北京天坛英文导游词

ladies and gentlemen:

welcome to the temple of heaven. (after self-introduction) preserved cultural heritages of china. there are basically two kinds of visitors who come here: local pensioners who do exercises here in the morning and evening and sightseers both from home and abroad. all in all ,there are 12 million visitors very year. now we are going to go along the route that leads to the alter. it will take roughly one hour. mind you ,the emperor also walked along this route to pay tribute to the god of heaven.

(along the southern sacred road leading to the circular mound altar)

the largest group of architectures ever to be dedicated to heaven ,the temple of heaven served as an exclusive altar for chinese monarchs during the ming and qing dynasties. it was decreed that rulers of successive dynasties would place altars in their own capitals to worship heaven and pray for good harvest. but why ?

the ancient chinese believed that heaven was the supreme ruler of the universe and the fate of mankind ,and&n

bsp;thus worshiping rites dedicated to heaven came into being.

the heaven the ancient chinese referred to was actually the universe, or nature. in those days, there were specfic rites of worship. this was especially true during the ming and qing dynasties when elaborate ceremonies were held.

the temple of heaven was built in 1420 during the reign of emperor youngle of the ming dynasty. situated in the southern part of the city ,this grand set of structures covers an area of 273 hectares. to better symbolize heaven and earth ,the northern part of the temple is circular while the southern part is square .the whole compound is enclosed by two walls, a square wall outside a round one. the o uter area is characterized by suburban scenery, while the inner part is used for sacrifices. the inner enclosure consists of the hall of prayer for good harvest and the circular mound altar.

(along the imperial passage leading from the southern lattice star gate in front of the circular mound altar)

the circular mound altar is enclosed by two walls ,each containing four groups of souther

n lattice star gate, each in turn consisting of three doors, with 24 marble doors altogether. standing on the passage facing north, you will notice that with each pair of doors on is narrower than the other. this reflects the feudal hierarchy: the wider door was reserved for monarchs, while the narrower one was used by courtiers.

on the day of the ceremony ,the emperor would don his ritual costume and be ushered in by the official in charge of religious affairs. he ascended the three terraces in the forefront to pay tribute at the alter.

(atop the circular mound alter)

we are now on the top terrace of the altar, or the third terrace .each terrace has a flight of 9 steps. at the center of this terrace lies a round stone surrounded by 9 steps. at the center of this terrace lies a round stone surrounded by 9 concentric rings of stone. the number of stones in the first ring is 9, in the second ,18, up to 81 in the 9th ring. even the number of carved balustrades on these terraces is a multiplee of 9. but why?

according to an

cient chinese philosophy, yin and yang were two opposing factors. heaven and the odd numbers belonged to yang while the earth and even numbers belonged to yin. nine was the largest heavenly number accessible to man . what is more, the ancient people also believed that heaven consisted of nine layers and that the emperor` s abode was on the uppermost tier.

颐和园的英文导游词

7kao.com 219 11-28

the summer palace

good morning ladies and gentlemen:

my name is joanne. i’m very honored to be youre guide. i do hope all of you could like my guiding and enjoy everything on your pleasant day. this morning we are going to visit the summer palace.

the summer palace is located on the northwest suburbs of beijing, about 20 kilometers away from the center of the city. so it will take us about 1 hour to get there. before we arrived at the summer palace, i would like to introduce you a brief introduction of the woderful imperial garden. the summer palace is the most beautiful and the largest imperial garden existing in chinan, and it is the best-preserved imperial garden in the world. in 1998, it was placed on the list of world cultural heritage by the unesco.

the summer palace was first built as an imperial garden at the beginning of 12th century in the jin dynasty. the construction continued to the yuan and ming dynasties. in the qing dynasty, the building of imperial gardens reached its culmination. during emperor qianlong’s reign, the famous ‘three hills and five gardens’ were built on the northwest suburbs of beijing. the summer palace was a part of it and at that time was called the garden of clear ripples. in 1860, the anglo-french allied forces invaded beijing. the ‘three hills and five gardens’ were burnt down to ashes.

in 1888, the empress dowager cixi spent the navy fund having the garden of clear ripples rebuilt. and then she renamed it the garden of nurtured harmony (summer palace).

in 1900, the allied forces of eight powers invaded beijing. the summer palace was once again severely damaged. it was rebuilt again in 1902.

in 1924, the last emperor puyi was driven out of the palace, after that, the summer palace was turned into a public park.

ladies and gentlemen, please look over there, in front of us is an archway. it is called “emptiness and the collection of excelle nce”, and it is the first scenery of the summer palace. the two chinese words on the front side of the archway mean emptiness and refer to everything in nature and in the scenery. the two words on the back side mean collection of excellence and refer to the tranquility of the beautiful scenery just within the garden.

(outside the east palace gate)

now, we have arrived at the east palace gate. it’s the main entrance of the summer palace. on top of the gate there is a plaque with three chinese characters ‘the summer palace’ in emperor guangxu’s handwriting. the gate that we are now entering was used by the emperor, the empress only in the old days.

(inside the east palace gate)

now we are inside the summer palace. in front of us is the second gate of the summer palace— the gate of benevolence and longevity. the annex halls on both sides were used for officials on duty and the offices of the privy council. well, before we start our tour in the garden, i will briefly introduce you the layout of the summer palace and our tour route. o.k., ladies and gentlemen, may i have your attention please? let’s look at the map together, from it we can see the summer palace covers an area of 290 hectares, which the lake occupies the three-fourths. the whole garden can be divide into three parts: the area was for political activities, resting places of the emperor and empress, and sightseeing areas. our tour will start from the area of the political activities, and end off the marble boat. on the way, we will visit the main constructions of the summer palace, such as the hall of jade ripples, the hall of happiness and longevity, the long corridor, the hall of dispelling clouds and so on. it will take us about two hours to visit the summer palace. please attention, we won’t walk back and our driver will pick us up at the north gate. should you get lost or separated from the group, please meet us at the north gate.

天安门英文导游辞

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tian'anmen (the gate of heavenly peace), is located in the center of beijing. it was first built in 1417 and named chengtianmen (the gate of heavenly succession). at the end of the ming dynasty, it was seriously damaged by war. when it was rebuilt under the qing in 1651, it was renamed tian'anmen, and served as the main entrance to the imperial city, the administrative and residential quarters for court officials and retainers. the southern sections of the imperial city wall still stand on both sides of the gate. the tower at the top of the gate is nine-room wide and five –room deep. according to the book of changes, the two numbers nine and five, when combined, symbolize the supreme status of a sovereign. during the ming and qing dynasties, tian'anmen was the place where state ceremonies took place. the most important one of them was the issuing of imperial edicts, which followed these steps:

1) the minister of rites would receive the edict in taihedian (hall of supreme harmony), where the emperor was holding his court. the minister would then carry the decree on a yunpan (tray of cloud), and withdraw from the hall via taihemen (gate of supreme harmony)

2) the minister would put the tray in a miniature longting (dragon pavilion). beneath a yellow umbrella and carry it via wumen (meridian gate), to tian'anmen gate tower. 3) a courtier would be invested to proclaim the edict. the civil and military officials lining both sides of the gateway beneath the tower would prostrate themselves in the direction of the emperor in waiting for the decree to the proclaimed.

4) the courtier would then put the edict in a phoenix-shaped wooden box and lower it from the tower by means of a silk cord. the document would finally be carried in a similar tray of cloud under a yellow umbrella to the ministry of rites.

5) the edict, copied on yellow paper, would be made known to the whole country. such a process was historically recorded as ' imperial edict issued by golden phoenix'. during the ming and qing dynasties tian'anmen was the most important passage. it was this gate that the emperor and his retinue would go through on their way to the altars for ritual and religious activities.

on the westside of tian'anmen stands zhongshanpark (dr. sun yat-sen's park), and on the east side, the working people's cultural palace. the park was formerly called shejitan (altar of land and grain), built in 1420 for offering sacrificial items to the god of land. it was opened to the public as a park in 1914 and its name was changed in 1928 to the present one in memory of the great pioneer of the chinese democratic revolution. the working people's cultural palace used to be taimiao (the supreme ancestral temple), where tablets of the deceased dynastic rulers were kept.

the stream in front of tian'anmen is called waijinshuihe (outer golden river), with seven marble bridges spanning over it . of these seven bridges, historical records say the middle one was for the exclusive use of the emperor and was accordingly called yuluqiao (imperial bridge). the bridges flanking it on either side were meant for the members of the royal family and were therefore called wanggongqiao (royal's bridges). farther away on each side of the two were bridges for officials ranking above the third order and were named pinjiqiao (ministerial bridges). the remaining two bridges were for the use by the retinue below the third order and were called gongshengqiao (common bridges). they are the one in front of the supreme ancestral temple to the east and the one in front of the altar of land and grain to the west.

the two stone lions by the gate of tian'anmen, one on each side were meant as sentries. they gaze toward the middle axis, guarding the emperor's walkway. in front of the gate stands a pair of marble columns called huabiao. they are elaborately cut in bas-relief following the pattern of a legendary dragon. behind the gate stands another pair of similar columns. the story of huabiao may be traced to a couple of sources. one of the versions accredits its invention to one of the chinese sage kings named yao, who was said to have set up a wooden pillar in order to allow the ordinary people to expose evil-doers, hence it was originally called a slander pillar. later it was reduced to a signpost, and now it serves as an ornament.

the beast sitting on the top of the column is called 'hou', a legendary animal, which is said to have been a watcher of an emperor's behaviour. he was doing such duties as warning the emperor against staying too long outside the palace or indulging in pleasure and urging him to go to the people for their complaints or return in due time. therefore, the two pairs of beasts were given the names 'wangjunhui' (expecting the emperor's coming back) and 'wangjunchu' (expecting the emperor's going out) respectively.

in the old days, tian'anmen, as a part of the imperial city, was meant for important occasions. the two rows of chaofang (antechamber), on the sides behind the main gate, were reserved for civil and military members of the government waiting for imperial audience and in front of the gate, were offices of imperial administration.

on october 1, 1949, chairman mao zedong proclaimed on tian'anmen rostrum the founding of the people's republic of china. since then tian'anmen has been the symbol of new chine\a. chairman mao's portrait is hung above the central entrance, flanked by two slogans:' long live the great unity of the peoples of the world'. today, the splendour of tian'anmen attracts m illion of visitors from all over the world. the rostrum on its top was opened in 1988 to the public for the first time in its history. it offers a panoramic view of the square and the city proper.

tian'anmen square

situated due south of tian'anmen, the square has an area of 44 hectares (109 acres) that can accommodate as many as one million people for public gatherings. it has witnessed may historical events in china's modern history and is a place for celebrations on such festive days as international labour day on may 1st and national day on october 1st.

around the square are several famous buildings:

1 the great hall of the people

this is one of the largest congressional buildings in the world. built in 1959, the hall consists of three parts: a 10, 000-seat auditorium in the center, a banquet hall in the north wing facing chang'an street, with a seating capacity of 5, 000, and offices for the standing committee of the national peoples' congress of china in the south. in addition, thirty-four reception chambers are named after various provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government, plus hong kong and macao. each is different from the other in decoration and furnishings to stress their local features.

2 the museum of chinese history and the museum of the chinese revolution these two museums were also built in 1959. the museum of chinese history houses a permanent exhibition in four parts, covering the entire process of chinese history spanning from 1.7 million years ago to 1919:

1) the primitive society (1.7 million years ago to the 21st century bc);

2) the slave society (21st century bc to 476 bc.);

3) the feudal society (475 bc. to 1840 ad.);

4) the semi-colonial and semi- feudal society (1840 to 1919.)

the museum of the chinese revolution covers the period from 1919 to 1949.

3 the monument to the people's heroes

the monument was built in memory of thousands of martyrs who died for the revolutionary cause of the chinese people. its construction began on august 1, 1952 and was not completed until 1958. in the form of an obelisk, the monument as made of more than 17, 000 pieces of marble. the purple piece inlaid in the front of the monument was brought from qingdao, shandong province. it is 38 meters (124ft 8 in) high, the loftiest of its kind ever seen in the country. not only is it an historic memorial for immortal heroes, but also it is an artistic work of excellent architectural value.

on the front side of the monument is an engraved inscription in chinese characters written by chairman mao zedong, which reads' eternal glory to the people's heroes!' on the back of the monument is an article written by chairman mao, but in chinese calligraphy by the late premier zhou enlai.

at the top of the monument are eight gigantic carved wreathes of such flowers as peony, lotus and chrysanthemum, symbolizing nobility, purity, and fortitude. at the base of the monument are eight marble reliefs depicting the chinese historic events since 1840. they are:

1) the burning of opium in 1840:

2) the uprising of 1851 in jintian, guangxi;

3) the revolution of 1911;

4) the may fourth movement of 1919;

5) the may 30th movement of 1925;

6) the uprising of 1927 in nanchang, jiangxi;

7) the war of resistance against japanese aggression from 1937 to 1945;

8) the victorious crossing over the yangtze river by the peoples's liberation army in 1949. this relief is flanked by two smaller ones—'supplying the front' and 'greeting the p.l.a.'

4 chairman mao's mausoleum

chairman mao zedong, the founder of the people's republic of china, passed away on september 9, 1976. in commemoration of this great man, a mausoleum began to be constructed in november 1976, and was completes in august the following year. the mausoleum was officially opened on september 9, 1977.

the mausoleum is surrounded by four groups of sculpture. east of the northern entrance is the sculpture depicting the period of the new democratic revolution (1919-1949), and west of it is the one signifying the great achievements of the chinese people during the period of socialist revolution and construction since 1949. the sculptures in front of the southern gate are figures of workers, peasants soldiers, intellectuals, technicians and children.

inside the mausoleum are three main sections: a white marble statue of chairman mao is mounted on a platform in the front lobby. on the wall behind the statue is a 24-metre-long (79-foot-long) tapestry, a fine needlepoint work with beautiful landscapes of the country.

in the main hall there is a crystal coffin, in which chairman mao's body lies stately with the communist party's flag covering over him.

on the wall of the southern lobby, a poem by chairman mao and in his own calligraphy is inscribed in gold inlay. it expresses his full great expectations for the country.

tian' anmen square has now completed its renovation after eight months' hard work to welcome the 50th anniversary of the people's republic in 1999.

故宫英文导游辞

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forbidden city (紫禁城)

(in front of the meridian gate)

ladies and gentlemen:

i am pleased to serve as your guide today.

this is the palace museum; also know as the purple forbidden city. it is the largest and most well reserved imperial residence in china today. under ming emperor yongle, construction began in 1406. it took 14years to build the forbidden city. the first ruler who actually lived here was ming emperor zhudi. for five centuries thereafter, it continued to be the residence of23 successive emperors until 1911 when qing emperor puyi was forced to abdicate the throne. in 1987, the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization recognized the forbidden city was a world cultural legacy.

it is believed that the palace museum, or zi jin cheng (purple forbidden city), got its name from astronomy folklore, the ancient astronomers divided the constellations into groups and centered them around the ziwei yuan (north star) . the constellation containing the north star was called the constellation of heavenly god and star itself was called the purple palace. because the emperor was supposedly the son of the heavenly gods, his central and dominant position would be further highlighted the use of the word purple in the name of his residence. in folklore, the term “an eastern purple cloud is drifting” became a metaphor for auspicious events after a purple cloud was seen drifting eastward immediately before the arrival of an ancient philosopher, laozi, to the hanghu pass. here, purple is associated with auspicious developments. the word jin (forbidden) is self-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded and off-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded and off-limits to ordinary people.

the red and yellow used on the palace walls and roofs are also symbolic. red represents happiness, good fortune and wealth. yellow is the color of the earth on the loess plateau, the original home of the chinese people. yellow became an imperial color during the tang dynasty, when only members of the royal family were allowed to wear it and use it in their architectur.

the forbidden city is rectangular in shape. it is 960 meters long from north to south and 750 meter wide from east west. it has 9,900 rooms under a total roof area 150,000 square meters. a 52-meter-wide-moat encircles a 9. 9-meter—high wall which encloses the complex. octagon —shaped turrets rest on the four corners of the wall. there are four entrances into the city: the meridian gate to the south, the shenwu gate (gate of military prowess) to the north, and the xihua gate (gate of military prowess) to the north, and the xihua gate (western flowery gate ) to the west, the donghua (eastern flowery gate) to the east.

manpower and materials throughout the country were used to build the forbidden city. a total of 230,000 artisans and one million laborers were employed. marble was quarried from fangshan country mount pan in jixian county in hebei province. granite was quarried in quyang county in hebei province. paving blocks were fired in kilns in suzhou in southern china. bricks and scarlet pigmentation used on the palatial walls came from linqing in shandong province. timber was cut, processed and hauled from the northwestern and southern regions.

the structure in front of us is the meridian gate. it is the main entrance to the forbidden city. it is also knows as wufenglou (five-phoenix tower). ming emperors held lavish banquets here on the 15th day of the first month of the chinese lunar year in honor of their counties. they also used this place for punishing officials by flogging them with sticks.

qing emperors used this building to announce the beginning of the new year. qing emperor qianlong changed the original name of this announcement ceremony from ban li (announcement of calendar) to ban shou (announcement of new moon) to avoid coincidental association with another emperor's name, hongli, which was considered a taboo at that time. qing dynasty emperors also used this place to hold audience and for other important ceremonies. for example, when the imperial army returned victoriously from the battlefield, it was here that the emperor presided over the ceremony to accept prisoners of war.

(after entering the meridian gate and standing in front of the five marble bridges on golden water river)

now we are inside the forbidden city. before we start our tour, i would like to briefly introduce you to the architectural patterns before us. to complete this solemn, magnificent and palatial complex, a variety of buildings were arranged on a north-south axis, and 8-kilometer-long invisible line that has become an inseparable part of the city of beijing. the forbidden city covers roughly one –third of this central axis. most of the important buildings in the forbidden city were arranged along this line. the design and arrangement of the palaces reflect the solemn dignity of the royal court and rigidly –stratified feudal system.

the forbidden city is divided into an outer and an inner count. we are now standing on the southernmost part of the outer count. in front of us lies the gate of supreme harmony. the gate is guarded by a pair of bronze lions, symbolizing imperial power and dignity. the lions were the most exquisite and biggest of its kind. the one on the east playing with a ball is a male, and ball is said to represent state unity. the other one is a female. underneath one of its fore claws is a cub that is considered to be a symbol of perpetual imperial succession. the winding brook before us is the golden water river. it functions both as decoration and fire control. the five bridges spanning the river represent the five virtues preached by confucius: benevolence, righteousness, rites, intelligence and fidelity. the river takes the shape of a bow and the north-south axis is its arrow. this was meant to show that the emperors ruled the country on behalf of god.

(in front of the gate of supreme harmony)

the forbidden city consists of an outer courtyard and an inner enclosure. the out count yard covers a vast space lying between the meridian gate and the gate of heavenly purity. the “three big halls” of supreme harmony, complete harmony and preserving harmony constitute the center of this building group. flanking them in bilateral symmetry are two groups of palaces: wenhua (prominent scholars) and wuying (brave warriors). the three great halls are built on a spacious “h”-shaped, 8-meter-high, triple marble terrace, each level of the triple terrace is taller than the on below and all are encircled by marble balustrades carved with dragon and phoenix designs. there are three carved stone staircases linking the three architectures. the hall of supreme harmony is also the tallest and most exquisite ancient wooden-structured mansion in all of china. from the palace of heavenly purity northward is what is known as the inner court, which is also built in bilaterally symmetrical patterns. in the center are the palace of heavenly purity, the hall of union and peace and palace of earthly tranquility, a place where the emperors lived with their families and attended to state affairs. flanking these structures are palaces and halls in which concubines and princes lived. there are also three botanical gardens within the inner count, namely, the imperial garden, caning garden and quailing garden. an inner golden water river flows eastwardly within the inner court. the brook winds through three minor halls or palaces and leads out of the forbidden city. it is spanned by the white jade bridge. the river is lined with winding, marble –carved balustrades. most of the structures within the forbidden city have yellow glazed tile roofs.

aside from giving prominence to the north-south axis, other architectural methods were applied to make every group of palatial structures unique in terms of terraces, roofs, mythical monsters perching on the roofs and colored, drawing patterns. with these, the grand contour and different hierarchic spectrum of the complex were strengthened. folklore has it that there are altogether 9,999 room-units in the forbidden city. since paradise only has 10,000 rooms, the son of heaven on earth cut the number by half a room. it is also rumoured that this half –room is located to the west of the wenyuange pavilion (imperial library) . as a matter of fact, although the forbidden city has more than 9,000 room-units, this half-room is nonexistent. the wenyuange pavilion is a library where “si ku quan shu”- china's first comprehensive anthology-was stored.

(after walking past the gate of supreme harmony)

ladies and gentlemen, the great hall we are approaching is the hall of supreme harmony, the biggest and tallest of its king in the forbidden city. this structure covers a total building space of 2,377 square meters, and is know for its upturned, multiple counterpart eaves. the hall of supreme harmony sits on a triple “h”-shaped marble terrace is 8 meters high and linked by staircases. the staircase on the ground floor has 21 steps while the middle and upper stairways each have 9.

the construction of the hall of supreme harmony began in 1406. it burned down three times and was severely damaged once during a mutiny. the existing architecture was built during the qing dynasty. on the corners of the eaves a line of animal-nails were usually fastened to the tiles. these animal-nails were later replace with mythical animals to ward off evil spirits. there are altogether 9 such fasteners on top of this hall. the number nine was regarded by the ancients to be the largest numeral accessible to man and to which only the emperors were entitled.

there was a total of 24 successive emperors during the ming and qing dynasties who were enthroned here. the ball was also used for ceremonies which marked other great occasions: the winter solstice, the chinese lunar new year, the emperor's birthday, conferral of the title of empress, the announcement of new laws and policies, and dispatches of generals to war. on such occasions, the emperor would hold audience for his court officials and receive their tributes.

this area is called the hall of supreme harmony square, which covers a total of 30,000 square meters, without a single tree or plant growing here, this place inspires visitors to feel its solemnity and grandeur. in the middle of the square there is a carriageway that was reserved for the emperor. on both sides of the road the ground bricks were laid in a special way seven layers lengthwise and eight layers crosswise, making up fifteen layers in all. the purpose of this was to prevent anyone from tunneling his way into the palace. in the count yard there are iron vats for storing water to fight fires. in the whole complex there are altogether 308 water vats. in wintertime, charcoal was burned underneath the vats to keep the water from freezing. why so vast a square? it was designed to impress people with the hall's grandeur and vastness. imagine the following scene. under the clear blue sky, the yellow glazed tiles shimmered as the cloud-like layers of terrace, coupled with the curling veil of burning incense, transformed the hall of supreme harmony into a fairyland. whenever major ceremonies were held, the glazed, crane-shaped candleholders inside the hall would be it, and incense and pine branches burnt in front of the hall. when the emperor appeared, drums were beaten and musical instrument played. civilian officials and generals would kneel know in submission.

the last qing emperor puyi assumed the throne in 1908, at the age of three, his father carried him to the throne. at the start of the coronation, the sudden drum-beating and loud music caught the young emperor unprepared. he was so scared that he kept crying and shouting, “i don't want to stay here. i want to go home.” his father tried to soothe him, saying, “it'll all soon be finished. it'll all soon be finished” the ministers present at the event considered this incident inauspicious. coincidentally, the qing dynasty collapsed three years later and there with concluded china’s feudal system that had lasted for more than 2,000 years.

(on the stone terrace of the hall of supreme harmony)

this is a bronze incense burner. in it incense made of sandalwood would be burnt on important occasions. there are altogether 18 incense burners, representing all of the provinces under the rule of the sing monarchs. on either side of the hall, 4 bronze water-filled vats were placed in case of fire. next to the terrace on either side, there is a bronze crane and tortoise, symbols of longevity. this copper-cast grain measure is called “jialiang.” it served as the national standard during the qing dynasty. it was meant to show that the imperial ruler were just and open to rectification. on the other side there is a stone sundial, an ancient timepiece. the jialiang and the sundial were probably meant to show what the emperor represented: that he was the only person who should possess the standards of both measure and time.

in the very forefront of the hall of supreme harmony, there are 12 scarlet, round pillars supporting the roof. the hall is 63 meters from east to west and 37 meters from north to south. it is 35 meters in height. in front of this architecture, there stands a triple terrace with five staircases leading up to the main entrance. it has 40 gold doors and 16 gold-key windows with colored drawings on the pillars and beams. in the middle of the hall, a throne carved with 9 dragons sits on a 2-meter-high platform. behind the throne there is a golden screen and in front of it, there is an imperial desk. the flanks are decorated with elephants, luduan (a legendary beast), cranes, and incense barrels. the elephant carries a vase on its back that holds five cereals (i. e. rice, two kinds of millet, wheat and beans), which was considered a symbol of prosperity. as ancient legend has it that luduan can travel 18,000 li (9,000 kilometers ) in one day and knows all languages and dialects. only to a wise adjust monarch will this beast be a guardian.

the hall of supreme harmony is also popularly known as jinluan dian (gold bell hall or the throne hall). the floor of the hall is laid with bricks that turn it into a smooth, fine surface as if water has been sprinkled on it. the so-called golden brick, in fact, has nothing to do with gold. reserved exclusively for the construction of the royal court, it was made in a secretive, and complex way, and, when struck, sounds like the clink of a gold bar. each brick was worth the market price of one dan (or one hectoliter) of rice.

the hall is supported by a total of 72 thick pillars. of these, 6 are carved in dragon patterns and painted with gold and surround the throne. above the very center of this hall there is a zaojing, or covered ceiling, which is one of the specialities of china's ancient architecture. in the middle of the ceiling is a design of a dragon playing with a ball inlaid with peals. this copper ball, hollow inside and covered with mercury, is known as the xuanyuan mirror and is thought to be made xuanyuan, a legendary monarch dating back to remote antiquity. the placing of the caisson above the throne is meant to suggest that all of china's successive emperors are zuanyuan's descendants and hereditary heirs. now you might have noticed that the xuanyuan mirror is not directly above the throne. why? it is rumored that yuan shikai, a self-acclaimed warlord-turned emperor moved the throne further back because he was afraid that the mirror might fall on him. in 1916 when yuan shikai became emperor, he removed the original throne with a western-style , high-back chair. after the foundation of the people's republic of china in 1949 the throne was found in a shabby furniture warehouse. it repaired and returned to the hall.

(leading the tourist to the bronze vats either on the east or the west)

the water vats in front of the palaces or house were called “menhai,” or sea before the door by the ancient chinese. they believed that with a sea by the door, fire could not wreak havoc. the vats served both as a decoration and as a fire extinguisher. they were kept full of water all year round.

during the qing dynasty, they were altogether 308 vats in the palace enclosure. they were made of gilt bronze or iron. of course, the gilt bronze vats were of the best quality. when the allied forces (britain, germany, france, russia, the united states, italy, japan and austria) invaded beijing in 1900 under the pretext of suppressing the boxer rebellion, the invaders ransacked the imperial compound and scraped and gold off the vats with their bayonets. during the japanese occupation of beijing, many vats were trucked away by the japanese to be made into bullets.

(in front of the hall of complete harmony)

the square architecture before us is called the hall of complete harmony. it served as an antechamber. the emperor came here to meet with his countiers and add his final touches to the prayers which would be read at the ancestral temple. the seeds, snowers and prayer intended for spring sowing were also examined here. the two qing sedan chairs here on display were used for traveling within the palace during the reign of emperor qianlong.

(in front of the hall f preserving harmony)

this is the hall of preserving harmony. during the qing dynasty, banquets were held here on new year's eve in honour of mongolian and northwestern china's xingjiang princes and ranking officials. the emperor also dinned here with his new son-in-law on the wedding day. imperial examinations were also held here once every three years. during the ming and qing dynasties, there were three levels of exams: the county and prefectural level, the provincial level and national level. the national exam was presided over by the emperor. the civil service exam in ancient china started during the han dynasty. it served the purpose of recruiting confucian scholars to the ministers and high officials. during the tang and qing dynasties reinstituted and ancient system. once every three years, three hundred scholars from all over the country came to beijing and took exams for three day and night. this system was abolished in 1905.

(behind the hall of preserving harmony)

this is the largest stone carving in the palace. it is 16. 73 meters long, 3. 07 meters wide and 1. 7 meters thick. it weighs about 200 tons. the block was quarried in fangshan county, roughly 70 kilometers away. to transport such a huge block to beijing, laborers dug wells along the roadside half a kilometer apart, and used the groundwater to make a road of ice in the winter. rolling blocks were used in the summer. in 1760, emperor qianlong of the qing dynasty ordered the carving of the existing cloud and dragon design in place of the old one which dated back to the ming dynasty.

note : from here, the tour can be conducted via three different routes: a western route (route a), a central route (route b) or an eastern route (route c) . the commentary for each follows.

route a

ladies and gentlemen:

you have seen the three main halls of the forbidden city. now i 'd like to show you around the hall of mental cultivation and the imperial garden. the hall of mental cultivation is situated is in the western part of the innermost enclosure and is symmetrical to fengxian (enshrinement of forebears) hall in the east. this hall was built during the ming dynasty. it is a h-shaped structure consisting of an antechamber and a main building. the hall is surrounded by corridors. in front of the hall is the office of privy council.

before emperor kangxi of qing the dynasty came to power the hall of heavenly purity served as the living quarter of the emperors. emperor yongzheng chose to live in this hall and attended to every day state affairs from here. for the sake of protecting cultural relics, this hall is not open to the public. you can have a look at the inside from the door. the central hall was the audience chamber where the emperor read memorials, granted audience to officials and summoned his minsters for consultation. the western chamber of the hall was where the emperor read reports and discussed military and political affairs. the hall consists of many inner rooms and is decorated with images of buddha and miniature pagodas. on the screen wall there hangs a picture of two emperors in the han costume. in a southern room there three rare calligraphic scrolls, hence the name of the room “sanxitang” (room of three rare treasures) . the room on the eastern side is of historical interest because it was here that empress dowager cixi usurped power and made decisions on behalf of the young emperor. a bamboo curtain was used to separate them.

empress dowage cixi was born in 1835 in lu'an prefecture of shanxi province. she's of manchurian nationality and her father was a provincial governor from south china. when she was 17 years old, she was selected to become a concubine of emperor xianfeng and moved into the forbidden city. she gave birth to a son when she was 21years old and was made a concubine the following year. when the emperor passed away in the summer of 1861, her son ascended the throne and title of cixi, meaning “holy mother” was conferred upon her and she became the empress dowager. in that same year empress dowager cixi carried out a count coup d'etat and ruled behind the scenes with another empress dowager, ci'an, for 48 years. she passed away in 1908 at the age of 73. it was in reference to this situation that the term “attending to state affairs behind a bamboo curtain” developed. in 1912, empress dowager longyu declared the abdication of the last qing emperor puyi. they were allowed to remain in the forbidden city for the next 13 years. the royal family was forced to move out permanently in 1924.

behind the central hall were the living accommodation of 8 successive qing emperors. three of them actually passed away here. the side rooms flanking the hall were reserved for empresses and concubines. now let's continue with our tour. it will take us to the hall of heavenly purity, the hall of union and peace, the palace of earthly tranquility, and the imperial garden.

route b

(inside the hall of heavenly purity)

ladies and gentlemen:

we are now entering the inner court. from the gate of heavenly purity northward lies the inner court where the emperors and empresses once lived. the hall of heavenly purity is the central hall of the inner court, and was completed during the reign of emperor yongle of the ming dynasty. there are 10 pillars supporting the entire structure and the hall is 20 meters in height. in the center of the hall there is a throne. above it hangs a plaque with an inscription that reads “be open and above-board,” written by shenzhi, the first emperor of the qing dynasty. beginning with qianlong's reign, the name of the successor to the throne was not publicly announced. instead, it was written on two pieces of paper, one to be kept on the emperor's person throughout his reign, and the other placed in a small strongbox that was stored behind his plaque. the box was opened only after the emperor passed away. altogether there where 4 emperors who ascended the throne in this way, namely qianlong, jiaqing, daoguang and xian feng.

the hall of heavenly purity was where the emperors lived during the ming and qing dynasties. according to tradition, extravagant annual banquets were held here on new year's eve in honour of royal family members. foreign ambassadors were received here during the late-qing period. two important “one thousand old men's feasts” of the qing dynasty were also held here. all the invitees had to be at least 65 years of age. this hall was also used for mourning services.

(inside the palace of union and peace)

this hall sits between the hall of heavenly purity and the palace of earthly tranquility, symbolizing the union of heaven and earth, as well as national peace. it was first built in 1420 and reconstructed in 1798. the hall is square in shape, and is smaller than the hall of complete harmony. you will see a plaque here inscribed with two chinese characters, wu wei, which were handwritten by emperor qianlong. a throne sits in the middle of the hall with a screen behind it. above the throne there hangs a caisson, or covered ceiling. the emperor held birthday celebrations and other major events here.

in 1748 during emperor qianlong's reign, 25 jade seals representing imperial authority were kept in this hall. no seals were allowed out of the room without the prior consent of the emperor. on each flack there is a water clock and a chiming clock.

(inside the palace of earthly tranquility)

this used to be the central hall where successive ming empresses lived. during the qing dynasty, it was converted into a place where sacrifices and wedding ceremonies were held. the room on the western side was used for sacrifices and the room on the east was the seeding chamber.

route c

ladies and gentlemen:

you have seen the three main halls of the forbidden city. now i'd like to show you around scenes of interest along the eastern route. the first is the treasure hall. this mansion is called the hall of imperial zenith. this is where sing emperor quailing lived after abdication. nearly 1,000 artifacts and treasures are on display here, among which the golden hair tower is one of the most famous. this tower is 1. 53meters in height and its base is 0.53 meters in circumference. it was built under the order of emperor quailing to be used to collect fallen hair in commemoration of his mother. there is also a “day harnessing water jade hill” on display here. yu was a legendary monarch of the remote ixia dynasty. under his leadership, the people learned how to harness the yellow river. this jade assemblage, 224 centimeters in height and 5 tons in weight, is the largest jade artwork in china. this mat was woven with peeled ivory. these artifacts are among china's rarest treasures.

(in front of the nine-dragon screen)

this is the nine-dragon relief screen. erected in 1773,it is 3.5 meters in height and 29. 4 meters in width. underneath is a foundation made of marble. the surface of the screen is laid with a total of 270 colored, glazed tiles in the design of 9 dragons, some rocky mountains, clouds and the sea. it was meant to ward off evil spirits the ancient chinese regarded 9 dragons, some rocky mountains, clouds and the sea. it was meant to ward off evil spirits. the ancient chinese regarded 9 as the largest numeral and the dragon as a auspicious beast. the 9 dragons are different in color and posture and all are made of glazed tiles. interestingly a piece of the third dragon from the left is made of wood. it is believe that when the nine-dragon screen was almost finished, a piece of glazed tile was damaged. emperor qianlong was scheduled to inspect the work the following day. using quick wits, the craftsman in question molded the missing piece with clay and sailed through the imperial inspection. later, he asked a carpenter to carve a wooden one to replace the one made of clay.

(approaching the imperial garden)

behind the palace of earthly tranquility and trading the north-south axis is the imperial garden. there are old trees, rare flowers and exotic rock formation in this garden. it cover a space of 11,700 square meters, or roughly 1. 7 percent of the forbidden city. most of the structures in the garden are symmetrically arranged. however, each is different in terms of pattern and decoration. woods clumps of bamboo screen off the garden and strengthens its deep and serene atmosphere.

there main structure of the imperial garden is the qin'an hall. positioned in the central-northern part of the garden, this hall is flanked by other halls and pavilions on the east and west. the hall sits on a marble pedestal. the taoist deity of zhenwu is enshrined here and emperor would pay homage here a quarterly basis. taoist rites were held during the reign of emperor jiajing of the ming dynasty. in front of the hall there is a cypress that is 400 years old. in all there are a dozen such rare trees in the garden, and most of them are cypresses or pines. to the northwest of the hall, there is the yanhui (sustaining sunshine) pavilion and to the northeast there lies the duixiu (accumulated refinement) hill. this hill was built over the foundation of the guanhua (admiring flowers) hall of the ming dynasty. it is 14 meters in height and made of al kinds of rocks quarried in jiangsu province. at its base stand two stone lions, each carrying a dragon shooting water 10 meters up into the air from its mouth. there are meandering paths leading to the hilltop. at the top of duixiu hill sits the yujing (imperial viewing) pavilion. traditionally, on the day of the double ninth festival (the ninth day of the ninth lunar month), the emperor, his consort, and his concubines would climb up to yujing pavilion to enjoy the scenery. at the southeastern corner of the garden is jiangxue (crimson snowy) verandah. nearby to the southwest lies yangxing study (study of the cultivation of nature). the yangxing study was used as a royal library during the reign of emperor qianlong of the qing dynasty. the last emperor of the qing dynasty, puyi once studied english there. in front of the jiangxue verandah some chinese flowering crabapples grow. the structure got its name from the crabapples who blossoms from crimson to snowy white. in front of the verandah, there grows a rare flower that was brought from henna province under the order of empress dowager cixi. in the northeast is chizao tang (hall of using flowery language), once used as a library where rare books were stored.

there are also specific pavilions symbolizing the four seasons. the halls of wanchun and qianqiu, representing spring and autumn respectively, are square in shape and are coupled with multiple eaves and bell-shape and are coupled with multiple eaves and bell-shaped ridges. the halls of chengrui and fubi, dedicated to winter and summer, are characterized by two verandahs and bridges at their bases. paths were paved with colorful pebbles and arranged in 900 different designs.

the imperial garden can be accessed through the qiong yuan (jade garden ) west gate or the qiong yuan east gate. a third gate, the shunzhen (obedience and fidelity) gate, opens to the north. its doors are laid in glazed tiles and it was only used by the empress or concubines.

as our tour of the forbidden city draws to a close, i hope that i have helped you understand why the palace is a treasure of china and one of the cultural relics of the world. it is under the strict protection of the chinese government. since 1949 when the people's republic of china was founded, nearly one trillion rmb was spent on its restoration and refurbishment. the forbidden city has undergone four major facelifts to date. each year, the government earmarks a large sum to gather, sort and study cultural relics. the palace now contains a total of 930,000 cultural relics. well, so much for today. let's go to board the coach. thank you!

上海各景点英文介绍

Shanghai Travel and Tours Guide

Located at the center of the mainland's coastline, Shanghai has long been a major hub of communications, transportation, and international exchange. The municipality covers an area of 6,341 square kilometers and has a population of more than 13.5 million. Shanghai is China's largest economic comprehensive industrial base, and a famous historical and cultural city.

The city consistently attracts investment and is seen as an ideal venue for business gatherings. It is also a must on any agenda during a tour of China. Shanghai has fostered a comprehensive transportation network that incorporates land, sea, and air travel, as well as a convenient urban transportation system. More than 300 airlines serve the city, proving direct flights to more than 20 countries and regions. The addition of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which went into operation in 1999, is expected to increase the annual passenger volume to some 20 million.

