旅游景点范例之一：北京故宫

旅游景点范例之一：北京故宫ABriefIntroductiontotheImperialPalace【概述】本文选自1998年中国世界语出版社出版的《故宫向导图》（ASketchMapoftheImperialPalace）。与其它详细的景点介绍不同，导游图上的文字一般比较简短，旨在概括地介绍景点的历史、现状及其重要的文物价值，增强他们的游览兴趣。原文很好地浓缩了故宫的精华，语言朴实，空间和时间逻辑鲜明，是一篇典型的旅游文体文章。翻译成英文，总体风格要与原文一致，应注意故宫里主要建筑物名称的翻译，使用音译加意译的方法，因为这些名称里面包含着独特的中华文化的基本精神，如“天人合一”的理念。原文中有大量描写建筑布局和造型的文字，不可拘泥，要灵活处理，重在实现原文的信息功能。故宫旧称紫禁城，位于北京城的中心，为明、清两代的皇宫，是中国现存最大最完整的古代木构建筑群。始建于明永乐四年（1406年），历时十四年才竣工。迄今已有500余年历史，有24位皇帝相继在此登基执政。TheImperialPalace,previouslycalledtheForbiddenCityandnowpopularlyknownasthePalaceMuseum,islocatedinthecenterofBeijing.OncethepalaceoftheMingandQingdynasties,itisthelargestandmostcompleteancientwoodencomplexextantinChinatoday.Buildingworkbeganin1406,thefourthyearoftheMingemperorYongle’sreign.Thecomplexwasfinished14yearslater.DuringitstimeasImperialPalaceasuccessionof24emperorssatonthethroneandadministeredstateaffairs.被称为“殿宇之海”的故宫平面为长方形，占地72万平方米，有殿宇楼阁9000多间，建筑面积达15万平方米。宫墙长达3公里，四面各一门，四角均矗立造型奇特的角楼，Therectangularpalacecomplexoccupiesanareaof720,000squaremetersandconsistsof9000rooms,withafloorareaof150,000squaremeters.ThewallsurroundingtheImperialPalaceisthreekilometerslong,withagateonallfoursidesandauniquelyshapedwatchtowerstandingateachofthefourcorners.墙外环绕宽52米的护城河，构成森严壁垒的城堡。宫殿建筑有外朝、内廷之分。外朝以太和殿、中和殿、保和殿为中心，文华、武英两殿为侧翼。Aroundtheoutsideofthewallrunsthe52-meter-widemoat.Thepalacegroundsaredividedintotwomainsections,theFrontPalaceandtheInnerPalace.InthecenteroftheFrontPalacestandTaihedian(HallofSupremeHarmony),Zhonghedian(HallofCompleteHarmony)andBaohedian(HallofPreservingHarmony),withWenhuadian(HallofLiteraryGlory)andWuyingdian(HallofMilitaryProwess)asthewings.内廷分中、东、西三路，中路为乾清宫、交泰殿、坤宁宫，其后是御花园；中路两侧为东、西六宫；东六宫向南至奉先殿、斋宫和诚肃殿；西六宫往南为养心殿。TheInnerPalaceconsistsofthreeparts,theMiddleRoad,theEasternRoadandtheWesternRoad.TheMiddleRoadconsistsofQianqinggong(HallofHeavenlyPurity),Jiaotandian(HallofProsperity)andKunninggong(HallofEarthlyPeace),behindwhichistheImperialGarden.OntheEasternRoadstandtheSixEasternPalacesandontheWesternRoadtheSixWesternPalaces.TothesouthoftheEasternRoadisFengxiandian(HallofAncestralWorship),Zhaigong(HallofAbstinence)andChengsudian(HallofSincerityandSolemnity).TothesouthoftheWesternRoadisYangxindian(HallofMentalCultivation).内廷外围东有宁寿宫，西有慈宁宫、寿康宫、英华殿等。整体布局严谨有序，体现了“前朝后寝”的格局。TotheeastoftheInnerPalaceisNingshougong(PalaceofPeacefulLongevity),andtothewestCininggong(HallofBenevolentPeace),Shoukanggong(HallofLongevityandHealth)andYinghuadian(HallofFlowers).ThelayoutoftheImperialPalaceiswellorganized,afineexampleofstandardpalaceconstructionwiththeadministrativeofficesattheforeandlivingquartersattherear.