Text A The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)
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颐和园是中国现存规模最大、保存最完整的皇家园林，中国四大名园（另三座为承德避暑山庄、苏州拙政园、苏州留园）之一。颐和园位于北京市海淀区，距北京城区15公里，占地约290公顷。它是利用昆明湖、万寿山为基址，以杭州西湖风景为蓝本，汲取江南园林的某些设计手法和意境而建成的一座大型天然山水园，也是保存得最完整的一座皇家行宫御苑，被誉为皇家园林博物馆。
The Summer Palace,one of the finest examples of garden architecture in China,is located in the northwest suburbs of Beijing.The 100-odd examples of traditional architecture in the park include pavilions,terraces,temples,pagodas,waterside gazebos,covered corridors,stone bridges and the famous marble boat.The palace occupies a total area of 290 hectares,three quarters of which is made up of shallow lakes.
The history of the Summer Palace dates back some 800 years when the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty,Wanyan Liang,moved his capital to the vicinity of Beijing and built his “God Mountain Palace” at the present site of Longevity Hill.A subsequent emperor of the same dynasty diverted the water from the nearby Jade Spring to the Gold Mountain,naming the lake which flowed into the Gold Sea.After the founding of the Yuan Dynasty,Gold Mountain was renamed Jug Mountain (Wengshan),as explained in the following legend: There was once an itinerant old man who discovered a large rock on the slope of Gold Mountain.Breaking it open,he found an earthenware jar hidden inside.The jar’s surface was exquisitely carved with flowers,animals and dragons.Inside the jar were many objects of great value which the old man took away with him.Before his departure,however,he brought the jar to the sunny side of the mountain and inscribed it with the following couplet: “When this earthen jar is moved,the emperor’s decline shall begin.” During the Jiajing period (1522—1566) of the Ming Dynasty,the jar disappeared and,just as the old man predicted,the dynasty fell into decay.
The Summer Palace has fallen prey to two acts of destruction.The first took place in 1860 when the Anglo-French forces invaded Beijing and ravaged both the Yuanmingyuan Garden and the Park of Pure Ripples.The second great act of destruction took place in 1900 when the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing.After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949,local authorities began the painstaking task of restoration.Today,after more than 40 years of repainting and reconstruction,the Summer Palace plays host to approximately 2 million visitors per year.
The Eastern Palace
The Eastern Palace Gate,or Main Gate,is guarded on each side by two brass lions from the Qianlong period.Set in the center of the staircase is a large slab of stone carved with two dragons amusing themselves with giant pearls.This symbol of imperial power was moved here from the Yuanmingyuan Gardens.Above the gate,the three Chinese characters of the name of the Summer Palace “Yiheyuan” have been inscribed in Emperor Guangxu’s hand.Immediately inside the gate is a “spirit wall”,beyond which lies a bow-shaped “moon pond” crossed by a pair of stone bridges.In the days of the Empress Dowager,only the emperor and empress were permitted to come here,all other mortals being denied entry by a cordon of mounted guards.Walking west and passing through the Gate of Benevolent Longevity,you come to Palace of Benevolent Longevity (Renshoudian).This edifice was originally named the Palace of Encouraging Good Government.Restored in 1890,its name was changed to the Palace of Benevolent Longevity,an ironic notion derived from an old saying,“Benevolent People live long lives.” Here Cixi held audience with high officials and handled the daily affairs of government.
North of the Palace of Benevolent Longevity is the Garden of Harmonious Virtue (Deheyuan).South from the Palace of Benevolent Longevity,you come to the Hall of Jade Ripples (Yulantang).Between the Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Pleasing Rue stands the Tower of Fine Sunset (Xijialou).Offering an excellent view of the Western Hills,it is an ideal spot for watching the sunset over Kunming Lake.Its eastern wing contains rockery hills and a Forest of (Stone) Lions modeled after the Forest of Lions Garden (Shizilin) in Suzhou,Jiangsu Province.
Walking north along the shore of the lake and heading west for a short distance,one comes to the Hall of Joyful Longevity (Leshoutang),the residence of the Empress Dowager.The eastern and western auxiliary halls were the center of daily activities.