Special tourist trains running between Shanghai and the neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as well as tourist bus routes along newly-constructed expressways, offer great convenience for regional travel. Shanghai has more than 400 travel agencies to assist visitors, and the 127 star-rated hotels offer a total of 40, 000 guest rooms.

Visitors to Shanghai are not only dazzled by the modern metropolis and gateway to a developing China, but are also able to immerse themselves in the unique Shanghai culture, a combination of Chinese and Western elements. Colorful festivals and celebrations dot the yearly Shanghai activities calendar, such as the Shanghai Nanhui Peach Blossoms Festival, Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival and Shanghai China International Art Festival.

Shanghai has also introduced special tour packages aimed at the different interests of visitors, such as bicycling tours, hiking tours, gourmet tours, rehabilitation and health care tours, study tours, Japanese young women's tours, honey moon tours, and convention and exhibition tours.

The Bund

The well-known Bund is a must for visitors to Shanghai. Fifty-two buildings lining the narrow shoreline of the Huangpu River offer a living exhibition of Gothic, Baroque, Roman, Classic Revival and Renaissance architectural styles, as well as combinations of Chinese and Western styles. They are also a condensation of the recent history of the city. The wide embankment offers ample room for strolling and is used by locals for morning exercises and evening gatherings. In the evening, colorful lights illuminate the area and create a shimmering image deserving of the name Pearl of the Orient.

The Yu Garden

The Yu Gardens are a classical landscape in the Southern Chinese style with a history of more than 400 years. Pavilions, halls, rockeries and ponds display the finest in landscaping from the Southern style as seen in the Ming and Qing dynasties. More than 40 landscapes were ingeniously separated by latticed walls, winding corridors, and lattice windows.

People’s Square

People's Square has become the political and cultural center in Shanghai since 1994, when it was rebuilt. In and around the square are a massive fountain named the Light of Huangpu River, 10,000 square meters of lawns, six groups of relief carvings that depict the history of Shanghai, the New Shanghai Museum, the offices of the municipal government, an underground shopping plaza, the Shanghai Grand Theater and the Shanghai Exhibition Center

The Orient Pearl TV Tower

The Orient Pearl TV Tower is 468 meters high, the tallest in Asia and third tallest in the world. It faces the Bund across the Huangpu River. When viewed from the Bund, the tower and the Nanpu and Yangpu bridges create a vivid imagery known as "two dragons playing with a pearl." The sphere at the top has a diameter of 45 meters and is 263 meters above ground. The observation deck in the sphere offers a sweeping view of the city. The revolving restaurant is set at 267 meters above Pudong New Area. The dance ball, piano bar and 20 karaoke rooms, at 271 meters, are also opened to the public. The penthouse, which sits at 350 meters, has an observation deck, meeting room, and coffee shop. The tower integrates broadcasting technologies with sightseeing, catering, shopping, amusement, and accommodations. It has become the symbol of the city and a major tourist attraction in Shanghai.

Cruise on the Huangpu River

Cruising on the Huangpu River, visitors can gaze at the mighty skyscrapers, the Monument Tower to the People's Heroes, the famous Waibaidu Bridge and Huangpu Park on one bank, and the Orient Pearl TV Tower, International Convertion Center, Jin Mao Building and the newly rising Pudong New Area on the other. The Yangpu and Nanpu bridges span the river. From the river, visitors can also view the ruins of ancient cannon emplacements and fortifications at Wusong and the magnificent view of the Yangtze River as it empties into the sea.

Nanjing Road

Nanjing Road East, honored as "China's No. l Street", has become an all-weather pedestrian arcade. Shops and restaurants provide products and services with their own characteristics, making it an ideal place that integrates shopping, restaurants, amusement and sightseeing.

Luxun Park

The museum and tomb are located in Lu Xun Park. LU Xun was an imminent man of letters. The museum exhibits Lu Xun's manuscripts, some of his personal effects, document., and photos. The headstone at the Tomb of Lu Xun is in the calligraphy of Vhio Zedong and reads "The Tomb of Mr. Lu Xun."

Dr. Sun’s Residence

Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of the Chinese democratic revolution, and his wilr Soong Ching Ling, lived in this building from 1918 to 1924. It was in the residence that Dr. Sun Yat-sen met representatives of the Communist Party and fostered the first cooperation between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang.

Soong Ching Ling’s Residence

This is the former residence of Soong Ching Ling. an honorary chairwoman of the People's Republic of China and the widow of Sun Yat-sen. She lived, worked, and studied here during the last years of her life.

Birthplace of the Communist Party of China.

In July of 1921, the First National Communist Party Congress was held in this building. The congress passed the Party's program and resolutions, elected the central committee, and declared the founding of the CPC.

Shanghai Library

The new Shanghai Library, which covers an area of some 80,000 square meters, has a collection of 13 million books and is considered one of the top ten libraries in the world. The library incorporates the open-stacks approach favored in the West, which allows for convenience in borrowing books.

Shanghai Grand Theater

Located in the northwestern corner of People's Square. the Shanghai Grand Theater covers 70,000 squat, meters. It is actually composed of three theaters. The theaters can accommodate performances of ballet opera, symphonies, chamber music modern dramas, and musicals. The theater also owns the largest, fully automatic stage in Asia. The theater has become a symbol of modern culture in Shanghai.

DuoLun Road

Cultural Celebrities' Street, located along Duolun Road and surrounding areas,is a living memorial to the modern cultural celebrities of Shang-hai and is also a condensation of modern culture. Such Chinese literary giants as Lu Xun, Mao Dun, Guo Moruo and Ye Shengtao lived and wrote here,making the road an important feature in China's modern cultural history. In addition, the famous Gongfei Cafe. Celebrities Mansion, the Shanghai Art Opera Troupe, and Hai Shang Jiu Li also display the accumulated cultural atmosphere of Duolun Road today.

武汉著名景点的英文介绍关键词： attractions in wuhan city

Yellow Crane Tower

Bordering on the Yangtze River and crouching on the top of the Snake Hill, the Yellow Crane Tower is one of the three most famous towers on the south bank of the Yangtze River. (the other two are Yueyang Tower in Hunan and Tengwang Tower in Jiangxi)

First built in 223 AD, the tower has a history of over 1700 years. It is not only an important scenic spot, but also a symbol of "piping times of peace" in people's minds. Scholars in the past dynasties wrote hundreds of poems and scores of writings in praise of the magnificent Yellow Crane Tower. The legend about the tower has become a bright pearl of the Chinese literature.

Rebuilt in 1985, the Yellow Crane Tower Park occupies a hilly area and consists of towers, pavilions and corridors, forming an architecture complex and a garden complex of man--made and natural scenery. It has become the symbol of Wuhan for its long history, its magnificent outlook and its imposing architectural style.

Guiyuan Temple

Guiyuan Temple, situated on Cuiwei Street, is one of the four biggest temples for Buddhist meditation in Hubei as well as an important Buddhist temple in China. It was first built in the early Qing dynasty (1644-1911) by two monks - Baiguang and Zhufeng. Guiyuan Temple has survived more than 300 hundred years of repeated cycles of prosperity and decline, and is the leading temple in Wuhan with prosperous public worship, flourishing Buddhist ceremony and many pilgrims. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt many times during the course of its history. Covering an area of 46,900 square meters with a floor space of 20,000 square meters, the temple mainly consists of Daxiongbaodian Hall, Arhat Hall, Sutra Collection Pavilion, etc. Guiyuan Temple is famous not only for spreading Buddhism throughout the whole country, but also for its perfect architecture, excellent sculpture and rich collection of Buddhist doctrine among the Buddhist temples. In 1956 Guiyuan Temple was listed as a preserved antiques unit of Hubei province and in 1983, it was appointed as one of the key Buddhist temple of Han nationality district in China by the State Council.

East Lake

The East Lake is the pride and joy of the people of Wuhan.

Millions of residents here get a lot of fun out of going for a walk along the lakeside in spring, swimming in summer, appreciating sweet laurel in autumn and admiring plum in winter.

The lake covers 33 square kilometers and stretches far into the distance. Ancient pagodas and temples scattered in 34 verdant hills around the lake make the scenic spot more historic and imposing. All the six areas of the East Lake have in common green hills, clear waters, an abundance of woods and typical style of Chu Culture. Perhaps you'll enjoy yourself most in two of them----Tingtao Pavilion and Moshan Hill.

Willows dance gracefully and water lily sleeps deeply around Tingtao Pavilion, a three-storey palace building, in front of which the grand and lifelike statue of Qu Yuan is looking up at the sky and sighing sadly at the subjugation of Chu.

On the east side of the lake towers aloft Moshan Hill, where the city of Chu has been set up according to the legend that Zhaolie, King of the Chu State laid an altar and worshiped Heaven there. The imposing Chutian Tower symbolizes the power and prosperity of the ancient State of Chu.

Among all kinds of flowers, plum, lotus and cassia are of great reputation. The National Plum and Lotus Research Centre is set up here. The East Lake used to be a private farm several decades ago. In 1950 the farm was turned into a scenic spot. The government provided an enormous financial support to start. In 1982 the East Lake was rated by the State Council as one of the first group of national key resorts. It receives more than two millions tourists a year.

First Bridge over the Yangtze River

For hundreds of years, it had been a dream to cross the natural moat of the Yangtze River.

In 1913, Zhan Tianyou, one of China's well----known railway engineers, visited Wuhan and studied the possibility of the construction of the Yangtze River Bridge. The bridge was decided to be built between the Tortoise Hill in Hanyang and the Snake Hill in Wuchang. Unfortunately, his dream could not come true. Again, six years later, Dr. Sun Yat-sen put forward a proposal to build a Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan. Then Nanjing Government invited American experts and made a draft plan. Mao Yisheng, a bridge expert, organized for two designs and the construction was about to begin. But because of war and lack of money, no one was able to have the bridge built.

After the founding of New China, the central government decided to build the Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan in 1950. Five years later, news came that the construction would soon begin and it became the focus of world attention. However , more overseas people were half believing and half doubting. Within two years, the Chinese engineers, technicians and workers, with the help of the Soviet experts, completed a double----deck bridge for the dual use of automobiles and trains. The wish of "turning a deep chasm into a thoroughfare" was fulfilled.

On October 15, 1957, thousands of people in Wuhan were overexcited. Cheering sound could be heard on and under the bridge. Trains, automobiles and pedestrians safely crossed the bridge.

More than 30 years have passed. The Wuhan Bridge Bureau of the Railway Ministry has built other ten bridges over the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Chongqing, Zhijiang and Jiujiang. Another highway bridge 2.5 kilometers down to "the First Bridge" will be finished and put into use at the beginning of 1995.

山西旅游景点英文介绍

bbs.longcity.ne 2141 11-28

Taiyuan --'Metropolis of Cathy'

Taiyuan is the capital of Shanxi Province. Ideally situated in the Taiyuan Basin in the central part of the province, it is bordered by the Taihang Mountains in the east and the Luliang Mountains in the west. The Fenhe River flows through the city.

Taiyuan has grown into a booming industrial city in the past few decades. Its network of railway lines provides a link to all parts of the country, and its coal and steel industries occupy an important position in China's industries system.

The turbulent history of Taiyuan can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period more that two thousand years ago. But it was not until the Tang Dynasty, about one thousand years ago, that Taiyuan really became Known as a "metropolis of Cathay." The first empress in Chinese history, Wu Zetian (624-705), was born here. When she came to power, she appointed Minister Cui Shenqing as governor of Bingzhou (Taiyuan). He was instructed to have a bridge built over the Fenhe River to connect the towns of Xicheng (West City) and Dongcheng (East city), making Taiyuan a true metropolis.

With its mountains and its river, Taiyuan was an important military town for which war strategists of various dynasties contested. For more than a thousand years, many battles were fought here. In A.D. 975 Zhao Guanyi of the Song Dynasty dispatched 400,000 troops to conquer Taiyuan. In view of the fact that local forces of various dynasties often set up separatist regimes by force of arms, he had the town burned down completely because of what he believed were "unduly great ambitions to rule here." Seven years later (A.D. 982), general Li Mei of the Song Dynasty began the reconstruction of the town, establishing the city of Taiyuan as we know it today.

Memorial Temple of Jin (Jinsi)

This temple is located at the fountainhead of the Jinshui River twenty  five kilometers southwest of the city of Taiyuan. The weather here is warm in winter and cool in summer, and the land is beautiful. Ancient buildings, blue springwater, and superb clay sculpture have been attractions to tourists for centuries.

Legend says that the Memorial Temple of Jin was first built in the twelfth century B.C. The first attraction here is the "Immortal Spring," so named because the spingwater has flowed steadily for centuries. If you walk along the spring and down the stone steps, you will find a big pool of crystal-clear water that gushes out from the walls. Bypassing the pool, you will come to the uniquely constructed "Flying Bridge over the Fish Pond Spring" in front of the Hall of Holy Mother (Shengmudian). This double wooden bridge in the shape of a cross is supported by thirty-four stone posts embedded in the spring. Crossing the bridge you come to the Hall of Holy mother, the center of the temple. The Holy Mother was regarded as the noble model of motherhood in feudal Chinese society. Flanking the sculpture of Holy Mother is an array of forty-two young maidens, each with distinct expression and posture. They are perfect examples of the skill of the Song Dynasty. Not far from the hall is a grove of ancient cypress trees, once of which is said to have been planted during the Western Zhou Dynasty, making it more than two thousand years old.

Lofty Benevolence Monastery (Chongshansi)

This monastery is located in the southern part of the city of Taiyuan. Of Ming architecture, the monastery has an area of 140,000 square meters. It was damaged by fire in 1864, and only a gate, a bell tower, two side rooms, and the Hall of Great Mercy are left. The magnificent hall contains three 8.5- meter-tall statues of Buddha. The monastery is a repository for Song and Yuan editions of Buddhist texts.

Tianlongshan Grottoes

There are twenty-one grottoes halfway up Tianlong Mountain. Forty kilometers southwest of Tianyuan. They were carved during the Wei, Qi, Sui, and primarily, Tang dynasties. The stone Buddhist statues are lifelike examples of fine workmanship.

Longshan Grottoes

Located at the top of Longshan Mountain twenty kilometers southeast of the city of Taiyuan, these are among the few Taoist grottoes in China. There are eight niches, with more than forty statues, carved during the early years of the Yuan Dynasty.

Xuanzhong Monastery

Located on Shibi Mountain in Jiaocheng County southwest of Taiyuan, this monastery, also known as Wanbi Monastery, has an area of six thousand squares meters. It is surrounded with steep mud brick walls and stately cypress trees. The monastery was first built I 472 during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The beautiful area is sacred to Buddhist. In fact, Japanese Buddhists regard it as the "ancestral" monastery, and visit it as pilgrims.

Shuanglin Monastery

This monastery is located north of Qiantou Village in Pingyao County to the south of Taiyuan. It was first built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Its ten halls contain a treasury of painted sculpture, with 2,052 painted statues of Buddha from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Note especially the four mighty and awe  inspiring Devarajas (Heavenly Guardians) and the eighteen arhats with their individual expressions and postures.

Yongle Palace

The original site of Yongle Palace was in the town of Yongle southwest of Ruicheng County on the banks of the Yellow River (Haunghe). When construction of the Sanmen Gorge Reservoir was begun in 1958, the town of Yongle was within the area planned to be inundated. The government organized experts and workers to move the palace to its present site at Longquan Village north of Ruicheng city in the southwestern part of Shanxi Province. The work of moving the palace was completed in seven years, and it was reconstructed completely according to the original design. Priceless murals of the Yuan Dynasty were thus preserved.

The palace, a Taoist temple, was first built in the fourteenth century. Its main buildings are Dragon and Tiger Hall (Longhudian), Taoist Trinity Hall (Sanqingdian), Pure Sun Hall (Zhongyangdian), and Double Sun Hall (Chongyangdian). On display at Trinity Hall are Yuan Dynasty murals with more than three hundred lively, brightly painted figures. The murals in Pure Sun and Double Sun halls are picture stories about Taoism, rich in fairy tales and full of life. The number of murals in Yongle Palace are second only to Dunhuang in China's northwestern province of Gansu. Rich in content, superb in execution, the murals are not only artistic treasures, but also valuable resource materials for the study of the history of Taoism and Yuan society.

About Xiamen厦门英文介绍

Xiamen is an island city with a rich and dramatic history, replete with pirates, rebel leaders, and European merchants. Now linked to mainland Fujian by a causeway, Xiamen retains a strong international flavor. Known in the West as Amoy, Xiamen has a long history as a port city, and later became a center of British trade in the 19th century. Their foreign settlements, later taken over by Japanese invaders at the start of World War II, were established on the nearby small Gulangyu Island. Many of the old treaty-port and colonial buildings in Western styles survive. Xiamen was declared one of China’s first Special Economic Zones in the early 1980’s, taking advantage of the city’s heritage as a trading center and the proximity to Taiwan. Today Xiamen is one of China’s most attractive and best-maintained resort cities.

Xiamen was founded in 1394 at the beginning of the Ming dynasty as a center of defense against coastal pirates. Its prosperity was due to its deepwater sheltered harbor, that supplanted nearby Quanzhou, the port that had been the center of the maritime trade with the Indies.

In the mid-17th century, Xiamen and Gulangyu Island became a stronghold of Zheng Chenggong, known in the West as Koxinga, a Ming loyalist who held out against the Manchu invaders until being driven to Taiwan. Born in Japan to a Chinese pirate father and a Japanese mother, Zheng became allied with holdout Ming princes in the south who hoped for a restoration. He built up a resistance force of some 7,000 junks and a mixed force of three-quarters of a million troops and pirates. In 1661 he drove the Dutch from Taiwan and set up another base there, before his death in 1662.

After the Opium Wars Xiamen became one of the first treaty ports to be opened to foreign trade and settlement following the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842. Gulangyu Island was transformed into an international settlement, where many Victorian and Neoclassical style buildings still survive. The city’s prosperity was due both to trade and to wealth sent back by Xiamen’s substantial emigrant community of overseas Chinese.

Prosperity returned to Xiamen in the early 1980’s when Xiamen was designated one of the four Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

tour xiamen (旅游厦门，八大景八小景...

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GULANGYU ISLAND

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Guangzhou Travel Guide

travelchinaguide.com 506 11-28

Guangzhou Travel Guide

Guangzhou, the South Gate of China, is a prosperous metropolis full of vigor.

Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong, and the center of its political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural life. Sui (Ears of Rice) is short for Guangzhou and the City of Ram (Yang Cheng) is also an alias of Guangzhou. The kapok is the city flower and the kapok tree is the city tree of Guangzhou.

Guangzhou is located in the middle south of Guangdong Province, north of the Pearl River Delta. It lies close to the South China Sea, Hong Kong, and Macau. Zhujiang (The Pearl River), the third largest river of China, runs through Guangzhou and is navigable to the South China Sea. Situated in such an excellent geographical region, Guangzhou is called China’s South Gate.

Covering an area of 7434.4 square kilometers (2870 square miles), Guangzhou is home to more than 11 million people, including a 3.7 million transitory population. With the opening of China to the outside world, a large number of people from other regions of China swarmed into Guangzhou, one of the first “open” cities in China. This has accelerated its economic development.

Guangzhou is a famous historical city. In ancient days, Guangzhou was the capital city for three Chinese dynasties: the Nan Yue (South Yue), the Nan Han (South Han) and the Nanming (South Ming). Thus it was put in the list of the 24 most famous historical cultural cities and became a tourist destination. You can not understand most Chinese cities deeply until you know their history. This is true of Guangzhou. Many historic sights: the Western Han Nanyue King's Tomb Museum, the Zhenhai Tower and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall tell us the 2,000-year history of Guangzhou.

Today, Guangzhou retains its ancient customs, but is also a large city full of vigor and current fashions. You can find something worth taking home in Shangxia Jiu Lu, Beijing Lu and Di Shi Fu Lu.

Trying Yue Cai (Cantonese Cuisine), one of eight Chinese famous cuisines, is definitely a must in Guangzhou! Eat delicious food with ingredients you have never heard of.

Hotel facilities and service in Guangzhou are fine. A word of warning: Do make a reservation beforehand if you decide to visit Guangzhou during the Canton Fair. For visitors, especially those plan to attend the Canton Fair, transportation in Guangzhou is more and more convenient. You can choose plane, train, ship or bus.

Guangzhou is famous as a hometown for overseas Chinese. It boasts the largest population of overseas Chinese people. These overseas Chinese do a great deal of good for Guangzhou: opening international markets, bridging Guangzhou and the rest of the world, and establishing many schools, hospitals, nurseries, kindergartens and rest homes in Guangzhou.

湖北景点英文介绍

7kao.com 250 11-28

guiyuan buddhist temple

(temple of original purity)

guiyuan temple, situated on cuiwei street, is one of the four biggest temples for buddhist meditation in hubei as well as an important buddhist temple in china.

first built in the early qing dynasty (1644-1911) by two monks named baiguang and zhufeng on the base of sunflower garden owned by a poet, the temple got its name from buddhist chants: 'with purity kept in mind, one has the thoroughfare everywhere.' guiyuan temple has survived through more than 300 hundred years of repeated cycles of prosperity and decline, above all else, it is always leading the other temple in wuhan with prosperous public worship, flourishing buddhist ceremony and many pilgrims.

the temple was destroyed and rebuilt for several times in its history and the present temple dates from the early republic of china (1912-1949). covering an area of 46,900 square meters with a floor space of 20,000 square meters, the temple mainly consists of daxiongbaodian hall, arhat hall, sutra collection pavilion, etc.

guiyuan temple was in fashion for a time although its history was shorter than white horse temple, the best buddhist temple in china. it is famous not only for spreading buddhism throughout the whole country, but also for perfect architecture, excellent sculpture and rich collection of buddhist doctrine among buddhist temples. in 1956 guiyuan temple was listed as preserved antiques unit of hubei province and in 1983, it was appointed as one of the key buddhist temple of han nationality district in china by the state council.

notes:

1. guiyuan buddhist temple 归元寺

2. daxiongbaodian hall 大雄宝殿

3. arhat hall 罗汉堂

4. sutra collection pavilion 藏经阁

5. white horse temple 白马寺

yellow crane tower

yellow crane tower, located on snake hill in wuchang, is one of the 'three famous towers south of yangtze river (the other two: yueyang tower in hunan and tengwang tower in jiangxi).

legend goes that here used to be a wine-shop opened by a young man surnamed xin. one day, a taoist priest, in order to thank the man for his favor of free wine, drew a magic crane on the wall and told it to dance on hearing claps. since then, thousands of people came to see the spectacle and the wine shop was always full of guests. after 10 years, when the taoist priest's revisit the wine shop, he played the flute and then rode on the crane to the sky. in order to memorize the supernatural encounter and the priest, the xins built a tower here named yellow crane tower.

according to records, the tower was first built in 223 a.d during the three kingdoms period (220-280). after completion, the tower once served as a gathering place for celebrities and poets to make merry and compose poetry. it was estimated that up to the tongzhi reign of the qing dynasty, as many as 300 poems about the tower had been found in the historical literature, in which 'yellow crane tower' wrote by cui hao, a famous poet of tang dynasty (618-907) made the tower well known throughout china.

destroyed many times in successive dynasties, the tower was rebuilt time and again until 100 years ago when it was for the last time reduced to ashes. the present tower is the result of four years of construction beginning in 1981. the tower, 51.4 meters high, is five-storied with yellow tiles and red pillars, overlapping ridges and interlocking eaves, more magnificent than the old one. the ground floor of the new is 20 meters wide in each side and the old tower is only 15 meters wide. therefore we can say that yellow crane tower has been reconstructed instead of being renovated.

now, the tower has already been regarded as the symbol of wuhan city.

notes:

1. yellow crane tower 黄鹤楼

2. three kingdoms period 三国时期

shennongjia

shennongjia is situated in fangxian county, in western hubei province, covering an area of 3,250 square kilometers. over 1000 meters above sea level on an average, it has six peaks measuring 3,000 meters above sea level, known as 'the roof of central china'. where virgin forest, one of famous china's green treasure houses, is located. here discovered are more than 2000 species of wild plants, out of which over 30 belong to world's rarity or china's specialty, and 500 species of wild animals, comprising over 20 rare and precious types listed under the state protection.

no.1 peak in central china

it's the main peak of shennongjia, 3053 meters above sea level, towering face to face with the nearby minfen peak, of 3105 meters above sea level. lofty and majestic, it glistens with the sun in one moment, but another moment gets lost in clouds and mist. from the top down, the peak is covered, in three circumscribing tiers, with forests of firs, bamboo and cypresses. stretching far and wide, the firs, with a trunk as tall as 40 meters, and of a circumference as long as four men's arms extended and linked, stand straight and upright with dense branches and foliage the sun light can hardly penetrate. the ground inside the forest, is dotted with azaleas of various colors-pink, dark violet, crystal etc. the primeval forest looks fantastic. climbing to the top of the lofty peak, one enjoys a very pleasant view of the surrounding luxuriantly green mountains and ridges.

; hongping 'picture gallery'

the 30 miles long valley is flanked by numerous craggy and perilous peaks, and gifted with 3 waterfalls, 5 pools, 6 caves, 7 springs and streams, 8 cliffs, 9 boulders, plus 4 bridges. in spring, all flowers burst into bloom. the waters are gurgling all the year round. 'every step is a picture', as some one acclaims. the tianjing cave (the cave of skylight) is endowed with a light shaft, through which the blue sky and drifting clouds over-head, can be glimpsed. within the cave, there's another karats cave with a spring splashing down.

reflections upon the valley lake

the lake, 15 km. long and 200 meters wide, is embraced at its two banks by the craggy cliffs overgrown with lush woods. its smooth surface mirrors the peaks, trees and clouds, with the reflections merging into one with the waters, and looking as though fish swam among the trees in the lake, while birds flew amidst billowy water clouds.

area of concentration of white animals

in the area close to the summit of the mountain, exist a great variety of white animals such as white bears, white deer, white rats, white snakes, white monkeys. places like this are few and far between in china as well as in the rest of the world.

notes:

1. shennongjia 神农架

2. no.1 peak in central china 华中第一峰

3. hongping picture gallery 红坪画廊

4. reflections upon the valley lake 峡湖倒影

［云南］大理喜州英语导游辞

7kao.com 346 11-28

after an eight-hour ride in the night train we arrived at the dali train station, which is in the suburb of the new city of dali. we had made hotel bookings to stay in old dali, a nice and quiet old town about fourteen kilometers north of new dali. it took us thirty minutes by bus to get to our hotel.

　　it was still quite early in the morning. we checked in, had a shower, and then went outside to try some local snack for breakfast. since we had managed to get some sleep on the night train we were all ready for the day's event. around nine thirty we caught a local bus and set out for our destination, the small town of xizhou.

　　xizhou is a bai town seventeen kilometers north of old dali. this place is well-known for its many old, protected houses and courtyards that survived from the late ming and the qing dynasties. the bai people in xizhou are a special breed of the bai community. they have been constantly referred to as the jews of the bai, a label which all townsfolk happily take to be an honor for it is really a recognition of their gift and skills in making successful business deals, now and in the past.

　　from 1920s to 1949, there existed about 400 families in xizhou, all engaged in running some sort of private businesses. it was said 200 of the families kept shops locally or in other parts of yunnan, while the other 200 traveled across the country to buy and sell, and some powerful families even made their way as far as the whole of southeast asia and the subcontinent of india. they traded in a variety of things: gold, silver, pearls, jade, cotton, silk, natural minerals, medicinal herbs, tobacco, opium, and so on. over a few decades, the merchants from xizhou had built up a great fame and wealth with which they also built nice houses with open courtyards.

　　by what the locals said, there were the great four, middle eight, and minor twelve families, all were well-established big merchant firms in the past. the top one of the great four, the yans' family, imported 2,000 american dodge cars at one go in the late 1940s. at the end of 1949, the communist government came into power and demanded to come into partnerships with the merchant firms, so assessments were made of all the rich families and firms. all the property of the yans' family, both at home and abroad, amounted to be over thirty-two billion yuan at that time.

　　dali has been frequently hit by earthquakes in history, so the bai people had learnt to build their houses in two-storied structures. the most popular layout of a residential building is an open courtyard with houses on three sides and a white-washed screen wall on the fourth side. each side of the building is two-storied, with three rooms upstairs and three rooms downstairs. the middle room downstairs is the living room, where the host sees their visitors and guests, having a cup of tea and smoking a pipe over a nice chat. sealed up and invisible at the rear of that room is a stairway leading to the middle room upstairs, in which the family ancestral shrines are kept. the rest of the rooms are used then as bedrooms.

　　at the four corners of the building complex there are usually another four corner courtyards. these are much smaller ones used mainly as space for storage or the kitchen. one of the corner courtyards would be spared to function as the first gate, which opens up to the outside lane or alleyway. for the sake of privacy the second gate should be opened on a different wall of the same corner courtyard, thus no passers-by can peer directly into the life in the big courtyard.

　　all the open courtyards are paved with stone slates, the top part of the walls elaborately decorated with nice ink paintings, wooden doors come with carving of auspicious motifs and symbols. what impressed us the most were the many potted flowers. it seemed all the families are happy to have flowers in their courtyard and they try to pick up specific species that would respectively come in bloom in different seasons.

　　we visited the courtyard of one of the middle eight, the house of the zhaos'. a 200-meter winding alleyway took us to its secluded premises. this complex consists of two parts, four connecting courtyards to the left wing which were built in the qing dynasty, and a single row of connecting rooms to the right wing which were done in the ming dynasty. each courtyard is in rectangular shape with houses erected in the qing dynasty on three sides, while the ming part stands to the fourth side. the sheltered corridor under the eaves of the ming rooms links up with left wing and serves as an arched passageway leading to each of the courtyards. this is a lovely quite isolation in which, we believe, all residents could enjoy the tranquility and live up to advanced ages.

　　it was past midday after we have visited four old courtyards and spent much time having a chat with the families. though there still remained a lot more we wanted to know about this place we decided to give it a miss and go for lunch in the village square.

　　we had xizhou baba (baba is a local word for cake or bread) to satisfy our hunger. the locals roll out the pastry and put them in large flat cooking pans, and then heat them up with charcoal fires from underneath and above. the baba takes only a few minutes to cook. xizhou baba comes in two tastes: one is salty with minced pork and scallions; the other is sweet with brown sugar and finely chopped rose petals. both are delicious. this is one of the best snacks i had for my time in dali.

　　that was a wonderful day.

乐山大佛英语导游

7kao.com 202 11-28

the city of leshan is less than one hour's ride from the baoguosi monastery at the foot of mt. emei.leshan is the home of the giant buddha at the conflueence of the min,dadu and qingyi rivers.it qualifies as the largest buddha in a sitting posture in the world .you must board a riverboat for the best view of the giant buddha.the massive buddha was carved out of a cliff face more than a thousand years ago, but now it is still well preserved in good shape, with his full and serene face.

　　the buddha is the largest buddha in china,towering to 71m,with his 14.7m head,and 24m shoulders.the buddha's ears are 6.72m long, insteps 8.5m broad, and a picnic could be conducted on the nail of his big toe, which is 1.5m long.

　　this carving project was begun in 713.each summer at that time the min,dadu and qingyi rivers flowed down.as the ghree rivers met,turbu-lent waves strucd each other hard,boats capsized and boatmen vanished.there was a buddhist monkby the name of haitong in lingyun hill,who saw the situation and was determined to carve a giant buddha out of the cliff face, hoping that the buddha's presence would subdue the swift currents and protect the boatmen .haitong started travelling along the changjiang river and other areas in china to collect funds for the gigantic carving. once an evil official attempted to obtain by force the money collected by haitong.the monk refused him in strong terms.he said,'i'd rather gouge out my eyes than give a penny to you,'the official shouted in anger,'gouge your eye out nnw!'haitong resolutely dug out one of his eyes.

　　the monk's behavior in protecting the funding so greatly encouraged sculptors and other construction workers that the carving work went on smoothly. unfortunately haitong died before the completion of his life's work .however, this work continued due to the support of the local people as well as weigao and zhangchou jianqing,the local top military commanders. the word took up 90 years until 803 when it was completed.since then the buddha has watched over the river traffic for more than a thousand years to offset the large number of serious accidents in the river. modern chinese question whether safer boat gravel is due to his presence or to sime later-day dredging.

　　as you get close to the buddha,we can find out some scattered holes im rows around the buddha.they are remains of so called the giant buddha pavilion . it was a nine-storied building s et up during the tang dynasty to shelter the buddha.it was renamed as the lingyun pavilion with 13 stories during the song dynasty. unfortunately it was destroyed by a war during the ming dynasty. since then the buddha remains outside in the open space.

　　the giant buddha has lasted over a thousand years, and still survives in good shape.why? first of all, according to the studies on the ancient construction of the buddha,the cliff face the buddha occupies enjoys topographical advantages. it is on the southern side of the hill,where verdant trees grow so well as to protect rocks and slope from erosion.secondly although the buddha seats bordering on the confluence of the three rivers, the immense statue is carved into the cliff face inside the hill,which alleviate the severe damage by wind and water erosion.finally there is a water-drainage system,hidden from view.the system starts with 1021 fastened hairs, which conect one another at the bace of the bead .the end of the hairs inter-links the shoulders,joining the simple-patterned robe pleats carved on the body.the hairs,shoulders and pleats naturally reveal a complete system that carries away the entire surface water on the body, where the water disappears underground.

　　it is worth making several passes at the buddha.from the ferry pier on the island,you climba steep road and through lingyun temple to a vantage point for viewing the buddha.you can go to the top,opposite the head, and then descend a short zigzag stairway carved into the cliff to the feet for the top,oppoosite the head,and then descend a short zigzag stairway carved into the cliff to the feet for the different perspective viwepoints.a local boat passes by for a frontal view, which reveals two guardians in the cliff side, not visible from land,wuyou buddhist monastery can be reached in 15 minutes by footpath from the buddha,which is also from the tang dynasty with ming and qing renovations,its layout is very similar to the other monasteries as we mentioned before.walking along up wuyou hill,you can enjoy the quiet and beartiful scenery, the top of wuyou hill affords you a vision of an emerald-green tree forest, glazed golden tiles of the monastery roofs and the distant rivers.

　　it would be a mistake to thind of leshan as ome big buddha, but it is wouth making a trip to leshan,which will provide you with a pleasant picture made by the ancient chinese sites and the beautiful nature being combined into a whole.

哈尔滨中央大街英文导游辞

7kao.com 241 11-28

ladies and gentlemen:

　　today we are going to visit zhongyang street. this is the downtown area. in order to better know the street, we are going to walk through it, which takes about 40 minutes. those who do not like walking may keep seated, our coach will go along another street and stop at the flood control monument. those who cannot walk that far may take a taxi to the flood control monument. now let6‘s get off the coach, and take a walk on zhongyang street.

　　zhongyang street measures 1450 meters from jingwei street in the south to the flood control monument on the riverbank in the north. this is china‘s longest walkway. the street was built at the end of the last century. it was connected to a wharf at the songhua river. because of the constant transport of the goods needed for building the china eastern railway, a shopping center began to take shape along this street at the turn of the century. harbin at that time was a semi-colonial city with a foreign population of many thousands. politics and economy were actually controlled by foreign powers. owing to the concentration of chinese shops along this street, foreigners took it as a china town and called it china street.

　　have you noticed the cobbled road surface? this is the only cobbled street left in harbin. this cobbled street was paved in 1925. thanks to the good quality, the street has kept in good shape with a few repairs in the past. this street began to take shape as an international street in the 1920s. there were over a hundred shops and many were owned by forergners, such as russians, greeks, czechs, swedes, swiss, frenchmen, germans and englishmen. they built their shops in their individual styles. therefore, the street not only looked like a foreign street, but also was controlled by foreigners. now this smooth cobbled street may remind us of the past when foreigners were sitting in chariots along the street, as if we could still hear the horse-hoofs clicking on cobbles.

　　over half a century is past, zhongyang street is weather-beaten. with the implementation of reform and opening-up, it is ready to welcome visitors with a new outlook.

　　the building in front of us is very attractive. its some and arched windows are typical of the byzantine style popular in europe during the middle ages. it was built in 1934 and it was a shoe shop owned by a czech. after liberation, it became a specialty shop-women and children‘s department store. it is the biggest specialty shop along zhongyang street. there are a good variety of commodities. now some world famous specialty chains have also set up branches down here, such as crocodile, bossini and so on. you can see some gentlemen also wandering in the women and children’s department store. at such a good shopping place, they will not walk out empty-handed.

　　opposite the women and children‘s department store is the central shopping city opened in november 1994. on its original site there were five small stores run by russians, which were built in 1932. after liberation, they were turned into one department store. in 1994, the old building was torn down, and this comprehensive department store was built. the architecture is a combination of a european castle with modern architecture. it has become a new scenic spot on zhongyang street.

　　at we go along the road, we are able to see the central pharmacy. it was a bungalow before. in 1912, german sidemen‘s opened a shop here to sell electrical equipment and materials. after liberation, it was reconstructed. now you can find not only medicine here, but also the gold lion shop, a super-market and a kentucky fried chicken restaurant.

　　this shopping center was opened in 1995. its original site was a shop managed by a swede. it dealt in china, porcelain and enamelware. after liberation, it became a food-store. the building you see now was designed by a famous architect in heilongjiang. it is a masterpiece of adopting relief sculptures in modern construction. this building is an attractive site in zhongyang street.

　　the nost interesting building along zhongyang street is the modern hotel. it was constructed in 1913. it is of an attractive outlook and magnificently decorated. it has a typical baroque style of the neo-artistic period. at first, it was invested and managed by a jewish frenchman. the origin of its chinese name once aroused the interest of many people. there was a column in newspaper for debating its origin. some held its chinese name came from the word “mother”, some said it came from “modern”. however, modern seemed to overwhelm mother as you can see the hotel now used the modern hotel as its english name.

　　modern hotel has all the facilities of a modern hotel including well-decorated suites, dining rooms and medium and small-sized meeting rooms in european palatial styles. there is a legendary oil painting hanging on a wall on the landing of the first floor. it was painted a famous russian painter. he was inspired by “divine comedy”composed by dante. it shows a pretty girl saved by angels from confinement by insects and demons;the girl who endured tortures in hell was about to rise to heaven. this picture was painted red during the cultural revolution. after the cultural revolution, the original painting was restored. now we are able to appreciate its artistic charm.

　　in the past few decades, modern hotel has catered to many famous people, such as well known chinese writers guo moruo and ding ling, and a renowned painter, xu berhong. those who have stayed here also include distinguished american celebrities such as anna louise strong, edgar snow yue-sai kan. movie studios have shot movies here. “harbin in the dark night”, “london inspiration”, “the orient express to moscow”have left people lasting memories.

　　opposite the modern hotel, there is huamei restaurant. it was malse restaurant serving western food. after liberation, it was rebuilt several times and two more stories have been added. however, its original european style had been kept. it was reported in 1973 that there were 260 western restaurants in harbin, with over 100 concentrated along zhongyang street. huamei restaurant was one of the best known. now it serves many specialties, such as russian dishes, potted cattle tail, french egg and fried prawns. it is said a russian celebrity who used to serve in the army once visited huamei. after dinner, he could not help praising food served in huamei. he declared the russian dishes here surpassed those in russia. he would send chefs from russia to huamei to learn to cook when he got back home. now that you know huamei, your knowledge of zhongyang street will not be complete if you have not tried the food here.

　　further in the front, we can see the education bookstore. it was constructed in 1909. it is a baroque construction, extravagant and novel, with bold lines and strong contrast. over the entrance, there are two staturs. they are titans in greek fairy tales. the male is atlas and the female is galliached. it is said they hold up the sky with heads and shoulders. education relates to the future of a country. may these titans hold up the building of education, and accompany us to a prosperous tomorrow.

　　opposite to the education bookstore, the building in the neo-artistic style is qiulin department store. it is characterized by simple structure, flexible lay out, free style, and curved decoration. qiulin was constructed in 1903. in the past few decades, it has transformed from a colonial company. it has witnessed great changes in zhongyang street.

　　many people say zhongyang street is a street of architecture as over 70 buildings appear in different styles. some state it is a small paris in the orient; some assert it is a moscow in the orient; some declare it is a symphony. when you step on this cobbled street, it is as if you could hear a prelude. as you go further along the street, you can see the women and children‘s department store, and the flood control monument at the riverside, as if their varied structures were different chapters constituting a harmonious tune. this symphony accompanies the people in harbin as they suffered before liberation, wandered through the cultural revolution, and ushered in the reform and opening up, and encourages them to face up to the magnificent 21st century.

　　i would like to call this street an international shopping mall. there are state owned stores and outlets of foreign products. there are banks and post-offices. there are hotels and restaurants. there are jewelers‘and photographers’. people are able to stroll, shop and enjoy delicacies along the street. at night over 200 shops will be radiating with colorful neon lights. this century-old street will radiate its vigor and become more attractive.

　　ladies and gentlemen, if we go further forward, we are able to reach the flood control monument. now i will give you some free time for shopping and photography. we will meet at the flood control monument in twenty minutes.

