Travel in Chinese Lesson 54 The Summer Palace 2

雪梅：小王啊，早就想到颐和园来玩儿了，谢谢你今天陪我们一起来。

小王：您别这么说，您太客气了。

小杰：哥哥，这么多门，我们应该从哪一个进去呢？

小王：这个叫东宫门，是颐和园的正门。门口的正中间当年可是皇帝和慈禧太后才能走的路，其他的人要想从这儿进去，没门儿。

小杰：那他们都走哪儿啊？

小王：只能走两边的小门儿。

雪梅：没想到这门也有这么多的讲究。

（进门后）

小杰：这里可真大啊，哥哥，我们该朝哪个方向走啊？

小王：别看颐和园的建筑有三千多间，其实主要是就由三个部分组成的，宫廷区、万寿山和昆明湖。你们想看哪个部分？

雪梅：这些我们都想看，但不知先看哪个好？

小杰：宫廷区？是不是皇帝住的地方？咱们先去那儿看看吧。

小王：好。它是当年慈禧太后和皇帝办公的地方，而且还可以看到慈禧的寝宫呢。

小杰：寝宫？那是什么地方？

小王：哦，“寝”是睡觉的意思，寝宫就是皇帝和太后休息的地方。

雪梅：慈禧和皇帝也住在颐和园？他们不是住在故宫里吗？

小杰：他们是偶尔才来这里度假的吧？

小王：不对，慈禧太后就很喜欢住在这里，有时候一住就是大半年呢。

雪梅：（出了寝宫）这就是著名的长廊了吧？我以前经常在明信片上看到它。

小杰：（看长廊的画）这画的都是什么啊？我都看不懂！

小王：这里边有的画的是西湖风景，有的是民间故事。想完全看懂这些可不太容易。

雪梅：我觉得这长廊设计得很不错，不仅分隔了这边的山和湖，而且看风景的时候还可以防雨防晒。

小王：还真说到点子上了，的确是这样的。

小杰：妈妈，快来看，这边的湖多漂亮啊！

小王：这就是昆明湖。它的形状看起来像个寿桃。而它后边的万寿山呢，就像只蝙蝠。

小杰：蝙蝠？为什么偏偏要像蝙蝠呢？多难看啊？

小王：不知道了吧，这是因为蝙蝠的“蝠”和幸福的“福”发音是一样的。

雪梅：这样设计都是为了图个吉利吧。

小王：这固然有这方面的考虑，不过也能反映出中国园林艺术中的一个重要特点。

小杰：听不懂，听不懂，我们现在就去爬山吧。

小王：好！
 

Translation:

Xuemei: Xiao Wang, we’ve wanted to visit the Summer Palace for a long time. Thank you for coming here with us today.

Xiao Wang: Please don’t mention it, you’re too polite.

Xiaojie: Xiao Wang, there are so many entrances, which one should we go in？

Xiao Wang: This is called the East Palace Gate. It’s the formal entrance for the Summer Palace. The middle of the entrance was reserved for the emperor and empress, there was no way other people could go in through here.

Xiaojie: Then how did they go in？

Xiao Wang: only through the small gates at the two sides.

Xuemei: Who would have thought there would be so many rules even for gates?

（after they enter the gate）

Xiaojie: This place is massive！Xiao Wang, which way should we go？

Xiao Wang: The Summer Palace might seem huge, with over three thousand rooms, but it’s actually just made up of three parts. The Palace area, Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. Which part would you like to see？

Xuemei: We want to see them all, but we don’t know which one first.

Xiaojie: Palace area? Is that wher the emperor used to live？ Let’s go there first.

Xiao Wang: OK. That’s wher the dowager empress Cixi and the emperor attended to political affairs. You can even see the dowager empress’s Qingong.

Xiaojie: Qingong？What’s that？

Xiao Wang: Oh, “qin”means to sleep. Qingong is wher the emperor and the dowager empress used to rest.

