiang Yü, by contrast, epitomized the aristocrat⁴.

刘邦已经逐渐除去了他西部的竞争对手，巩固了自己的地位，相比而言项羽却是典型的贵族。

He was tall and muscular, a poet and an educated man, and a superb military tactician¹¹; yet he lacked the personal magnetism¹² to gain and hold the loyalty¹³ of the common people.

项羽长得高大强壮，是个很有教养的诗人，还是一个极好的军事战略家，但是他却缺乏获得人心的个人魅力。

The truce¹⁴ that the two rivals for power concluded was violated almost immediately by Liu Bang, who also repeatedly declined Xiang Yu's offers to settle their conflict in hand-to-hand combat.

停战协议签订完毕，刘邦几乎马上就把它抛到脑后。刘邦还一次又一次地拒绝项羽通过自刃战解决问题的提议。

In 202 Xiang Yü's forces were overwhelmed, and he chose suicide rather than capture.

202年，项羽战败，但宁死不降。

His heroism¹⁵, especially during the final battle, has been glorified¹⁶ in Chinese stories and poetries.

项羽的英雄气概，特别是最后决战时期表现出来的，在中国故事和诗歌中得到赞誉。