罗马弗洛伦萨威尼斯那不勒斯英文导游辞

7kao.com 328 11-28

you have seen this picture, right? if i ask you what's this ? all of you may answer this easy question.

　　but today i don't intend to repeat something about pisa. i'll introduce you some other charming architectures in florence. yes, florence, it's my topic today.

　　it is said that rome, florence, venice and naples are 4 pearls of human art shining in the culture of italy even the western world.

　　florence, the capital of italy from 1865 to 1870, is on the middle plain of italy. it gave birth to the renaissance. it is also one of the places where various art works of the renaissance are preserved. well, where people focus on the essence of the matter but not phenomena. florence gives priority to men, and regards men as the most important. it appreciates men's wisdom, men's spirit, men's creativity, men's career and achievements.

　　people mainly plant olive trees and grape wines i suburban area, as it's a city near mediterranean. it has mild temperature and the rainfall is moderate. as a paradise of literature and art, there are more than 40 museums , galleries, and 60 palaces in florence city. all of those are invaluable sources in researching into the renaissance. thus, florence is honored 'western athens'.

　　ok, let's turn to our point. one of the most famous ancient architectures in urban area is the florence cathedral. it's the third biggest church in europe. just after st.peter church in vatican city and st.paul church in london.

　　does anyone here know what is the meaning of 'florence' in italian? well, it means virgin. therefore, the florence cathedral is also called 'virgin maria cathedral'. this cathie cathedral is an octagon. the outer wall is made of tri-color marble produced in this city. look at this exclusive delicate bronze relief gate. can you find out any more quaint one? absolutely not. and what is more, this giant dome symbolized the beginning of architecture history of the renaissances. due to technological problems, the whole project wasn't finished until the early 15th century.

　　there is a marble bell tower which lies to the southwest of the florence cathedral. the 89 meters tall building was designed by grotto. just stand there, you can have a bird's view over the whole city. it is terrific, isn't it? to the opposite of the cathedral, there is a baptist hall. it is the first public architecture besides churches in the world. the heaven gate there at tracts millions of tourists every year. cathedral, bell tower and baptist hall make up a harmony architecture group. this is a general model for italian cities.

　　out of the florence cathedral, we'll reach the piazza annunziata. it's a square where the 13th century-built municipal administrative hall is located. various bronze statues and stone carvings are placed here and they make a street museum. in the center of this square, there is the neptune fountain, which can show us italian ambition of the marine supremacy.

　　sangria river goes through the urban area and the old bridge connects two world famous galleries: vffizi and petti. you can find essences of italian paintings here. it consists of raphael santi's. the picture of virgin mary, titian's florla and birth of venus of botticelli.

　　florence is the cradle of italian poem and painting during the renaissance years.

　　having talked so much about the architecture, maybe you already feel boring. next we'll move to the people. as saying goes: great people built great cities.

　　florence is the birth place of dante. petraroh and boccaccio. the stone bridge i just mentioned is said to be the place where dante and his lover first met with each other. and the st. cross church, many historical figures such as galileo and rossini were buried there. as most of you here are english major, i'm gonna raise a question, who gives the name of nowadays the richest country-america. maybe it is a surprise to you all. a florence citizen again. his name is ameriga-vispouch. he has sailed to american continent for 3 times. in order to memorize his great contribution to this continent, america is named after him.

　　well, listen,…how can i forget the florence football team? millions of boys are crazy about it. our chinese national football team also did a good job last year. maybe one day we will see a football match between these two teams.

　　ok. having heard so much from me, do you feel a little bit tired? or maybe hungry. why not have a try of florence big steak. it's world famous, you know. but this kind of steak is about 2 kilograms. you'd better share it with your friends.

　　in these several minutes, we reviewed the history of florence. we appreciate its charms as if we had been with it for 2 centuries. at each moment, we got surprise, excitement and at last admire. and what will florence tomorrow be. let's wait and see!

［四川］武侯祠英文导游辞

7kao.com 190 11-28

china has a recorded history of some 3,600 years, beginning with the shang dynasty(16th——12th century bc).the first stage is the primitive society. the history was much associated with the supposed pre-xia dynasty(21th-16th centuy bc). the second major periob lasted from about 2,000 to 200 bc. the history dated the beginning of the slave society from the xia dynasty, which constituted the first chinese state. the third stage extended all the way from 221bc, when qin shihuang united china, to the opium war of 1840. historical docments name the third period as the feusal imperial rule. the feudal society in china passed through a period of disunity beginning at the three kingdom period, and ending in shoet-lived sui dynasty(581——618), western jin(265——316)via eastern jin(317——439) and the southern and northern dynasties(386——589).

　　the following story occurred in the three kingdom period. at the rnd of the eastern han dynasty(25——220) a gtrat peasant revolt happened. many local officials developed into warlords to assisty the han emperor in suppressing the rebellion. during this period the watlotds took the opportunity to build uyp their own political and military strengty and made themselves into autonomous regional warlords. finally the warlords carved the han empire into three kingdoms of wei, shu and wu. the populous episodic novel,the romance of the three kingdoms traces the rise and fall of the three kingdoms and vividly depicts the turbulent social conditions at that time. the rulers of the three independent kingdoms struggled for supremacy. cao cao and his son established the kingdom of wei at loyang. he was in actual control of only the north china homeland. two rivals soon proclaimed emperors themselves elsewhere. the kingdom of wu with its capital in nanjing occupied dchangjiang valley, the kingdom of shu was created with its capital in chengdu. ti was in the control of sichuan and parts ojf the highland of south china.

　　wuhou temple is much associated with the kingdom of shu. it is the place to commemorate zhu geliang, prime minister of the kingdom. wuhou was a top official title conferred upon zhu geliang after his death. it is unfortunate that no historical documents have recorded the time of its establishment. however, du fu, a top tang dynasty poet wrote a poem of kwhich two lines say as below:'where would i find the prime minister's shrine?somewhere outside jinguan, in a dense cypress glade.'

　　this poem helps us infer that zhu geliang temple was already in ezistence in the tang dynadty. during the tang and song dynasties zhu geliang and emperor liu bei had their independent temples in chengdu, at the beginning of the ming dynasty the two temples merged into one. towards the end of the ming dynasty the merged tempke was destroyed during war chaos. the present buildings date from the qing dynasty in 1672. the main entrance gate hangs a horizontal inscribed board. it says, 'han zhaolie temple'.han refers to the kingdom of shui; zhaolie was liu bei's posthumous title. the board indicates that the whole temple was built in honor of liu bei. but why do all the people call it zhu geliang tempke instead of han zhaolie temple? it is due to zhu geliang's invaluable historical contribution, and his political and military strategies to the development of the kingdom. in the view of the local peopoe his prestige far gan to call it zhu grliang temple regardless of the emperor's dignity and the temple's original name. gtadually more and more people accepted the new name of the temple through common practice.

　　the temple compound consists of five mainbuildings: the front gate, the second gate, kiu bei's hall, zhu geliang's hall and liu bei's tomb. the buildings are all located aling an imaginative axis line in a regular shape. six huge stone tablets are flanked in the yard between the front and the second gates. four of them were of the qing dynasty, one of the ming and one opf the tang. the tablets of the qing state the storise about the reestablishment of the temple; the one of the ming describes the development of the temple. the one of the tang is far more famous than the other five. it was set up soon after wu yuanhen, a local top military commander in west sichuan and his 27assistants worshiped zhu grliang in the temple in 809 during the tang dynasty. pei du,who served as a prime minister for his three tang emperors ijn different times, composed an rssay associated with the worship. in the essay he eulogized zhu geliang for his great contribution to and his spare-no-efforts in unifying the whole china and the development of sichuan, liu gingchuo, a well-known tang calligrahist, copied the essay on the tablet according to the pattern of liu's handwriting. the three well-known persons joined hands to perfect the tablet, so later in people called it 'the three perfecdstion tablet'.

　　inside the second gate is liu bei's hall. his statue stands behind the front altar, flanked by his son snd gtandson. to the right of the main shrine is a red faced image called guan yu; the left is general zhang fei, represented with a black face. liu,guan and zhang are sworn brothers as prescribed in the novel the romance of the three kingdoms.

　　there are two galleries in the yard, which contain terracotta figures of the qing dynasty, 28 in all, generals on the right and minisiters on the lelt. during the three kingdom period the rulers of the independent kingdoms fought each other for supremacy.this period was regarded as a romantic epoch of knightly dering-do.the site is just about holy to thousands of three kingdom enthusiasts.the well-loved figures in the temple are the historical source from which later novels and dramas have captured the imaginations of generations of chinese readers and audience.

　　behind liu bei's hall is the second yard where zhu geliang's hall is located.zhu geliang's hallis obviously lower than liu bei's. visitors bave to walk down several steps before they can get into the second yard.the disparity in the construction height displays the traditional chinese hierarchical social system.emperor is the son of heaven.he is superior;and other people are inferior.

　　on the top of the entrance gate of zhu geliang's hall hangs a horizontal wooden board,which says,'eternal glory all over the world (名垂宇宙).'many ancient couplets hang inside the hall, but the most famous one is right in the middle of the hall.it says,“能攻心则反侧自消，从古知兵非好战；不审势即宽严皆误，后来治蜀要深思。”

　　it means that try to persuade an enemy to stop his attack during a war and the war will then disappear. no soldier wants to fight since ancient times.try not to forget to weigh the conditions and situation, ogherwise leniency and strict punishment will all fail. those,who come to manage sichuan,should think it over again.

　　this couplet contains two stories. once as zhu geliang was the general commander of the shu kingdom, he was scheduled to attack the wei kingdom in north china.however, he was worried that the troops of the minorities might take a chance to harass the shu kingdom in southwest china.he came to tealize that the good relationship with the minorities was very important. so he went the southwestern area with his troops. meng huo( 孟获),the top leader of the minorities didn't accept zhu geliang's good-wish.he used his soldiers to fight against the groops from the kingdom.zhu geliang successfully defeated his attack and caught meng huo. instead of punishing him,zhu geliang set him free.then meng huo launched another attack and he met with the same defeat.zhu geliang set him a free again.on the seventh time after meng huo was caught,he prostrated himself before zhu geliang saying ghat he and his soldiers had given rp any atrelationship with the shui kingdoh.from then on the minority people and lf the shui kingdon lived in amity.

　　the other story tells how zhu geliang streng-thened discipline. once zhu gelian launched another military campaign against the wei kingdom.in order to make the campaign successful zhu geliang ordered ma shu，his close assistant to g\arrison the shu army troops in jie ting,a vital strategic place to fight the coming soldiers from the wei.ma shu thought of himself highly and placed his troops on the top of a hill near jie ting.as result,the wei army soldiers occupied the strategic place.ma shu and his soldiers were defeated.zhu geliang had to withdraw his troops back to ghe shu kingdom.his carefully arranged campaign thus failed.ma shu had a close relationship with zhu geliang due to his hardworking and his contribution to the development shui's army.tears ran down zhu geliang's face when he ordered to execute ma shu for his error.

　　the two storied displayed zhu geliang's flexible tactics in accordance with different occasions.more-over,zhu geliang used the same method to manage his government and the kingdom for the social stability and economic prosperity.

　　the second yard,dedicated zhu geliang, has a bell tower on the right and a drum tower on the left of the entrance.a most unusual casting iron incense burner is in the imddle of the path, which leads to the hall.zhu geliang's statue,accompainied by his son on the right and his grandson on the left, stands in the middle of the hall.the statue is 2m high. zhu geliang is dressed in a golden overcoat with a feather fan in his hand .he looks as if he was still concerned about his kingdom and his local people .on the left side of zhu geliang's statue is a bronze drum, a relic dated back to the 5th century.originally ancient minority groups in souhest china often used it as a cooket.later it became a sort of music instrument for some special occasions.it was said that during zhu geliang's southwest expedition his soldiers used it as a cooker during the day and struck it at night as emergency approached.

　　zhu geliang was renowned military strategist and statesman in the early three kingdom period.a native of shandong province,he was living in long zhong,hubei when liu bei went to his house three times.liu bei sincerely invited zhu geliang to join in reconquest of the han empire,but for the first two times it was said that zhu geliang was not at home. on the third time when liu bei met zhu geliang in his house,he agreed to assist liu bei .it was in his house that zhu geliangand liu bei had a dialogue relating to the current situation and reconquest of the han empire, in liu bei's hall hangs zhu geliang's ambitious 'long zhong dialogue( 隆中对）'and his 'letter to the throne before an expedition'.zhu geliang served as prime minister of the shu kingdom for twenty years .during his administration zhu geliang brought peace to the kingdom due to his northern and southern xepeditions.the local farming production and water conservancy has advanced. he died of his hard word conservancy has advanced. he died of his hard work at the age of 54.after his death people set up temples one after another to commemorate him in the areas where zhu geliang worked.he was generally regarded as an excellent example of administrators in chinese feudal dynasties.

　　to the west of the zhu geliang's hall is the site of ghe liu bei's tomb.it is 80m in circumference and 12m high,surrounded by a circular wall.for 1700 years the tomb has remained untouched, but what is inside is unknown.

［内蒙古］呼伦贝尔草原英文导游辞

7kao.com 226 11-28

lady and genlenmen:

　　welcome to hunlunbeier grassland! first of all, i'd like to tell you why people call this bdautiful grassland hulunbeier grassland. there is a moving legend behind it. a long, long time ago there lived a couple of lovers on the grassland. the girl was a hu lun. the boy was bei er. one day a demon chief called mang gusi abducted hulun and dried up the grassland. the grass withered and yellowed and domestic animals died one after another.in order to save the grassland and hu lun, beier traved a great distance on foot, chasing after mang gasi day and night. finally, he fainted from exhaustion. in his weakened state, he dreamt that the demon chief had magically turned hu lu,bei er traveled a great distance on foot, chasing after mang gasi day and night. finally, he fainted from exhaustion.in his weakened state, he dreamt that the demon chief had magically turned hu lun into a flower which was and suffering from the windy dream in front of him. he immediately watered the flower and broke the spell. hu lun changed back into her former self. but the demon chief would not give up. he immediately watered the flower and broke the spell. hu lun changed back in to her former self. but the demon chief would not give up. he seized hu lun and took her away again. hu lun racked her brain for a way to escape. she succeeded in getting hold of the magic pearl on the demon chief`s head. on swallowing the pearl hu lun turned into a lake. in the meantime beier had killed all of the other demons, but failed to find hu lun. heartbroken, bei er jumped in to a lake to kill himself.all of a sudden the earth split open and formed two lakes, hu lun lake and bei er lake, with the wilson river closely connecting them. later,people living on the grassland named the land hulunbeier grassland in momory of them.

　　hulunbeier covers an area of 250.557 square kilometers,with a totel population of 2.66 million. the mongolian natiality is the dominant ethic group, and 35 other nationlities,such as dawoer, ewenke, elunchun, han, manchu, russian, etc. live in harmony with them on the grassland. hunlunbeier is called “green and clean land” because it is relatively free of pollution.

　　(entering the grassland)

　　now we're setting foot on hunlunbeier grassland. all of us have escaped from the city and its clamour and entered a place like a dreamland,look! the grassland looks like asoft, green cerpet, nowyou can enjoy the beautiful scenery in the distance; numeros kinds of wild flowers are in bloom, and wisps of smoke are rising continuously from the yurta scattered on the grassland. when the gentle breeze brushes against the grass, herds of horses and cattle and flock of sheep seem to be drifting from here ro there. what a beautiful picture!

　　(visiting a yurt)

　　this is the yurt we saw from the bus just now. look!the host and his family have come out of the to greet us. of couse, this is not an arranged reception, to be sure. but before we enter the yurt, i'dlike to make a brief introduction on the folk costoms here. no matter which yurt you happen to visit, you will finethat on hesring your footsteps the mongolian people will extend a warm welcome outsite the yurt, to do justice to their reputed hospitality. when greeting you, they will put their hands against their chests and bow slightly. with a “how do you do,” they invite their guestsin. male guests are invited to sit on the left and female on the right, while host sits in midle. the moment you take your seats, your host will have milk tea and various kinds of milk products pleaced in front of you. after a white, you will most probably probabyly be asked to help yourself to a special course called “shouba lamd.” as a way of showing respct to his distinguished guest, your hast will prsent you with a “hada”( a piece of silk used as a greeting gift), together with a cup of lacal wine. mongolians are well known for theirtalent in singing and dancing.their beautiful songs are as entertaining and pleasant as the blue sky, white clouds, greengrass and fresh flowers, in folk culture, there is a saying that a feast is not a true feast without the company of songs. every person in the grassland, man or woman, old or young, can sing folk songs. when proposing toasts to their guests, they will show their hospitality by singing folksongs and playing special fiddles. the mongolian people have lived on the vast grassland for a long time, and they have refined their talent for sing and dancing. you can not only please your eyes with their traditional ethnic dancing but also with their mondern ones featuring merry rhythms and vigorous steps.now let`s enter the yurt and take advantage of this opportunity to be guests in a mongolian herdsman`s home.

　　(stepping out of the yurt)

　　under the blue sky and white clouds, you will see a vivid picture of flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, galloping horses and skillful herdsen on horseback brandishing horsewhips. do you want to go for a ride ? if you are skilled at riding, why not ride a mongolian horse for a while or wander about on camelback?if you are afraid of riding horses or camels,never mind. you still can enjoy the nomandic life by taking a special mongolian vehicle called a “lele”.

　　(briefing on the physique of mongolians)

　　now you have had a look at the grassland with your own eyes, but did you noticed that the mongolian girls are graceful,elegant and vigorous, and the young fellow are robust, heroic and muscular? it is said that this has much to do with their life styles which are connected with horse sports,running and pursuing.further,the important role played by milk tea and milk products in developing their muscles and bones canot be underestimated.

　　(briefing on the dietary habit of mongolians)

　　let's start with milk tea,the host minces the tea and put it in a kettle to boil it. when the kettle starts boiling with a gurgling sound, the host pours the fresh milk into it. thus the herdsman coming in from a snowstorm will warm up immediately after having such a cup of milk tea. a bowl of milk tea, stir-fried rice, several piece of a dry milk product and some lamb is regarded as a delicious meal by the ordinary mongolian herdsman. milk products include the skin of boiled milk, milk curd, milk wine, cheese, butter and so on. the formal meal may be served with meat and a flour-base product.

　　while you are here on the grassland, it will be a great pity if you do not try “shouba lamb”(boil meat which is eaten using a knife and your hands).the lamb is first cut into big slices and then put into boiling water to cook.when it is half done, you cut it into smaller pieces with the mongolian knife and eat it. themongolian people think that half-done meat contains more nutrients.

　　(briefing on mongolian clothing)

　　the mongolian robe is unique to this ethnic group. the robe is often matched with a belt and head decorations.with its high collar and long sleeves, the robe protects people from mosquitoes. the middle part of the robe is made loose for the convenience of riding horses and is long enough to keep the knees warm. you can find all kinds of clothes here today, but the robe is the cultural heritage of the mongolians and has become a symbol of their national conscience and identity.

　　(briefing on mongolian yurta)

　　you can see mongolian yurta here and there on grassland.but do you know the history and structure of the mongolian yurta?according to the historical records of the xiongnu,an ancient ethnic group, their ancestors lived in the northland long ago. their living quarters were called yurta. in this sense mongolians, as a ethnic group, can date to 4,000 years ago. so the mongolian yurta are a symbol of the history of this ethnic group. now let`s talk about the construction of a yurt are a symbol of the history of this ethnic group, now let`s talk about the construction of a yurt. herdsmen first build a round foundation with pieces of stones, then they set up the structure with wodden wods and beams linked together with wollen or fur ropes,lastly, they cover the structure with animal skins or felt blankets.the ceiling of the yurt is round. with such a structure, the yurt can withstand snowstorms and heavy rainfalls. the door of the yurt is small and down to the ground. the yurt can be easily moved and this is suitable for nomadic life.this accounts for the reason why the structure of the yurt remains unchanged till today. if the mongolian yurt is seen as the home of the herdsmen, then the “lele”carts can be viewed as their mobile homes. “lele”carts move slowly with big noise. it is hard to tell when the history of “lele”carts began. all the carts are made of birch, so they will reain in good condition even in wet weather. the wheels of the carts are tall and can easily roll across the uneven roads, lush bushes, thick snow and marshes. “lele”carts are indispensable for herdsmen when they move cross snow-covered areas.

　　(briefing on mongolian festivals)

　　there are a lot of mogolian festivals held every year on the grassland, but the most famous one is nadam,the carnival the grassland. “nadam”in the mongolian language means recreation or entertainment. when it comes, there will be a lot of performances,such as horse racing, wrestling, archery and some other special ethnic performances. the nadam fair is a time-honored festival and was known world wide for 700years, nowadays the nadam fair is often held during the harvest season of the grassland, either in june or july.during that period, herdsmen often take the opportunity to sell domestic animals and livestock products and purchasse daily necessilties and livelihood-related goods.acturally, the herdsmen have few chances to get together on such a vast grassland, so nadam also plays the role of a big trade fair for them, when we talk about nadam, we should also talk about offering sacrifice at “aobao”.“aobao ”in mogolian means a pile of rocks or earth. on the vast and endless grassland, it is hard to tell directions, so people thought of pilling rocks or earth to mark them, in its long historical development aobao has become the shrine to offer scrifices to the god of the mountain and the god of the road.during the sacrifice –offering ceremony,people insert tree branches into the aobao and put pieces of colorful cloth or paper flags with written scripture on the branches there are four types of memorial ceremonies, namely blood,wine,fire and jade. no matter what type it is, a lama will be invited to butn incenses, chant scriptures and pray for the blessing of the people and their livestock. participants will walk around the aobao clockwise three times.after the ceremony, the herdmen will not only enjoy horse races,wrestling and archery, but also singing, dancing and drinking to their heart`s content. around that time, young lovers will probably leave the crowd to be in a world of their own.

　　dear,distinguished guests,after this tour of this grassland i believe you must have a general idea of how the mongolian pelple live here and may een feel reluctant to leave the beautiful hulunbeier grassland. i belive the grassland and its people enjoyed your visit as much as you did and look forward to your next one.

　　ladies and gentlemen,i hope to have another chance to meet you again on this very land, the hulunbeier grassland. goodbye and good luck.

九寨沟英文导游辞

7kao.com 253 11-28

jiuzhaigou's entrance gate was built shortly after jiuzhaigou was listed into the world natural heritage catalog in 1992. the gate reflects the features of tibetan remote areas. the bark of logs wraps round the whole gate that appears primitive, but also displays the flavor of thew modern arts. it seems to tell us that you will find yourselves in the world's most exciting and unspoiled nature. as you know, jiuxhaigou has been crowned with several titles: the world natural heritage, the world bio-sphere reserve, the green globe 21 and the state 4a-level scenery. besides,each site and each image shows something more-the true essence, the spirit, and the magic of jiuxhaigou, jiuxhaigou's wonders inspire the country's top photographers and artists because the best of their work is here. others express their feelings through words, and there are numerous quotes from writers or visitors. however, many others articulate this land that seems indescribable. as the saying goes, it is better to see once than hear a hundred times. i think jiuzhaigou's reputation attracts all of you to come here for a vidit. i believe, whether you are a frequent visitr or someone who simply enjoys beautiful places, the visit to jiuzhaigou will be a perfect way to remember the unique sites and beauty of jiuzhaigou in days to come.

　　jiuzhaigou scenery is licated in jiuzhaigou county, the asbe tibetan and qiang nationality autonomous prefecture in sichuan province. jiuzhaigou literally means nine tibetan village gullies, which are all scattered in the scenic area. the names of the villages are heye, shuzheng, zech awa, heijiao, panya, yala, jianpan, rexi and guodu.

　　jiuzhaigou scenery has taden shape due to the geographic movement in glaciations, earthquakes and calcification. however, there is some folklore that vividly describes the formation of jiuzhaigou. here is a story. a long tome ago, a male and female hilly deities fell in love with each other. the man is called dage and woman wonuosemo, who decided to reside in jiuzhaigou because they deeply loved jiuzhaigou's birds and animals, and forests and mountains. unexpectedly a devil called shemozha found out that the female deity was so beautiful that ho fool in love with her, too. two devil didn't like the male deity to live here in jiuzhaigou. therefore the devil waged a war in orser to drive the male deity out and marry the female deity. a fiere battle occurred between the deity and the devil. during the battle, the female deity was snatched away by the devil. bewildered, the female deity dropped down to the ground her precious mirror given by the male deity. the mirror was broken into over a hundred pieces, which immediately turned into over hundred high mountains and beautiful lakes. the battle continued, and the male deity and the devil fought all the way from inner jiuzhaigou to the entrance. despite that, there was no sign indicating who would win the battle. at this critical moment, zhayizhaga, the king of multi-mountains arrived to join the fight on the side of the male deity. the king first put a huge screen-shaped cliff behind the devil and then crashed the devil beneath the cliff. the devil was buried there, eith his head off the cliff. afterwards lical people called the cliff the devil cliff. now ot os called the precious mirror cliff. since then jiuzhaigou returned to peace and looked more beautiful due to the newly added over a hundred colorful lakes and mountains. the man and womand lived together in jiuzhaigou forever as the important deities to safeguard jiuzhaigou.

　　jiuzhaigou is 47 km long from the south to the north, 29 km wide from the east to the west, covering an area of 720sq. km. in 1990 jiuzhaigou became one of 40 best scenic spots in the country; in 2000 jiuzhaigou was evaluated as one of the first atate 4a-level sceneries in china; in 1992 jiuzhaigou was listed on the world bio-sphere reserve.

　　in jiuzhaigou scenic area there are three gullies that seem to be in the shape of y. there distributed 108 lakes, 47 splashed waterfalls, 12 tirbi;emt screa,s. 5 shoals and 3 tibetan villages. all these scenic sites create a unique landscape of jiuzhaigou, to china and the rest of the world.

　　if you get closer to view the cliff that is over a thousand-ren cliff, you may see a bizarre figure image on the cliff. what does it look alike? it is a devil's face, and it is now called the precilous mirror cliff. down the cliff is a gully called zharugou, where stands zharu monastery. in sichuan tibetan areas local tibetan people believe in what can be properlyu described as 'lamaism', an ancient strain of tantric indian buddhism, coupled with tibetan shamanism. it flourishes in regions inhabited by the tibetan and mongolian people. during the reign of songzan gapu in the 7th to 9th century, monks from india crossed the himalayas through nepal and arrived at tibet to spread tantrism. tantrism, mahayana and bon, the indigenous religion of tibet, intermingled and developed into lamaism that strongly believes in reincarnation. lama means 'teacher' or 'superiorbeing'. a lama must be a monk, but not all monks can become lamas. lamaism has several sects: the yellow, the red, the black and others. the yellowsect, founded by tsong kha pa in the early 15th century, and rapidly grew into the dominant sect thanks to the support of the qing government. the yellow sect perfected the tibetan buddhism and greatly promoted the evolution of the mergence of govetnment administration with religion the tihetan a buddha in your present lifetime. the monks in zharu monastery believe in the black sect buddhismthat is also called bon. the religious activity of the black sect, much more influenced by the indigenous religilon, has centered on the primciplkes that everything has spirit; the black sect followers pray to gain happiness and drive out disasters.

　　yoy may be aware of the dense forest growing along the sides of the road. it mirrors together thescenic sites of main plants in jiuzhaigou. the evergreen plants consists of chinese pine, hemlock, fir and dragon spruce; the red-leaf plants are maple, little tiller, smoke tree and others; the yellow-leaf plants are birchm, golden-rain tree, elm, larch, poplar mix together in harmony, offering a rainbow of natural pictures that easily please to our eyes, it is commonly believe that the colerful plant scenery is one of the main features manifested in jiuzhaigou. as autumn arrives, the plants keep changing their colors. as colorful leaves and forests are mirrored on the lakes around, the stunning color images seem to allure viewers into a dreamlike world because it is too beautiful to absorb all of them during a time-limited tour.

　　as you enter into shuzheng scenic site, and start walking through it, the garden-patterned landscape might inspire your passion to write poems or paint pictures. here is the reed sea. if you close your eyes, you may feel as if you were in the region of rivers and lakes in southern china. actually the sea is a kind of moisture land that suits the growth of varied water plants. some fiah swims in the shallow sea, and they have a strange name, called'naked carp'or they has no scales, but belong to the family of the carp.

　　the water in jiuzhaigou is a big attraction, and is commonly considered the soul of jiuzhaigou because ot remaons much less touched by human beings. ginerally the water is so clean that youy can see to the bottim even at 30m in depth. now we wrrive at the first lake in jiuzhaigou called shuanglonghai. you can dimly see two calcified lower banks in the shape of tibbon. once waves in the lake surges, the two banks seem to wriggle. the local dlegend says that they are two swimming dragons. it is said that there are four dragons in jiuzhaigou. the dragons in the laks here are two of the four, who take charge of raining and hail. maybe because they have no strong sense of their duty responsibility, they often make mistakes, and therefore there is no rain when it should rain; there is no hail when ot should hail. therefore geshaer, the tibetan hero has subdued the two evil dragons and imprisoned them at the bottom of the lake.

　　the water here is closely related with calcification. the water from the rizegou gully has rich content in the ion of calcium and magnesiu,. due to the suitable temperature in the water hee, the flowing ion easily turns into particulate matters, which stick to plankton or tiny sediments, and depisit on the lower earth bank. narrow mounds, trunks and tree branches in the bottom. gradually calcified segments have fully covered the objects, forming unique natural phenomenon.

　　shuzheng waterfall, one of the main scenic sites, is 11m in height and 62m in width. it is an unseen stream from the high terrace meandering among the forests down to the edge of the cliff. as it approaches the edge, trees, bushes and rocks there devert the unseen stream into may sub-ones. the sub-streams fall downwards, presenting a splendid huge waterfall and hanging off the cliff. down below the cliff grow rich trees and bushes and protruding rock s, and the water keep splashing off these objects in varied shape.

　　beyond the waterfall is a smooth terrain. near the road is the xiniu lake that is 2km long and 18m deep, the largest one in jiuzhaigou. toward the southern end of the lake is a forest where there is a simple bridge spanning across the lake. nearby is a stream, and the water from the streamoffersw sweet and refreshing tastes. the local tibetan residents think that it is a stpernatural stream, for it is said that the water from the stream can stop diarrhea and quench a thirst. the legend had it that a long time ago, ja lama from tibet arrived here on a rhinoceros. he was so sick that he couldn't walk further. so he drank the water from the stream. unexpectedly he was fully recovered and felt rejuvenated. afterwards the lama drove the rhinoceros down into the lake, and he himself resided nearby.

　　nuorilang waterfall, located between the rizegou and shuzheng gullies, is 30m in height and 270m in width. nuorilang literally means magnificence. the water comes from rizgou gully. during the high-water season, the cascading waterfall lproduces a tremendous noise that revetberates in the gully. as the water hits the ground, the splashed liquik immediately moves high up into the air in the form of fine drops, which have been thrown, blown or projected, forming a splendid water curtain. visitors often view a rainbow that appears in the curtain while the sun shines upon it. in autumn, the water gets much less. however, the waterfall presents another wonder. it seems as if the cliff hangs a colorful silk cloth matched wuth multi-colored bushed around.

　　as you enter the nuorilang scenic site, jinghai lake appears at ypur sight. the lake, 925m in linght and 262m in width, is encircled by precipitous hills at three sides, and the olther side is open rather like an entrance gate. the hills by the lake look green and verdant, in the early morning when there is no wide, the lake is as smooth as a mirror. at this time the blue skyu, white clouds, hills and trees are all reflected in the water. the scenery in and outside the water is closely joined, and it is hard to tell which is teal one or which is a reflection. the scenery has inspired the passion of many artists and poets. a figure of speech is used here just right to describe the situation. it says, 'inside the water birds fly, and up in the sky fish swims.'the depth of the lake is between 10 and 20m, bit tje water so clean that you can see sof green algae move and fish swim at the bottom, and trunks in the water fully have been covered by calcified sediments that look rather like huge corals in pretty shape.

　　after you leave jinghai parkm you continue to walk for a while before arriving at another scenic site by the name of zhenzhutan. the slope-shaped shoal is calcified, 160m in width and 200m in length. the water flows freely downwards on the strface of the shoal that appears quite uneven due to the calcification. as the water unrolls, it splashes numerous tiny drops tather like rolls and strings of snow-white pearls spraying over the whole shoal. moreover, poplars, williws and azalea groe all over the upper part of the shoal. in may it is amazing to view the scenic beauty as you walk underfoot the rolling water spray, passing through the patches of azalea in blossom and listening to the ceadeless gentle sound from swaying willows.

　　wuhuaihai lake is ine of the main scenic sites, where it is an ideal place for photographs. the algae and bryophyte grows very well in the lake. sediments act on the sense of these plants and give rise to the clusters of multi-colorful ribbons in the strface of the lake. when maple and smoke trees around turn red in autumn, their reflection on the water resembles raging flames. encircling the ribbons in multi-colors.

　　the road near wuhuaihai lake spirals up the steep mountain. as it turns to a curve of the mountain, two lakes emerge in sight. one is called xiongmaohai and the other jianzhuhai. the panda and bamboo lakes join together, which indicates that pandas used to eat arrow bamboo plants and drind water here.as you know, the plant is the pandas'chief food source, in winter the panda lake is frozen, but the arrow lake remains what it is like before. at the lower end of the lake is a waterfall, the highest one in jiuzhaigou. it is called the panda's waterfall that resembles a flight of three stages. the first stahge is 19m in height and 5m in width; the second one is 24m in height and 4m in width; the third one is 19m in height and 14m in width. water falls down rebounding stages one after another before cascading into the deep valley. in midwinter the three stages hang ice-formed dripping water, which forms varied-patterns nd looks magnificent as if you found yourselves in the ice-carving world.

　　not far from rizegou guesthouse is the swan lake. it is said that swans used to reside here. at the present time, the lake remains semi-marsh land eith waterweeds fully covered on the surface. in spring the lake resembles a carpet of green grass; in summer the lake is splendidly decorated with blossomed flowers; in autumn the yelliwness in the lake meets the eye in every side; in winter the lake remains a world of ice and snow. near the upper end of the lake is an another lake called fangchaohai. the lake leads to hills where the hill peaks raise one higher than another. however, among the hills there is a pealk that obviously towers. it is named the sword rock because it looks sharp on the top and wide at lower part. passing the foot of the towering peak, you start to walk into a dense primeval forwst, where you find yourselves deep in the boundless expanse of trdds and plants, feeling as light as if you had left the world of men and became immortal beings. there are an abundance of trees that looking up you hardly see the sunshine. some of the trees curves down like awnings; some loom up like obelisks; some stand erect like men; some recline like dragons. beneath your feet are soft mosses that grow in a thick furry mass on wet soil. when you walk through the forest, cool greenery rests your eyes, gentle breeze sooths your ears and the utter quietness refreshes your heart.

　　wucaichi, 100.8m in length and 56m in width, is the smallest lake in jiuzhaigou. however, it is commonly believed that it is richest in color. someone says that it looks like an emerald inlaid inside the hills. many visitors usually stop to sit by the lake and seem to feel ease at heart. the water is ruffled, and its azure translucence below the water stretches to the bottom before your eyes. you may look in amaziment at multi-colored clusters displayed at the bottow like inexhaustible treasures supplied by the greator. some visitors even doubt whether it is painted by the local peoplw. the water from wucaichi neither increases nor diminishes. it soaks into the lake from changhai lake. as the sun xasts lights on the water, sekiments at the bottom act on the sense of algae and bryophyte plants and give rise to the multi-colorful clusters as it occurs in wuhuaihai lake.

　　after passing a col from wucaichi lake, you arrive at changhai lake which is licated at the top of zechawa gully at 3, 100m above sea level. there are several questeins related to the lake. hoe did the lake take shape? why soes the lake have no exit? is any fish in the lake? how long is the lake? hoe deep is it?

　　the first question still remains a mystery. it is uncertain if it took shape due to esrthquakes, landslides or mud-rock flow. the source of the water comes from springs from the forests and snow on the mountains around. the way of draining off water in the lake is to evaporate and permeate into the ground. in the lake the water never overflows in summer, and it never dried up in winter. the lake has no fish probably because it is too cold in the lake. a legend says that a monster had eaten yp all the fish a long time ago. the lake is 7.5km in aength, and in some parts it is 103m i9n depth.

　　the lake,tyhe largest one in jiuzhaigou, glimmers like jade, nibbling at the distant hills covered with snow. green forests around grow verdant, casting shadows on the lake ,from here you have a view of the unruffled lake, floating clouds, water birds frolic below across the lake, displaying them merrily. as you sit here, such natural beauty strikes you as vast and imagination. whether or not a creator exists, this sight will make you feel that there must surely be one. it seems strange that such wondwrs are set in the remote areas like this, where hundreds of years may have passed before you come along to appreciate them.

　　the daily tour to jiuzhaigou is steadily and serenely approaching to the end. anticipation, curiosity, delight are all held in delicate balance. reluctantly you are prepared to return to the reality of our own everyday world after you have enjoyed the brief glimpses of jiuxhaigou where cool greenery rests your eyes, running water soothes your ears, the great void revives your spirit and the utter quietness refreshes your hearts.

