東アジア大陸： 南北異世界並立期のカオス的状況（４） China Between Empires ( by Mark Edward Lewis ) より

 ＊ The Rise of the Great Families (1)

　　豪族の勃興

The fall of the Han led to what is often described as the aristocratic era of imperial China's history, in which a relatively small number of great families domonated the social and political spheres.  

＊　The fall of the Han    漢の崩壊 

＊　what is often described as the aristocratic era of imperial China's history

      王朝を中心とした中国史の中の、貴族制の時代としばしば言われるもの 

＊　in which(＝ what is often described・・・・・・of imperial China's history ) 

＊　a relatively small number of great families 　比較的少数の豪族

＊　the social and political sphere　 社会的かつ政治的な領域　    

While this description is not entirely accurate, it is true that relative imperial weakness during this period helped some families to gain disproportionate influence at court and in the countryside.

＊　this description is not entirely accurate　　

　　この表現は、全面的に正確というわけではない    

＊　relative imperial weakness during this period

　　この時期の、王朝の相対的な弱さ　

＊　helped some families to gain disproportionate influence at court and in the         countryside

　　いくつかの一族が、宮廷や地方において不釣り合いな影響力を獲得するのに役立った

Although no family was able to dominate the court for more than a few generations, some families maintained a significant degree of influence for centuries and were recognized as social elites.

＊　no family was able to dominate the court for more than a few generations

　　どの一族も、せいぜい数世代しか宮廷を支配することはできなかった

＊　some families maintained a significant degree of influence for centuries and were recognized as social elites

　いくつかの一族は、数世紀にわたって非常に高いレベルの影響力を維持し、社会のエリートと認識された　

More important than their own fate, however, these families transformed the definition of high status in China, and in so doing they changed forever the ralations between social elites and the court.  

＊　More important than their own fate　　彼らの運命よりも重要なことだが　

＊　the definition of high status in Cnina　中国における高い地位の定義

＊  in so doing    そうすることで

＊　the relations between social elite and the court 

　　社会的エリートの宮廷の関係