▸ 一yī千qiān三sān百bǎi多年duō nián前qián的de唐朝táng cháo，出chū了le一位yī wèi中国zhōng guó历史上lì shǐ shàng最zuì特别tè bié的de女人nǚ rén——武则天wǔ zé tiān。

More than 1,300 years ago, in the Tang dynasty, there lived one of the most extraordinary women in Chinese history: Wu Zetian.

▸ 在zài中国zhōng guó几jǐ千年qiān nián的de历史上lì shǐ shàng，她tā是shì唯一wéi yī一位yī wèi自己zì jǐ当上dāng shang皇帝huáng dì的de女人nǚ rén。

In several thousand years of Chinese history, she is the only woman who became emperor in her own name.

▸ 六liù二èr四sì年nián，武则天wǔ zé tiān出生chū shēng在zài一个yī ge有钱yǒu qián的de家庭jiā tíng，从小cóng xiǎo读书dú shū，聪明cōng ming又yòu大胆dà dǎn。

Wu Zetian was born in 624 into a wealthy family; she read books from childhood and was clever and bold.

▸ 十四shí sì岁suì那年nà nián，她tā被bèi送sòng进jìn皇宫huáng gōng，成了chéng le唐太宗táng tài zōng的de一个yī ge地位dì wèi很hěn低dī的de妃子fēi zi。

The year she turned fourteen, she was sent into the imperial palace and became one of Emperor Taizong's lowest-ranking consorts.

▸ 传说chuán shuō，唐太宗táng tài zōng有yǒu一匹yī pǐ性子xìng zi很hěn烈liè的de马mǎ，谁shéi也yě不能bù néng驯服xùn fú它tā。

Legend has it that Emperor Taizong had a horse with a fierce temper that no one could tame.

▸ 年轻nián qīng的de武则天wǔ zé tiān却què说shuō：“给gěi我wǒ三sān样yàng东西dōng xi就jiù够gòu了le：一条yī tiáo铁tiě鞭子biān zi、一个yī ge铁tiě锤子chuí zi、一把yī bǎ刀dāo。”

But the young Wu Zetian said: "Give me three things and that will be enough: an iron whip, an iron hammer, and a knife."

▸ “先xiān用yòng鞭子biān zi打dǎ它tā；它tā不bù听话tīng huà，就jiù用yòng锤子chuí zi打dǎ它tā的de头tóu；还hái不bù听话tīng huà，就jiù用yòng刀dāo杀shā了le它tā。”

"First strike it with the whip; if it doesn't obey, hit its head with the hammer; if it still doesn't obey, kill it with the knife."

▸ 大家dà jiā都dōu很hěn吃惊chī jīng：这个zhè ge女孩子nǚ hái zi，怎么zěn me一点儿yī diǎnr都dōu不bù害怕hài pà？

Everyone was shocked: how could this young girl be so completely unafraid?

▸ 可是kě shì在zài皇宫huáng gōng里lǐ的de十二shí èr年nián，她的tā de地位dì wèi一直yī zhí没有méi yǒu变biàn。

Yet in her twelve years in the palace, her rank never changed.

▸ 六四liù sì九jiǔ年nián，唐太宗táng tài zōng去世qù shì了le；按照àn zhào规矩guī ju，她tā被bèi送到sòng dào庙miào里lǐ，当dāng了le尼姑ní gū。

In 649, Emperor Taizong died; following the rules, she was sent to a temple and became a Buddhist nun.

▸ 对duì很多hěn duō女人nǚ rén来lái说shuō，这zhè就是jiù shì一生yī shēng的de结束jié shù，可是kě shì武则天wǔ zé tiān不想bù xiǎng就这样jiù zhè yàng安静ān jìng地de过guò完wán一生yī shēng。

For many women, that would have been the end of the story — but Wu Zetian had no intention of quietly living out her life like this.

▸ 新xīn皇帝huáng dì唐高宗táng gāo zōng没有méi yǒu忘记wàng jì她tā；几年jǐ nián后hòu，他tā把bǎ她tā接jiē回了huí le皇宫huáng gōng。

The new emperor, Gaozong, had not forgotten her; a few years later, he brought her back to the palace.

▸ 这zhè一次yī cì，她tā再也zài yě不bù安静ān jìng了le：六liù五五wǔ wǔ年nián，她tā当上dāng shang了le皇后huáng hòu。

This time, she would not stay quiet: in 655, she became empress.

▸ 后来hòu lái，唐高宗táng gāo zōng生shēng了le重病zhòng bìng，头疼tóu téng得de连lián大臣dà chén们men送sòng来lái的de文件wén jiàn都dōu看kàn不了bù liǎo。

Later, Emperor Gaozong fell seriously ill — his head hurt so badly that he could not even read the documents his ministers sent him.

▸ 于是yú shì，武则天wǔ zé tiān开始kāi shǐ帮bāng他tā处理chǔ lǐ国家guó jiā大事dà shì。

So Wu Zetian began to handle the affairs of state for him.

▸ 大臣dà chén们men向xiàng皇帝huáng dì报告bào gào的de时候shí hou，她tā就jiù坐在zuò zài一yī张zhāng帘子lián zi后面hòu mian，听tīng着zhe每měi一句话yī jù huà。

When the ministers reported to the emperor, she sat behind a curtain, listening to every word.

▸ 慢慢地màn màn de，大家dà jiā都dōu明白míng bai了le：真正zhēn zhèng做zuò决定jué dìng的de人rén，不是bù shì皇帝huáng dì，而是ér shì帘子lián zi后面hòu mian的de那个nà ge女人nǚ rén。

Slowly, everyone came to understand: the person really making the decisions was not the emperor, but the woman behind the curtain.

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