The age of the Qing Dynasty is, not only in the eyes of Westerners, but also in the mind of Chinese，a period of prosperity, of decay，of stag-nation，of revolution，of laziness and of challenges that came upon a population that seemed to sleep a beauty’s sleep of Confucian social ethics¹ in a paradise where a wise ruler governed over a satisfied and happy population，and on the other side a society that was bound by rules of a backward social thinking.

双语阅读之中国历史:清朝总论

清朝无论在西方人的眼中还是在中国人的眼中，是一个经历了繁荣、腐败、停滞、革命、惰性和挑战的时代，所有这些都发生在这个国家国人的身上。它就像是沉睡在天国里封建道德中的睡美人。在那里，聪明的统治者统治着满足和幸福的国民，也统治着一个受落后的社会思想束缚的社会。

The period of early and middle Qing Dynasty Is the culmination² of two thousand years of bureaucratical administration, two thousand years of literature, thinking and art.

清朝早中期是中国2000年官僚统治的顶峰，也是2000年文学、思想和艺术的顶峰。

Their rule over the majority ofculturedand highly sophisticated Chinese population was only possible by a mixture of authoritarianism³, or force, and paternalism, or benevolence⁴.

他们对于这个有文化的、老于世故的绝对大汉族的统治只有通过多方面的专制来实现—— 要么是武力，要么是家长制统治，要么是亲善。

The second and third generation emperors of the Qing learned that it was only possible to rule China if the Manchu became Chinese themselves , not racially, but culturally and mentally.

清朝的第二代、第三代皇帝懂得，只有满人汉化才能统治中国。所谓的汉化，不仅仅是种族上，关键是文化和思想意识。

Therefore, the three great emperors with the reign⁵ mottos Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, saw themselves as protectors of Chinese literature and art.

所以，清朝的三位皇帝以“康熙、雍正和乾隆”为座右铭，将自己看作是汉文化艺术的保护者。

China was the largest, richest and most effectively governed state of the world till the 18th century.

直到18世纪,中国在世界上是最大、最富有、最有影响力的政权国家。

Internal problems and external conflicts led to the decay of a glorious empire from the beginning of 19th century, focusing on the Opium⁶ war and the following unequal treaties.

内忧外患，尤其是鸦片战争和战后一系列不平等条约,最终导致了在19世纪开始辉煌的帝国的最终灭亡。