The Southern Side of Longevity Hill
The main structure in the central architectural complex on the southern side of Longevity Hill is the Palace of Parting Clouds (Paiyundian).This is fronted by a memorial archway built on the edge of the lake inscribed with the words “The myriad stars surround the Polar Star” and “The radiance of the clouds shines through the jade firmament.” Between the archway and the Palace of Parting Clouds there are a number of evergreens and 12 Taihu Lake stones which represent the Chinese astrological animals.An elegant pair of bronze lions guards the Gate of Parting Clouds.Inside the gate is a courtyard with buildings on each side; to the east is the Hall of Brilliant Jade and to the west the Hall of Brocade Clouds.The name of the palace is taken from a poem by Guo Pu (276—324): “The immortals emerge from between parting clouds; a terrace of silver and gold appears.”
The Palace of Parting Clouds,built on a stone terrace with staircases on three sides,is surrounded by white stone balustrades.The terrace in front of the palace is called the “Cinnabar Staircase”.Bronze dragons,phoenixes,sacrificial vessels and large water vats are on display.The interior is similar to that of the Hall of Benevolent Longevity,including an oil-portrait of Empress Dowager Cixi painted in 1903 by Katherine A.Carl,an American who also wrote a book about Cixi.Though the portrait was executed in Cixi’s 69th year,it flattered her to the likeness of a 30-year-old woman.
Covered staircases on either side of the Palace of Parting Clouds lead to the Hall of Virtuous Light.At the top is the highest point in the entire Summer Palace,the Pagoda of Buddhist Fragrance.This 38-meter-high pagoda,designed after the Yellow Crane Pagoda in Wuchang,Hubei Province,is supported by four hardwood columns.The immense task of restoration was begun in 1953.Repainting alone,applying some 600 kilograms of dark blue paint and 2.5 kilograms of pure gold leaf,took 16,000 worker-days.
The southern side of the Longevity Hill is full of smaller buildings with picturesque names,which will only be mentioned briefly.First,to the east: The House of Leisure (Zizaizhuang),dating from 1903,was built in the style of an old-fashioned country teahouse; the Hall for Nourishing Clouds (Yangyunxuan),divided into two side halls,served during the time of Cixi as a resting place of higher-ranking concubines,members of the imperial clan,and women who had been granted official titles; the Hall of Limitless Pleasure (Wujinyixuan),facing a small lotus pond,is an ideal place of retreat from the heat of summer; and finally,the Hall of Longevity (Jieshoutang) is surrounded by wonderful cypresses and magnolias.
The Northern Side of Longevity Hill
There is a great contrast between the southern and northern sides of Longevity Hill.While the southern side is lavish to the point of extravagance,the northern slope is more peaceful and less crowed.With its winding hill paths,limpid flowing streams,luxuriant pines and cypresses,and numerous shrubs,the northern side of Longevity Hill reminds one of the countryside of southern China.There were originally a large number of fine buildings here,but with few exceptions they were all destroyed by the Anglo-French forces.
Apart from the long Lilac Corridor,there are only two palaces worthy of mention: the Tower of Great Fortune (Jingfuge) and the Garden of Harmonious Delights (Xiequyuan).
The Tower of Great Fortune was known as the Palace of Epiphyllum (Tanhuage) during the Qianlong period and was rebuilt in its present form in 1892.This rather large square building is surrounded on all sides by corridors,and was frequented by the Empress Dowager for two main purposes: watching the moon,and admiring the scenery on rainy days.The elevation here permits a fine view of the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and the Knowing Spring Pavilion on Kunming Lake.
East of Longevity Hill in the very northeast corner of the palace stands the “garden within a garden”,the Garden of Harmonious Delights,perhaps the most peaceful and secluded place in the entire Summer Palace.The Garden was built during the Qianlong period.Water from Kunming Lake was led here to form a pond and a complex of ingeniously interconnected buildings was built around it.Since Qianlong copied the buildings themselves after a garden in the Huishan district of Wuxi,Jiangsu Province,the garden was first known as Huishan Garden.Its name was changed to the Garden of Harmonious Delights in 1893.