［四川］都江堰英文导游辞

7kao.com 279 11-28

the dujiangyan dam, 45km rorth of chengdu, is an ancient technological wonder of the country. more than 2000 yers ago, li bing(250-200bc), as a local governor of the shu state, designed this water control and irrigation dam and organized thousands of local people to complete the project to check the mingjiang river.for many years the river,flooded the chengdu agricultural area and local farmers suffered a lot from the water disaster. due to the success of the project, the dam automatically diverts the mingjiang river and channels it into irrigation canals. for many years the dam has continued to make the most of the water conservancy works.

　　expansion has been undertaken since 1949 and at present the system does a good job of irrigating farming land across 33counties of the western part of sichuan province. local people feel proud of the system becaude it has supported a large amount of people in their daily life.

　　what makes this system so good?

　　the system is a large hydraulic water project which consists of three main parta: the fish mouth water-dividing dam, the flying sand fence, and the bottle-neck channel.

　　the fish mouth functions to divide the flow of water into an inner river and an outer river. long ago, when li bing worked as the local governor of the shu state, he found the old river canal was too narrow to hold much water, which often overflowed the banks and caused disastrous flood. based on natural geographic conditions, he organized the people to build a man-made dam. the whole dam looks like a fish, and the front dam has a circular cone shaped like a fish mouth. it is the dam that channels water into an outer canal and an inner canal. the outer water canal functions as the main stream and holds sixty percent of water in the river. the extra water goes through the inner canal for irrigation in chengdu areas.

　　the flying sand fence joins the inner and outer canals. the fence functions to controll the flow of water and discharge excess into the inner canal from the main stream. during the dry season the fence doesn't work much, but when floods occur, the river rujshes forward along the outer canal. as it approaches the fence, the fence,the river begins to turn round fast and soon many whirlpools are formed. the volatile whirlpools swee p away sand and pebbles and, throw them into the outer canal. for many years huge bamboo baskets were used as the fence. they were filled with stones and pebbles. however,at present, reinforced concrete weir has replaced the ancient fence.

　　so now, let's discuss the bottle-neck channel. a trunk canal was cut through the mountain into two parts which link up the inner canal for irrigation. the small part is later called li dui, which means an isolated hill. chengdu looks like a large bottle and the trunk canal between the mountain and the hill takes shape of the bottleneck. the trunk canal technically has two functions: first, it leads the water to irrigate the farming land in western sichujan; secondly, the trunk casnal works together with the flying sand weir to keep the flow below a certain point in the inner canal during flood season. some stone tablets, which stand on the isolated hill, are engraved in buddhist sanskrit. the local people hope that the buddhist tablets can exert the buddhist superpower to harness flood disaster. for over two thousand years, in fact, the fish mouth water-dividing dam, the flying sand weir, and the bottle-neck channel automatically work together to control foods and sweep away sand and stones in the main stram. the local people benefit a lot from this project.

　　not far from the dujiang dam, a daoist temple complex was wrwcted was erected to commemorate the benevolent rule of li bing and his son who succeeded him. li bing and his son were granted the posthumous title of wang. the folk story says that july 24of the chinese lunar calendar is li bing' birthday. on the day many local people visit the temple where they prostrate themselges before the image of li bing and his son and burn incense to honor them. the larger-than-life painted statues of father and son overlook the rushing river below. nearby a stone tablet os engraved with a famous six-character quotation from li bing,'when the river flows in zigzags, cut a straight channel. when the riverbeb is wide and shallow, dig it deeper.' the temple which is built near the mountaintop, is a popularstopping place for sightseers. there one can enjoy a unique view of the most modern parts of the water conservation project.

　　people appreciate the ancient wonder, which still works to benefit people today.

［四川］杜甫草堂英文导游辞

7kao.com 241 11-28

du fu(712~770)thatched cottage used to be the former hone of du fu, one of the greatest poets in the tang dynasty. located in the western suburbs of chengdu, the spot is marked by a stream, ancient style architecture, pavilion pagodas and age -old trees.

　　the cottage consists of six important parts, they are the front gate, the lobby, the hall of poem history, the water pavilion, the gongbu shrine and the thatched cottage.

　　at the time of the tang dynasty, du fu's poetry first came to be recognized. readers of many different periods have considered du fu to be the greatest poet of the chinese tradition. such general agreement can partially be explained by the immense variety of his work, which holds up quite well to different tastes and historical changes in fashion. like shakespeare in english tradition, du fu's poetry came to be so deeply bound up with the constitution of literary value that generation after generation of poets and critics rediscovered themselves and their interests in some aspect of the poet'

　　chinese critics from the song dynasty referred to du fu as the'poet-historian'. both before and after the an lushan revolt, du fu witnessed a typical political and social situation; the common people still lived in poverty while the emperor and his top officials enjoyed a foolishly luxurious life. he composed many poems such as 'song of the war chariots', 'three officials'，and 'three departures'。his poems expressed his dissatisfaction with the government and his great pity for the common people. du fu used his poems to comment on current events and historical images. du fu became the historian by creating his responses to particular situations.

　　du fu was talented. when he was young, he wanted to get a good job in the government. unfortunately du fu was refused several times. he was in his fifties when he began to serve as a minor official in changan (xi'an). gongbu was his official title and probably he was in charge of the lical industry.

　　du fu was not a skilled survivor in government politics. he was dismissed in the form of a transfer to the post of personnel administrator in huazhou and so left changan. du fu soon gave up this minor post in disgust and set off with his family to qinzhou in the northwest. after a short stay he moved on again and in 759 he arrived in chengdu. he set up a modest cottage with some money he borrowed from his friend who served as a local governor. in the cottage he had a simple and peaceful life for three years, writing about 240porms. mostly inspired by the cottage, the stream nearby and the scenery in chengdu. these poems give the impression that he was happier in chengdu than any other time in his life. the poems of this period sound relaxed and happy. here are some of them.

　　in chengdu the flutes and the strings

　　you hear them so loud even in the daytime

　　the melody fades in the river wind

　　and half in the towering clouds above us

　　oh it should never be played here

　　it belongs to the emperor's hraven

　　we thank you for what is not ours

　　but the emperor will be hearing it also

　　two yellow orioles sing in the tenser green willow

　　a line of herons crosses the blue sky

　　when you open the west-facing window

　　the snow is framed in the summit of the mountain

　　and the ships that will sail east for dong wu

　　they lie at anchor in the sun-filled doorway

　　a good rain knows its season

　　it brings thins to life right in spring

　　it enters the night, unseen with the breeze

　　it moistens things gently and without sound

　　du fu left chrngdu after 762 and wandered in the southern provinces and eventually died of illness in 770. after his death, the people if chrngdu built a shrine on the site of his garden to honor him. since then, it brcame the custom to visit on the seventh day of the lunar month(around the middle of february). an ancient couplet still hangs on the top of the front door. it reads:'锦江春风公占却，草堂人日我归来。'it was written by a scholar of the qing dynasty, whose name was he shaoji. the couplet means that du fu owned the jingjiang river and the spring breeze; on the seventh day of the fir st lunar month did i come to visit his cottage. the original cottage no longer exists and the buildings within the cottage compound. south west of the city, have been repaired and added to thirteen times since the eighth century. the gongbu shrine is at the center of the six important sites in the cottage compound……it is a small hall in the eastern section of the grounds, dedicated to the memory of du fu. it contains a statue of du fu flanked by ghose of two other poets; huang tingjian(1045-1105)on the right and lu you (1125-1210)on the left. thesee two poets were both from the song dynasty and occupied an important place in the traditional chinese literature history. huang ting jian, from xiu shui in which affected his official posts. later when his opposition party was in power, he was dismissed from his major official post and banished to yizhou. huang was one of the followers of su shi. he sincerely studied du fu's poetry and intentionally car during theearly song dynasty. lu you, from shaoxing in zhejiang held a succession of mionor of ficial posts but was unable to affect any of the political reforms he advocated. im 1172, he began to serve in the army on the sichuan -shaanxi border. it is known that sometime later he was dismissed from a post im jiangxi for distributing government grain to relieve famine. lu you was a prolific poet and more than nine thousand poems have survived. both huang ting jian and lu you are noted for their ardent patriotism. here are some of their poems :

　　looking all round, a fine sight of hills and waters i found:

　　leaning on the tower railing, i could enjoy what was sweet:

　　the fragrance of water chestnuts and lotus stretching far

　　the soft breeze and bright moon which were both

　　free and made tower cool ;

　　(huang tingjian, tr, guo zhuzhang)

　　erect hedge and implant fence to shield and sustain these new bamboo,

　　they are meticulously cultivated and their dark green color is reflected in ripples.

　　the blowing of the cool breeze tells the early coming of autumn,

　　and i am not aware of the blazing sun in the sky at such high noon.

　　i hear the rustling sound when the sheath is shedding from the sprouts.

　　and see the dense fluttering shadows of these newly grown young bamboos.

　　once i retire from my position, here will be the place to which i often come,

　　and carry with me along a pillow and a mat that are made of bamboo.

　　(lu you, tr. cui wenkai)

　　in the traditional chinese literature history, there were thousands of poets, why were these two poets selected to accompany du fu ?there are three reasons:firstly, they made greart achievements in studying du fu's poetry. secondly, they used to live in sichuan, and enjoyed their stay, thirdly, du fu's statue might have been lonely in the gongbu shrine without any accompaniment. so when people placed the statues together, they ghought that the three poets might have time to talk about their poetry. the shrine of the three sages is named from the above -mentioned story.

　　inside the shrine are two valuable stone tablets from the qing dynasty, on which the whole picture of the thatched cottage has been engraved. the tablets showus the design and development of the cottage dated bace to the qing dynasty. also an other two stone tablets are in the shrine, which tell the story about the refurbishment of the cottage and the reason why huang tingjian and lu you's statues stay with du fu's.

　　on left side of the gongbu shrine is a huge tablet placed in a straw -roofed pavilion. prince guo of the qing dynasty wrote the calligraphy on the tablet when he visited the cottage. a screen wall at the entrance to the flowery path is decorated with the characters caotang(thatched cottage ) at old blue and white ceramic fragment.

　　at present, du fu's cottage is a museum. it has a rich collection of over 30000bound volumes, and 2000cultural relics, the bound volumes include thea ncient cut blocks photo-offset, hand -written, and modern stereotyped copies, the translation editions are in 15 languages. as you walk around the cottage, you will experience the traditional chinese culture and literature characterized by du fu's poems.

［四川］峨眉山英文导游辞

7kao.com 188 11-28

　mt.emei is one of the 'four famous mountains'in china. it lies about 168km from chengdu, the capital of sichuan province. before the tour of the holy mountain, it is important to obtain some inforation about the spread of buddhism in china, buddhism in mt. emei and its hiking routes.

　　the spread of the buddhism

　　buddhism was founded in india around the 16th century bc. it is said that the founder was sakyamuni. sskyua was the name of the clan to which his family belonged. sakyamuni was a prince and was brought up in luxury. in his 20s, he became discontented with the world. every day he had to face with sights of sickness, death and old age since the body was inescapably involved with disease, decrepitude and death. around the age of 30 he made his break from the material world and plunged off in search of enlightenment.

　　sakyamuni began by studying hindu philosophy and yoga. then he joined a band of ascetics and tried to break the power of his body by inflicting severe austerities on himself. however, no matter how he held his breath until his head burst and starved his body until his ribs jutted out, he failed to enlighten himself. finally sakyamuni followed the principle of the middle way hn which he would live between the extremities of asceticism on one hand and indulgence on the other. as the story goes, he devoted the final phase of his search for enlightenment to meditation and mystic concentration. one evening he sat beneath a fig tree, slipped into a deep meditation and achieved enlightenment from his mystic concentration.

　　sakyamuni founded an order of monks and for the next 45 years or so peached his ideas around 480 bc. sakyamuni teaches that all life is suffering. everyone is subjected to the trauma of birth, to sickness, decrepitude and death. real happiness can't be achieved until suffering is overcome. the cause of unhappiness is 'desires',specifically the desire of the body and the desire personal fulfillment. in order to overcome the desirs and achieve happiness, it requires the following eight-fold path.

　　1.right knowledge

　　buddhist followers should believe that all life is suffering. it is caused by the desire for personal gratification.

　　2.right aspiration

　　buddhist followers should becomw passionately involved with the knowledge of what life's problems basically are.

　　3.right speech

　　buddhist followers shousd avoid lies, idle talk, abuse,alander and deceit.

　　4.right behavior

　　buddhist followers should show kindness and avoid self-seeking and personal fulfillment in all actions.

　　5.right livelihood

　　buddha considers spiritual progress impossible if one has occupied himself/herself with slave-dea-ling or prostitution.

　　6.right effort

　　the effort os the will to develip virtues and curb paddion.

　　7.right mindfulness

　　buddhist followers should practise self-exami-nation and cultivate themselves to overcome the state of semi-alertness and become aware of what os happwning to them.

　　8.right absorption

　　the absorption involves the techniques of hinduism's raja yoga and leads to the same goal.

　　by following the eight fokd pah, buddhist followers aims to attain nirvana, a condition beyond the limits of the mind, feelings, thoughts, the will and ecstasy. buddhism accepts the concept of reincarnation, the circle of rebirth; it accepts the law of cause and effort.

　　buddhism has many sects, of which the mahayana and the hinayana are two major schools. the mahayana holds that the fate of the individual is linked tg the fate of all others. the buddha won't float off into his own nirvana leaving other peope behind. he not ony shows the people the way up into their nirvana, but also continues to exude spiritual help to those seeking nirvana. the hinayana holds that the path to nirvana is an individual purauit. people who seek nirvana must tread the path to nirvana on their own.

　　mahayana buddhism is generally believed to have been ntroduced into regions inhabited by the han people around the first century a.d.in the wei and jin dynasties(220-420) it spread to a fairly large part of the country. during the southern anb northern dynasties(420-589) the ruling cladd furthered the dissemination of buddhism. more temples and monasteries were built; buddhist scriptures were translated. the influence of buddhism was felt everywhere across the conutry. by the sui and tang dynasties(581-907) buddhism had reached its apex of popularity and splendor.

　　buddhism gradually took root in the chinese soiety, having adapted considerably to chinese ways of thinking and practice. as the most influential religion in china, buddhism has an impact on chinese philosophy, morality, literature, art and many other foelds.

　　buddhism in mt.emei

　　it is almost two thousand years since buddhism was introduced from india. its monasteries covers everywhere in china except a few daoist mountains like mt. qingcheng. it is commonly said that buddhist monks have occupied much mote well-known mountains for their buddhist ptrpose than daoist priests. however, most of buddhist followers bwliwvw that only the fotr famous mountains in china are the buddhist holy places. they are mt. wmei in sichuan, mt. putuo in zhejiang, mt. wuta in shaanxi and jiuhua in anhui. each mountain is dedicated to different bodhisattvas. in chinese bodhisattva usually is referred as pusa, a potential buddha, who has achieved perfect enlightenment and decided to bring salvation to all suffering creatures before entering into nirvana. therefore, each bodhisattva has his own ritual place to salvage suffering creatures .wenshu performs the buddhist rites in mt wuta, and guanyin in mt. putuo. dizang is said to have gained enlightenment in mt jiuhua. puxian is regarded as one of the four well-known bodhisattvas of china's buddhism. legend has it that mt. emei in sichuan is the place where he performs the buddhist rites. puxian and wenshu appear in a pair in suppirt of sakymuni. they usually stand side by side with sakymuni. the middle. puxian is the right attendant. he rides a white elephant, and wenshu a lion as we often see in monasteries. wenshu is a symbol of wisdom while puxian benevolence. buddhism encourages its followers to study hard at the buddhist theory, and then use what they have learnt to do charitable works for the purpose of salvaging the suffering creatures. more likely wisdom and benevolence display the buddhist proceess step by step.

　　one of the buddhist doctrines says that after puxian achieved perfect enlightenment, he vowed to retrn back to the world and not to accept his own salvation until all sentient beings, humans and animals had been saved. puxian went out on his elephant to realize his ambition. his six-tusk elephant enjoys a high statue in the buddhist world known as the elephant king. wannian monastery is dedicated to the gilded statue of puxian who sits on the white elephant. this statue, 8.5m high, is cast in copper and bronze, weighing estimatedly 62,000kg in a brick hall .one doctrine says:'puxian has many images. he puts himself into different forms based on the buddhist predestined relationship. the ordinary human beings can only see him in a human bodily form, who sometimes stands by sakyamuni,or simetimes rides on his white elephant.' according to the explanation of the buddhist texts, it is almost impossible for the ordinary human beings to see puuxian's fa and bao images unless they hike up to the golden summit of the mountain, where the pious buddhists may see puxian's bao image in buddhist aureole-rainbow rings. in ancient times the buddhist aureole was called the illuminant image,which indicates that the puxian reveals himself in his buddhist aureole only before the people who have the buddhist predestined relationship.it is the iluminant image in the golden summit that has made the mountain nationally famous.

　　at the beginning of the eastern han dynasty,buddhism came imto china.it is commonly said that buddhism began to develop in sichuan during the eastern jin dynasty .it is very hard to find out when the first monastery was built,and who was the first buddhist monk to perform his rites in the mountain.the local historical records have no written information about buddhism in the mountain,which occurred before the jin dynasty. as early as in 400 a monk by the name of huichi arrived at mt. emei. at that time only a few ascetic practitioners lived in the animal-haunted mountain.staying with them,huichi started to build a temple with a statue of puxian set up inside .the current wan nian monastery grew out of the earliest temple.huichi was considered the founder of buddhism in the mountain.

　　during the western jin dynasty (265-317) a daoist priest by the name of qianming estab lished a daoist temple called qian ming temple in the mountain.it was the biggest daoist temple in the mountain where a hundred daoists priests performed daoism . at the beginning of the southern and nouthern dynasties(420-550), the priests decided to choose their head to be in charge of the temple. however, they had an endless dispute because of the difference of opinions . a bddhist monk by the name of mingguo went to the temple and taught the priests buddhism.finally all the priests were converted to buddhism, and the daoist temple became a buddhist monastery by the name of zhon g feng moonastery,during the southern and nouthern dynasties,buddhism developed in the mountain.a monk from india came to sichuan.his name was baozhang,the first foreign monk who arrived at the mountain after his short stay in chengdu.according to the local historical records,baozhang set up a monastery by the name of ling yan monastery.a stream flowed along the foreground of the monastery.behind it ,over a misty mountain,dark trees merged imperceptibly into the rest of the landscape.the monastery continued its development in the following dynasties.it was said that the monastery was the biggest in the mountain with 48 halls inside in the ming dynasty.unfortu-nately it was destyroyed by a fire towards the end of the ming dynasty. during his stay in china baozhang translated buddhist scriptures into chinese and made a contribution to the culture exchange between china and india.

　　during the tang dynasty (618-907) buddhism in sichuan developed considerably because some emperors supported buddhism during their reins .some important buddhist constructions were set up in sichuan such as bao guang monastery (the divine light monastery) in xindu county ,the giant buddha in leshan city ,and wen shu monastery in chengdu.of course, buddhism in the mountain was no exception.some famous monks kept visiting the mountain.

　　xuan zang made a pilgrimage to the sacred land of india to collect manuscripts and images and visit the well-known shrines from 629 to 645, leaving a valuable account of his travels in his 'records of the western regions', before his journey ,xuan zang came to the mountain.he visited puxian,earnestly hoping to get blessings from him .on his way up to the mountain he came across an old monk who offerd him a buddhist scripture. after reading it ,xuan zang felt more confident for his long journey to india.legend has it that puxian put himself in the bodily form of the old monk .from 779 to 805, weigao, the local top military commander in west sichuan, donated to support buddhist development both in leshan and mt.e-mei.during the rein of xizong(874-888) of the tang dynasty, a well-known monk by the name of huitong came to the mountain from zhijiang. he stayed in baishui monastery as the abbot, he employed many workers to maintain and enlarge the existed monasteries, and at the same time he himself arrfanged workers to establish qingyin pavilion monastery. he even invited his yiunger sister huixu, a buddhist nun to stay in he shui monastery. huixu was the first unu in mt. emei.

　　during the song dynasty buddhism in the moutain further developed, in 964 zhao kuangyin the first empperor of the song dynasty sent a 300-member-delegation of monks headed by jiye, a well-known monk to india to obtain buddhist scriptures, in 976 they came back with buddhist materials and images. due to jiye's great deeds, emperor taizhong honored him by allowing him to choose a place in china to perform his buddhism. jiye decided to go to mt. emei, where he stayed in niuxin monastery to perform his buddhist rites. zao kuangyin also asked one of his assistants by the name of zhang to come to chingdu, where zhang was responsible for casting a 8.50-meter-high statue of puxian in copper and bronze, and then transporting it to the baishui monastery on the site of the wannian monastery. several sing emperors kept presenting buddhist scriptures, paintings and valuable gifts to baishui monasters stood at the lower part of the mountain. at that time only a few visitors or monks hiked the mountain via the current wannian monastery. the monasteries above wsnnisn monsastery remained very primitive, still less the monastery on the golden summit, which was no more than a wooden house without a monk to live in.

　　during the ming and qing dynasties most of the emperors helped develop buddhism in china. zhu yuanzhang, the first ming emperor used to be a monk. in his monk career zhu yuanzhang had a close contact with a monk by the name of guangji who later worked in a monastery in the mountain. zhu yuanzhang asked him to reestablisshed xiwa monastery. after the completion of the monastery, zhu yuanzhang summoned him to stay in the capital of the ming dynasty, but guangju kindly refsed the invitqation and cotinued his stay in the mountain.

　　zhu yijun was the ling-reining ming emperor (1573-1620) who was buried in dingling, one of the ming tombs. he and his two wives reposed in the underground palace, which was excavatedf in august, 1956. as a story goes, his mother wanted very much to give a birth to a boy in order to inherit the imperial throne. therefore, she came to the mountain where she kneeled before the statue of puxian in baishui monastery vowing that she would establish a new monastery and gilt the statue of puxian if she was blessed to have a boy. soon afterwards zhu yijun was born, and he himself ascended the throne as expected. in 1600 the emperor issued an imperial edit to establish a beamless brick hall and gilt the statue of puxian on the white elephant. he even renamed baishui monastery as wannian monastery to celebrate his mother's birthday.

　　in 1602 four bronze halls were cast in changan on the current site of xi'an. one of them was moved up to the top of the mountain from which the golden summut was named. the hall was 8m high and 5m wide. there are no written records about how the hall was carried uyp the mountain. unfortunately the hall was completely destroyed by a fire. in 1828 a monk by the name of yuexzhao collected donations to set up a glazed-golden-roof brick hall, which replaced the bronxe hall. in 1972 another fire occurred, the hall, a telecom tower and andther monastery were all destroyed. the new monastery completed in 1990 still bears traces of its original splendor.

　　towards the end of the ming dynasty, buddhism declined because of a local war, which lasted many years in sichuan. by the end of the qing dynasty buddhism in the mountain had been restored as much as in the ming dynasty. both baoguo and fuhu monasteries were enlatged in the qing dynasty and now become the largest ones in the mountain.

　　before 1949, there were more than 70 monasteries and over 3,000 monks in all in the mountain. the monasteried owned a large amount of farming land to stpport the monks. half of farmers at the foot of the mountain worked for the monasteries.

　　routes concerned

　　every chinese or overseas visitor enkoys climbing to the top of mt. emei——the golden summit more than 10,000-feet-high. the mountain itself is shrouded in the ever-hanging cloud of fog. fir trees, pines and cedarsclithe the slopes; lofty crags, cloud-kissing precipices, butterflies and azaleas together form a nature reserve of sorts. at the golden summit one stands above the fog and gets a beautiful view, especially in the early morning when mountaintops are bathed in the radiance of the rising sun. late in the tare afternoon the viewers may see the magic light,which appears as a multicolored ring of light in the sky with the shadow of the viewer moves. this light phenomenon was traditionally known as buddha's aureole or the emei buddhist glory. actually it is a rainbow ring, produced by tefraction of water particles that attach themselves to a person's shadow in a cloudbank below the summit. devout buddhists, thinking this was a call from yonder,used to jump off the cliff of self-sacrifice in the belief that they would thus encounter puxian. so during the ming and qing dynasties officials set up iron poles and chain railings to prevent sticides.

　　totrists usually start their ascent of the mountain at baoguo monastery, originally constructed in the 6th century but entirely rebuilt in the 17th. there are two paths to jinding, named after a glistening bronxe hall that once crowned the main peak of the mountain. the northern path is wide and easy to follow. the southern path is more rugged and winding. because it is easier to go up than to come down, most people ascend by the southern route and return on the northern one. at predent there is a cable-car transportation up to the summit. tourists can continue either on foot or by cable-car.

　　the northern route passes bailong cave, wannian monastery and zhanlao terrace. the southern route passes through fuhu monastery, qingyinge monastery, jiulao cave and yuxian monastery. the two paths converge and lead to xixian poolm so called after the legend that puxian passed here on his white elphant, which he washed in the pool before resuming his trip. xixi9an pool is the place where tourists frequently come across wild monkeys who usually stand along the path begging for food from tourists. the chinese find the monkeys an integral part of the mountain trip and like to offer them some food fo0r fun. if you have no food, you should thrust open palms towards the monkeys to show you have no food. the path continues to leidongping tettace, a small temple in which the thunder god was supposed to live, and finally to jinding-the golden summit itself.

　　the hiking is spectacular and tiring, and the path difficult to follow in places. no matter whether you ascend or descend, youy have to keep a cautious eye on the next step. you should stop occasionally to get a longer view and enjoy the beautiful scenes. the scenery is also and excusw to rest and let your pounding hearts slow down. whenever you come across a lovely waterfall and spectacular gorge, you should sit by the waterfall, content with the stately beauty and blessings of that spot.

［陕西］西安华清池英文导游辞

7kao.com 209 11-28

huaqing pool is situated about 35 kilometres east of the city of xi'an. historically, the western zhou dynasty saw the construction of the li palace on the spot. in the qin dynasty a pool was built with stones, and was given the name lishan tang (the lishan hot spring). the site was extended into a palace in the han dynasty, and renamed the li palace (the resort palace). in the tang dynasty, li shimin (emperor tai zong) ordered to construct the hot spring palace, and emperor xuan zong had a walled palace built around lishan mountain in the year of 747. it was known as the huaqing palace. it also had the name huaqing pool on account of its location on the hot springs.

　　huaqing pool is located at the foot of the lishan mountain, a branch range of the qinling ranges, and stands 1,256 metres high. it is covered with pines and cypresses, looking very much like a like a dark green galloping horse from a long distance. so it has the name of the lishan mountain (li means a black horse).

　　the tang dynasty emperor xuan zong and his favourite lady, yang gui fei used to make their home at frost drifting hall in winter days. when winter came, snowflakes were floating in the air, and everything in sight was white. however, they came into thaw immediately in front of the hall. it owed a great deal to the luke warm vapour rising out of the hot spring. this is the frost drifting hall that greets us today.

　　close by the frost drifting hall lies the nine dragon pool. according to legend, the central shaanxi plain was once stricken by a severe drought in the very remote past. thus, by the order of the jade emperor (the supreme deity of heaven), an old dragon came at the head of eight young ones, and made rain here. yet when the disaster was just abating, they lowered their guard so much that it became serious again. in a fit of anger, the jade emperor kept the young dragons under the jade cause way (玉堤), with the morning glow pavilion and the sunset pavilion built at both ends of it respectively, to make the young dragons spout cleat water all day long to meet the needs of local irrigation. besides, he had the old dragon confined to the bottom of the roaring dragon waterside pavilion situated at the upper end of the jade causeway, and obliged him to exercise control over the young.

　　the nine-bend corridor west of the nine dragon pool leads directly to the marble boat, which resembles a dragon boat on the water surface. in the marble boat lies the nine dragon tang (the nine dragon hot spring where emperor xuan zong used to take baths). at the head of his court ladies and hundreds of his officials, he would come to the huanqing palace to spend his winter days in october of the lunar calendar and return to chang'an city as the year drew to its close. the nine dragon hot spring was originally built with crystal jade, whose surface was decorated with the carvings of fish, dragons, birds and flowers. in it twin lotus flowers also carved with white jade could be seen as well. the spring water welled from the break of an earthen jar, and spouted up to the lotus flowers. hence the name lotus flower tang (the lotus flower hot spring).

　　the gui fei bathing pool was where yang gui fei, emperor xuan zong's favorite lady, used to take bath. it was originally built with white jade, and in its center a blooming flower spouted water like a spring. the pool looked very much like a chinese flowering crabapple; hence its name the chinese flowering crabapple hot spring or the lotus hot spring……

　　lady yang used to make a stay in this pavilion to see sights or to air her hair after a bath. therefore, it was named the hair airing pavilion. whether the sun was rising or setting, the pavilion was aglow with sunshine; hence the name the flying roseate pavilion.

　　southwest of the gui fei bathing pool stands a brick-built pavilion. on its head three big chinese characters “xi jia lou” (fine sunset-bathed pavilion)are inscribed according to the model of the most celebrated according to the model of the most celebrated chinese calligrapher, yu you ren, here is the source of the spring water.

　　at this spa there are four hot springs. they have an hourly flow of 112 tons, and a constant temperature of 43°c. the spring water contains lime, sodium carbonate, sodium sulphate and other minerals, which makes it suitable for bathing and considerable treatment of quite a few diseases such as dermatosis, rheumatism, arthritis and muscular pain. the fine sunset-bathed pavilion marks the first source of the spring water, which was discovered some 3,000 years ago, roughly in the western zhou dynasty. its water flow averages 25 tons per hour. take up the steps east of the source of hot springs, you will gradually see the five-room pavilion where chiang kaishek made a temporary stay during the xi'an incident.

　　the xi'an incident took place on december 12, 1936, and it is also known as the double twelfth incident. after the incident of september 18, 1936, the japanese imperialists seized the three provinces northeast of china, and intensified their invasion of north china. this was the very moment vital to the chinese nation. yet chiang kaichek persisted doggedly in carrying out his reactionary policy “domestic tranquility is a must for the resistance against japanese invades,” and commanded the northeast army and northwest army, respectively headed by zhang xueliang and yang hucheng, to attack the shaanxi-gansu-ningxia border region. inspired by our party‘s policy “let us stop the internal war and unit to resist the japanese aggressors,” those two generals made to chiang kaishek the proposal of forming a united front with the communist party for the resistance. not only did he reject the proposal, but flew to xi'an to scheme the “suppression of the communist party.” and the slaughter of the patriotic youth. out of patriotism, zhang and yang started the famous xi’an incident.

　　very early on the morning of december 12, 1936 the incident was impending. zhang xueliang, together with yang hucheng ordered a squ ad of bodyguards to surround the huaqing pool. they fought a fierce battle there, and wiped out chiang's bodyguards in one vigorous effort. the sound of firing came to chiang kaishek, and he was so terrified that he crept out of the window with his nightgown and slippers only. what‘s more, he hurt his spinal bone, and lost one of his slippers while crossing over the back wall. he staggered up lishan mountain, and hid himself behind a stone in the crevice halfway on it. those brave soldiers began to search the mountain immediately when they rushed into the five-room pavilion to find that chiang's hat and clothes were still there and that his quilt remained warm. in the end they found chiang kaishek, and thus escorted him to xi’an.

　　in order to avoid a civil war and try t establish a national united front for the resistance against japan, mao zedong on behalf of the c.c.p.c. insisted on a peaceful settlement of the incident. therefore, a delegation headed by zhou enlai was sent to xi'an. zhou enlai and his suite did a large amount of work there, took everything possible into consideration, and ultimately forced chiang kaishek to accept the proposal by his two generals. on december 25, chiang was freed, and flew back to nanjing. the xi‘an incident was so peacefully settled.

　　the peaceful settlement of the incident put an end to the internal war which had lasted for ten years, and accelerated the formation and development of the national united front for the anti-japanese drive. moreover, it showed that the co-operative relationships between the communist and nationalists arrived at a new stage. it marked a great turning point in modern chinese history.

　　in the year of 1946 the kmt government had a “national rejuvenation pavilion” built near the crevice where chiang kaishek had hidden himself in the incident. it was also called “vital energy pavilion”. after the national liberation it was renamed “catching chiang pavilion”. close by the pavilion stands a wooden board which carries a brief introduction to the xi'an incident. iron chains and rings in the crevices east of the pavilion, by which visitors can climb up to take a look at chiang kaishek‘s shelter.

　　up the winding path east of the five-room-pavilion you will catch sight of a bridge-like construction. it shines regularly with a myriad of evening sun rays both in summer and autumn, and looks very much like rainbow. so it has the name of the hovering rainbow bridge.

　　located on the xixiu ridge (the west embroidery ridge) of the lishan mountain, the remains of the beacon tower of the western zhou dynasty seem easy to identify.

　　the beacon tower was mostly built at the top of the mountain to give border alarm in ancient times. it was constantly under special control. once the enemies were pressing on towards the border, the beacon tower began to take effect: it was made to smoke in the daytime while set on fire at night.

　　the story goes that bao si, queen of the western zhou dynasty was highly honored, yet she never cracked a smile. king you tried many ways to put a smile on her face, but he failed over and over again. he “called his court band to toll bells and beat gongs”, and she pulled a long face. then the band were asked to “play the bamboo flute and strings” and she remained displeased. afterwards, “maids of honour served wine, festively singing and dancing,” and she did not let out a smile at all.

　　“you don't like music! what on earth are you fond of?” the king asked.

　　“i nearly have a liking for nothing. but i can still well remember i liked to give ear to the sound of tearing a piece of coloured silk when i was a child. it was clear anf melodious,” she replied. king you said in excitement, “that is very simple. how come you didn't let me know it earlier?”

　　thus he ordered the officially appointed property manager to offer coloured silk, and made fresh and energetic maids of honour to tear it into pieces. hundreds of bolts of coloured silk were utterly torn, but bao si remained unmoved.

　　“why didn't you let out a single smile then?” he asked.

　　“i have never smiled so far, ” the queen replied.

　　the king tried over and over again, but failed repeatedly, and in the end he gave orders, “anyone both in and out of court who can amuse bao si will be awarded one thousand pieces of gold.”

　　afterwards guo shifu, a treacherous court official came and offered advice: “set the beacon tower on fire and fool your sovereign rulers.” that night the king and queen reached the lishan mountain by carriage, and gave the order. in the split second the flames of the fire lit up the sky ad the sovereign rulers moved their troops immediately to the lishan mountain. there they found nothing but that the king and queen enjoyed drinking festively. the king then dispatched his bodyguard to inform them that “everything should have been all right. i have just been joking with you.” when they got this, they looked at each other in blank dismay, and left disappointed. sure enough, bao si burst into laughter, stroking her hands when she noticed all the troops come in vain and go noisily. accordingly, guo shifu got a prize of one thousand pieces of gold. later on king you did so more often than not. in 771 b.c. quan rong (a then minority tribe) staged an armed rebellion against the western zhou dynasty. king you ordered urgently to set the beacon tower on fire, but all the sovereign rulers remained unmoved. consequently king yu was killed, and bao si was taken away. the western zhou dynasty vanished. herein come the chinese idiom “a single smile costs one thousand pieces of gold” and “the sovereign rulers are fooled by the beacon fire.”

　　u ordered urgently to set the beacon tower on fire, but all the sovereign rulers remained unmoved. consequently king yu was killed, and bao si was taken away. the western zhou dynasty vanished. herein come the chinese idiom “a single smile costs one thousand pieces of gold” and “the sovereign rulers are fooled by the beacon fire.”

