思年

King Gou Jian of Yue （reigned 496 B. C.～465 B. C.） was the king of the Kingdom of Yue （present-day Shanghai， northern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu） near the end of the Spring and Autumn Period， named Si ɡoujian.

越王勾踐，公元前496年至公元前465年在位。勾踐是將近春秋末期的越王，名叫姒勾踐。越國(guó)在現(xiàn)在的上海、浙江北部和江蘇南部。

Gou Jian was the son of Marquess Yun Chang of Yue. He was defeated and captured by King Fu Chai of Wu of the neighbouring State of Wu.

勾踐是越國(guó)允常侯的兒子，曾被鄰國(guó)吳國(guó)的國(guó)王夫差打敗。

After three years of servitude and humiliation with his wife in the State of Wu， he gained the trust of King Fu Chai who eventually allowed him to return to his state where he resumed his rule and initiated major reforms.

勾踐與妻子在吳國(guó)忍辱負(fù)重三年后，獲得了吳王的信任并被放回越國(guó)?；貒?guó)后勾踐恢復(fù)了統(tǒng)治，進(jìn)行了一些重要的改革。

He soon appointed skilled politicians， such as Wen Zhong and Fan Li， as advisors to help buildup the kingdom.

他很快啟用像文種和范蠡這樣的政治家輔佐治國(guó)。

During this time， his ministers also worked to weaken the State of Wu internally through bribes and diplomatic intrigue.

同時(shí)，勾踐的大臣還通過賄賂和外交陰謀從內(nèi)部削弱吳國(guó)。

All the while ruling his kingdom， Gou Jian never relished in riches as a king， but instead slept on sticks and eating food suited for peasants.

在治理國(guó)家期間，作為一個(gè)國(guó)王，勾踐從未享受富裕的生活，而是睡在柴火上，吃農(nóng)民吃的食物。

This way， he could remember his humiliations while serving under the State of Wu.

通過這樣的方式，勾踐時(shí)刻不忘在吳國(guó)受到的恥辱。

There is a Chinese idiom， “Wo Xin Chang Dan” （literally meaning “sleeping on sticks and tasting gall”） coming about because of this and his perseverance.

由此產(chǎn)生了一個(gè)漢語(yǔ)成語(yǔ)“臥薪嘗膽”。

After ten years of economic and political reforms， his state at last became powerful enough to challenge and eventually annex the State of Wu in 478 B. C.， where King Fu Chai was forced to commit suicide.

十年的政治和經(jīng)濟(jì)改革之后，越國(guó)最終強(qiáng)大了起來。最后，越國(guó)于公元前478年打敗吳國(guó)，吳王夫差被迫自殺。

Later， King Gou Jian met the dukes in Xuzhou and gained hegemony among the states.

后來，勾踐在徐州會(huì)見各諸侯國(guó)國(guó)君成為霸主。