The Palace Lakes
To the south of Longevity Hill is a vast expanse of water embellished with a number of small islands and a long embankment.The islands take their names from the structures built upon them: the Knowing Spring Pavilion; the Phoenix Pier; the Mirror Tower; and the Hall of Ornate Mirrors.The most accessible is the Southern Lake Island.
The Temple of the Dragon King is the main point of interest on the Southern Lake Island.Seen from afar,it resembles a mythical fairy mountain in the middle of the sea.The Southern Lake Island is connected to the shore by the magnificent Seventeen-Arch Bridge,which is decorated with numerous sculptures of lions.A large bronze bull sits on the shore at the east end of the bridge,ostensibly for the purpose of suppressing floods.An “Inscription to the Golden Bull” is cast in ancient seal characters on the bull’s back.The Tapestry of Ripples Bridge (Xiuyiqiao) at the southern end of the lake narks the former site of a lock,which connected Kunming Lake with the old canal,which leads to the center of the capital.Nearby are the tomb of Yelu Chucai,the famous advisor to Genghis Khan,and a naturally formed swimming pool.
Summer is naturally the finest time of year to visit the Summer Palace.By the end of April,winter jasmine and mountain peach make their early debut on the northern side of the Longevity Hill.Not long after this,flaming-red plums and sweet almonds come into bloom,followed by Chinese crabapples and lilacs.Next,magnolias and peonies,the “king of flowers”,are in full bloom,while Chinese wisteria and herbaceous peonies are in bud along the Long Corridor.The mock oranges in front of the Palace of Parting Clouds bloom in mid-May,while the season for lotuses extends from July to October.At the height of summer,jasmine and osmanthus send forth their fragrance.The frost-defying autumn chrysanthemums bring this symphony of flowers to a splendid close,making their debut on October 1,China’s National Day.
Words & Expressions
1.suburb['sʌbəːb] n.郊区；边缘
2.pavilion[pə'viljən] n.大帐篷；阁；亭子；展示馆
3.terrace['terəs，-is] n.梯田；阳台；平台
4.pagoda[pə'ɡəudə] n.（东方寺院的）宝塔
5.hectare['hektɑː] n.公顷（等于1万平方米）
6.vicinity[vi'sinəti] n.邻近；附近；近处
7.longevity[lɔn'dʒevəti] n.寿命；长寿，长命
8.itinerant[ai'tinərənt] adj.巡回的；流动的
9.exquisite['ekskwizit，ek'skwizit] adj.优美的；高雅的；精致的
10.decay[di'kei] n.衰退，衰减；腐烂；腐朽
11.prey[prei] vi.捕食；掠夺；折磨
12.painstaking['peinzteikiŋ] adj.勤勉的；小心的；艰苦的
13.brass[brɑːs，bræs] n.黄铜；黄铜制品；厚脸皮；铜管乐器
14.slab[slæb] n.厚片；厚板；平板；混凝土路面
vt.把……分成厚片；用石板铺
15.benevolent[bi'nevələnt] adj.慈善的；仁慈的；亲切的
16.debut['deibjuː] n.初次登台；开张
vi.初次登台
17.edifice['edifis] n.大厦；大建筑物
18.archway['ɑːtʃwei] n.拱道；拱门
19.myriad['miriəd] adj.无数的；种种的
n.无数；极大数量；无数的人或物
20.firmament['fəːməmənt] n.天空；苍天
21.evergreen['evəɡriːn] n.［植］常绿树；［植］常绿植物
adj.常绿的；永葆青春的
22.astrological[，æstrə'lɔdʒik，-kəl] adj.占星的；占星学的；占星术的
23.brocade[brəu'keid] n.［纺］锦缎；织锦
24.balustrade[，bæləs'treid] n.栏杆
25.clan[klæn] n.宗族；部落；集团
26.lavish['læviʃ] adj.浪费的；丰富的；大方的
vt.浪费；慷慨给予；滥用
27.limpid['limpid] adj.透明的；平静的，无忧虑的
28.luxuriant[lʌɡ'zjuəriənt，-'ʒuə-] adj.繁茂的；丰富的；肥沃的；奢华的
29.cypress['saipris] n.柏树；柏木属植物
30.secluded[si'kluːdid] adj.隐退的；隐居的；隐蔽的
31.embellish[im'beliʃ] vt.修饰；装饰；润色
vi.装饰起来；加以润色
32.ornate[ɔː'neit] adj.华丽的；装饰的；（文体）绚丽的
33.ostensibly[ɔs'tensəbli] adv.表面上；外表
34.tapestry['tæpistri] n.挂毯；织锦；绣帷
Notes
1.Empress Dowager Cixi （慈禧太后）：Empress Dowager Cixi （29 November 1835—15 November 1908），of the Manchu Yehenara clan，was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908.