［湖南］长沙马王堆汉墓遗址英文导游辞

7kao.com 217 11-28

from 1972 to early 1974, chinese archaeological workers excavated three tombs of the western han dynasty at mawangdui and achieved tremendous results which attracted attention at home and abroad. the more than3,000 cultural relics and a well-preserved female corpse unearthed from the tombs are of great value in studying the politics, economy, military, affairs, culture, science and technology of the early western han period.

　　mawangdui is located in the eastern outskirts of changsha, about four kilometers from the center of the city. for centuries it was said that king mayin of chu of the five dynasties period was buried here and hence the name “mawangdui”. formerly there were two earthen mounds closely linked together in the shape of a horse saddle, thus it also called “maandui”. in some historical documents it was called “erfeimu”, and “shuangnvfen”. it was said that lady tang, the mother of liufa, prince din of changsha in the early han, and another imperial concubine, lady cheng, were buried here. yet another record said that these were the tombs of prince liufa and his mother lady tang.

　　the opinions about who was buried here varied widely and the truth did not come out until the excavations began in 1792. it turned out that there were three tombs at mawangdui. the eastern mound was known as tomb no.1, and the western mound as tomb no.2. the third tomb was located to the south of tomb no.1 and covered up by the sealing soil of the latter so there was no visible trace of its existence. the three seals unearthed from tomb no.2 “chancellor to the prince of changsha”, “state the marquis of the dai”, and “licang” indicate that mawangdui was the burial ground of licang, chancellor to the prince of changsha stare and marquis of dai in the early western han dynasty, and his family. the historical records give licang‘s death as occurring in the second year of the reign of empress dowager liu. he occupant in tom no.3 is believed to be his son. unearthed form the tomb was a wooden tablet inscribed with the burial date.

　　after careful textu al research this was identified as the twelfth year of the reign of the han emperor wen di. the corpse in tomb no.1 is that of licang‘s wife, whose personal name, according to an unearthed seal, was xingzhui. a study of the stratigraphical relation of the tombs and the burial objects led to conclusion that tomb no.1 date from about the sixth decade of the second century b.c, a little later than tomb no.3.

　　the three han tombs were immense. tomb no.1 preserved very well. tomb no.2 the coffins were mostly rotted. most of the funeral objects were damaged and the corpse was totally decomposed because the tomb had been robbed in the past. the construction of tomb no.3 remained that of tomb no.1 but it was slightly smaller in size and there were only three steps at the mouth of the pit. there were three coffins in the wooden chamber but only a skeleton remained in the in the innermost coffin because the sealing was not tight enough. the funeral objects unearthed are abundant. there are paintings, books, maps, weapons, musical instrument, silk fabrics and so on. both the innermost coffins of tombs no.1 and no.3 were covered by a t-shaped.

　　color painting on silk. the two paintings are of similar subjects. the heavenly world, human society and the nether world are depicted. the top section portrays the sun, moon, stars, a big tree of a mythic island, celestial beings, heavenly gate guards, etc. the middle section depicts a scene of the tomb occupant offering sacrifices to gods. the bottom section represents a giant standing on the back of a pair of big mythical fish, holding up the earth. well balanced and ingeniously composed, the paintings harmoniously interweave fairy tales with reality. the artistic skill of the paintings makes them masterpieces of ancient art. judging from the shape, content, and the positions where the paintings were placed in the tombs, we know that they were a kind of funeral banner called “mingjing”. these banners were used in funeral ceremonies to usher the spirit up to heaven, reflecting the superstitious thinking of the feudal rulers.

mawangdui is located in the eastern outskirts of changsha, about 4kms from downtown changsha. in the preceeding centuries, it was bured here, hence the name 'mawangdui' formerly there were two eastern mounds here closely linked together.

　　from 1972 to early 1974, chinese archacological workers unearthed three tombs of the wester han dynasty here and achieved tremendous results that attracted wide attention at home and abroad.they excavated more than 3000 cultural relied and a well-preserved female corpse from the tombs.according to seals unearthed from tomb no2'chancellor to the prince to changsha','seal of the marquis of dai'

　　we know that the mawangdui was burial ground of li cang, chancellor to the prince of changsha state in the early western han dynasty and his family.

　　according to the historical records, li cang died in the secong year of the reign of empress lu. the occupants in tomb no3 were believed to be his son. unearthed from the tomb was a wooden tablet with the burial bate, which reads'the first day of the second month in the twelfth year' after careful textual research this was indentified as the twelfth year of reign of the han emperor wen ci. the corpse in tomb no1 is that of licang's wife, whose personal name, according to an unearthed seal, was xing zhui, a study of conclusion that 'tomb no:1 dates from about the 6th dacade of the 2nd century bc.

　　a little later than tomb no:3, tomb no:1 is the best preserved, and most of the relies showed here were excavated from this tomb.

　　now, i will introduce this thing to you one by one:

　　these are figurines. 162 wooden figurines were unearthed from tomb no1 and 104 form tomb no:3. they fall into three categories:attendants, musicians and odd-jobservants. no doubt, they represent the numerous servants enslaved by the marquis of dai, which reveal the parasitic life of the family.

　　now, pls look at these instuments, an intact zither with 25 strings, pipes composed of 22 pierced bamboo sticks and a set of pitch pipes were found in tomb no:1. in addition, a zither, a t- stringed harp, pipes and bamboo flutes were excavated from tonb no:3. strinkingly bamboo reads were found inside the pipes found in tomb no:3. there is a silvery point on each reed, which controls the pitch. this is the material evidence of the earliest reeds, ever used in wind instruments in the world.

　　these are weapons. they were excavated from tomb no3. there are 38 weapons altogether, including bows, a crossbow, arrows, an arrow seabbard, a weapon stand, halberds, spears.etc.compared with the weapon of the warring state period, the bow, the crossbow and arrows were somewhat improved so that arrows could travel futher, along with the garrison map. they help us to get an idea of the military situation in chansha state.

　　we know that china is a very big agricultural state, and long long ago, when people lived in western han period, there had come into being somewhat developed cultivation and animal husbandry. look, all these things were excavated from the tombs. the agricultural produce includes rice, wheat, barley, soybean, red peas, hemp seeds, vegetable;the animal produce includes deer, oxen, goats, sheep, pigs, bares,chickens, fishes and even chicken eggs.

　　well, lacquer ware, so beautiful! 184 pieces of lacquer ware were unearthed from tomb no1 and 316 pieces from tomb no:3. they includ tripods vases, square vases, boxes, toilet boxes, pitchers, ladles, cups, caved cup - containers, an armreat, a screen, a game tool and a dustpam. most of them are made of a wood base coated in lacquer, and some of a bamboo or hemp base, the designs, either painted in lacquer or pasted or incised with very fine strokes, were done in smooth and graceful.lines with gorgeous color, the exquisitely wrought lacquer wares indicate the highly developed state of lacquer crafts- manship and a side light on the economic situation of the early han dynasty. now, we have seen the areound parts of the first hall, pls follow me to the central past. here you can see the silk fabrics.

南岳大庙英文导游辞

7kao.com 168 11-28

good morning! ladies and gentlemen:

　　today we will go and visit the nanyue temple, nanyue temple is situated on the northern tip of nanyue township and at the southern foot of chidi peak. in a layout of nine rows, it is the largest and best-preserved ancient palatial architectural complex of south china. magnificent and splendid with resplendent upturned eaves. inside the east in parallel to eight buddhist palaces on the west, it is indeed a wonder in the history of religion that taoism. buddhism and confucian culture can co-exist within a single temple.

　　the exact time of the construction of nanyue temple is unknown. it existed asearly as in the qin and han dynastis. originally located on the summit of zhurong peak, the temple was later moved to the mountain foot to facilitate the religious activities. the beginning of the tang dynasty witnessed the formal construction of the heavenly lord huo's temple' the 'heavenly master temple'. so as to enshrine and worship the gods of the five sacred mountains, during the song dynasty the immortal of the hengshan mountain was revered as the 'heavenly master zhaosheng',as a result the temple was gradually expanded and enlarged. since the tang dynasty nanyue temple had beed subject to six fires and 16reconstructions all through the song. yuan, ming and qing dynasties. in the 8th year of emperor guangxu's reign in the qing dynasty (1882 a.d), the imperial court ordered the rbuilding of nanyue temple. which had been ruined by lightning, the project was imitative. copying the styles of the imperial palace. and even to the present day it is still well preserved.

　　fenced with red-brick walls.nanyue temple ccupies an area of some 70.000 square metres. from north to south lies in sequence nine rows and four courtyards-lingxing gate. kuixing tower. chuan gate. pavilion of imperial study, main hall, dwelling palace and the northern rear exit. the whole architecture complex stretches across on axis extending from south to north with its halls linked up together. the winding corridors and wing-rooms on both sides merge with each other. accentuating the magnificence of the stature of the principal part. on the east side of the main temple there are eight taoist palaces. coordinating with eight buddhist palaces on the west side.

　　the first row is lingxing gate. two gilded chinese characters 'mountain temple' are shining on the white marble at the top of the gate. the marble gate stands as high as 20 metres with a width of 1.1 metres and is meant to imply that during the past dynasties all the religious activities were officiated by real knowledgeable people. the second row is kuixing tower. the most perfectly preserved ancient stage in human province.with a breadth of 35metres and a length of 12. its fa?ade facing the main palace, the stage is the place where people hold religious activities and perform local operas during pilgrimage. before the tower stands a pair of 2-metre tall stone kylin (chinese unicorn). with their furious eyes widely open. they are like two solemn looking sentinels guarding the tower. the pebble path under the kuixing tower leads to the third row-main chuan gate. east and west gates. the gateway is made of gray bricks with an awesome depth and height of 15 metres. the courtyard within is filled with dense cypress trees and carpeted with green grass. the fourth row is the pavilion of imperial study. distinguished by its gilded tiles. octagonal doubleeaved roofs and exquisitely-crafted arches. inside the pavilion there is a bixi in the shape of a legendary animal like tortoise. legend has it that bixi is the ninth son of the dragon. the bixi carries an imperial stele on which the full text of on rebuilding nanyue temple was carved in the 47th year of kangxi's reign(1780 a.d.) in the qing dynasty.

　　the fifth row is jiaying gate. named after the line from the annals of han-books of rites and joys: 'this row is the place where local magistrates and monks welcomed ritual officials dispatched from the capital. after the jiaying gate the sixth row comes into view-tower of imperial study. which is the storehouse of the collection of imperial calligraphies .messages and inscribed boards concerning the past emperors' ritual presentations to the mountain. sweeet osmanthus ahead of the tower submerges the building with its refreshing scent when it blossoms every autumn.

　　the seventh row is the main palace. surrounded by towering old trees. camphor trees planted in the song dynasty and cypress in the ming dynasty compete with each other in setting off the beauty of the upturned double-roofs and the splendour of the palace. adding tremendous awe to the main palac. as it stands 29.11 metres, its girandeur rivals that of the palace of supreme harmony in the forbidden city in beijing. inside the palace there are 72 stone pilliars, standing for the 72 peaks on the hengshan mountain. the two huge pillars upholding the main roofs were cut out of a whole granite. each weighing 14 tons.

　　encircled by the balustrades are 144 relief sculptures carved out of white marbles. based on shanhai jing . pillars on the forefront overlap. carved on them are 56 historical and legendary thles . on the square door were carved the images. on the square door were carved the images of the 24 filial sons and the images of the 18 scholars. here tourists can get a rough idea of the age-old chinese confucian and taoist cultures. clay statues-heavenly king zhaosheng and general jin and wu line up in the palace with their impressively dignified look, calling forth in tourists a feeling of profound respect.

　　the eighth row is the dwelling palacewith double roofs and in perfect harmony with the whole mountain. this structure keeps up the architectural style of the song dynasty and is decorated with coloured drawings and patterns whichare popular among palaces in the north. giving a sense of gorgeousness to this palace. the ninth row is the northern rear exit. the end of the axial architecture, with zhusheng palace to the right and chief god palace to the left, at the back of the exit. a path leads farther into the mountain.

　　nanyue temple occupies a prominent position in the history of ancient chinese architecture. it carries the grandeur characterized by palaces in the north. and at the same time it smacks of the loveliness featured by gardens in the south. the architectural arrangement of the temple is clearly demarcated and gently modulated. strongly indicating the ingenuity and originality of the craftsmen. its ground and upper layouts are like an eternal musical movement with its own overture, main body and coda. demonstrating the excellence of ancient chinese architecture.

　　nanyue temple carries a profound cultural connotation. it boasts a large number of clay statues. wood engravings and stone carvings, which are all closely linked up with chinese tradition and culture. over 800 dragons of various sizes, which are the symbol of the chinese nation.can be found everwhere in the temple. the carvings on the roof wood and white marble balustrades are an encyclopedia of ancient history and mythology. there are fairy tales- 'pan gu creating the universe.' 'hou yi shooting the suns', 'jing wei filling up the ocean'?-; real stories about some historical figures- 'su wu shepherding sheep.' 'sleeping on sticks and tasting the gallbladder.' 'da mo crossing the sea'?- ; legends extolling filial piety- 'melting the ice with body warmth to catch carps.' 'weeping on the bamboo until it turns into shoots'?- most of the carvings are the lgends about the earliest ancestors of taoist immortals. as early as in the qing and ming dynasties, clay status, wood engraving and stone carving were reputed as 'the three wonders to the south of the yangtze river.'

　　all through the dynasties nanyue temple has been a thriving place to hold religious activities both for the feudal imperial courts and the ordinary people. every year the temple greets nearly 1.000.000 pilgrims. the offerings, presentation, titles and other customs are almost the same as they were thousands years ago. there are 'bowing pilgrimage' in which the pilgrims bow with each step or with every three steps , and 'hunger pilgrimage' in which the pilgrims bow with each step or with every three steps. 'and hunger pilgrimage' in which the pilgrims refrain from food during their trip. more often. pilgrims would set off in throngs. they wear gray clothes with a red cloth attached to their chest reading 'hengshan mountain pilgrimage.' holding buring incenses in hand. those pious pilgrims chant pilgriming theme' to pray for the peace of the nation and the wealth of people, making it a really spectacular scene on the mountain.

［湖北］归元寺英文导游辞

7kao.com 168 11-28

guiyuan temple

chinese buddhist temples are never single buildings. they always consist of a group buildings following a fundamental patter, which can, however, be modified. the main buildings and their symmetrically corresponding secondary buildings form individual groups and courtyards. the entire temple complex is spacious. the buildings inside the complex are usually single-storied and the main halls are sometimes decorated with a double roof. the towers, pavilions and halls can be multi-storied structures.

the chinese temple complex has been subject to great structural changes throughout the centuries. but temple architects follow the basic principles of secular structures from the tang dynasty onwards. the complexes stand on a central axis, usually a north-south axis: east-west only as an exception. (guiyuan temple is just the very exception.) the main buildings are strung along this central axis, their broadest sides facing south or east.

the most important and most frequently presented building inside a buddhist temple complex are the main entrance gate, the bell and drum towers, the hall of the heavenly kings, the hall of the buddha and a pagoda.

buddhism is said to be founded in india in the 6th century bc by siddatha gautama (bc565 –bc486), the son of a nobleman and member of the kshatriya caste near the present borders of india and nepal. buddhism advocates that all the people are created equal and turns against the caste system of brahmanism, so it was popular with the common people.

it was said that buddhism was spread to china in 2 bc. at the beginning, it was only regarded as a kind of witch. about 200 ad, chinese version of buddhist s scriptures began to appear, and thus, buddhist doctrines began to emerge with traditional chinese religious thought. from 2nd century to late 6th century, translation and research of buddhist sects with chinese characteristics were becoming more and more popular and many temples were built, which reached its peak in sui dynasty (581ad-617ad) and tang dynasty (618-907). some buddhist sects with chinese characteristics came into being. buddhism exerts a great influence on chinese philosophy, literature, art and folk customs.

what is presented before our eyes is a copper statue of a famous bodhisattva in hynayana buddhism. bodhisattva is a title which is only next to buddha. this statue is the image of avalokitesvara, which has been popular with chinese people or more than 1,000 years. she is called the goddess of mercy cordially by chinese and is regarded as the symbol of kindness, mercy and benevolence. when we visit the avalokitesvara pavilion after a while, i will give a detailed introduction about her. this copper statue was sent to guiyuan temple by taiwan buddhists in september 1990. it shows that all chinese, whether in the mainland or in taiwan, are eager for the reunion of the country, even including religion believers.

the building we see now is the buddha hall where one certain buddha and his two assistant bodhisattvas are worshiped. this buddha is amitabha buddha. amitabha means incomparable brightness. according to buddhism, time and space is limitless and thus there are many buddhas in different spaces and times. but in a certain space or in a certain period of time, there is only one certain buddha who is in charge of instructing all living creatures. amitabha buddha is the buddha who presides over the land of ultimate bliss in the west, which will come in the future. buddhist s scriptures describe the land of ultimate bliss as a wonderland, in which no pain exists and the people enjoy their lives. in one word, it's very attractive. some people will think it must be very difficult to enter such a world. how can i go to such a paradise? maybe i have to work hard and bear a lot of sufferings. in fact, it's very easy to enter the world. he only needs often murmur 'may buddha preserve us' sincerely. it's enough.

you see, the statue in the middle is the very buddha. on his left is the goddess of mercy. on his right is the other bodhisattva who follows the buddha. it is said that he can save all the living creatures from three kinds of terrible disasters.

now, let's step into the buddhist s scriptures pavilion where the s scriptures of buddhism are kept. but i'm afraid what attracts our attention at the first sight must be this snow-white statue. it is a statue of sakyamuni, the founder of buddhism. this statue was carved out of a big piece of jade which is 2-meter-tall and weighs 3 tons. it was carved by myanmar handicraftsmen and donated to the temple by the rangoon buddhists in 1935.

if we watch the statue, we may sense that the peaceful expression on the buddha's face has brought us to a quiet and harmonious state.

the last building we will visit is the avalokitesvara pavilion in the north yard. when we entered the yard just now we saw a statue of her. now i'd like to introduce her carefully.

as a goddess, she swore that she would not become a buddha until all the living creatures suffering from pains were saved. so she became a bodhisattva who is most popular among the people and attracts the most believers of all the gods and goddesses in buddhism. it was said that one would be saved from trouble and disaster as long as he (she) chanted her name and if it was heard by her. thus she is called guanshiyin, which means'hearing or looking on the voices of the suffering'. because of her kind heart and benevolence she got another title'the goddess of mercy'.

according to buddhism, bodhisattvas have no distinction of sex, that is, they are neither male nor female, because they are immortals. but it's very strange and interesting that most of bodhisattvas were engraved or carved in the images of various kinds of men in human society. changes didn't take place until an emperor's mother thought it was inconvenient to worship a male bodhisattva in her bedroom. from then on, guanshiyin, the bodhisattvas began to appear before her believers in the image of a beautiful and elegant lady.

we'll pay a visit to a very serious, sacred place. generally, the place is regarded as the most holy by buddhists. it is the grand hall, where the founder of buddhism, sakyamuni is worshiped. it is always the center of a buddhist temple in construction and in buddhists' mind.

the statue in the middle is sakyamuni. according to buddhism his mother gave birth to him in a garden. he belonged to kshatreya caste. he married his cousin when he was 16 or 17 years old. at the age of 29, he was confronted with the sights of an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a wandering ascetic. with eyes opened to aspects of life newly revealed to him, he broke from the material world and became an ascetic. six years later, he gave up mystic concentration that at last brought him enlightenment under a tree. he then founded an order of mendicants and spent his next 45 years preaching his ideas until his death.

these two statues beside the buddha are his two disciples. the one on the right was said to be sakyamuni's cousin and he had good memory so that he could remember all the buddha told his disciples. the one on the left was said to be the lord of brahmnism and he once was sakyamuni's tutor. but afterwards he was convinced by buddhism after long-term debate between buddhism and other religions and he accepted sakyamuni as his tutor. thus he became the eldest one of all sakyamuni's disciples.

next, we'll pay a visit to the ahrat hall in the south court.

the ahrat hall is an important structure in a buddhist temple. but not all temples have an ahrat hall, especially, well-kept ahrat halls are very rare in china. this one is among them, and what's more, it has its own unique characteristics.

generally, an ahrat hall is a square building. the building is subdivided into four small square courts so that the hall can get enough sunlight. this kind of structure show some lucky implies in chinese buddhist culture.

another characteristic about the hall lies in these sculptures themselves. they were neither made up of wood, nor stone, nor clay. a special way was taken in making them, which could prevents them from being burned, being soaked or being eaten by insects. all the sculptures were floating in water while wuhan was flooded in 1954, but, surprisingly, they were sound and safe after the flood had receded. it was really a wonder.

ahrats are the immortals in buddhism. but when you have a look around the sculptures, you may find from the expressions on their faces that they are so familiar to you. that's only because they were molded on the basis of the people in the reality, so they are human beings in our daily life rather than immortals.

ahrats are the symbols of harmony, happiness, and good luck, so the wuhan fatives have got used to counting ahrats since ancient time to pray for peace. there are a few ways of counting ahrats. we can count from the first ahrat from left to right or from right to left, when we just enter the hall. we can also choose any ahrat as our starting point, and count in the same way, left to right or right to left. we should base counting on our own ages whatever we take. for example, i'm 25, so i should stop in front of the 25th ahrat from the starting ahrat. the sculpture in front of which i stop is my lucky ahrat. my lucky ahrat will accompany me to spend a peaceful and lucky year. wouldn't you like to have a try now? if you need, i can explain connotation of some ahrats.

that's all for the explanation to guiyuan temple. thank you for your cooperation and understanding. you will have another 30 minutes to have a look around the temple. if you have any problems, do let me know. i would like to repeat our bus number, a3074. please don't forget. see you later.

［湖北］省博物馆英文导游辞

7kao.com 238 11-28

good morning ladies and gentlemen,

today, we will go to visit hubei provincial museum. on the way to the museum, i'd like to show a present to express my warmest welcome to you. you may wonder what the present is. well let me introduce it to you. the music you are going to listen to is the very gift. now, please enjoy the music.

have you ever listened to the music? and what musical instrument is used to play the beautiful melody? that's the serial bells, a wonder in the world. indeed a wonder in the world. every year tourists from all over the world continuously come to visit them and appreciate the programs played by it. each year they return with unforgettable memory.

the building with red wall and green tiers before us is the very museum, hubei provincial museum. constructed in 1953, the museum is the center for collecting, studying, preserving and displaying historical and cultural relics in hubei. more than 700,000 ancient relics are stored up in it. there is a collection of 100,000 books on history, archaeology, art etc. these relics provide precious material data for studying the development of history, culture, art, science and technology in ancient china.

situated in the middle reach of the yangtze river, hubei has a long history and rich land. as early as 2,000,000 years ago, our ancestors lived and worked here and gradually they began to create their own civilization. the relics unearthed from zenghouyi tomb are good proofs to the civilization. the relics displayed in the museum are most from the tomb. serial bells are the most precious and greatest of them all.

are you familiar with the history of the serial bells?

it is said that it is the oldest musical instrument kept in the world. you see, our ancestors already knew how to use music to enrich their lives so long ago.

luckily indeed, our archaeologists discovered it by accident and thus displayed the marvelous ancient civilization of chu state in front us.

in 1978, a soldier discovered a large tomb when building his house. it was really a great surprise to discover it at that time. afterwards, archaeologists excavated these serial bells on the same spot. this was appraised to be the tomb of zenghouyi. it was220 square meters, 20 metros deep, consisting of 4 tombs. the main coffin was made up of huge internal and external coffins. the man in it died at the age of 45. those buried alive with the dead were all female, aged from 13 to 25. they were in 21 coffins.

besides the serial bells, more than 7,000 other historical cultural relics have been unearthed, such as bronze ware, ancient musical instrument, weapons, golden ware, jade ware, painted ware, woodenware, and bamboo ware. most of them are unique art treasure and they were deliberately made.

what is especially worth mentioning is the ancient musical instrument, such as serial bells, stone chimes, drums, 25-stringed plucked zither, and bamboo flute. they are totally 8 types, including 124 pieces. the entire musical instrument is placed perfectly among the bronze serial bells. they make the tomb look like an ancient concert hall.

today the underground concert hall has come back to life. as a major instrument, 64 serial bells are put in the middle room, lined along the north and west wall. it can be concluded that serial bells a re zenhouyi's favorite, for his body was placed in the west room.

as wee see, these big bells are shaped like round-bottomed baskets; small ones are like warming pots. they are hung in 3 layers from the winding bell shelf that is 13 meters long, 2.7 meters high. the whole bell shelf is supported by 6 human-shape objects. it is as strong as newly cast.

ok, let me give you a brief introduction about the elegant ancient serial bells. all the bells have been played. they are all carved with inscription about musical melody. each bell can produce 2 pitches. after many years of research, we find that its amplitude approached the international level of today. the combined scale is the 7 notes in c major of today. its compasses very side, including 5 and a half octaves. the whole sound may be adjusted. its wooden shelf is quite exquisite. although buried for 2,400 years, the serial bells are well played. it not only can be used to play with to produce scores with the same melody, but also can produce mixed sounds though harmony and repeat tunes. chinese musical pieces, such as intoning three times before leaving yang pass, the moon on the spring river, and foreign pieces, such as christmas eve, can be played on it, even beethoven's ode to joy in the ninth symphony can be. foreign tourists are usually attracted by the fascinating music when listening to the chinese song the night on the prairie. when foreign songs cut in, they are shocked by the old civilization of chu state. as the famous violinist, menuin praised it, 'the grand greek music is accepted by the world'. however, the musical instruments in ancient greece were made of wood, what's more, not a single instrument is kept till today. here we are able to enjoy the sound of the instrument of 2,000 years' history from the tomb of chu state.

actually, whoever enjoys the music played on the serial bells will be surprised at the great achievement made by the people of chu state in the fields of music, culture, smelting, and casting.

according to the history, chu state was called the state of rites and music at that time. people in chu state love dancing. they danced in the palace and sang in the room. they knew how to enjoy dancing and singing. we can imagine the following scene. the host of the bomb was seated in his palace and watched the girls dancing. on both his sides sat his followers. they sat on the floor. a table with short legs was placed in front of them. they put one hand on the table that is used to hold arms. this can be proved by the relics in the tomb.

do you know, in china, a male and a female mandarin ducks are the symbol of love, for they often play together in the water and live together. can you see the box here? this box was found in the tomb. the box was painted. it was empty in it. but there are some pictures. they describe a very vivid situation; some people are striking bells, beating drums and dancing. this picture is very precious, for we can know how these instruments should be played, especially the serial bells.

i wonder if you have noticed that there is only one mandarin duck on the box. do you know why? oh, he is abandoned by his lover. but he found a new company—music. he didn't heed the other mandarin duck, for what he really loved was music.

well, i have a question. what is the tourists' favorite?

the music played on the serial bells.

［江苏］南京中山陵英文导游辞

7kao.com 252 11-28

my dear friends, when you come to a city, you probably want to visit the most famous scenic spots of special interest. nanjing has many places of historic interests and has been capital for six 'dynasties.' but if you leave nanjing without visiting dr. sun yat-sen's mausoleum, undoubtedly you have missed the most arresting and famous tourist attraction of the city.

talking about the mausoleum we should have an idea about sun yat-sen, the great pioneer of chinese democratic revolution. mr. sun's original name is sun wen and styled himself yat-sen. so foreign friends would call him 'dr. sun yat-sen'. since he took 'woodcutter in zhoushan' as his alias when he took part in the revolutionary activities, he was respectfully and widely called mr. sun zhongshan in china. on october 12, 1866, mr. sun was born in a farmer's family in caiheng village of xiangshan county (the present-day zhongshan city), guangdong province. when he was still young, he had great expectations. he studied medicine in honolulu, hong kong and some other places and after graduation he worked as a practitioner in gangzhou, macao and other places later he gave up medicine as his profession to take part in political activities. in 1905, he set up china alliance organization in japan and he was elected president. he put forward the famous guiding principle- 'driving the invaders out, restoring the sovereignty of china, establishing a republic and equalizing the land ownership' and the three people's principles-'nationalism, democracy and the people's livelihood.' on october 10, 1911, the wuchang uprising broke out and dr. sun as elected president of the republic of china by representatives from seventeen provinces. on the following new year's day (january 1, 1912) mr. sun took the oath of office in nanjing. from then on, mr. sun experienced yuan shikai's usurpation, the second revolution, 'campaign protecting the interim constitution.' in 1921, mr. sun took the position of president in unusual times in guangzhou. at the first national congress of kuomintang held in quangzhou in 1924, he perfected the original three people's principles and put forward three people's new principles. he also proposed the policies of 'making an alliance with russia and the communist party of china and helping the farmers and workers.' in november 1924, in spite of his illness, mr. sun went up to beijing to discuss state affairs with general feng yuxiang.

unfortunately, he broke down from constant overwork and passed away on march 12, 1925.

the location of the mausoleum was chosen by mr. sun himself. here is exactly a good place to build a mausoleum. you may wonder: mr. sun was born in guangdong but died in beijing. for his whole life he traveled throughout china for the revolution. why did he choose nanjing as the venue of his tomb?

it is said that far before mr. sun took office in 1912, the abbot of lingu monastery had recommended him that his place is good for fengshui, because it faces the plain and is backed up by green mountains as its protective screen. on march 31, 1912 mr. sun resigned as a political compromise for the sake of the union of the north china and the south china. one day of the early april, he went hunting with hu hanmin around the piety tomb of ming dynasty. they took a rest in the place where the mausoleum is located now. mr. sun looked around and said 'if possible i would like my countrymen to allow me to have this place to bury my coffin.' surely, the fengshui of the zijing mountain is not the basic reason for the location of mr. sun's mausoleum. the basic reason is that, he said on dying 'after my death, you can bury me at the foot of the zijin mountain in nanjing in memory of the revolution of 1911, because nanjing is where the temporary government was founded. 'so although mr. sun stayed in nanjing not a long time, it had a special meaning to him. fundamentally speaking, the reason he chose zijing mountain as his permanent resting-place is to commemorate the revolution of 1911 and to encourage the revolutionaries.

in order to respect mr. sun's wish, the preparatory committee of sun yat-sen's funeral, including his wife song qingling and his son sunke, examined the area and chose the site for the mausoleum. they delimited 2000 mu and offered a reward in newspaper for the best design of the mausoleum. among all the contribution, young architect lu yanzhi's design, a design in the shape of a bell, was highly praised and gained the first prize and he himself was invited to supervise the whole project as well.

on march 12,1926, the first anniversary of mr. sun's death, the project got started and 3 years later, it was completed in spring of 1929. it cost 1.5 million silver collars totally. unfortunately, luyanzhi, the young architect with great gift, suffered when supervising the project, and died at 35, just before the completion of the mausoleum. the completion ceremony was held on june 1, 1929 and mr. sun's remains were transported from beijing to nangjing. from then on, mr. sun has slept here for nearly 70 years.

the construction of dr. sun yat-sen's mausoleum was an important event in the history of nanjing. in order to meet mr. sun's coffin, the first asphalt road was built from zhongshan port in the west to zhongshan gate in the east; it is 12 kilometres in length and also called zhongshan road. up to today, zhangshan road is still one of the most important main roads. at the same time, the city gate chaoyang gate which was built in ming dynasty was renovated and changed its name to zhongshan gate. between zhongshang gate and dr. sun yat-sen's mausoleum, a road called the mausoleum road was built. just as the people of paris take pride of their les champs-elysees and the people of new york, the fifth avenue, the nanjing people are proud of their boulevards. and the 3 kilometers long mausoleum road is undoubtedly the best representative of these boulevards. along both sides of the 'green corridor' grows the main kind of tree in nanjing as parasols usually chinese people call them french plane trees, in fact they are chinese local products. just because frenchmen took them from yunnan province to france and later they transplanted them in their leased territory in shanghai, that is why they got such a name.

now, we are going out of the zhongshan gate and driving along the mausoleum road. the destination ahead is a square in shape of crescent. according to lu yanzhi's design, the place of the mausoleum is like a 'duo', a big wooden bell, which was used to announce a policy, decree or a war in ancient time. duo's sound is loud and clear, implying to make the whole world peaceful and happy. the design reminds the people of dr. sun yat-sen's well-known saying 'the revolution is far from success and we should continue working hard.' this saying also serves s an alert to the later generation. the crescent-shaped square is the bottom of the 'bell of freedom'.

now, please look to the south. there is an octagon platform structured with reinforced concrete but covered with jinshan stone of suzhou. the platform is divided into three layers and each layer is enclosed by stone rails. the copper 'ding' (an ancient cooking vessel) with two looped handles and two legs weighs 5000 kg. it is 4.25 meters high and its diameter is 1.23 meters. it is one of the construction for memory of the mausoleum. the 'ding ' was built in autumn, 1933 with donation of students and teaching staff of the zhongshan university and mr. dai jitao. one side of the 'ding ' is engraved with three characters 'intelligence, humanity and brevity'. these three words are the school instruction of zhongshan university. inside of the 'ding 'stands a hexagon copper tablet on which dai jitao's mother's handwriting of the 'filial piety' is engraved. to the bell-shaped mausoleum the 'ding ' is just like the pendulum. it seems to serve to alarm the whole nation by striking the bell.

stepping on the steps, we will see a soaring memorial archway with four columns. the archway was built between 1931 and 1933, 12meters high and 17.3 meters in width. it is made of huge granite from fujian province, but its structure is in chinese traditional wood structure style. now, look up at the shining words inscribed on the horizontal board. the word in english mean fraternity. they were written by dr. sun yat-sen. the word are taken from a tang dynasty poet han yu's 'fraternity is humanity ' .it is said that mr. sun very much liked to write these two words to others. dr. sun devoted his whole life to bourgeois democratic revolution with great fraternity and struggled for the national independence and freedom fro scores of years. so we can say that 'fraternity' is the best generalization of his life.

further from the fraternity archway, there is a road leading to the mausoleum. the road is 480 meters long and dozens of meters wide. the whole design of the mausoleum gives prominence to chinese traditional style, grand, solemn and specific. in order to embody the greatness of mr. sun, the mausoleum followed the example of ancient mausoleums and was built against mountains and the coffin chamber was placed at the top of the mountain that is 160 meters high. in addition, the plants of the mausoleum are symmetric, which make it feel more solemn. now, please look forward to the north, along the hillside, situate the mausoleum gate, the stele pavilion, the memorial hall and the coffin chamber right behind. the pines, cypresses, ginkgoes and maples on the both sides of the road represent mr. sun's revolutionary spirit and lofty quality. they take the place of statues and stone beasts which usually flanked the sacred road in ancient times. among the trees, cedar is one of the 'four kinds of tree for appreciation' and has been honored as the tree of nanjing city. the grand archway at the end of the mausoleum road is the formal beginning of the mausoleum area. it is 16 meters high, 27 meters wide and 8.8 meters deep. it is made of granite from the fujian province, too. inscribed on the horizontal board of the middle passage is dr. sunyat-sen's handwriting. it means that the state doesn't belong to one family but belongs to the entire nation and the common people. this is the goal for which mr. sun struggled for his whole life and it is also the excellent ex planation of the democracy of the three people's principles. we have passed the gate of the mausoleum, then in front of us is the stele pavilion. the 9-meter high stele in the middle of the pavilion was engraved with 24 gold-plating characters of yan zhenqing style, 'chinese kmt buried premier sun here on june 1, 18th year of the republic of china'. these words were written by one of the founder members of kmt, tan yankai. when talking about setting up a stele, wang jing wei and hu hanmin were arranged to write an inscription for mr. sun, but two years passed, yet nothing they could write. because they thought that mr. sun's merits couldn't be generated by word, then they chose to use the present from to praise dr. sun without engraving an inscription.

going out of the pavilion, we'll see numerous layers of steps. the people of nanjing often say that the steps in the mausoleum ware as number as the stone lions on lugou bridge (known for westerners as marco polo bridge). so when coming here tourists usually ask, 'how many steps on earth are there in the mausoleum?' my friends, if you are interested you can count them.

now we are coming near the top platform. look, there are two big copper 'ding'. they were contributed by shanghai municipal government of that time. now, please look carefully. there are two holes in the bottom of the left 'ding'. why? just let me tell you .in late 1937, when the japanese army attacked nanjing, their shooting left two holes in the left ding. now, although the circumstances have changed, the two holes always remind chinese people not to forget the national humiliation. not far away, there are two bronze dings in ancient style. they are presented by mr. sun's son sun ke and his family.

ascending the steps, now we have reached the top of the platform. here we can have a bird-view of what it is in the distance. the memorial hall is the half way up to the mountain and there are altogether 392 steps covered if you count from the archway of fraternity. the vertical distance is 70 meters but the plane distance is 700 meters. if you count the steps from the stele pavilion, the number of steps is 290. in order to avoid monotone, the architect divided the 392 steps into 10 parts and every part has a platform and there are totally 10 such platforms. more marvelous, if you look up from the bottom, you can see that the steps extend to the top without stop and you cant see any platform. but if you look down from the top, you only see the platforms. the number of the steps, 392, is not a random number; it implied the number of chinese population at that time-392 million.

now we are in front of the memorial hall and the coffin chamber. they are the major parts of the mausoleum. the construction of these two building was supervised then by lu yanzhi, the gift young designer. if is when he was doing these two building he died of cancer. so when the later generation mentions him they would often say, 'it is a great pity he died before his complete success.' the structure of the sacrificed hall is of an ancient wooden palace style. it is 30 meters long, 25 meters wide and 29 meter high, surrounded by smaller constructions of fortress style and two 12.6-meter-high cloud columns. its roof, with double-eaves and nine ridges, is covered with blue glare tiles. the outside of wall is covered with granite from hongkong. the inscription on the horizontal board is engraved with seal characters cut in relief- 'naturalism' 'democracy' and 'the people's livelihood'. these are the most basic and general guiding principles of mr. sun's revolutionary activities. above 'democracy', there is a horizontal inscription board with sun's handwriting on it, 'fill the world with justice'.

please follow me into the memorial hall. the floor is covered with white and black marble from yunnan province. the colors of white and black are among the traditional color for burial ceremonies in china. there are 12 black stone columns, with 0.8 meter as the diameter for each. you will see that the interiors of the walls around are inset with black marble. now you can have a look at mr. sun yat-sen's handwriting of 'programme for founding a state', engraved on the east and west walls. the main colors of the hall are black, white and blue, which are used to express filial piety in china. the inside windows are inlaid with smaltos. they present western flavors especially with floods of sunshine. the style of the whole structure is a blend of the east and the west, representing the well blended doctrine of dr. sun yat-sen.

in the middle is the sitting statue of dr. sun yat-sen in a robe. it is 4.6 meters high and the bottom is 2.1 meters wide. it was sculpted by the famous french sculptor paul arinsky whose native country is poland. he was entrusted by the committee of dr. sun yat-sen's funeral for sculpting it. he chose the italian marble as the material for the statue. in 1930, the sculpture was sent to the mausoleum from paris. its total cost was 1.5 million francs. the sic relief below are pictures depicting mr. sun's life and revolutionary activities.

passing through the hall, we have come to the coffin chamber. there are two doors that you need to get through. the outer door consists of two american-made safety door leafs which are made of copper. the nails on them and the mysterious beasts on the copper loops are typical of traditional chinese. the horizontal inscription board was engraved with 'the noble spirit will never perish ' which was sun's handwriting for the 72 martyrs' tomb in harangue mound of guangzhou .the second door is a single copper leaf engrave with seven characters 'mr. sun yat-sen's tomb' which were written by zhang jing jiang.

the tomb is a half globe in shape. the design of kmt emblem is mosaicked in the vaulted dome. the floor of the round room is covered with marble. the room's diameter is 18 meters and the height is 11 meters .the walls are covered with pink marbles. the circular marble pit is 1.7 meters deep and 4.35 meters in diameter. it is enclose with 1-meter-high white marble rails. in the pit lays dr. sun yat-sen lying statue in zhongshan suit. this is sculpted in accordance to mr. sun's remains by a czechoslovakian sculptor. his copper coffin is lying about 5 meters below the sculpture. you may ask why on earth the clothes dr. wears for the sitting statue are totally different from those for the lying one? in those years, the leftists and the rightists inside of the kmt had severe conflicts. the rightists, headed by chang kai-shek wanted to restore the ancient ways and opposed revolution. they insisted that mr. sun should wear long robe, while the leftists insisted he wear zhongshan suit. since they had different opinions thus the two statues have different clothes styles.

my friends, i'm afraid you must be concern about whether mr. sun remains are in the tomb or not. in fact, his remains had a unusual experience. after his death, his remain were dealt with antiseptic and placed in biyun monastery in beijing in march, 1925. when the warlord zhang zong chang was defeated by the north expeditionary army and withdrew to beijing in 1926, he ascribed his failure to mr. sun's remains and decided to burn them .it is the patriotic general zhang xuelian who sent troops to protect the remains. unfortunately they were once exposed to the air though they were safe again. on may 28, 1929, mr. sun's coffin was sent to pukou from beijing by jinpu railway, and on june 1 it reached the mausoleum. after the grand ceremony of feng'an, the coffin and the remains were put into the pit and used cement to concrete it .the bottom of the tomb is granite. under the copper coffin, there is a specially made wooden pad and enclosing the coffin is a well-sealed crystal box. after the breakout of the resistance war against japan, kmt government planed to transport the remains to chongqing and at the end of the liberation war, chang kai-shek planed to transport it to taiwan this time. because it was not an easy job to take the coffin out and the work might do damage to the remains as well, this plan was fiercely attacked by the engineering field and the left wing of the kmt. at last chang gave up the plan. so the remains have stayed here safely up to today.

passing through the door in the back wall of the square outside you will arrive at the mausoleum park. the back wall of the park is an 'exhibition of construction of dr. sun yat-sen's mausoleum '. the exhibition contains nearly 200 precious historic materials which show the construction of the mausoleum and the process of the transportation of mr. sun's remains.

beside the main structure, there are also some constructions around the mausoleum built in memory of mr. sun. most of the constructions are built after 1929 with the donation of those from both all trades in china and overseas chinese. the fraternity pavilion on top of the plum hill is built with the donation of a taiwanese compatriot. it was completed on november 12,1993, the 127th anniversary of mr. sun's birthday.

ladies and gentlemen, mr. sun struggled for a better china for his whole life and overthrew monarch feudalist system which lasted for more than 2000 years. he carried out the three principal policies of 'making an alliance with russia and the communist party of china and helping the farmers and workers' in his later days. the great feat mr. sun has achieved has gained great respect and praise from people from both home and abroad. after liberation, both central and local governments have exerted great efforts in preserving this excellent heritage.

now, as one of the 'top forty tourist resorts in china' dr. sun yat-sen mausoleum receives numerous chinese and international friends every years. people come here to pay homage to mr. sun. today, the unification has become the main tendency in terms of the relations between the chinese on both sides of the straits. i believe that most chinese people, from both home and abroad, are expecting from the bottom of heart the coming of the day when our country is united and getting more prosperous. at that time, when hearing this. dr. sun would smile and be satisfied for sure in the other world. ok, thank you very much for your cooperation. good-bye and good luck!