Xuemei: The dowager empress and the emperor lived at the Summer Palace as well？Didn’t they live in the Forbidden City？

Xiaojie: They only came here occasionally for holidays, right？

Xiao Wang: Not really. The dowager empress liked staying here a lot, sometimes she’d stay for as long as half a year or more.

Xuemei: （coming out of the Qingong）This must be the famous Long Corridor？I’ve seen it many times on postcards.

Xiaojie: （looks at paintings on the crossbeams of the Long Corridor）What are all these paintings？I don’t understand them at all！

Xiao Wang: These are landscape paintings of West Lake, some are folk stories. It’s not easy to understand all of them.

Xuemei: I think this long corridor is a good idea, it separates the mountain and lake, and it’s a shelter against the wind and sun while you enjoy the sights.

Xiao Wang: You’re spot on, that’s exactly right.

Xiaojie: Mum, quick, come and have a look. This lake is so pretty！

Xiao Wang: This is Kunming Lake. It’s shaped like a birthday peach. wheras the Longevity Hill behind it is shaped like a bat.

Xiaojie: Bianfu? Why a bat? How ugly!

Xiao Wang: Got you, huh? That’s because the “fu” in “ bianfu” sounds the same as the “fu” in “xingfu”or happiness.

Xuemei: So the design is for good luck.

Xiao Wang: That’s certainly one consideration, but it’s also a major feature of Chinese landscaped gardens.

Xiaojie: I don’t get it. I don’t get it. Let ’s go and climb the mountain.

Xiao Wang: OK！
 

Bookmarks
 

1）偶尔 occasionally

例）我一般在家吃饭，偶尔也会出去吃。

I normally eat at home, but occasionally I go out to eat as well.

例）我一般按时起床，不过偶尔也会睡睡懒觉。

I normally get up at regular time, but sometimes I sleep in as well.

Sign Posts

The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace 颐和园 is one of the best sites in the Beijing area. In the later part of the last dynasty, the imperial family would come here during the summer months to avoid the heat of the Forbidden City. Relief from the heat is mainly due to Kunming Lake, which occupies about ¾ of the park. Much of this lake is man-made, with the soil excavated being used to increase the size of 万寿山 longevity hill, on the north side of the lake.

The park is firmly linked in history with the Empress Dowager, who was the true source of power in the late Qing dynasty. She is seen as a corrupt figure who prevented China from taking the necessary steps to modernize. For example, it is said that she used the budget for building a Chinese navy to built a marble boat on the shores of Kunming Lake. Of course, the boat doesn’t float. It’s simply a place wher you can lounge about and enjoy the scenery. Several years later after this boat was built, China again found herself unable to defend against foreign aggression.

There is a central building wher the emperor would deal with state business while residing at the summer palace. It is said, however, that the Empress dowager would sit behind a screen right behind the emperor, so that she could tell him what to do.

Besides the lake and the marble boat, one of the most interesting sites at the Summer Palace is the 700 m long covered walkway called the 长廊 that is mentioned in the dialogue. There is also a beautiful stone bridge called the 十七孔桥 17-span bridge that links the main island to the shore. Near the bridge you will find a beautiful bronze ox who seems to be leisurly enjoying the scenery as well. If you are in Beijing for more than just a day or two, this is definitely a site worth seeing.

Substitution and Extension

1）由……组成 be made up of

例)这个旅行团由三个国家的旅客组成。

This tour group is made up of tourists from three countries.

例)这所学校主要由五个学院组成。

This school is comprised of five colleges.

2)不知……才好 to not know what to do

例)他不明白我的意思，我真不知道怎么说才好。

He doesn't understand what I mean. I really don't know what to say.

例)他的手机丢了，急得不知怎么办才好。

He lost his cell phone. He was so anxious that he didn't know what to do.

3)固然…不过… admitting A, but B

例)工作固然重要，不过也要注意休息。

Work is important, but we have to pay attention to rest.

例)健身固然对身体有好处，不过也要适度才好。

Exercise is good for your health but it must be done appropriately.