In the Heian period, the imperial court relied on agriculture, produced in distant estates.

在平安時期，帝國法院依靠農業，在遙遠的地區生產。

The wealthy landowners of these estates hired warriors to defend themselves from raids by local chieftains.

这些莊園的富有的土地所有者雇佣了戰士来保衛自己不被當地首领的襲擊。

By the 12th century, political power had shifted significantly away from the Emperor.

到十二世纪，政治權力已经大大偏離了天皇。

The Genpei War of 1180 to 1185, pitted the Taira clan with sworn loyalty to the emperor,

1180的源平合戰到1185，进站平氏与宣誓效忠于皇帝，

against the Minamoto clan.

对着南本氏族。

And the Minamoto's victory established the Kamakura Shogunate, a hereditarian military dictatorship.

而且，本港的胜利成立了镰仓幕府，这是一个獨裁的軍事獨裁。

The samurai warrior trained by serving under his master,

該武士在他的師父的指導下受訓，

and following a strict code called Bushido,

並按照所谓的武士道,一種嚴格的準則，

the way of the warrior.

戰士的生存方式。

In battle, the warrior would decapitate his defeated enemy and mount the head on a spike.

在戰鬥中，戰士將斬首被擊敗的敵人，將頭掛在刺上

For a samurai who was facing defeat or dishonor,

對於面對失敗或耻辱的武士，

Seppuku or Harakiri was performed.

會執行切腹。

This involved the warrior committing suicide by cutting his belly with a dagger.

这涉及到戰士用匕首切割他的肚子自殺。

As part of Bushido,

作为武士道的一部分，

samurai who had lost their master were also expected to commit Harakiri.

誰失去了自己的主人的武士也有望剖腹自杀。

Those who did not Ronin or difters,

那些没有成為浪人或漂泊者的人，

often there was a stigma attached to being masterless Ronin,

經常背負著身為浪人的污名，

and many found other ways to make a living with their swords,

許多人發現了其他方式来以劍維生，

becoming mercenaries or turning to crime.

成為傭兵或轉向犯罪。

Samurais were experts in fighting both on horseback and on the ground

武士是在馬背上和地面戰鬥的專家

They used a variety of weapons:

他們使用各種武器：

bows & arrows, spears and eventually guns.

弓箭，长矛和槍。

However, their main and most symbolic weapon was the sword.

然而，他们的主要和最象徵的武器是劍

In the late 13th century,

在13世纪末，

Masamune Okazaki invented the unique dual of soft and hard steel,

正宗岡發明了獨特的雙軟，硬鋼，

that is one of the key characteristics of the katana

这是武士刀的主要特徵之一

The sword came to have great significance

劍具有重大意義

and eventually samurai would carry two types:

最终武士將会有两種類型：

the katana, a long sword

武士刀，长劍

and the wakizashi, a short sword.

和脇差，短刀。

In the 15th century, the Shogun's power was waning,

在15世纪，幕府將军的權力在衰退，

and a century long period of fighting for dominance,

一个世纪以來为争奪霸主地位，

between (the daimyōs) local lords began,

（在大名）之間的地方領主開始，

Warring States period.

戰國時期

Oda Nobunaga succeeded in uniting half of the clans in the late 16th century.

織田信長成功地在16世纪晚期團结部族的一半。

But he was betrayed by one of his vessels

但他被他的一艘船背叛了

and committed Seppuku

並切腹了

before the national unification was completed.

在國家统一完成之前。

Stability was finally brought in the 17th century,

终于在17世纪進入稳定期了，

with the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate

與德川幕府的開始

headed by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

以德川義洋為首。

At this point, the social order was also frozen with the samurai at the top of the social hierarchy.

在这一點上，社會秩序也被凍结在武士在社會階層的頂端。

However, despite their high social position,

然而，儘管社會地位很高，

the material well-being of many samurai began to decline.

許多武士的物質福祉開始衰弱。

With relatively stable peace,

在相對穩定的和平下，

the importance of martial skills declined.

武術技能的重要性下降。

And many samurai took on careers as bureaucrats or teachers.

許多武士將職業作為官僚或老师。