内廷另有三座花园：御花园、宁寿宫（乾隆）花园、慈宁宫花园。1911年辛亥革命爆发，末代皇帝溥仪下台后仍居内廷直至1924年被逐出宫。TherearethreegardensintheInnerPalace:theImperialGarden,theNingshouGarden(GardenofPeacefulLongevity)andtheCiningGarden(GardenofBenevolentPeace).The1911RevolutionoverthrewtheQingDynasty,butthelastemperor,Puyi,remainedintheInnerPalacetillhewasdrivenoutin1924.故宫建筑气势雄伟、豪华壮丽，是中国古建筑艺术的精华，其规格之巨和独具特色的建筑艺术享誉世界。在这里保存的大量珍贵文物，稀世绝宝，是研究明、清两代历史和历代艺术的重要物证。ThegrandandmagnificentImperialPalaceembodiestheessenceofancientChinesearchitecture,thusitenjoysworldwidefameforitsscaleanduniquearchitecturaldetailing.Alargenumberofrareandpreciousrelicsarepreservedhere,whichareofgreatsignificancetothestudyofMingandQinghistoryandtheartsofpastdynasties.1925年改名为故宫博物院，它是世界上最大的博物馆之一。1961年被公布为全国重点文物保护单位。1987年为联合国教科文组织列入“世界人类文化遗产”。TheimperialPalacechangeditsnametothePalaceMuseumin1925andnowisoneofthelargesthistoricalmuseumsintheworld.Itwaslistedasstate-levelhistoricalsitein1961andpartofworldculturalheritagebytheUnitedNations’Educational,ScientificandCulturalOrganizationin1987.新中国成立后人民政府拨巨款进行保护和修缮，现已成为久负盛名的旅游景观。SincethefoundingofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,significantfundshavebeenallocatedfortheprotectionandmaintenanceoftheImperialPalace,whichremainsthemostfamoussightinBeijing.太和殿、中和殿、保和殿是外朝的主体建筑。三座大殿建在工字形三层汉白玉石的高大台基上，四周廊庑环绕，气势磅礴，为故宫中最壮观的建筑群。Taihedian(HallofSupremeHarmony),Zhonghedian(HallofCompleteHarmony)andBaohedian(HallofPreservingHarmony)arethemajorbuildingsintheFrontPalace.TheywereerectedontheI-shapedterracesmadeofthreelayersofwhitemarble,eachlayerboundedbyalowbalustrade.Thesebuildings,ofanimposingappearance,arethemoststatelyarchitecturalcomplexintheImperialPalace.主殿太和殿俗称金銮殿，其规模、造型、装饰和陈设均采用了显示皇权至高无上的最高规格，也是中国现存最大的木构殿宇。殿内沥粉金漆柱，蟠龙衔珠藻井，梁枋遍饰和玺彩画，还有金漆雕龙宝座，富丽堂皇。Taihedian,themainhallpopularlyknownasJinluandian(HalloftheImperialThrone),boaststhebesteitherinscale,design,decorationorfurnishing,demonstratinginitselfthesublimeauthorityoftheemperor.ItisthelargestwoodenhallextantinChinatoday.Itspillarsarepaintedwithgoldpowder,itscaissonceilingisdecoratedwithdragonsholdingpearlsintheirmouths,anditsbeamsarecoveredwithcolorpictures.Butthemosteye-catchinginthehallisthethronewhichiscoveredwithgoldandcarvedwithdragons.皇帝即位、诞辰以及出兵征伐等重大庆典和仪式在此举行。中和殿是皇帝举行大典前小憩或演习礼仪的地方。Hereemperorsperformedgrandceremoniesandcelebratedgrandeventssuchasascendingthethrone,celebratingbirthdaysandissuingdecreesofwar.Zhonghedianwastheroomfortakingrestsbeforeceremoniesandtheplacef