Selected by the Xianfeng Emperor as an imperial concubine in her adolescence,she climbed the ranks of Xianfeng’s harem and gave birth to a son who became the Tongzhi Emperor upon Xianfeng’s death.Cixi ousted a group of regents appointed by the late emperor and assumed regency over her young son with the Empress Dowager Ci’an.Cixi then consolidated control and established near-absolute rule over the dynasty.She installed her nephew as the Guangxu Emperor in 1875.As a conservative ruler who refused to adopt Western models of government,Cixi rejected reformist views on government and placed Guangxu under house arrest in later years for supporting reformers.However,she supported technological and military modernization of China’s armies.After Ronglu sabotaged the Chinese army during the Boxer Movement against the Eight-Nation Alliance,external and internal pressures led Cixi to attempt institutional changes and appoint reform-minded officials.Ultimately,the Qing Dynasty collapsed a few years after her death.
2.The Eight-Power Allied Forces （八国联军）： The Eight-Power Allied Forces，or the Eight-Nation Alliance，was an alliance of Austro-Hungary，France，Germany，Italy，Japan，Russia，the United Kingdom，and the United States whose military forces intervened in China to suppress the Boxers.
3.Yuanmingyuan Gardens （圆明园）：The Imperial Gardens as they once stood The Old Summer Palace，known in China as Yuan Ming Yuan （the Gardens of Perfect Brightness），and originally called the Imperial Gardens，was a complex of palaces and gardens in Beijing.It is located 8 kilometers northwest of the walls of the Imperial City，built in the 18th and early 19th century，where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty resided and handled government affairs （the Forbidden City was used for formal ceremonies）.
Known for its extensive collections of garden and building architectures and other works of art,a popular name in China was the “Garden of Gardens”.
Exercises
I.Fill in each of the following blanks with the most suitable word given below.Change the form if necessary.
suburb vicinity decay painstaking myriad
limpid luxuriant secluded evergreen debut
1.Anna Liu is ________with her work at her personal computer.
2.Babies’ eyes are much more ________than adults’.
3.Crowds gathered in the ________of Trafalgar Square.
4.The little princess led a ________life in the garden behind high walls.
5.He lives in such a ________,which is too far away from the city!
6.He marked his ________by beating the champion.
7.The pine,cedar and spruce are ________.
8.Each galaxy （星系） contains a ________of stars.
9.His poems have ________imagery.
10.The feudal system slowly fell into ________.
II.Decide whether each of the following statements is true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
1.The Summer Palace occupies a total area of 290 hectares,most of which is made up of shallow lakes.( )
2.The first act of destruction took place in 1860 when the Anglo-French forces invaded Beijing and ravaged only the Yuanmingyuan Garden.( )
3.The three Chinese characters of the name of the Summer Palace “Yiheyuan” have been inscribed in Emperor Jiaxing’s hand.( )
4.The main structure in the central architectural complex on the southern side of Longevity Hill is the Palace of Parting Clouds (Paiyundian).( )
5.While the northern side is lavish to the point of extravagance,the southern slope is more peaceful and less crowed.( )
III.Try to fill in each of the following blanks with suitable words.
1.The history of the Summer Palace dates back ________years when the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty moved his capital to the vicinity of Beijing.
2.Today,after more than 40 years of repainting and reconstruction,the Summer Palace plays host to approximately ________visitors per year.
3.Restored in 1890,its name was changed to the Palace of Benevolent Longevity,an ironic notion derived from an old saying,“________.”
4.The Palace of Parting Clouds,built on a stone terrace with staircases on three sides,is surrounded by ________.
5.To the south of Longevity Hill is a vast expanse of water embellished with a number of small islands and a long embankment.The islands take their names from ________.