中英雙語話歷史 第81期:明朝(張居正改革)
Historical background ： The mid-Ming was faced with the political crisis beause the national defence power was weakening down except for the political corruption ,high centralization of the land, poverty of the people and the country and the rising seriousness of the class contradictions.
The northern Tartars took the chance to aggress and the Japanese pirates troubled the southeast seacoast areas from time to time.
北方韃靼乘機侵擾，倭寇也不斷人侵東南沿海。All of these made the governors consider the problem to save the country themselves.
這些都迫使統治階級不得不考慮改革自救的問題。
Reform：In the year of 1573, Zhang Juzheng occupied the office of the Chief Minister of the cabinet.
改革的內容:1573年，張居正任內閣首輔。He reformed by taking it as the core to strengthen the centralization.
他以加強中央集權爲中心進行政治改革。In politics, he advocated to bring order into the local administration and cut off the unnecessary officials. In the army, he improved the frontier defense and appointed the strategist Qi Jiguang to guard Jimen and the strategist Li Chengliang to guard Liaodong. He also agreed to trade tea and horses with the Tartars and has the peaceful coexistence. In economy, he measured the land again and clarified the private land that the despots had grabbed for. He invited the water conser-vancy expert Pan Jixun to harness the rivers. He reformed the tax system and advocated the one-whip system.
政治方面，澄清吏治，裁減冗員；軍事方面，整頓邊防，任用軍事家戚繼光守衛薊門，李成樑鎮守遼東，並與韃靼進行茶馬互市，和平相處;經濟方面，丈量土地，清查豪強地主的隱田，聘請水利專家潘季馴主持治河，改革賦役制度，推行鞭法。The importance of the Reform Zhang ： Juzheng Reform had improved the financial state of the Ming government and strengthened the frontier defense. The military power had been strengthened as well.
改革的作用:張居正改革，改善了明政府的財政狀況，明朝北方邊防得到鞏固，軍事力量也有所增強。But the reform annoyed the present interests of the bureaucrats and the landlords and was against seriously by them.
由於這次改革觸犯了大官僚地主的一些眼前利益,遭到他們的強烈反對。In 1582, Zhang Juzheng died and the reform was stopped at the same time. But the way to collect tax in silver was maintained.
1582年，張居正逝世，改革也隨之終止，但用銀兩收稅的辦法卻保留了下來。