［陕西］西安大清真寺英文导游辞

7kao.com 205 11-28

the great mosque at huajue lane

the mosque is a major spot for religious activities of over 60.000 moslems in xi'an, likewise, an important cultural relic protected by the provincial people's government. unlike the arabic mosques, with splendid domes, the minarets reaching into the clouds, the colorful engraved sketches with dazzling patterns, the mosque here in xi'an possesses much chinese traditional touch in both its design and artistic outlook; besides the style peculiar to islamic mosques, this mosque also holds characteristics of chinese pavilions with painted beams and engraved ridgepoles.

however, any further discussion about the mosque will be futile unless anything of the introduction of islam into china is brought up.

islam as a religious order was founded in the early period of the 7th century a.d. and was introduced to china in the mid-600s. at that time, arabian merchants and travelers came to the northwest of china by way of persia and afghanistan and thus established diplomatic, trade, and military contacts with china. in the meantime, another route saw a batch of sea voyagers through bangladesh bay and the malacca strait to china's guangzhou, quanzhou, huangzhou, yangzhou and other cities where many of them settled down and married the local women who later gave birth to babies who then became moslems.

however, massive immigration of the moslems to china did not take place until as late as the early period of the 13th century, when genghis khan, as a result of his expedition against the west, had conquered vast expanses of land stretching from central asia to eastern europe, including the north of iran. many of the moslems in the conquered areas were thus forced to enlist and later settled in china.

among the enlisted many were soldiers, and some were smiths and officials who were called the hui people in the history books on the yuan dynasty. the hui people later followed kublai khan down to the south, helping him unifying china and then establish the yuan dynasty. in the wake of the conquest, islam spread all over china and mosques began to appear everywhere. in the yuan dynasty, many moslems held positions both in the military and civilian organs of the country. and a lot of the moslems took part in zhu yuanzhang's uprising in the early 14th century and made great contributions to the founding of the ming dynasty. therefore, all the emperors of the dynasty issued mandates to protect islam, and to set up mosques in praise of the moslems for their feats. in the early 16th century, islam predominated qinghai on the minority nationalities including the huis, the uygurs, the kazaks, the kirgizes, the tajiks, the tartars, the ozbeks, the dong xiangs, the salars and the bonans. the moslems in xi'an are mainly the huis, being a small portion out of the ten million in china.

the mosque at hua jue lane is the largest in xi'an, and at the same time, it is also one of the earliest built on a comparatively large scale, and well preserved mosques in china.

according to 'the stele on the building of the mosque', the mosque is said to be built in the tang dynasty. however, the architectural style of the mosque suggests a possible building dating back to the ming dynasty. the four courtyards of the mosque cover an area of more than 12,000 square meters, out of which about 4,000 are occupied by various structures. the still intact wooden front memorial gateway of the front yard, built at the turn of the 17th century, with glazed tiles on the top, spectacular corners and upturned eaves, is about 9 metres high, and has a history of about 360 years. the stone memorial gateway in the center of the second courtyard is flanked with a tail stele on either side with dragons carved on each, recording the repair work ever since the building of the mosque. on the back of one of the steles are engraved characters by the master calligrapher mi fu, 'may buddhism fill the universe', on the other, 'royal -bestowed' by dong qichang, another master of the same art of the ming dynasty. they are treasures in chinese calligraphy. at the entrance of the third courtyard is an imperial built hall, where a 'month tablet', showing the calculation of the hui calendars in arabic, is stored. it was compiled by a man in charge of the mosque called xiao mining in the early period of the qing dynasty. a three –storeyed octagonal wooden structure called 'retrospection tower' also stands in the center of the courtyard, which has the same function as the minaret in islamic temples in arabic countries, and which is a place from where orders were sent to call the moslems to come to worship. respectively, on the south and north wings of the tower, are a reception chamber and a scripture chamber, both elegantly laid out. the five wooden houses, which are called 'water houses' in the southwest section of the mosque are the place where the believers bathe themselves before they attend their services. and in side the fourth courtyard there is a structure called 'the pavilion of phoenix', a place where the worshipers used to wait for the services. the pavilion, in fact, is a compound structure of three small buildings. the six-gabled structure of the central part, adjoining the two three-gabled buildings on each side looks very much like a flying phoenix, and hence its name. just at the back of the pavilion, there is a fishpond, beyond which is a platform occupying an area as large as 700 m2. across both ends of the platform stands the 1,300 square metered service hall, holding over a thousand worshipers at once. there are over six hundred sunk panels well as the sunk panels, are decorated with patterns of painted trailing plants and arabic letterings. the imam leads his group of worshipers, while facing in the direction of mecca, to chant in koran and to pay their religious homage.

the moslems in china share very much the same customs with their brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world. they worship five times a day: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, at dusk, and at night. female worshipers attend their services in a separated place from their brothers, usually at home. moslems pay special attention to their health and see that they always wear clean clothes. they are teetotalers not only of wine, but also of pork and animal blood for in koran pigs have been mentioned four times as being 'unclean'. according to koran, a man can have four wives and women should wear veils when they go out. however, except a few places in xinjiang, the chinese practise monogamy and women are veiless when they go out. upon his death, a moslem has to be 'thoroughly cleaned' (thoroughly bathed), has to be put on 'ke fan' (to be shrouded with a piece of white cloth) and has to be buried coffinless in the ground, with an imam reciting scriptures at the funeral.

the chinese constitution promulgates that freedom of religion of each citizen and freedom of preserving or reforming local customs for every nationality are permitted. and of course, the moslems in china enjoy equal rights with peoples of other nationalities and their religious beliefs and customs are respected everywhere in the country.

成吉思汗陵英文简介

7kao.com 384 11-28

genghis khan, 'khan of khans', was the great leader of mongolians. at the end of 12th century, he united mongolian tribes and challenged other powers to expand his huge mongolian empire, which extended from south china to the caspian sea.

　　in 1277, khan attacked the west xia kingdom (presently ningxia) and encountered strong resistance. he died of disease and age. the great emperor was later buried secretly according to mongolian custom. it says that after the burial 2,000 men were slaughtered by some 800 soldiers who were in turn executed so that the location of the real tomb remains a secret.

　　genghis khan's mausoleum, rebuilt in 1954 185 kilometers south of baotou, is a mausoleum, in which only his clothing is buried in memory of the great leader. the 5.5 hectares mausoleum includes three giant yurt halls which house coffins of the khan, his wife, his son and his generals.

　　there are four sacrifice ceremonies held annually to commemorate the great hero and leader of the mongolian people. the ceremony, held on march 21st on lunar calendar, is the grandest. after the ceremony, horse racing, archery and wrestling are held as entertainment.

　　notes:

　　1. genghis khan's mausoleum 成吉思汗陵

　　2. caspian sea 里海

　　3. west xia kingdom 西夏王国

呼和浩特英文介绍

7kao.com 417 11-28

hohhot, the capital of inner mongalia autonomous region, has an area of 6 thousand square kilometers and a population of 1.41 million. hohot is a historical and cultural city. it has many ancient relics, including zhaojun tomb, five pagoda temple, and white tower. it is also famous for barbecue and the production of mushrooms and hops.

zhaojun tomb, which is called green 'grave' of 'tmur urhu' in mongolian, is situated in the southern suburb of hohhot, 9 kilometers away from the urban area. it is said that it is the tomb of wang zhaojun -- a maid in the imperial palace of the emperor yuan di of the han dynasty -- volunteered to marry the chief huhanye of xiongnu horde as a peace envoy. the tomb is an artificial earthen mound with a height of 33 meters. according to the legend, the green grass on the huge mound never turned yellow even when late autumn came.

five-pagoda temple is situated in the wutasi-hou street, yuquan district, hohhot. the construction of the temple began in the 5th year of the reign of the emperor yongzheng of the qing dynasty. the pagoda is 16.5 meters high and looks like a buddha's warrior attendant's seat, with a base under it and five exquisite p agodas on the base. as more than 1560 relief sculptures of buddha are engraved on the five pagodas, the temple enjoys the reputation of being 'a 10000-buddha tower'. in addition, there are images of bodhisattva, the four devarajas, buddhist saint, heavenly ladies, holy birds and animal, bodhi trees and the engraved scriptures in mongolian, tibetan and sanskrit on the wall of the pagodas. on the wall facing the temple there are 3 marble relief sculptures, including a planisphere marked with mongolian inscriptions. the pagodas are not only peculiar buildings, but also a huge exquisite carving.

white tower is located in the white tower village of the east suburb of hohhot, 17 kilometers away from the urban area. it was originally a tower of buddhist temple where the buddhist scripture was collected and preserved. the octagonal tower, a brick-wood building painted with chalk, is characterized by the architectural style of the liao dynasty. the tower is 55 meters high, looking grand and magnificent. its base is shaped like lotus flower petals. on the surface of the tower are carved the exquisite relief sculptures of buddha, bodhisattva, heavenly kings and dragons, which are all true to life and pleasing in form. six tablets of the jin dynasty and more than 200 scriptures written in quite a few languages are all well preserved on the walls inside the tower. all this records the history and customs of the ancient town called fengzhou. as this tower is one of the most exquisite towers of the liao dynasty in china, it was appointed to be a unit under the key protection and preservation by the state council in 1982.

［江西］庐山英语介绍

7kao.com 599 11-28

situated in the southern part of jiujiang city, jiangxi province, lushan mountain is on the bank of poyang lake(1). it is one of china's famous mountains and covers an area of 300 square kilometers. it was included in the unesco world heritage list in 1996.

　　the mountain is a well-known scenic area, summer resort and sanitaria. there are imposing and magnificent peaks, unique waterfalls, and historical sites as well as a changing sea of clouds and a warm and comfortable climate.

　　dahanyang peak, the highest peak of the mountain, rises 1,474 meters above sea level. the main scenic spots on the mountain include the peak of the five old men, three-step spring, hanpo pass, lulin lake, great tianchi lake, flowerpath, ruqin lake, jingxiu valley, immortal's cavern, lesser tianchi lake, donglin temple. white deer cave academy, lushan botanical gardens and lushan museum.

　　guling town, the center of the scenic area, is a unique city on the mountain. at an altitude of 1,167 meters, it is surrounded on three sides by mountains. to its north is scissors pass. a mountain highway leads to the various scenic spots from the city. the 1,211-meter-high hanpo pass lies between the peak of the five old men and jiuqi peak.

　　poyang lake is in the south of hanpo peak and its extensive surface is dotted with thousands of boats. hanpo pavilion is an ideal place to view the sunrise. to the east of three-step spr ing is the peak of the five old men where a waterfall cascades from rock to rock in a total drop of 300 meters. west of guling is the flowerpath where the noted poet of the tang dynasty, bai juyi, wrote poems expressing his admiration of the peach blossoms. donglin temple(2) on the northwest slope of the mountain is the birthplace of the pure land sect of buddhism. white deer cave(3) academy is in a valley at the foot of the peak of the five old men and was one of the earliest institutes of higher learning in ancient china. the greater and lesser tianchi lakes are beautiful scenic spots on the mountain and contain water all the year round. the greater tianchi lake is an ideal place to view a sunset and enjoy the yangtze river while the lesser tianchi lake is a good place to enjoy the beauty of the poyang lake.

　　trees surround lushan museum on the northern bank of lulin lake; it houses ancient chinese bronzes, pottery from different historical periods, calligraphic works from tang dynasty and paintings from ming and qing dynasties. the lushan botanical gardens are in a valley to the east of the mountain. at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,300 meters, they are sub-highland botanical gardens and were founded in 1934. the gardens cover an area of three square kilometers, grow more than 3,400 kinds of plants and preserve 100,000 plant samples.

　　notes: 1. poyang lake 鄱阳湖

　　2. donglin temple 东林寺

　　3. white deer cave 白鹿洞

好莱坞英文介绍

7kao.com 519 11-28

if a single place-name encapsulates the la dream of glamor, money and overnight success, it's hollywood. millions of tourists arrive on pilgrimages; millions more flock here in pursuit of riches and glory. hollywood is a weird combination of insatiable optimism and total despair. it really does blur the edges of fact and fiction, simply because so much seems possible 每 and yet so little, for most people, actually is. those who do strike it rich here get out as soon as they can, just as they always have; the big film companies, too, long ago relocated well away, leaving hollywood in isolation, with prostitution, drug dealing and seedy bookstores as the reality behind the fantasy.

　　central hollywood

　　the myths, magic, fable and fantasy splattered throughout the few short blocks of central hollywood would put a medieval fairytale to shame. a rich sense of nostalgia pervades the area, giving it an appeal no measure of tourists or souvenir postcard stands can diminish. although you're much more likely to find a porno theater than spot a real star, the decline which blighted hollywood from the early 1960s is fast receding. nevertheless the place still gets hairy after dark, with adolescents cruising hollywood boulevard in customized cars and occasional petty criminals on the prowl for the odd pocketbook.

　　the natural place to begin exploring hollywood boulevard is the junction of hollywood and vine 每 the classic location for budding stars to be 'spotted' by big-shot directors and whisked off to fame and fortune. at 6608 hollywood blvd, the purple and pink frederick's of hollywood has been (under-) clothing hollywood's sex goddesses since 1947, as well as mortal bodies all over the world via mail order. inside, the lingerie museum (free) displays some of the company's best corsets, bras and panties, donated by happy big-name wearers ranging from lana turner to cher.

　　a little further on, the egyptian theater at no. 6708 was financed by impresario sid grauman, in a modest attempt to re-create the temple of thebes. the very first hollywood premiere (robin hood) took place here in 1922. now owned by the city, grauman's thebes is currently closed for renovations as part of a three-year plan to restore the fake mummies and hieroglyphics of this temple of cinema to their former glory and remake the theater into a center for film study. no hollywood visitor will want to miss the mundane yet magical foot and hand prints in the concrete concourse of the 1927 chinese theatre at 6925 hollywood blvd. actress norma talmadge (supposedly by accident) trod in wet cement while visiting the construction site, and the practice has continued ever since, starting with mary pickford and douglas fairbanks sr, at the opening of king of kings, and recently involving stars such as al pacino. through the halcyon decades, this was the spot for movie first-nights. as for the building, it's an odd western version of a classical chinese temple, replete with dodgy chinese motifs and upturned dragon tail flanks.

　　the roosevelt hotel opposite was movieland's first luxury hotel, its cinegrill restaurant hosting the likes of w c fields and f scott fitzgerald, not to mention hangers-on like ronald reagan. in 1929 the first oscars were presented here, beginning the long tradition of hollywood rewarding itself in the absence of honors from elsewhere.

　　despite the beliefs of some of their loopiest fans, even the biggest hollywood stars have been mortal; the many la cemeteries that hold their tombs get at least as many visitors as the city's museums. in the southeast corner of the hollywood memorial cemetery, near santa monica boulevard and gower street, a mausoleum contains the resting place of rudolph valentino, the celebrated screen lover who died aged just 31 in 1926. to this day on each anniversary of his passing (august 23), at least one 'lady in black' 每 as his posthumous devotees are known 每 will likely be found mourning. the achingly ostentatious memorial to douglas fairbanks sr, who with his wife mary pickford did much to introduce social snobbery among movie-making people, is just outside. also on view are the graves of hollywood's more recently deceased inhabitants: an increasingly large population of russian and armenian immigrants.

　　griffith park

　　the gentle greenery and rugged mountain slopes that make up vast griffith park northeast of hollywood (daily 5am每10.30pm, mountain roads close at dusk; free) are a welcome escape from the mind-numbing hubbub of the city. the landmark observatory (tues每fri 2每10pm, sat每sun 12.30每10pm; free) here has been seen in innumerable hollywood films, most famously rebel without a cause, and the surrounding acres add up to the largest municipal park in the country, one of the few places where la's multitude of racial and social groups at least go through the motions of mixing together.

　　above the landscaped flat sections, the hillsides are rough and wild, marked only by foot and bridle paths, leading into desolate but appealingly unspoiled terrain that gives great views over the la basin and out to the ocean, provided the city smog isn't too thick. one way to explore is on a rented bike from woody's bicycle world, 3157 los feliz blvd (213/661-6665), a short distance away. the park is safe enough by day, but its reputation for after-dark violence is well founded.

　　hollywood hills

　　the views from the hollywood hills take in a bizarre assortment of opulent properties. around these canyons and slopes, which run from hollywood itself into benedict canyon above beverly hills, mansions are so commonplace that only the half-dozen fully blown castles (at least, hollywood-style castles) really stand out. on mulholland drive are rudolph valentino's extravagant falcon lair and errol flynn's mulholland house; down benedict canyon is the former home of actress sharon tate, one of the victims of the manson family. guided tours can point out which is which, but for the most part you can't get close to the most elaborate dwellings anyway, and none is open to the public.

　　from more or less anywhere in hollywood, you can see the hollywood sign, erected as a property advertisement in 1923 (when it spelt 'hollywoodland'; the 'land' was removed in 1949). the sign is also famous as a suicide spot, though few have followed the 1932 example of would-be movie star peg entwhistle. hers was no mean feat, the sign being as hard to reach then as it is now: from the end of beachwood drive (a route that affords a fine view of the sign) she picked a path slowly upwards through the thick bush, to leap to her death from the 50ft 'h'. for the first time in its sixty-five-year existence, the sign is being insured against earthquake damage. infra-red cameras and radar-activated zoom lenses have been installed to catch graffiti writers. innocent tourists who can't resist a close look are also liable for the $103 fine.

美丽宜人的悉尼城

7kao.com 259 11-28

sydney, located at the east coast of australia, is a lively city and it calles to everyones imagination. its famous for its opera house and the sydney harbour bridge. the climate is mild and varies from about 12 degrees in winter to about 35 degrees in the summer. all people have heard about the big fireworks during the millennium[1] change but there is much more to sydney. it has rich beaches and many parks that are really worthwhile seeing. for seeing the city you will need quite some time. its a town with great views due to the location it has a hilly structure meaning that from almost each top you will have some marvelous views. many of the views are ocean views and the more you enter the coastal area the more you will see of them. there is no road along the coast but if you are driving around you will find that it is possible to stay along the coast side for quite some time. some areas are a bit difficult to find but once there you will have great views.

　　on the other side of sydney, 2 hours driving to the west, there is a big park that is called the blue mountains. this is a big area where the name is chosen right. due to the oil from the eucalyptus trees the air has a blueish color and a clear day is not often to be found. its quite a popular park and going to the default places will result in meeting many other tourists. the only way to see this park on a way that will give it the view it should deserve is by going 'bush' although the roads are not that bad but you could find some nice gravel roads that will lead into the blue mountains. asking locals once driving into the area will help you finding your way. the result could be a great sight along the roadside and once walking onto some tops it will become even better. of course you will need to travel with food and water. to see a small part of this great area you need some days as there are many ways to discover the blue mountains. there are some scenic routes that are really worth while but doing a walk at some water falls will make a great impression. i walked around in some nice places and did not see any tourist so that was a good experience although the paths are sometimes better to go with at least two people or at least take a mobile phone as to my amazement i found they are working on most places unless you go down into a gorge. one of the most famous things to see is the 3 sisters that got their name after a story of people that turned into stone. unfortunately this place is also heavily set up to a tourist attraction that is sometimes a bit of a waste but never the less a great place and certainly a place to visit. from here there is also quite some activities one could undertake. there are trike rides (2 people) together with a guide along the great sites that exist here. another thing is take a train ride that goes steep down (or up) the mountains. a good way of doing this is to climb down the mountains and walk along the big fall. this will take quite some time and on the way back take the scenic train up to the place where you started. close to the 3 sisters you can find the visitors center where much info can be found of what to do in the area. make sure you check this out as they have much info available.

　　for those people that do not want to go away outside the city there is the beach life. sydney has many beaches of which 2 are quite famous. its bondi, to my opinion the nicest, and manly that is the biggest of the two. manly looks to me more touristic. but bondi has a nice street with many shops and restaurants. parking is not that hard in the area. but there are many great smaller beaches that are much better that the 2 famous ones. tamara beach just south of bondi is one of the examples its really small but a nice place to hang out and have a bbq as all equipment is close to the beach. its possible to walk from bondi to tamara beach and it will show you the best sites along the coast inside the city. the other nice place i was introduced with is balmoral beach. its a more quiet beach but offers all the things one needs. from here you can do a great wave ride with a very powerful boat that will take you out to the north head and jump over some waves. and also they will take you out into the sydney harbour at an amazing speed. manly is a great beach to go to. if you do please ensure you take the ferry. its a cheap and great way to see the sydney harbour. the ferry ride is about 30 minutes and you will see the city as it should be seen…… harbour view…… the ride is also quite cheap and once on manly its nice to get something to eat drink and head back again. another good thing to do is to get a car and drive up north as there are quite some beaches along the coast. the higher you get the better the beaches are getting. the top beach is called palm beach. you need at least a day to enjoy the ride and spend some time at the places. to get some idea about where to find the locations please click here but its a big map so it takes some time to load but its good to have this as a reference. as sydney is build around a rich water area there is a lot of water activity's so you should enjoy these. south of sydney center there is botany[2] bay. a nice area to also spend time and enjoy the area. if you want some rest you can drive further down south and enjoy a trip to the 'royal national park' this park is great and again takes quite some time to visit. if you only passing through you will have to pay no fees. although you want to spend some times at some spots and than you need to buy the ticket. its only about aus $ 10 so not that bad. in the park you have steep winding roads that you can also find in yosemite park but also flat roads that have a typical australian impression and i did not see them anywhere else. as you see the variations are immense and the landscape is really changing at many turns. from almost all places you will be able to see the city skyline that once you have been there will stay onto your eyes and each time you will see the city from any angle you can only love the site.

　　a great view is if you drive from bondi north to an area that is called watson bay. if the weather is good you get an awesome[3] sight onto the city skyline. this is also the place to get a picnic at night or to see the sun set above the city. on the way to watson bay there is a field that is not easy to find but once there you have a great view. and again its normally a quiet place to be although close to the touristic watson bay its worth while trying to find it. watson bay is a great area to walk around and again you can spend easily one day here. only the walk to the south head will take quite a bit. close to watson bay, back driving to town, you will find rose bay. this is a place where you will see many boats. its a nice drive towards downtown sydney. if you have time having lunch at one of the restaurants along the street is a good thing to do.

　　before hitting the busy life in the city the quiet and easy going is quickly to be found in this area. from here you can also start a scenic flight above the city but i did not have time to do that yet. driving to the city you will need to take the bridge if you need to go to sydney north. the bridge can bee seen from many sides the best way is either climbing the bridge. seeing it from the rocks or just driving over it. climbing the bridge is a cool experience and i can tell you its one of the nicest things i have done there. you start in the rocks, a very nice area on the town. from there you start the climb on to the top of the bridge. once there you will cross the bridge and go down on the other side. the climb is not difficult but when its warm as during my trip it will be quite a achievement. it takes about 5 hours to start until you are back. this includes a small training session. you are not allowed to take anything on top of the bridge even metal detectors are used to ensure this. pictures are taken on the way up and down. the guide will make all the difference and i was lucky to get a good one he told a lot and it was a fun climb. the great weather also made it a good experience.

　　in the city itself there is also much to do and see. circular quay is always a lively site. also darling harbour is full of life and activities. kings cross is a bit over rated but its nice to visit it once. if you are at kings cross just follow the roads to the harbour and you will be surprised after a little walk as again you will come across a great area close to the hostels where you have great views of the city again. downtown city can offer you the queen victoria building that looks great but in the inside its more a shoppers paradise. good streets are williams street, george street and pitt street. close to pitt street you will find the amp tower that, once you go to the top, will surprise you with awesome[3]views over the city. in the amp tower there is also a restaurant where you can enjoy dinner and during that the restaurant will turn 360 degrees during 1 hour. so a good way to see all the sights. from the amp tower you can see hyde park that is a small park but nice to walk through and at night its lit nicely. from hyde park you can walk to oxford street what i guess is the most busiest street in sydney with really a huge amount of bars and restaurants. a nice thing is that the smaller restaurants that look a bit shaggy[4] often have to offer great meals and its quite cheap to eat out here. if you would walk all the way east on oxford you will end up at bondi. by the way around oxford street you will find padington which is one of the most expensive places to live. apartments are really expensive and not easy to get. another excellent place to visit and have some drinks is the ana hotel. this is located close to circular quay and offers a great place to see the harbour bridge and the sydney opera house. at night at the rocks you will find many bars with life music and if the weather is ok many terasses where you can enjoy the evening. also at darling harbour the terasses are popular and many people enjoy the evening here.

　　driving around the sydney area is something you have to get used to. its a different style that is a bit different that elsewhere on this planet including paris. but many cars are the models you would like to have your self. again driving around the city will show you the skylines at great angles and luckily its mostly good weather so you can really enjoy it. if you are going to spend some time there i hope you will enjoy it as i did and maybe we will find your experience on the net also……

自由女神像英文介绍

7kao.com 2701 11-28

out of all of america's symbols, none has proved more enduring or evocative than the statue of liberty. this giant figure, torch in hand and clutching a stone tablet, has for a century acted as a figurehead for the american dream; indeed there is probably no more immediately recognizable profile in existence. it's worth remembering that the statue is - for americans at least - a potent reminder that the usa is a land of immigrants: it was new york harbor where the first big waves of european immigrants arrived, their ships entering through the verrazano narrows to round the bend of the bay and catch a first glimpse of 'liberty enlightening the world' - an end of their journey into the unknown, and the symbolic beginning of a new life.

　　these days, although only the very wealthy can afford to arrive here by sea, and a would-be immigrant's first (and possibly last) view of the states is more likely to be the customs check at jfk airport, liberty remains a stirring sight, with emma lazarus's poem, the new colossus, written originally to raise funds for the statue's base, no less quotable than when it was written……

　　here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her name mother of exiles. from her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 'keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!' cries she with silent lips.'give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse to your teeming shore. send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, i lift my lamp beside the golden door.'

　　the statue, which depicts liberty throwing off her shackles and holding a beacon to light the world, was the creation of the french sculptor frédéric auguste bartholdi, who craft ed it a hundred years after the american revolution in recognition of solidarity between the french and american people (though it's fair to add that bartholdi originally intended the statue for alexandria in egypt). bartholdi built liberty in paris between 1874 and 1884, starting with a terracotta model and enlarging it through four successive versions to its present size, a construction of thin copper sheets bolted together and supported by an iron framework designed by gustave eiffel. the arm carrying the torch was exhibited in madison square park for seven years, but the whole statue wasn't officially accepted on behalf of the american people until 1884, after which it was taken apart, crated up and shipped to new york.

　　it was to be another two years before it could be properly unveiled: money had to be collected to fund the construction of the base, and for some reason americans were unwilling - or unable - to dip into their pockets. only through the campaigning efforts of newspaper magnate joseph pulitzer, a keen supporter of the statue, did it all come together in the end. richard morris hunt built a pedestal around the existing star-shaped fort wood, and liberty was formally dedicated by president cleveland on october 28, 1886, in a flag-waving shindig that has never really stopped. the statue was closed for a few years in the mid-1980s for extensive renovation and, in 1986, fifteen million people descended on manhattan for the statue's centennial celebrations.

　　today you can climb steps up to the crown, but the cramped stairway though the torch sadly remains closed to the public. don't be surprised if there's an hour-long wait to ascend. even if there is, liberty park's views of the lower manhattan skyline, the twin towers of the world trade center lording it over the jutting teeth of new york's financial quarter, are spectacular enough.

白宫的英文简介

7kao.com 964 11-28

for almost two hundred years, the white house has stood as a symbol of the presidency, the united states government, and the american people. its history, and the history of the nation's capital, began when president george washington signed an act of congress in december of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district 'not exceeding ten miles square……on the river potomac.' president washington, together with city planner pierre l'enfant, chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 pennsylvania avenue. as preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the 'president's house.' nine proposals were submitted, and irish-born architect james hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome design.

　　construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in october of 1792. although president washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. it was not until 1800, when the white house was nearly completed, that its first residents, president john adams and his wife, abigail, moved in. since that time, each president has made his own changes and additions. the white house is, nt's private home. it is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.

　　the white house has a unique and fascinating history. it survived a fire at the hands of the british in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the west wing in 1929, while herbert hoover was president. throughout much of harry s. truman's presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was completely gutted and renovated while the trumans lived at blair house, right across pennsylvania avenue. nonetheless, the exterior stone walls are those first put in place when the white house was constructed two centuries ago.

　　presidents can express their individual style in how they decorate some parts of the house and in how they receive the public during their stay. thomas jefferson held the first inaugural open house in 1805. many of those who attended the swearing-in ceremony at the u.s. capitol simply followed him home, where he greeted them in the blue room. president jefferson also opened the house for public tours, and it has remained open, except during wartime, ever since. in addition, he welcomed visitors to annual receptions on new year’s day and on the fourth of july. in 1829, a horde of 20,000 inaugural callers forced president andrew jackson to flee to the safety of a hotel while, on the lawn, aides filled washtubs with orange juice and whiskey to lure the mob out of the mud-tracked white house.

　　after abraham lincoln's presidency, inaugural crowds became far too large for the white house to accommodate them comfortably. however, not until grover cleveland's first presidency did this unsafe practice change. he held a presidential review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand built in front of the white house. this procession evolved into the official inaugural parade we know today. receptions on new year's day and the fourth of july continued to be held until the early 1930s.

　　president clinton's open house on january 21, 1993 renewed a venerable white house inaugural tradition. two thousand citizens, selected by lottery, were greeted in the diplomatic reception room by president and mrs. clinton and vice president and mrs. gore.

纽约的唐人街英文介绍

7kao.com 473 11-28

on the surface, chinatown is prosperous - a 'model slum,' some have called it - with the lowest crime rate, highest employment and least juvenile delinquency of any city district. walk through its crowded streets at any time of day, and every shop is doing a brisk and businesslike trade: restaurant after restaurant is booming; there are storefront displays of shiny squids, clawing crabs and clambering lobster; and street markets offer overflowing piles of exotic green vegetables, garlic and ginger root. chinatown has the feel of a land of plenty, and the reason why lies with the chinese themselves: even here, in the very core of downtown manhattan, they have been careful to preserve their own way of dealing with things, preferring to keep affairs close to the bond of the family and allowing few intrusions into a still-insular culture. there have been several concessions to westerners - storefront signs now offer english translations, and haagen dazs and baskin robbins ice-cream stores have opened on lower mott street - but they can't help but seem incongruous. the one time of the year when chinatown bur sts open is during the chinese new year festival, held each year on the first full moon after january 19, when a giant dragon runs down mott street to the accompaniment of firecrackers, and the gutters run with ceremonial dyes.

　　beneath the neighborhood's blithely prosperous facade, however, there is a darker underbelly. sharp practices continue to flourish, with traditional extortion and protection rackets still in business. non-union sweatshops - their assembly lines grinding from early morning to late into the evening - are still visited by the us department of labor, who come to investigate workers' testimonies of being paid below minimum wage for seventy-plus-hour work weeks. living conditions are abysmal for the poorer chinese - mostly recent immigrants and the elderly - who reside in small rooms in overcrowded tenements ill-kept by landlords. yet, because the community has been cloistered for so long and has only just begun to seek help from city officials for its internal problems, you won't detect any hint of difficulties unless you reside in chinatown for a considerable length of time.

国家艺术博物馆英文解说

7kao.com 238 11-28

north side of the mall, constitution ave between third and seventh streets nw; closest metro archives-navy memorial. mon-sat 10am-5pm, sun 11am-6pm. 202/737-4215. admission free.

though the visually stunning national gallery of art, the nearest of the mall museums to the capitol, is not in fact a government institution, it fully deserves its name. it owes its prominence to the efforts of industrialist andrew mellon, who bought the building and donated most of the paintings (many were purchased from the cash-poor post-revolutionary government of the ussr, where they had previously hung in the hermitage). his family have continued as benefactors, raising countless millions to build i m pei's modernistic east building in 1978.

the original neoclassical gallery, designed by john russell pope in 1941, is now called the west building and holds the bulk of the permanent collection. it's currently undergoing a major restoration program, in which rooms on the main floor will be closed in rotation, and the relevant works relocated to the ground floor - this process will last until at least 1999, so whenever you visit, some major part of the collection will not be on show in its assigned place.

from the domed central rotunda, where you can pick up a floor plan and gallery guide, a vaulted corridor runs the length of the building. if you only have limited time, latch onto one of the informative daily free tours - ask for a schedule at the information desk. galleries to the west on the main floor display major works by renaissance masters, arranged by nationality: half a dozen rembrandts fill the dutch gallery, van eyck and rubens dominate the flemish, and el greco and velázquez face off i n the spanish, near eight progressively darker goyas. there's also the only leonardo in the us, the 1474 ginevra de' benci, painted in oil on wood, plus works by botticelli, crivelli and raphael - including the latter's celebrated alba madonna (1520), one of mellon's purchases from the hermitage. the other half of the west building holds an exceptional collection of nineteenth-century french paintings - gauguin from pont-aven to tahiti, a couple of van goghs, some monet studies of rouen cathedral and water lilies, cézanne still-lifes et al. at either end of the building, the skylit, fountain-filled garden courts make an ideal place to rest weary feet, while salvador dalí's last supper guards the escalators down to the cafe.

the triangular east building houses twentieth-century paintings and sculpture. as in the guggenheim in new york, the attention-grabbing spatial choreography of the architecture all but overpowers the works of art. you emerge from under the oppressively low entrance into a central atrium, from where an escalator, literally carved out of a 40ft granite wall, climbs to the main galleries - which, squeezed into the corners, can seem like an afterthought. changing and touring exhibitions throughout the year mean that the bulk of the permanant collection is rarely on display, though you may catch picasso's haunting family of saltimbanques and the very blue the tragedy, as well as giacometti bronzes and paintings, plenty of alexander calder (whose huge red-and-black mobile is usually in place), early mirós, some warhol soup cans and chuck close's finger painting par excellence, fanny. the underground concourse that links the two buildings contains a good bookstore, an espresso bar and a large cafeteria - topped by pyramidal skylights and bordered by a glassed-in waterfall.

国立美国历史博物馆英文介绍

7kao.com 395 11-28

north side of the mall, 14th st nw and constitution ave; closest metro smithsonian.

if you like kitsch, you won't want to miss the bizarre melange of cultural artefacts at the national museum of american history. george washington's wooden teeth, muhammad ali's boxing gloves, and the ruby slippers judy garland wore in the wizard of oz are set among didactic displays tracing the country's development. it's not so much a center for scholarly study as a sanctuary for vanishing americana, incorporating model t fords, old post offices and even a restored, turn-of-the-century ice-cream parlor, which still serves up banana splits.

as you enter from the mall, directly on to the second floor, a sound-and-light display showcases the battered red, white and blue flag that inspired the us national anthem - the star-spangled banner itself, which survived the british bombing of baltimore harbor during the war of 1812. the worthier exhibits are also on this floor: an account of the rural farm-based society of the early us s tands across from an examination of the mass movement of african-americans from southern farms to the wartime industries of northern cities. a lunch counter from woolworths in greensboro, north carolina, evokes the sit-in of 1960, while 'american encounters' focuses on new mexico, looking at how tourism has affected communities such as the pueblo of santa clara and hispanic chimayo. on the first floor, the 'information age' gallery traces communications from morse's first telegraph to apple macintoshes, while separate galleries display in glorious profusion the artefacts and machines that have shaped modern america - from lightbulbs and motorbikes to trains and atomic clocks. the top floor holds political memorabilia (much of it over a century old), stamp and coin collections, old tv sets and typewriters, though two final outstanding exhibits inject a serious tone - 'personal legacy: the healing of a nation' brings together some of the 25,000 items left by relatives at the vietnam memorial in dc, while 'a more perfect union' deals candidly with the shameful internment of japanese-american citizens during world war ii.

