武则天，中国历史上唯一的一位女皇帝，于唐朝(the Tang Dynasty )690年称帝。虽然她很残暴，但是她对国家的统治还是比较成功的。她任人唯贤，完全不考虑其家庭地位。通过奖励积极发展农业的官员，惩罚对农民课征重税的官员，武则天极大地促进了农业的发展。中国的佛教(Buddhism)在她统治期间也发展到了顶峰。宋庆龄评价她为“封建时代(feudal period)杰出的女政治家”。

　　表达难点

　　1.第1句中的“中国历史上唯一的一位女皇帝”可按原文结构译成the only female emperor in Chinese history，用逗号隔开，作“武则天”的同位语。“于唐朝690年”作时间状语，置于句末。按照英文表达习惯，小 的时间放在大的时间点之前，故表达为in 690, the Tang Dynasty。

　　2.第3句中的“她任人唯贤”可套用表强调的句型it is... that来表达，译作It is talents that she...。“完全不考虑其家庭地位”可译为并列结构and didn't consider their family status at ail，但这样处理稍显生硬， 可用作状语的介词短语来表达，译为 without considering their family status 或 regardless of their family status。

　　3.翻译第4句“通过奖励……，惩罚……，武则天极大地促进了农业的发展”时，先译出主干(She greatly improved agriculture)，“促进......的发展”是中文固定表达，英译时省译“发展”(development)，直接译为improved...即可。“通过奖励……，惩罚……”表方式，故将其处理成方式状语，用介词短语by rewarding the officials... and punishing those...来表达。定语“积极发展农业的”较长，可将其处理为定语从句 actively developed agriculture，或用分词短语 actively developing agriculture 来表达。

　　4.第6句中的“......发展到了顶峰”可用动词peak来表达，也可译为get to the peak/highest point等。时间状语“在她统治期间”表达为during her reign，置于句末。

　　参考译文

　　Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, declared herself emperor in 690, the Tang Dynasty. Although she was very cruel, her rule over the country proved to be quite successful. It is talents that she appointed officials, regardless of their family status. She greatly improved agriculture by rewarding the officials who actively developed agriculture and punishing those imposing heavy tax on peasants. Chinese Buddhism also peaked during her reign. Song Qingling regarded her as an outstanding female politician in the feudal period.