尼亚加拉大瀑布英文介绍

7kao.com 395 11-28

niagara falls comprises three distinct cataracts. the tallest are the american and bridal veil falls on the american side, separated by tiny luna island and plunging over jagged rocks in a 180ft drop; the broad horseshoe falls which curve their way over to canada are probably the most impressive. they date back a mere twelve thousand years, when the retreat of melting glaciers allowed water trapped in lake erie to gush north to lake ontario. back then the falls were seven miles downriver, but constant erosion has cut them back to their present site. the falls are colorfully lit up at night, and many say they're most beautiful in winter, when the grounds are covered in snow and the waters turn to ice.

　　the best views on the american side are from the prospect point observation tower (daily; 50￠), and from the area at its base where the water rushes past; terrapin point on goat island in the middle of the river has similar views of horseshoe falls. the nineteenth-century tightrope-walker blondin crossed the niagara repeatedly near here, and even carried passengers across on his back; other suicidal fools over the years have taken the plunge in barrels. one survivor among the many fatalities was the englishman bobby leach, who went over in a steel barrel in july 1911 and had to spend the rest of the year in hospital. that practice has since been banned (though a couple of maniacs did it in summer 1995 and came away with minor bruises), for reasons which become self-evident when you approach the towering cascade on the not-to-be-missed maid of the mist boat trip from the foot of the observation tower (summer mon-fri 10am-5pm, sat & sun 10am-6pm; $8 .50; 716/284-4233). from goat island, the cave of the winds tour leads down to the base of the falls by elevator to within almost touching distance of the water (mid-may to late oct; $5.50). a combination pass for these and other attractions costs $16. rainbow helicopter tours (716/284-2800) are a more expensive proposition at $40 per person for a ten-minute ride. to check the view out from niagara falls, ontario, it's a twenty-minute walk across the rainbow bridge to the canadian side (25￠ each way; bring id, and check with us immigration officials before heading across), where you get an arguably better view, bigger crowds and even more tawdry commercialism. driving across is inadvisable: the toll for a car is just 75￠, but parking on the other side is upwards of $15.

　　as you look on in awe, reflect that you're seeing only about half the volume of water - the rest is diverted to hydroelectric power stations. the full story of this engineering feat is related at the free niagara power project visitors center in nearby lewiston (july & aug daily 9am-6pm; sept-june daily 10am-5pm; 716/285-3211). with your own transportation it's also possible to trace the inhospitable niagara gorge two miles along the dramatic robert moses parkway to the whirlpool rapids, a violent maelstrom swollen by broken trees and other flotsam.

　　ten miles east of niagara falls, the town of lockport takes its name from the series of locks that raise and lower boats some 65ft at the western end of the erie canal. you can see the impressive flight of locks from the pine street bridge, or up close on canal boat tours (may - nov daily at 12.30 & 3pm, also 10am on sat; $9; 716/693-3260).

白金汉宫的英文简介

7kao.com 744 11-28

aug & sept daily 9.30am-4.15pm; ￡9.50; advance booking on tel 0171/930 4832. victoria tube.

　　the graceless colossus of buckingham palace, popularly known as 'buck house', has served as the monarch's permanent london residence only since the accession of victoria. bought by george iii in 1762, the building was overhauled by nash in the late 1820s, and again by aston webb in time for george v's coronation in 1913, producing a palace that's about as bland as it's possible to be.

　　for two months of the year, the hallowed portals are grudgingly nudged open; timed tickets are sold from the tent-like box office in green park at the western end of the mall. the interior, however, is a bit of an anticlimax: of the palace's 660 rooms you're permitted to see just 18, and there's little sign of life, as the queen decamps to scotland every summer. for the other ten months of the year there's little to do here, since the palace is closed to visitors - not that this deters the crowds who mill around the railings, and gather in some force to watch the changing of the guard, in which a detachment of the queen's foot guards marches to appropriate martial music from st james's palace (unless it rains, that is).

　　you can view a small selection of the royal collection - which is more than three times larger than the national gallery's - at the queen's picture gallery (daily 9.30am-4.30pm; ￡4), round the south side of the palace on buckingham palace road. the exhibitions usually include some works by reynolds, gainsborough, vermeer, rubens, rembrandt and canaletto, which make up the bulk of the collection.

　　there's more pageantry on show at the nash-built royal mews (april-sept tues-thurs noon-4pm; oct-dec wed only; ￡3.50), further along buckingham palace road. the royal carriages, lined up under a glass canopy in the courtyard, are the main attraction, in particular the gold carriage, made for george iii in 1762, smothered in 22-carat gilding and weighing four tons, its axles supporting four life-size figures.

伦敦塔桥的英文简介

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not much is known about the earliest london bridge although it's location is thought to be near the present one. the second bridge a wooden one existing in saxon times seems to have given rise to the nursery rhyme 'london bridge is falling down' which it did in 1014. in 1176 the first stone bridge was constructed. houses sprung up on both sides of the bridge and stood until it was pulled down in 1831, making way for a more elegant, classic structure. this bridge was replaced in 1967 as it could no longer cope with the amount of traffic. the present london bridge is more 100 feet wide.

　　the london bridge preceding the current one was b ought by the mcculloch oil corporation of california, which reconstructed it at lake havasu city, in a corner of america's arizona desert. rumour has it that mcculloch's thought they were buying the much more spectacular tower bridge.

　　the construction of tower bridge began in 1885 and it was opened 9yrs later by edward vii the then prince of wales, amidst pomp and ceremony. it is the only bridge in london that can be raised to allow ships to pass. since the thames is no longer used much as a trade and shipping route, the complex lifting mechanism is only used 4 or 5 times a week. the tower bridge is often mistaken for london bridge which is dull in comparison.

剑桥大学的英文简介

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the university of cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world, and one of the largest in the united kingdom. it has a world-wide reputation for outstanding academic achievement and the high quality of research undertaken in a wide range of science and arts subjects. the university pioneers work in the understanding of disease, the creation of new materials, advances in telecommunications and research into the origins of the universe. it trains doctors, vets, architects, engineers and teachers. at all levels about half of the students at cambridge study arts and humanities subjects, many of whom have gone on to become prominent figures in the arts, print and broadcast media. the university's achievements in the sciences can be measured by the sixty or more nobel prizes awarded to its members over the years.

　　the university is a self-governing body: the legislative authority is the regent house, which consists of the three thousand or so members of the teaching and administrative staff of the university and colleges who have the ma (or ma status) or a higher degree. the principal administrative body of the university is the council, which consists mainly of members of the academic staff elected by the regent house. the general board of the faculties co-ordinates the educational policy of the university and the finance committee of the council supervises its financial affairs.

　　as cambridge approaches its eight hundredth anniversary in 2009, it is looking to the future. the modern university is an international centre of teaching and research in a vast range of subjects: about half of the students study science or technology. members of the university have won over sixty nobel prizes.

　　it continues to change in response to the challenges it faces. the vice-chancellor, for instance, is no longer a head of college, but is a full-time administrative appointment. a development office and associated charitable foundation is successfully seeking funds around the world for new ventures. the 1990s have seen a major expansion of university accommodation for teaching and research. there are many major new buildings either underway or already completed, including the law faculty building and the judge institute of management studies, in march 1996 opened by hm the queen.

纽约市的英文简介

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new york city is the most beguiling place there is. you may not think so at first - for the city is admittedly mad, the epitome in many ways of all that is wrong in modern america. but spend even a week here and it happens - the pace, the adrenaline take hold, and the shock gives way to myth. walking through the city streets is an experience, the buildings like icons to the modern age, and above all to the power of money. despite all the hype, the movie-image sentimentalism, manhattan - the central island and the city's real core - has massive romance: whether it's the flickering lights of the midtown skyscrapers as you speed across the queensboro bridge, the 4am half-life in greenwich village, or just wasting the morning on the staten island ferry, you really would have to be made of stone not to be moved by it all.

none of which is to suggest that new york is a conventionally pleasing city. take a walk in manhattan beside central park, notably its east side, past the city's richest apartments and best museums, and keep walking: within a dozen or so blocks you find yourself in the lower reaches of spanish harlem. the shock could hardly be more extreme. the city is constantly like this, with glaring, in-your-face wealth juxtaposed with urban problems - poverty, the drug trade, homelessness - that have a predictably high profile. things have definitely changed during the nineties, especially in the recent, mayor guiliani years. crime figures are at their lowest in years and are still dropping (statistically, new york is now one of the country's safest big cities), and renewal plans have finally begun to undo years of urban neglect. but for all its new clean-cut image new york remains a unique place – one you'll want to return to again and again.

the city also has more straightforward pleasures. there are the different ethnic neighborhoods of lower manhattan, from chinatown to the jewish lower east side and ever diminishing little italy; and the artsy concentrations in soho, tribeca, and the east and west village. there is the architecture of corporate manhattan and the more residential upper east and west side districts (the whole city reads like an illustrated history of modern design); and there is the art, which affords weeks of wandering in the metropolitan and modern art museums and countless smaller collections. you can eat anything, at any time, cooked in any style; drink in any kind of company; sit through any number of obscure movies. the established arts - dance, theater, music - are superbly catered for, and although the contemporary music scene is perhaps not as vital or original as in, say, london or los angeles, new york's clubs are varied and exciting, if rarely inexpensive. and for the avid consumer, the choice of shops is vast, almost numbingly exhaustive in this heartland of the great capitalist dream.

牛津大学的英文简介

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　oxford is a unique and historic institution. as the oldest english-speaking university in the world, it lays claim to eight centuries of continuous existence. there is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when henry ii banned english students from attending the university of paris. in 1188, the historian, gerald of wales, gave a public reading to the assembled oxford dons and in 1190 the arrival of emo of friesland, the first known overseas student, initiated the university's tradition of international scholarship. by 1201, the university was headed by a magister scolarum oxonie, on whom the title of chancellor was conferred in 1214, and in 1231 the masters were recognized as a uniuersitas or corporation.

　　in the 13th century, rioting between town and gown (students and townspeople) hastened the establishment of primitive halls of residence. these were succeeded by the first of xford's colleges or endowed houses whose architectural splendour, together with the university's libraries and museums, give the city its unique character. university, balliol and merton colleges, established between 1249 and 1264, were the oldest.

　　less than a century later, oxford had achieved eminence above every other seat of learning, and won the praises of popes, kings and sages by virtue of its antiquity, curriculum, doctrine and privileges. in 1355, edward iii paid tribute to the university for its invaluable contribution to learning; he also commented on the services rendered to the state by distinguished oxford graduates.

　　oxford early on became a centre for lively controversy, with scholars involved in religious and political disputes. john wyclif, a 14th-century master of balliol, campaigned for a bible in the vernacular, against the wishes of the papacy. in 1530, henry viii forced the university to accept his divorce from catherine of aragon. during the reformation in the 16th century, the anglican churchmen cranmer, latimer and ridley were tried for heresy and burnt at the stake in oxford. the university was royalist in the civil war, and charles i held a counter-parliament in convocation house.

　　in the late 17th century, the oxford philosopher john locke, suspected of treason, was forced to flee the country. the 18th century, when oxford was said to have forsaken port for politics, was also an era of scientific discovery and religious revival. edmund halley, professor of geometry, predicted the return of the comet that bears his name; john and charles wesley's prayer meetings laid the foundations of the methodist society.

　　the university assumed a leading role in the victorian era. the oxford movement, led by john henry newman, broke from the anglican church in the 1840s. twenty years later, the new university museum was the site of a famous debate between thomas huxley, the champion of evolution, and bishop wilberforce.

　　from 1878, academic halls were established for women, who became members of the university in 1920. since 1974, all but one of oxford's 39 colleges have changed their statutes to admit both men and women. st hilda's remains the only women's college.

　　in the years since the war, oxford has added to its humanistic core a major new research capacity in the natural and applied sciences, including medicine. in so doing, it has enhanced and strengthened its traditional role as a focus for learning and a forum for intellectual debate.

　　students

　　the university of oxford's total student population numbers just over 16,100 (students in residence, 1998-9). almost a quarter of these students are from overseas, including the countries of the european union.

　　more than 130 nationalities are represented among our student body. almost 5,000 students are engaged in postgraduate work. of these, around 3,000 are working in the arts and humanities.

　　staff

　　oxford's current academic community includes 76 fellows of the royal society and 105 fellows of the british academy. a further 97 emeritus and honorary college fellows are also fellows of the british academy, and 142 emeritus and honorary college fellows are fellows of the royal society.

普陀山的英文介绍

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putuo mountain, one of the four holy buddhist mountains, covers an area of 12.5 square kilometers. the highest peak, the fudingshan mountain is 300 meters high above the sea level. temples, monasteries, nunneries are spread all over the mountain. according to the annals of putuo mountain, after the construction of 'unwilling-to-go' guanyin temple, people began to build up temples in large scales. the remained ten ancient architecture complex and historical sights were built in song, yuan, ming, qing. putuo mountain once had 82 temples, 128 huts, accommodating 4,000 monk and nuns at its heyday. when you walk on the paths, you probably can come across monks in kasaya. the glorious sceneries as well as the glamour concerned with buddhism make it a sacred mountain.

　　puji temple, fayu temp le, and huiji temple are the three largest in the twenty temples in putuo. puji temple, covering 11,000 square meters, was first built in song dynasty, and is the main temple devoted to the goddess of guanxin. fayu temple was first built in ming. it sits along the mountain with different layers on it. numerous large trees stand in the mountain, qualify the temple for a quiet and deep place. huiji temple is on the foding peak, so gets a name after that, foding peak temple.

　　bizarre rocks and queer cliffs can be seen everywhere. the most famous twenty are qingtuo rock, rock of two tortoises listening to preaching, rock of buddhist heaven on sea, etc. along the line where the mountain connects with the sea, many spectacular caves are very attractive. chaoyin cave and fanyin cave are the two top ones.

　　notes:

　　1. putuo mountain 普陀山

千岛湖的英文介绍

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the fuchun river-xin'an river-qiandao lake scenic area is a picturesque waterway. as long as 300 kilometers, it covers more than 1100 square kilometers. with numerous tourist attractions, its scenery is especially enchanting.

　　the xin'an river is in the upper reaches of the qiantang river, flowing through cities like chun'an and jiande. flanked by a thick forest of trees, the clear river, with many shoals and rapids, winds its way through hilly areas. it is blocked by a big dam within jiande —— the dam for the xin'an river reservoir and power station. the reservoir boasts 1078 islets; hence the name 1000-islet (qiandao) lake. this 573-square-kilometer lake, over 100 meters in depth, is 109 times the size of the west lake in hangzhou. it has a storage capacity of 17.8 billion cubic meters. surrounded by verdant mountains, the crystal-clear lake is dotted by islets with luxuriant vegetation, like plenty of jadeite in a big mirror. while going boating on the lake, one finds 'a lake within hills and a h ill within lakes'. one can not only enjoy the boundlessness of taihu lake (one of china's 4 biggest lakes) but also appreciate the gracefulness of west lake. the water temperature remains about 14°c, pleasant both in summer and winter. qiandao lake is known for its numerous attractions, featuring green hills, beautiful waters, unusual caves, and fantastic rocks. more appealing among them are such islets as longshan, laoshan, xianshan, guihua, and mishan. besides, various kinds of animal are raised on many islets, including monkey islet, bird islet, and snake islet. the fuchun river in the lower reaches of the qiantang river traverses tonglu, fuyang, and xiaoshan. along the river are seen many sandbanks and rolling green hills. the current is slow moving and meandering. stork mountain, yan ziling's angling terrace, sailing on qili rapids, and gourd waterfalls are among the scenic spots downstream.

　　notes:

　　1. qiandao lake 千岛湖

　　2. stork mountain 鹳岛

　　3. gourd waterfalls 葫芦瀑布

北京人遗址英文介绍

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peking man was discovered in zhoukoudian village, on the longgu mountain, fangshan district, beijing, which was listed as a world cultural heritage site in 1987. in the 1920s archaeologists discovered a complete skull of an ape-man dating back 600,000 years which was later named as peking man. stone tools and evidence of peking man's use of fire were later found on the mountain. studies have shown that peking man walked on his feet and lived 690,000 years ago. his society lived in groups in caves and survived by hunting. the group could make use of rough stone tools and knew how to use fire for heating and cooking.

　　the discovery included six complete skulls of peking man, 12 skull fragments, 15 mandibles(1), 157 teeth and some sections of broken femur(2), shinbone(3), and upper arm bones belonging to more than 40 individuals of different ages and sexes. in addition 100,000 fragments of stone tools were found together with sites used for fire and burnt bones and stones.

　　peking man created a unique old stone culture which had much influence to the old stone culture of nor th china. stone tools are the principal relics of this remote culture. also discovered in zhoukoudian are stone points, a new production tool then, and bone articles made and used by peking man. found in the caves were such tools as the larger end of an antler that had been used as a hammer and the sharp end of an antler used as a digging tool.

　　the use of fire was a milestone of the development of civilization and the discovery of peking man has pushed back the time that man first used it by tens of thousands of years. the largest ash pile discovered in the caves is six meters thick. fire allowed people to eat cooked food instead of raw food and promoted the development of the brain and improved health. with his rough tools and simple living conditions peking man created a unique and very ancient culture.

　　included in the unesco(4) world heritage list in 1987.

　　notes:

　　1. mandible 下鄂骨

　　2. femur 大腿骨

　　3. shinbone 胫骨

　　4. unesco 联合国教科文组织（united nationals educational, scientific and cultural organization)

滇池的英文介绍

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known also as kunming lake, lake dian is located at the foot of the western hills south-west of kunming city in yunnan province. being a bright and smooth highland lake, it's reputed as 'a pearl on the yungui plateau'.

　　the picturesque lake, dotted with sails, appears green and boundless and shining with ripples. along its 150 kilometers long winding bank, lies numerous scenic spots and historical sites such as the grand view pavilion, west garden, the lake embankment.

　　the grand view pavilion:- located at the lake's northern bank, it was built in the 29th year of kangxi reign in the qing dynasty (1690 ad). it's an exquisite structure with upturned roof-corners and eaves. looking to the south, one has a fascinating view of the spectacular lake dian, and the graceful and full shape of the distant 'sleeping beauty mountain' shrouded in white clouds. the lake is surrounded by lush growth of trees and plants, with peony in full bloom in spring, and chrysanthemum blossoms found all over the place in autumn. the golden calligraphy of the grand view pavilion in bold chinese characters sparkles brilliantly.

　 　western hills scenic area:- located at the west bank of the lake, it's a large forest park with hills and ridges rising one upon another, and covered with old tall trees. the park is endowed with dense natural forests, murmuring streams, luxuriantly green bamboos, and crisscross with ancient paths. scenic spots and historical sites are over hill and dale. the area from sanqing tower to longmen is a place of concentration of the most spectacular scenic spots and architecture, and therefore reputed as 'no.1 scenery in middle yunnan'.

　　hill of goddess of mercy:- the temple of goddess of mercy perches on the hill at the lake's west bank, with a beak-shaped portion of the hill extending into the lake water. the temple is confronted by perilous cliffs covered with lush woods. a seven-storey brick pagoda stands on the hill top which commands a bird's eye view of the lake dian, the mountain ranges along the lake, the vast expanse of fertile land, and the smoke belching from the chimneys of fishermen's homes.

　　notes:

　　1. lake dian 滇池

　　2. grand view pavilion 大观楼

丽江的英文介绍

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lijiang is a beautiful shining jewel on the northwest yunnan plateau neighboring the southeast side of the tibetan plateau which is considered to be the 'roof of the world'. it is impressive because of its scenery and lush vegetation.

　　lijiang boasts of breath-taking wonderful sights such as jade dragon snow mountain and its modern maritime glacier, the only one of its kind in the southern end of the northern hemisphere; tiger leaping gorge; the world - famous grand canyon; lugu lake, the cultural cradle of the 'matriarchy' of the yongning mosuo people in ninglang. lijiang town is officially called 'dayan town'—— 'dayan' literally means a 'great inkstab', a graphic description of the town's location on a piece of rich flatland fed by a river and surrounded by green mountains. there is no other to wn in china like dayan which incorporates the folkways of so many people and the architectural styles of both north and south china.

　　the people of naxi, while developing their land of snow-clad mountains and turbulent rivers since ancient times, have to their credit the 'dong ba culture' seen as one of the world wonders, a culture all-embracing while unique.

　　all these natural sceneries and these cultural treasures of the minority peoples have been continuously drawing tourists from all over the world and have recently vote lijiang as one of the favorite destinations in china.

　　notes:

　　1. lijiang 丽江

　　2. roof of the world 世界屋脊

　　3. jade dragon snow mountain 玉龙雪山

　　4. tiger-leaping gorge 虎跳峡

　　5. lugu lake 泸沽湖

　　6. dayan town 大研镇

石林的英文介绍

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the stone forest lies about 80 miles to the southeast of kunming. a geological phenomenon, the stone forest was a vast expanse of sea during the paleozoic era——some 270 million years ago. later, the movement of tectonic plates altered the earth's crust, causing the sea to recede and its limestone bottom to appear, thereby forming land. due to the constant seeping of rain through the cracks in the limestone, some of the stone formation dissolved and the fissures broadened, producing a group of great sculptures of different shapes, all molded by nature.

　　in the midst of the forest, there is a huge rock screen on which two words——stone forest——are engraved in official script (in a calligraphic style typical of the han dynasty, 206 b.c.-220 a.d.). among the scenic sights is the 'sword peak pond' with jadeite-colored water so clear that one can see the bottom of the pond. other astonishing sights include 'figure of ashima,' 'shi ba xiang song' (its name originating in the chinese love story, 'liang shanbo and zhu yingtai'), and 'lotus peak.'

　　the splendor of the stone forest is enhanced by the local customs of the native sani people (who are part of the yi min ority). sani people are industrious and hospitable——and unconstrained. sani women are expert at spinning, weaving, and embroidering. they like to wear rainbow-colored headgear and bright-colored dresses. the young people especially are very good singers and dancers. every day at sunset, under the moonlight, boys and girls gather at the village platform. while the boys play the three-stringed plucked instruments, the girls clap their hands and dance the strong-rhythmed traditional 'a'xi (ah-shi) dance in the moon' with great enthusiasm. if you happen to witness the event, you will be invited to join in the festivity.

　　note that every lunar year, on june 24th, the sani people celebrate their national festival——the torch festival. on that day, the entire stone forest is permeated with a celebratory atmosphere. there are traditional performances of wrestling and bull-fighting. finally, when the land is enveloped in the curtain of night, the young men (holding torches in their hands) run after the young women to propose marriage in the light of colored lanterns.

　　notes:

　　1. stone forest 石林

　　2. sword peak pond 剑峰池

　　3. figure of ashima 阿诗玛像

　　4. lotus peak 莲花峰

西湖的英文介绍

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the famous west lake is like a brilliant pearl embedded in the beautiful and fertile shores of the east china sea near the mouth of the hangzhou bay. the lake covers an area of 5.6 square kilometers. the view of the west lake is simply enchanting, which offers many attractions for tourists at home and abroad.

　　tiger-running spring

　　the legend goes that two tights ran there and made a hole where a spring gushed out. the longjing tea and the tiger-running spring water are always reputed as the 'two wonders of the west lake'.

　　the lingyin monastery

　　the lingyin monastery, or the monastery of soul's retreat, is a famous historical site of the west lake. here exists the lingyin monastery, a famous ancient temple in china, in front of which there are feilai peak, cold spring, longhong cave and precious rock cave arts and queer and varied natural caves and gullies.

　　spring dawn at su causeway

< p>　　it's a 2.8 km. long boulevard cutting across the south-north scenic area, and lined with trees and flowering plants. when spring comes with crimson peach blossoms and green willows; the scenery is all the more charming. strolling along the boulevard, one feels as if the west lake were wakening in dawn mist. young willows were ethereal, spring breeze so caressing, and birds were chirping in unison.

　　the moon reflected in three pools

　　'there are islands in the lake and three are lake on the islands.' the three stone towers were first built in yuanyou 4th year (1089) of the song dynasty, with the wonderful scenery of 'one moon in the sky having three reflection in the lake', it is one of the wonderful scenes of the west lake.

　　notes:

　　1. west lake 西湖

　　2. tiger-running spring 虎跑泉

　　3. the lingyin monastery 灵隐寺

　　4. spring dawn at su causeway 苏堤春晓

　　5. the moon reflected in three pools 三潭印月

黄山英文介绍

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黄山，位于安徽省南部，地处皖南歙县、黟县和休宁县的边境。面积约1200平方公里，其中精粹风景区约154平方公里。这里，千峰竞秀，有奇峰72座，其中天都峰、莲花峰、光明顶都在海拔1800米以上，拔地极天，气势磅礴，雄姿灵秀。

　　黄山，中国十大风景名胜之一，90年被联合国教科文组织列入“世界文化与自然遣产”名录，蜚声中外，令世人神往。

　　黄山集名山之长，泰山之雄伟，华山之险峻，衡山之烟云，庐山之瀑，雁荡之巧石，峨嵋之秀丽，黄山无不兼而有之。明代旅行家、地理学家徐霞客两游黄山，赞叹说：“登黄山在下无山，观止矣！”又留下“五岳归来不看山，黄山归来不看岳”的美誉。

　　of all the notable mountains in china, mount huangshan, to be found in the south of anhui province, is probably the most famous. originally known as mt. yishan it was renamed mt. huangshan in 747 ad in recognition of the legendary huang di, who was the reputed ancestor of the chinese people and who made magic pills for immortality here.

　　wu yue is the collective name given to china's most important mountains, namely mt. taishan in shandong province, mt. huashan in shaanxi province, mt. hengshan in shanxi province, mt. songshan if henan province and mt. hengshan in hunan province. it is said that you won't want to visit any other mountains after seeing wu yue but you won't wish to see even wu yue after returning from mt. huangshan. this saying may give you some idea of the beauty and uniqueness of mt. huangshan. together with the yellow river, the yangtze river and the great wall, mt. huangshan has become one of the great symbols of china.

　　mt. huangshan can boast not only of its magnificence but also its abundant resources and great variety of zoological species, for which it has been listed as a world natural and cultural heritage site.

黄山四季景色各异，晨昏晴雨，瞬息万变，黄山日出、晚霞、华彩、佛光和雾淞等时令景观各得其趣，真可谓人间仙境。

　　each of the four seasons on mt. huangshan has their respective beauty but even this can vary from day to day thanks to variations in the weather, light and shade as clouds pass overhead and even around you at the higher reaches. this endless changing adds an emphasis to the wonder of the landscape and to know the mountain thoroughly, you would need to visit mt. huangshan in all the different seasons.

　　spring

　　mt. huangshan in spring is like a maiden - all is new, fresh and tender. spring comes in april but its onset is delayed by three days for every 100 meters as you climb the mountain. therefore, when wild flowers are brilliant and seedlings are shooting up at its foot, the plants half way up the mountain will be just awakening from their winter sleep and will not exhibit their beauty until a week later. the sound of birdsong is most pleasant in this quietness while you will be enchanted by the color changes as you climb your way up. spring is probably the most propitious season for visiting mt. huangshan and is certainly the best time to view the many waterfalls due to the abundant precipitation.

　　summer

　　it is hard to resist the charm of the cool green mountain sides in summer when an exuberance of plant life covers the valleys and peaks with a green blanket. the green trees and ivy mingle to form natural pavilions where you can sit and refresh yourself while enjoying the beautiful scenery with a cooling breeze to sooth you.

　　dawn in summer is most splendid as the rising sun lights the sky and the peaks and the plants and the whole world takes on a brilliant glow. after a storm, mt. huangshan becomes a world of water. numerous streams and waterfalls compose an exciting and vigorous symphony. the sea of clouds during this season is not as vast as during autumn or winter but it revels in its brightness. if you are really lucky you will see a vivid rainbow flying over two peaks. sunset is no less enchanting than sunrise. mt. huangshan in summer is the best resort in which to escape high temper atures of southern china.

　　tips:

　　1. july and august are among the peak seasons therefore reservation is a must.

　　2. it is wise to bring a rainproof jacket with you as the strong wind on the mountain renders an umbrella all but useless and even dangerous.

　　3. do not climb the mountain during thunderstorm.

　　autumn

　　autumn on the mountain is colorful due to the blue sky, white clouds, red maples and yellow fruits. at this time of the year the scenery can be compared with that of spring but with a mature beauty. if spring is like a bud ready to bloom, autumn is a flower showing its last significance before withering. such is the beauty of the autumn scenery of mt. huangshan that it can be seen in many famous chinese paintings.

　　tips:

　　1.besides the golden week of the national day (oct 1st to 7th), september and october are also peak seasons of mt. huangshan.

　　2. bring with you warm clothes so as not to catch a chill as the temperature variation is significant.

　　winter

　　snowy mt. huangshan is like a crystal palace. though winter lasts a long time in huangshan, it is not as cold as you might expect. a poem has it that mt. huangshan is beautiful all year round but with the winter scenery being the best. the sea of clouds, one of the four wonders of mt. huangshan, appears more often in winter than in any other season. the spectacle of rimed trees sparkling in the sun is the privilege of winter alone for it is then that you may find yourself in a silver world with icy peaks, clusters of frosty corals suffused with a plentiful supply of the freshest of oxygen rich fresh air.

　　travel tips:

　　1. winter is the most economical time for visiting mt huangshan as the prices for hotels and the entry fee are lowered by 15% to 40% compared to those of the peak season. however, spring festival is an exception, during which the price is the same as normal seasons.

　　2. the hotels are centrally heated so you don't have to worry about the cold.

　　3. anti-skid shoes are provided as well as heavy coats in most hotels.

the strange pines, absurd stones, sea of clouds and hot springs are the four wonders of mt. huangshan.

　　strange pines

　　huangshan pines are seen in every corner of mt. huangshan. you will be amazed by their vitality and strength. the seeds fall into the crevices where they take root and grow with great vigor. the uneven terrain prevents the pines from growing upright. instead they become crooked and even downward. another feature of huangshan pines is that many trees grow branches on one side only. the pines grow very slowly due to the poor soil and climatic conditions. a tree less than 3 meters (9.84feet) high may have grown for over one hundred years or even several hundred years. the root of a pine is several times or several dozens times longer than the trunk, therefore huangshan pines stand firmly with dignity, withstanding wind and rain. every pine is unique though: guest-greeting pine (in front of the stone lion of the jade screen pavilion in the jade screen scenic area), guest-goodbye pine (to the right of the jade screen pavilion), cushion pine at lotus valley, phoenix pine at the sky sea, chessboard pine at pingtian stone bridge, kylin pine between bei hai hotel and the refreshing terrace, black tiger pine and sea exploring pine are among the most famous ones.

　　absurd stones

　　spectacular rocky peaks will inspire your imagination. some look like human beings, birds or animals or many other objects. something that makes the stones even more fascinating is that they assume varied shapes when seen from different angles. every stone has its own fantastic legend.

　　the rocks known as the 'celestial basking shoe' and the 'celestial basking boot' share a most romantic story. once upon a time, in the celestial heaven taoist temple on zuoshu peak lived an old taoist priest dao xuan and his disciple tai qing while in the purple cloud temple on pine forest peak lived a taoist nun lian yu and her disciple miao zhen. the west sea valley separated the two temples as well as a strict commandment, therefore they had no dealings with each other. however, one winter, there was no kindling in celestial heaven taoist temple. seeking help, dao xuan asked tai qing if he could borrow some from the nun at the purple cloud temple. it so happened that the two young disciples fell in love at first sight. from then on, they spent time together when they fetched water or collected firewood. unfortunately, they were discovered by both masters and the two disciples were punished severely. they were forbidden to go beyond the boundaries set by their masters and threaten with a beating should they disobey. one day when both the masters went down the mountain, they stealthily dated again and agreed upon a good idea: tai qing would place a boot in front of the mountain gate if his master was not at home; likewise miao zhen would place a shoe. one day, when they were together, their masters unexpectedly returned. knowing they would be punished, the lovers pondered over their plight. eventually, they decided that since they could not live together, they would rather choose to die together. thus, they jumped into a cloud sea. they even did not have time to take back the boot and the shoe. as the days passed, the boot and the shoe turned into two rocks - 'celestial basking shoe' and 'celestial basking boot'.

　　sea of clouds

　　mt. huangshan is home to clouds and mists. the sea of clouds has a fairy tale beauty. winter is the best season for this spectacle. according to their locations, the seas of clouds are divided into east sea, south sea, west sea, north sea and sky sea. if you climb up the lotus peak, the heaven capital peak and the bright peak, you will find yourself above the level of the clouds and they appear as a sea beneath you. it is true that a sea of clouds can be seen in many high mountains but that of mt. huangshan is unique with its oddly shaped rocks and ancient pines. peaks, large and small, hide and reappear in the boundless waves of clouds. the heavenly capital peak and the bright peak appear as isolated islands within this white sea.

　　all the colors seem more vivid in the sunshine. the clouds are forever changing, from being like a mirror when all is calm to rolling waves when the wind is strong. at sunrise or sunset, the glistening clouds assume every hue from red to purple. you cannot help marveling at this gift from the creator! you will be struck by the beauty when all the red leaves are floating on the white clouds in autumn, when the clouds gush between the peaks like a raging river while the red leaves flutter delicately in the breeze.

　　go to the jade screen pavilion to view the south sea, the refreshing terrace for the north sea, the paiyun tower for the west sea, the white goose ridge for the east sea and the legendary turtle peak for the sky sea.

　　hot springs

　　to be able to refresh yourself in the hot springs on mt. huangshan must be one of the best ways of enjoyment and relaxation. running out of the purple peak of 850 meters (2, 789 feet), the hot spring in mt. huangshan is the first stop following the entrance. legend has it that huang di, the ancestor of the chinese nation, bathed here 49 days before he ascended to heaven and became immortal.

　　tips:

　　1. hot spring is not suitable for everyone. if you suffer from high blood pressure or heart diseases, it would be wise to consult your doctor first.

　　2. do not bathe in the hot spring if you do not feel very well or when you are hungry.

　　3. leave the hot spring whenever you feel uncomfortable.

　　in addition to the spectacles we have mentioned there are three large waterfalls that are well worth a visit. these are renzi (like the chinese character for human being) waterfall, the baizhang (100 zhang, over 1,093feet) spring and the nine-dragon waterfall.

　　four hundred kilometers (248.5miles) from the east china sea, mt. huanshan is absolutely the best place to watch the sunrise. it would be wise to choose the place according to where you live or are staying so as to attain the best vantage point without being exhausted. for example, the dawn pavilion (shuguang ting), the refreshing terrace and the lion peak are the optimum places if you live near the north sea; the red cloud peak for tourists near xihai hotel and paiyunlou hotel; the bright peak for qixiang hostel and tianhai hotel and jade screen peak for those near jade screen pavilion. you have to wake up earlier but the magnificent sight is certainly rewarding.

　　in contrast, red cloud peak and paiyun tower are the best places for watching the glow of the setting sun.

　　animals and plants

　　mt. huangshan is an ideal environment for wild animals and plants. the distribution of the animals and plants changes with elevation. flowers bloom as though in all the four seasons due to the change in climatic conditions as you proceed up the mountain. so if you are fond of animals and plants, be prepared to encounter some precious ones here.

　　黄山四绝——奇松

　　黄山延绵数百里，千峰万壑，比比皆松。黄山松，它分布於海拔800米以上高山，以石为母，顽强地扎根於巨岩裂隙。黄山松针叶粗短，苍翠浓密，干曲枝虬，千姿百态。或倚岸挺拔，或独立峰巅，或倒悬绝壁，或冠平如盖，或尖削似剑。有的循崖度壑，绕石而过；有的穿罅穴缝，破石而出。忽悬、忽横、忽卧、忽起，“无树非松，无石不松，无松不奇”。

　　黄山松是由黄山独特地貌、气候而形成的中国松树的一种变体。黄山松一般生长在海拔800米以上的地方，通常是黄山北坡在1500-1700米处，南坡在1000-1600米处。黄山松的千姿百态和黄山贩自然环境有着很大的关系。黄山松的种子能够被风送到花岗岩的裂缝中去，以无坚不摧、有缝即入的钻劲，在那里发芽、生根、成长。黄山泥土稀少，但花岗岩中肉红色的长石中含有钾，夏天雷雨后空气中的氮气变成氮盐，可以被岩层和泥土吸收，进而为松树的根系吸收；松树的根系不断分泌一种有机酸，能慢慢溶解岩石，把岩石中的矿物盐类分解出来为己所用；花草、树页等植物腐烂后，也分解成肥料；这样黄山松便在贫瘠的岩缝中存活、成长。地势崎岖不平，悬崖峭壁纵横堆叠，黄山松无法垂直生长，只能弯弯曲曲地甚至朝下生长。由于要抗暴风御冰霜，黄山松的针叶短粗，冠平如削，色绿深沉，树干和树枝也极坚韧，极富弹性。黄山松的另一特点是，由于风吹日晒，许多松树只在一边长出树枝。黄山松姿态坚韧傲然，美丽奇特，但生长的环境十分艰苦，因而生长速度异常缓慢，一棵高不盈丈的黄山松，往往树龄上百年，甚至数百年；根部常常比树干长几倍、几十倍，由于根部很深，黄山松能坚强地立于岩石之上，虽历风霜雨霜却依然永葆青春。

　　最著名的黄山松有：迎客松（位于玉屏楼的石狮前面），送客松（位于玉屏楼的右边），蒲团松（位于莲花溪谷），凤凰松（位于天海），棋盘松（位于平田石桥），接引松（位于始信峰），麒麟松（位于北海宾馆和清凉台之间），黑虎松（位于北海宾馆和始信峰之间），探海松或叫舞松（位于天都峰的鲫鱼背旁边）──这就是黄山的十大名松。过去还曾有人编了《名松谱》，收录了许多黄山松，您可以数出名字的松树成百上千，每颗都独具美丽、优雅的风格。

　　黄山四绝——怪石

　　黄山“四绝”之一的怪石，以奇取胜，以多著称。已被命名的怪石有120多处。其形态可谓千奇百怪，令人叫绝。似人似物，似鸟似兽，情态各异，形象逼真。黄山怪石从不同的位置，在不同的天气观看情趣迥异，可谓“横看成岭侧成峰，远近高低各不同”。其分布可谓遍及峰壑巅坡，或兀立峰顶或戏逗坡缘，或与松结伴，构成一幅幅天然山石画卷 。

　　黄山千岩万壑，几乎每座山峰上都有许多灵幻奇巧的怪石，其形成期约在100多万年前的第四纪冰川期，黄山石“怪”就怪在从不同角度看，就有不同的形状。站在半山寺前望天都峰上的一块大石头，形如大公鸡展翅啼鸣，故名“金鸡叫天门”，但登上龙蟠坡回首再故，这只一唱天下白的雄鸡却仿佛摇身一变，变成了五位长袍飘飘、扶肩携手的老人，被改冠以“五老上天都”之名。黄山峰海，无处不石、无石不松、无松不奇。奇松怪石，往往相映成趣，俄位于北海的梦笔生花、、以及“喜鹊登梅”（仙人指路）、老僧采药、苏武牧羊等，据说黄山有名可数的石头的就达1200多块，我们无法为大家一一道尽。它们大都是三分形象、七分想象，从人的心理移情于石，使一块冥顽不灵的石头凭空有了精灵跳脱的生命。欣赏时不妨充分调动自己的主观创造力，可获更高的审美享受 。

　　黄山四绝——云海

　　自古黄山云成海,黄山是云雾之乡，以峰为体，以云为衣，其瑰丽壮观的“云海”以美、胜、奇、幻享誉古今，一年四季皆可观、尤以冬季景最佳。依云海分布方位，全山有东海、南海、西海、北海和天海；而登莲花峰、天都峰、光明顶则可尽收诸海于眼底，领略“海到尽头天是岸，山登绝顶我为峰”之境地。

　　大凡高山，可以见到云海，但是黄山的云海更有其特色，奇峰怪石和古松隐现云海之中，就更增加了美感。黄山一年之中有云雾的天气达200多天，水气升腾或雨后雾气未消，就会形成云海，波澜壮阔，一望无边，黄山大小山峰、千沟万壑都淹没在云涛雪浪里，天都峰、光明顶也就成辽浩瀚云海中的孤岛。阳光照耀，云更白，松更翠，石更奇。流云散落在诸峰之间，云来雾去，变化莫测。风平浪静时，云海一铺万顷，波平如镜，映出山影如画，远处天高海阔，峰头似扁舟轻摇，近处仿佛触手可及，不禁想掬起一捧云来感受它的温柔质感。忽而，风起云涌，波涛滚滚，奔涌如潮，浩浩荡荡，更有飞流直泻，白浪排空，惊涛拍岸，似千军万马席卷群峰。待到微风轻拂，四方云慢，涓涓细流，从群峰之间穿隙而过；云海渐散，清淡处，一线阳光洒金绘彩，浓重处，升腾跌宕稍纵即逝。云海日出，日落云海，万道霞光，绚丽缤纷。

　　红树铺云，成片的红叶浮在云海之上，这是黄山深秋罕见的奇景。北海双剪峰，当云海经过时为两侧的山峰约束，从两峰之间流出，向下倾泻，如大河奔腾，又似白色的壶口瀑布，轻柔与静谧之中可以感受到暗流涌动和奔流不息的力量，是黄山的又一奇景。

　　玉屏楼观南海，清凉台望北海，排云亭看西海，白鹅岭赏东海，螯鱼峰眺天海。由于山谷地形的原因，有时西海云遮雾罩，白鹅岭上却青烟飘渺，道道金光染出层层彩叶，北海竟晴空万里，人们为云海美景而上下奔波，谓之“赶海”。

　　黄山四绝——温泉

　　黄山“四绝”之一的温泉（古称汤泉），源出海拔850米的紫云峰下，水质以含重炭酸为主，可饮可浴。传说我们的祖先轩辕皇帝就是在此沐浴七七四十九日得返老还童，羽化飞升的，故又被誉之为“灵泉”。黄山有36源、24溪、20深潭、17幽泉、3飞瀑、2湖、1池。

　　黄山温泉由紫云峰下喷涌而初，与桃花峰隔溪相望，是经游黄山大门进入黄山的第一站。温泉每天的出水量约400吨左右，常年不息，水温常年在42度左右，属高山温泉。黄山温泉对消化、神经、心血管、新陈代谢、运动等系统的某些病症，尤其是皮肤病，均有一定的功效。黄山之水，除了温泉之外，尚有飞瀑、明荃、碧潭、清溪，每逢雨后，到处流水潺潺，波光粼粼，瀑布响似奔雷，泉水鸣如琴弦，一派鼓乐之声。人字瀑、百丈泉、九龙瀑并称为黄山三大名瀑，人字瀑古名飞雨泉，在紫石、朱砂两峰之间流出，最佳观赏地点在温泉区的“观瀑楼”；九龙瀑是黄山最壮丽的瀑布，源于天都、玉屏、炼丹、仙掌诸峰，自罗汉峰与香炉峰之间分九叠倾泻而下，形如九龙飞降。每叠有一潭，称九龙潭。古人赞曰：“飞泉不让匡庐瀑，峭壁撑天挂九龙”。

包公祠英文介绍

7kao.com 381 11-28

包公祠座落在开封城内碧波荡、风景如画的包公湖西畔，占地一公顷，是一组典型的仿宋风格的古建筑群。

　　它气势宏伟、风格凝重典雅。祠内主要建筑与景观有大门、二门、照壁、碑亭、二殿、回廊、大殿、东西展殿、假山瀑布、石雕百龙亭与喷泉，小桥流水、嶙峋奇石。

　　其中大殿内高3米多，重达2.5吨的包公铜像引人注目，包公蟒袍冠带，正襟端坐，一手扶椅，一手握拳，仿佛要拍案而起，一身凛然不可予夺的浩然正气。

　　二殿展有包公的出仕明志诗、开封府题名记碑、包公书法手迹、墓志铭等。

　　lord bao memorial temple is located in baohe park just southwest of the city center. it was initially built in 1066 in memory of baozheng, a famous upright officer during the northern song dynasty (960 - 1127).

　　lord bao memorial temple is a typical ancient architectural complex with style imitating that of the song dynasty. covering an area of one hectare, it mainly consists of entrance gate, the second gate, the stele pavilion, the main hall, the se cond hall and the east and west exhibition rooms.

　　in the main hall, a bronze statue of lord bao, which is three meters in height and 2.5 tons in weight, is displayed. with his hat and waist

　　band on, baozheng sits upright. one of his hands placed on the chair with the other clenched.in the second hall, the historical materials and classic books about lord bao, the poems made by lord bao, monument inscription, and 'kaifeng residence and office monument inscription' are exhibited.

　　the eastern and western halls, using some pictures and essays, show visitors many stories and tales about lord bao.

　　admission fee: 20

　　opening hours:8:00 - 18:00

　　recommended

　　time for a visit: one hour

云南：西双版纳英语导游词

7kao.com 795 11-28

xishuangbanna is the southernmost prefecture of yunnan province. the prefecture is nicknamed 'aerial garden' for its luxuriant and multi-layered primitive woods and tropical rain forests, which are teeming with animals and plants.　

　 renowned as a huge natural zoo, xishuangbanna's rain forest and monsoon jungles provide a habitat for nearly 1000 species of animals. within thick and boundless forests wild elephants and wild oxen ramble about, with peacocks in their pride, gibbons at play, and hornbills whispering.

　thirteen species of wild life enjoy state protection, including loris, the gibbons, the red-necked cranes, the brown-neck horn-bills, and the green peacocks, which to the dai people are a symbol of peace, happiness and good fortune and whose graceful postures can put professional dancers to shame. the region has 5,000 kinds of plants or about one-sixth of the total in china. this has earned it the renown and sobriquet 'the moonstone on the crown of the kingdom of plants'.

among these are such fascinating ones as the 'color-changing flower' whose colors change three times daily and the 'dancing herb' whose leaves rotate gently. then there is 'mysterious fruit' which reverse tastes, turning sour to sweet.

　　species of trees that go back a million years are still propagating themselves. the 'king of tea trees ,'which authorities say is at least 800 years old, continues to sprout, adding extraordinary splendor to the homeland of the famous pu'er tea. in xishuangbanna, there is a saying: 'even a single tree can make a forest and an old stalk can blossom and beat fruit .'

　　notes:

　　1. xishuangbanna 西双版纳

　　2. aerial garden 空中花园

　　3. pu'er tea 普洱茶

浪漫之都·巴黎

7kao.com 346 11-28

ah, beautiful paris. for centuries this city has attracted the admiration of the world. the allure and charm of paris captivate all who visit there.

　　啊，美丽的巴黎！几世纪来，这个城市吸引了整个世界的崇拜。巴黎的诱惑与魅力吸引了所有到此游玩的人。

　　where can you discover the charm of paris for yourself? is it in the legacy of all the french rulers who worked to beautify their beloved city? is it in the famous castles, palaces, statues and monuments, such as the eiffel tower? can you find it in the world-class museums, such as the louvre? perhaps paris' allure lies in the zest and style of the parisians.

　　你在哪里可以找到巴黎对你自己的吸引力呢？是否是在历任的法国统治者们在美化他所钟爱的城市所留下來的遗产里？还是在那些有名的城堡、皇宫雕像和纪念碑。例如艾菲尔铁塔之中？你能否在世界一流的博物馆，例如卢浮宫中找着呢？或许巴黎的诱惑力在于巴黎人的特殊品味和风格。

　　when you visit paris, you don't have to spend all of your time visiting museums and monuments. they are certainly worthy of your time, but ignore them for a day. first take some time to look around and experience life in paris. you'll find it charming.

　　当你到巴黎游玩时，別把时间全都花在看博物馆和纪念碑上面。它们当然很值得你花时间，但今天先忘掉它们。首先来四处看看，并体验一下巴黎的生活。你会发现它的迷人之处。

　　take a stroll along the seine river. browse through the art vendors, colorful paintings. peek through delicate iron gates at the well-kept gardens. watch closely for the french attention to detail that has made france synonymous with good taste. you will see it in the design of a doorway or arch and in the little fountains and quaint balconies. no matter where you look, you will find everyday objects transformed into works by art.

　　沿著塞纳河漫步。浏览艺术家们丰富色彩的绘画，透过那些精致的铁门，向內偷窺那些精心照看的花园。仔细留心法国人对于细节的留心。这使得法国成为“好品味”同义字。你可以在门廊或拱门以及小喷泉和古怪有趣的走廊的设计上看见。不管你往哪里看，你都可以发现日常物品已经变成了艺术品。

　　spend some time in a quiet park relaxing on an old bench. lie on your back on the green grass. when you need refreshment, try coffee and pastries at a sidewalk cafe. strike up a conversation with a parisian. this isn't always easy, though. with such a large international population living in paris, true natives are hard to find these days.

　　花些时间，在一个安静的公园里面的旧板凳上轻松地休息。躺在青草地上。想吃点心的时候，尝尝路边咖啡店的咖啡及点心。找一个巴黎人展开一段会话，但这也不太容易。有这么大的国际人口居住在此地。在这个年头要找到一个真正当地的巴黎人是很难的。

　　as evening comes to paris, enchantment rises with the mist over the riverfront. you may hear music from an outdoor concert nearby: classical, jazz, opera or chansons, those fren ch folk songs. parisians love their music. the starry sky is their auditorium. you can also hear concerts in the chateaux and cathedrals. in paris the music never ends.

　　巴黎到了傍晚时分，随着码头上的雾气升起，巴黎的诱惑力也随之而起。你也会听到附近室外音乐会所演奏的乐曲。古典、爵士、歌剧或是香颂即法国的民歌。巴黎人热爱自己的音乐，繁星点缀的天空，就是他们演奏的大礼堂。你也可以在皇宫或教堂里聆听音乐会。在巴黎，音乐是不会停止的。

　　don't miss the highlight of paris evening: eating out. parisians are proud of their cuisine. and rightly so; it's world famous. gourmet dining is one of the indispensable joys of living. you need a special guidebook to help you choose one of the hundreds of excellent restaurants. the capital of france boasts every regional specialty, cheese and wine the country has to offer. if you don't know what to order, ask for the suggested menu. the chef likes to showcase his best dishes there. remember, you haven't tasted the true flavor of france until you've dined at a french restaurant in paris.

　　別错过了巴黎夜晚的高潮：下馆子。巴黎人对其烹饪非常骄傲。理当如此，因为它世界驰名。美食本来就是与生活享乐不可分割的。为了帮你从几百家绝佳的餐厅中作选择，你需要一本特別的指南。法国的首都以各地的特色风味、乳酪和酒著称于世，如果你不知道要叫什么，可以要“推荐菜单”来看。大厨喜欢在此将他最拿手的菜作一番橱窗展示。请记住，在你尚未在巴黎的法国餐厅里吃过饭之前，都不算尝过法国真正的风味。

　　after your gourmet dinner, take a walking tour of the floodlit monuments. cross the pont neuf, the oldest bridge in the city, to the ile de la cite. the most famous landmark of paris looms up in front of you the notre dame cathedral (cathedral of our lady). stand in the square in front of the cathedral. here, you are standing in the center of france. all distances are measured from the front of notre dame. every road in france leads to her front door. all french kings and leaders have journeyed here to commemorate important occasions and give thanks. notre dame is the heart of paris and the heart of france.

　　在你的美食晚餐之后，可以到被聚光灯照耀的纪念碑去走一趟。穿过第九桥（pont neuf）此城市中最古老的桥。到达城市之岛（ile de la cite）。巴黎最有名的标志即隐约地呈现在你的面前：圣母院。站在教堂前面的广场。在这里，你即处于法国的正中心。所有的距离皆是以圣母院前门开始计算。法国的每一条路都通往它的前门。所有的法国国王或统治者都曾经旅游到此来纪念重要的节日或感恩。圣母院是巴黎的中心，也是法国的中心。

　　your visit in paris has only just begun. you've just started to discover the charm of this old city. may the rest of your journey be unforgettable. when it is time to leave, you will go reluctantly. you will say with the french, 'a bientot, paris, a bientot!' (see you again soon, paris!)

　　你的巴黎之旅才刚刚开始呢。你才刚刚开始发现这个古老城市的魅力。希望你剩余的旅程将令你难以忘怀。当你该起程回家时，你会依依不舍。然后用法文说道：后会有期，巴黎！

土耳其的英文介绍

7kao.com 461 11-28

agri ishak pasha palace

　　though named as a 'palace,' the ishak pasha palace is more a kulliye. the palace is the most famous building after the topkapi palace built in the 18th century, during the lale period, in the classical style. the building is located on the slopes of a hill 5 km. from the dogubeyazit town. besides displaying one of the finest examples of the ottoman architecture, the palace is also known for its diverse history. according to the inscription on the takkapi gate in the harem quarter, the palace is built in 1199 hicri (the moslem calendar), or 1784 a.d. the building hovers on firm, stony ground because of its location on a slope. although the palace is located within the centre of the dogu beyazit region, three sides of the building (the northern, western, and southern sides) are surrounded by steep rocks. the only access to the palace is through a slightly flat pass. the main gate, the cumle gate, of the palace is erected against this pass. since the palace is erected at a time when the castles lost their geographical advantage and when firearms began to be used instead of the sword, the palace's eastern wing defense is weak. the cumle gate is made of traditionally carved and sculptured stone. not many palaces built in the classical turkish architectural style are left today. the ishak pasa palace is one of them.

　　the carain cave

　　the cave is located 27 km. from antalya at the katran mountains. the cave is a natural formation and was inhabited during the prehistoric ages (paleolithic, mesolithic, neolithic, chalcolithic). the cave yielded skeletons and objects, like dressed stone tools and weapons, processed flintstones, that shed light on life in the prehistoric ages.

　　the bust of alexander the great

　　the bust of alexander the great was discovered during the excavation of pergamum. the bust found in pergamum is part of a copy of the original statue of alexander, a work by lysippos, the personal sculptor of alexander the great. the bust dates from the 3rd century b.c. the original lysippos statue of alexander has never been found, instead, there are several copies of the statue made in greek and roman periods. the pergamum bust, the only piece remaining from the statue, is on display at the louvre museum in paris.

　　the relief on ivriz hill

　　the relief can be found at the spring of the ivriz stream, 12 km. from eregli - konya. the 6.08 metres high relief was a religious sanctuary which dates back to the late hittite period in the 8th century b.c. and depicts king warpalavas giving offerings to santaj, the hittite god of fertility. for more information about the hittites please refer to the yazilikaya section of this site.

　　anadoluhisari fortress

　　anadoluhisari on the asian shore of the bosphorus is the oldest turkish building in istanbul. it was constructed by the ottoman sultan bayezid i yildirim in 1395, and later enlarged by mehmet ii (1451-1481) who built the outer walls. at the centre is a 25 m high square tower of four storeys, surrounded by a 20 m high wall 1.5 m thick in the form of an irregular pentagon. the 2 m thick outer wall measures 80 m from north to south and 65 m from east to west. as well as accommodation f or the garrison the fortress contained its own mosque.

　　van castle

　　the urartians constructed dozens of castles in this mountainous region of eastern turkey, such as toprakkale, kalecik, cavustepe, edremit, asagi anfaz, yukari anfaz, zengibar, muradiye, kecikiran, hosap, agarti, delicay and zernakitepe. the most important of all is undoubtedly van castle, which was built in the year 834 bc by king sardur i of urartu. the northern side rests against steep slopes and to the south are rocky cliffs. the castle measures 1800 m long by 1200 m wide, and within its walls are many royal tombs and inscriptions. four walls surround the castle, two of urartian construction, and two built nearly two thousand years later by the akkoyunlu and ottomans. in front of the north walls is an open air temple carved into the rock, and within the walls are a mosque, medrese, barracks and cisterns.

　　sultan han (alaeddin kervansarai)

　　the kervansarai is located in the town of sultanhani, 40 km. from aksaray. the han is one of the best examples of selcuq architecture. as the greatest han built during the selcuq period, it was construv-cted by alaeddin keykubat i. in 1229. the han was renovated and expanded to a greater size in 1278 after a fire broke out. the architecture of the han is muhammed bin havlan el-dimiski. the han is built on a plan of 50x110 m., and consists of a winter and a summer residence. the most significant part of the han are the reliefs on the main gate.

　　grand bazaar

　　throughout the byzantine period, the grand bazaar was a hectic open air centre for trade. mehmet ii. continued this tradition but added two covered bedesten (the older version of the modern shopping malls today). the bazaar extended to an even greater scale by suleyman i. (1520-1566). the last additions of bedesten shops in the bazaar were made in 1701.

　　misir carsisi (egyptian bazaar)

　　the egyptian bazaar (misir carsisi) it is the second covered bazaar of istan- bul. was built during the era of mehmet iv, in compliance with the request of queen mother hatice turhan. built in 1660 by the architect kasim aga as part of the yeni camii mosque complex, the bazaar lies today next to the mosque. the bazaar has an 'l' shape with six gates and 86 shops operating in the bazaar today.

　　kizkalesi

　　the castle of korykos on shore faces another fort, kizkalesi (maiden's castle), that stands on a tiny island 200 meters offshore. formerly a sea wall joined the two fortresses. the maiden's castle is located 60 km. from mersin, near the erdemli town. it is assumed that the castle originally had a road connecting the castle to the mainland. the road eroded with time and the the castle remains separated from the mainland. the maiden's castle, together with the castle of korykos, were built in the iv. century b.c. by the greek settlers to prevent assaults to the city of korykos from the sea. the city of korykos remained an important harbour in southeastern meditteranean until the xiii. century a.d. the castle passed into turkish hands when it was conquered by ibrahim bey of the karamanoglu principality in 1448 and was extensively renovated. the castle has a circumference of 900 m and eight towers.

日本的英文简介

7kao.com 647 11-28

holiday in hot springs (onsen)

　　japan is well-known for its many volcanoes, and consequently there are a lot of hot springs (onsen) all over japan. many japanese people like to spend their holidays in hot springs. even monkeys like hot springs in nagano. it is very relaxing to take a bath in hot springs. it is said that they are effective in curing illnesses and injury. many elders visit hot springs for medical treatment. there are many different kinds of hot springs depending on the amount and kinds of minerals in the water. what's onsen? it indicates 14 basic kinds of hot springs. different onsen are effective for different conditions. some kinds of water can be smelly and very hot.

　　the way of bathing in a hot spring is the same as that of public baths. the baths are usually separated for women and men. you are supposed to take all your clothes off. usually people do not wear bathing suits in hot springs in japan. the public bath tells you step by step how to bathe in a public bath.

　　many hot springs are inside japanese inns (ryokan), and those are for people who are staying in the inns. if you are staying in a ryokan with a hot spring, you can enjoy local food and steak too. there are also hot springs which are open to the public. roten buro (open air baths), where you can see beautiful nature views are very popular. soaking up japan's hot springs by rachel farnay shows you various scenes from a visit to a japanese inn with roten buro. dave's natural and traditional hot springs of japan is a collection of pictures from hot springs all over japan.

　　japanese ski resorts

　　skiing is a very popular winter sport in japan, and there are many ski resorts you can visit. most of the famous japanese ski resorts are located in the chucub region and hakuba area in nagano (chubu region) is one of them. in the 1998 downhill, super g, jumping, biathlon, and cross country competitions were held there.

　　skiing in japan can be costly for you since the accommodations, food, and lift tickets tend to be expensive. however, if you stay at 'minshuku,' which is a private guest house, the cost is cheaper. there are many minshuku around any ski resort. it is a good idea to visit the local kankou annai-jo (tourist information center). they usually have a list of minshuku in their areas.

　　camping in japan

　　as camping has become a popular leisure activity among japanese people, hundreds of campgrounds have been built all over the country. campgrounds are called camp-jo in japan. also, campgrounds which has rv sites are called auto camp-jo. the price varies site by site, but the average camping fee for a family with a rv is about 5000 yen per night. most of the auto camp-jo in japan offer facilities seen in the campgrounds in north america, such as shower rooms, restrooms, sewer, electricity, water, and so on. some even have hot springs!

　　if you plan to stay in a campground during the summer (july and august) or on weekends, early reservations are recommended. there are check-out and check-in times in each campground. make su re to ask the times when you make reservations. also, during the off season, many campgrounds are closed.

　　fun at tokyo disneyland

　　tokyo disneyland is the most famous amusement park in japan. this park is filled with many people throughout the year - there is no off-season here. i think both adults and children enjoy the fun in tokyo disneyland. if you've been to disneyland in the united states, it might be a fun experience to compare the differences and similarities between the two parks. image mickey mouse speaking to you in japanese!

　　tokyo disneyland is located in urayasu, chiba. it is right outside of tokyo. the best way to get there is by taking the jr keiyo line train from tokyo to maihama station. then it is only a 10 min. walk from maihama station to tokyo disneyland. tokyo disneyland's official home page tells you more access information.

　　the general admission ticket cost is 3,670 yen for an adult. if you are planning to use many of the attractions, getting a passport is a good idea. it costs 5,200 yen for an adult and includes all attractions. there is a starlight passport (4,180 yen/an adult) for admission to the park after 5:00 p.m. on certain days. more detailed ticket information from tokyo disneyland's official home page is available. those tickets are sold in the main entrance of the park, but usually there is a long waiting line. it might save your time if you purchase tickets in advance. tickets can be purchased from travel agencies in japan. also, tokyo disney land center is located in hibiya mitsui building in hibiya station, tokyo.

　　climbing mt. fuji

　　many japanese people dream of climbing mt. fuji once in their lives. mt. fuji is the tallest mountain in japan (3776m - 12290 feet), and japanese people love the mountain, calling it as fuji-san. it's located about 60miles southwest of tokyo in shizuoka and yamanashi prefectures.

　　the official climbing season for mt. fuji is from july 1 to the end of august. mt. fuji safety center is open at the 6th station during the climbing season (0555-24-6223). although all trails get really crowded, it's best to climb mt. fuji at this time of year. the off season climb is discouraged due to the bad climate. it's said that about 300,000 people try to climb mt. fuji every year and that 30-40% of them are foreign visitors.

　　john lennon museum

　　since the john lennon museum opened on october 9 in 2000, many fans and tourists from the world have visited the museum. it's located in saitama prefecture, japan and is close to tokyo. john lennon's widow, yoko ono, approved this museum as the world's first museum to honor john lennon. yoko ono visited this museum for a special event in june, 2001. it's a wonderful museum, which is worth a visit.

　　the museum exhibits more than 100 items, including john lennon's guitars, handwritten lyrics, stage costumes, photos, and lots more. items are displayed in chronological order from john lennon's birth to the end of life. in addition to these regular exhibitions, the museum offers special exhibitions.

东京的英文介绍

7kao.com 1083 11-28

the sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of japan's capital city. tokyo remains a glittering example of the 'miracle' of post world war ii japan. streets are lined with tiny specialist shops and bustling restaurants, most of which stay open late into the night. close to the soaring office blocks exist pockets of another tokyo - an old wooden house, a japanese inn, an old lady in a kimono sweeping the pavement outside her home with a straw broom. more than anything else, tokyo is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions. spring is the best time to visit tokyo, particularly as cherry blossoms begin to appear in early april and this is when the city is at its most beautiful. autumn is not a bad time to visit either, with its cool temperatures and many clear days, while winter is marked by the occasional snowfall but rarely freezing conditions. the city can be an unpleasant place during summer, when torrential downpours and mugginess combine with the crowded public transport to wear down your calm visitor's fa?ade.

　　imperial palace

　　the japanese emperor and the imperial family still call the imperial palace home, so unless you get a royal invite to tea tourists are restricted to the outskirts and the gardens. new year's day (2 january) and 23 december (the emperor's birthday) are the only exceptions to this rule.

　　the biggest draw card of the imperial palace, both literally and metaphorically, is edo-jo castle. from the 17th century until the meiji restoration, it was used as the impregnable fortress of the ruling shogun ate. over the years the castle was upgraded, added to, renovated and built onto with all the force of a rabid renovator. for a while it was the largest castle in the world but all the diy'ing came to an abrupt end when large portions of it were destroyed in the transfer of power from shogun back to emperor during the meiji restoration.

　　the imperial east garden is entered through one of three gates although the most popular is the ote-mon, which was once the principle gate of edo-jo. the garden is an oasis of quiet after the bustle of tokyo, and characteristically japanese; a horizon of clear lines, an attention to detail and the religious placement of objects within the landscape.

　　tokyo disneyland

　　you could be forgiven for assuming that the country that invented fake waves would jump at the chance to out-disney disneyland, so it comes as something of a shock to see such uncharacteristic restraint. surprisingly mickey mouse, donald duck and most of walt's other empire-building prototypes have been respectfully left alone and much of tokyo disneyland is an exact replica of the californian amusement park.

　　shinjuku

　　the shinjuku district is, without doubt, the most vigorous part of tokyo; two million people per day pass through shinjuku station alone. with a total lack of irony or tongue-in-cheekness, the two sides - east and west - sit side-by-side in mutual harmony; west shinjuku is the staid, buttoned-down commercial hub of the city, while the east is its colourful, seedy and exotic counterpart. the west is planned, administrative and skyscrapped, while the east side is rambling, chaotic and full of fast-food shops and pawn shops.

　　wandering the east side you'll be able to see the entire world go by while simultaneously having your senses assaulted by archetypal blade runner video billboards on the studio alta building, a popular meeting place for tokyoites. other east-side attractions include hanazona-jinja shrine, the many departmemt stores and the colourful if risque kabukicho and golden gai areas.

　　sony building

　　the sony building, at the sukiyabashi intersection, is a must-see for all the cyberjunkies, digital-devotees, and playstation groupies. any electronic gizmo that has ever been invented is here in the sony building, as well as some yet-to-be-retailed prototypes. with most of the displays being a hands-on proposition, it's an oversized kid's arcade.

　　the building itself is a rather phlegmatic version of the sixties - a lot of function over form - but with eight stories of unadulterated electronic heaven who cares about the packaging.

　　ginza

　　despite its disaster-ridden history and propensity for shape-changing, ginza has become synonymous with conspicuous consumption and excessive shopping. at the end of the 19th century, after fire razed it to the ground, it was ressurected in a london-cum-faux-parisian style with brick buildings and wide boulevards that mimicked the champs elysses. since then, earthquakes and wwii carpet-bombing has seen it gradually transform from continental chic to trans-atlantic functional, but it still pulls the crowds.

　　there are some jejeune shopping districts that have tried to wrestle the crown from ginza - they're more crowded, more opulent and hipper - but the grande old dame of ostentatious spending stills retains her imperious snob value. serious shoppers don't leave town without swinging through the doors of matsuya, mitsukosh and wako department stores. the ginza strip is where y ou can purchase novelty items whose fetishistic value far outweigh its functional value, and indulge in a spot of retail therapy. window shopping is free, though, and the window displays in the department stores are works of installation art in themselves.

　　ueno-koen park

　　if ginza is for shopping, ueno-koen park is for strolling, museum-hopping and temple-gazing. the area of ueno was historically the alamo of the last shogunate - site of his futile last-ditch effort to prevent a takeover by the imperial army. today it's a carefully landscaped park dotted with museums, temples and a not-half-bad zoo.

　　attractions inside the park include the tokyo metropolitan museum of art (if contemporary art is your bag this is a good place to start), the tokyo national museum, the national science museum, the national museum of western art (not only does the building house some impressive examples of western art, the building itself was built by le corbusier and the garden contains original rodins including his iconic sculpture,the thinker), the tokyo metropolitan festival hall and the ueno-no-mori art museum, which often has calligraphy exhibitions scheduled.

　　one of the most frequently and fervently patronised temples in ueno-koen park is the kiyomizu kannon-do temple. women wishing to conceive leave a doll here for the 1000-armed goddess senju kannon; after the dolls are burnt in an annual bonfire on 25 september, the women wait to see if kannon has granted them the gift of fertility.

　　hama rikyu detached palace garden

　　the hama rikyu detached palace garden, south of tokyo central, is 25 hectares (62 acres) of tokyo's greenest, and most finely landscaped, pieces of real estate. in the 17th century it was the happy hunting ground for the tokugawa shogunate but passed into the hands of the good citizens of tokyo, post world war ii. the park is actually on an island, cut off from the surrounding metropolis by an ancient walled moat and accessible by only one entrance over the nanmon bridge.

　　the park is a popular venue for a stroll because it feels deceptively large and has an unusual emphasis on water. the huge shiori pond is a focal point for visitors but its tidal pools, teahouses, bridges, pine trees, and pavilions for moon-watching all contribute to the garden's charm and photogenic appeal.

　　an entry fee ensures that the hama rikyu is one of the quieter and less-congested areas of tokyo, although the us'3 entry fee is waived for disabled travellers and one companion.

　　tokyo national museum

　　the tokyo national museum is one place worth going out of your way to visit. it holds japan's largest collection of japanese art, as well as a number of fine sculptures and a not inconsiderable number of antiquities. only a fraction of the collection is displayed at any one time.

　　the four main galleries - the main gallery, the gallery of eastern antiquities, hyokeikan hall and the gallery of horyu-ji treasures - hold japanese art (including sculpture, swords, lacquerware and calligraphy), archaelogical finds from throughout asia, japanese archaelogical items, and masks and scrolls respectively.

　　the gallery of horyuji treasures is only open on thursdays and even then, if it is raining or humid, can be summarily closed. some of the galleries exhibits are over 1000 years old and great care is taken to protect them from the effects of humidity and dampness.

　　kite museum

　　the kite museum, just behind tokyu department store in shibuya-ku, is living reproof to all those rinky-dink kites with plain plastic sails, ply wood frames and a sunday driver at the end of the string. most of the 4000 kites housed in the museum are traditional japanese kites (edo nishiki-e dako) but there are some fine examples from china and other asian countries.

　　the frames are mainly bamboo while the sails are made of 'washi', a type of handmade paper made from the kohzo tree (a species of mulberry). the paper is both lightweight and strong. illustrations are first outlined in dark sumi ink to restrict the pigments to the desired areas and then the artist goes to town on the design itself. kite scenes include scowling kabuki actors, samurai warriors hacking each other to death against a busy backdrop of psychedelic swirls and cute fluffy 'hello kitty' type animals doing unnatural things.

　　the museum is situated on the 5th floor of taimeiken, a well-known restaurant, located in downtown tokyo. it's cramped and pokey and lacks explanatory material, but its still a unique museum with a unique collection.

　　tokyo is serviced by two major airports, narita and haneda. there are 12 subway lines operated by two companies. the subway services are essentially the same and have good connections from one to the other, although they do operate under separate ticketing systems. driving is possible in tokyo, but not without its frustrations, jams and high tolls. unless you're heading out of town, stick to public transport. the same rule applies to the city's expensive taxis. generally speaking, the traffic system in tokyo is good. how about planning your trip to tokyo right now? you will not regret.

伦敦的英文介绍

7kao.com 1090 11-28

　london is a cosmopolitan mixture of the third and first worlds, of chauffeurs and beggars, of the establishment, the avowedly working class and the avant-garde. unlike comparable european cities, much of london looks unplanned and grubby, but that is part of its appeal. visiting london is like being let loose on a giant-sized monopoly board clogged with traffic. even though you probably won't know where the hell you are, at least the names will look reassuringly familiar. the city is so enormous, visitors will need to make maximum use of the underground train system: unfortunately, this dislocates the city's geography and makes it hard to get your bearings.

　　when to go

　　london is a year-round tourist center, with few of its attractions closing or significantly reducing their opening hours in winter. your best chance of good weather is, of course, at the height of summer in july and august, but there's certainly no guarantee of sun even in those months and that is when you can expect the biggest crowds and highest prices.

　　great churches:

　　westminster abbey

　　a resting place of the royals, westminster abbey, is one of the most visited churches in the christian world. it's a beautiful building, full of morose tombs and monuments, with an acoustic field that will send shivers down your spine when the choirboys clear their throats. the roll call of the dead and honored is guaranteed to humble the greatest egoist, despite the weighty and ornate memorabilia.

　　st paul's cathedral

　　half the world saw the inside of st paul's cathedral when charles tied the knot here in 1981. the venerable building was constructed by christopher wren between 1675 and 1710, but stands on the site of two previous cathedrals dating back to 604. its famous dome, the biggest in the world after st peter's in rome, no longer dominates london as it did for centuries - a fact which irritates the bonnie prince's sense of architectural harmony. visitors should talk low and sweetly near the whispering gallery, which reputedly carries words spoken close to its walls to the other side of the dome.

　　westminster cathedral is the headquarters of britain's catholic church, and the only prime example of neo-byzantine architecture in the city. the interior is part splendid marble and part bare brick - the money ran out. the 14 stations of the cross sculptures by eric gill and the marvelously somber atmosphere make this a great escape from coach tourists and traffic alike.

　　kings & queens

　　the queen opened buckingham palace to the public for the first time in 1993 to raise money for repairs to windsor castle. the palace rates poorly compared to britain's other stately homes. the interiors range from kitsch to tasteless opulence and reveal nothing of the domestic life of the royal family apart from a gammy eye when it comes to interior décor.

　　the tower of london, once a castle and palace, is now a beautifully preserved monument to cruelty. according to shakespeare, their wicked uncle, richard iii, slaughtered the young princes and heirs of edward iv here. the cells have played host to an illustrious crew which includes thomas more, anne boleyn, walter raleigh, rudolf hess and wham! bloodcurdling attractions include torture implements displayed in martin tower. don't overdose on suits of armor, coats of arms or beefeaters and you'll have a fun time. check out the ravens on the green: legend says that the day they desert the tower, london shall fall to its enemies.

　　parliament

　　the awesome neo-gothic brilliance of the houses of parliament has been restored thanks to a recent spring clean of the fa?ade. the building includes the house of commons and the house of lords, so the grandeur of the exterior is let down only by the level of debate in the interior. there's restricted access to the chambers when they're in session, but a visit around 6 pm will avoid the worst of the crowds. check the time on the most recognizable face in the houses of parliament, big ben.

　　downing street, the official residence of the prime minister and the chancellor of the exchequer, has been guarded by an imposing iron gate since the security forces realized that the lone iconic bobby outside maggie's door was not sufficient to stop the ira mortar bomb attack in 1989.

　　museums & their booty

　　the british museum is the oldest, most august museum in the world. it is so big and so full of 'stuff' collected by victorian travelers and explorers that visitors often make the mistake of overdosing on the antiquities. see as much as you want to see, not as much as you believe you should. highlights include the weird assyrian treasures and egyptian mummies; the exquisite pre-christian portland vase and the year-old corpse found in a cheshire bog.

　　the victoria & albert museum has an eclectic mix of booty gathered together under its brief as a museum of decorative art and design. it sometimes feels like an enormous victorian junk shop, with nearly four million artifacts on display. it's best to browse through the collection whimsically, checking out the chinese ceramics, japanese swords, cartoons by raphael, sculpture by rodin, the frank lloyd wright study and the pair of doc martens.

　　the natural history museum is one of london's finest gothi c-revival buildings, but even its grand cathedral-like main entrance can seem squashed when you're confronted with hordes of screaming schoolkids. keep away from the dinosaur exhibit while the kids are around and check out the mammal balcony at the blue whale exhibit or the spooky, moonlit rainforest in the ecology gallery.

　　those famous galleries

　　the cash-strapped national gallery, located on the edge of trafalgar square, has one of the world's most impressive art collections. famous paintings include cezanne's the bathers and van eyck's arnolfini wedding. entry to the gallery is free, which means if you feel like dropping in and looking at just one or two pictures, you can do so at your leisure without feeling obliged to cover extensive territory.

　　the tate gallery is the keeper of an impressive historical archive of british art. the adjoining clore gallery has a wonderful collection of jmw turner paintings, and tries not to miss the pre-raphaelite room. housed in the former bankside power station, the brand-spanking new tate modern displays the tate's collection of international modern art, including major works by bacon, dal? picasso, matisse, rothko and warhol, as well as work by more contemporary artists. the building is as exciting as the art: gorgeous industrial-strength red brick with a 325-foot-high chimney. the former turbine hall, below street level and running the length of the vast building, now forms the awe-inspiring entrance to the gallery.

　　cultural centers

　　several of london's large cultural centers are bleak, concrete monstrosities, but the events held inside are world class. the south bank, on the 'wrong side' of the thames, looks spectacular at night, and includes the hayward gallery, the brilliant festival hall, the national theatre and the national film theatre. the barbican is a brutal architectural nightmare, saved only by the fact that it's the home of the royal shakespeare company, the london symphony orchestra and the london classical orchestra. the restored globe theatre is a faithful reproduction of the original (complete with thatched roof and ash and nutshell floors), which featured shakespeare's plays and was closed by puritans in 1642. the institute for contemporary art is a great place to relax, hang out and see some cutting-edge film, dance, photography, theatre and art.

　　green bits

　　huge hyde park used to be a royal hunting ground, was once a venue for duels, executions and horse racing, and even became a giant potato field during wwii. it is now a place of fresh air, spring color, lazy sunbathers and boaters on serpentine lake. features of the park include sculptures by jacob epstein and henry moore, the contemporary serpentine gallery and speaker's corner. regents park is the home of london zoo, a mosque, and an open-air theatre. the queen mary rose gardens in the center of the park are particularly spectacular. nearby primrose hill has a great view of london.

　　kew gardens, in richmond, surrey, is both a beautiful park and an important botanical research center. there's a vast expanse of lawn and formal gardens and two soaring victorian conservatories - the palm house and the temperate house - which are home to exotic plant life. hampstead heath is one of the few places in london where you can actually forget that you're in the middle of an 800-sq-mile (1300 sq km) city. there are woods, meadows, hills and bathing ponds and, most importantly of all, lots of space.

　　plant your feet in two different time meridians at the royal observatory in greenwich park. nearby is the world's biggest, emptiest and most expensive bouncy castle, the millennium dome, which is now closed as a tourist attraction.

　　markets

　　the huge camden markets could be the closest england gets to free-form chaos outside the terraces of football stadium. they stretch between camden and chalk farm tube stations, incorporating camden lock on the grand union canal, and get so crowded on the weekends that you'll think you're in the third world. the markets include the camden canal market (bric-a-brac, furniture and designer clothes), camden market (leather goods and army surplus gear) and the electric market (records and 1960s clothing).

　　the colourful portobello market is london's most famous street market, best seen on a saturday morning before the gridlock sets in. it's full of antiques, jewelery, ethnic knick-knacks, second-hand clothes and fruit and vegetable stalls. petticoat lane is east london's celebrated sunday morning market, but it's overrated, overpriced, and appeals only to those so bleary-eyed from the night before that they think they need broken chocolate bars, ugly trinkets and cut-price cans of ajax. brixton market is a cosmopolitan treat made up of a rainbow coalition of reggae music, slick muslim preachers, halal meat and fruit and vegetables. its inventory includes wigs, homeopathic root cures, goat meat and rare records.

　　no other area of britain is as rich in history, tradition, and cultural associations as london. throughout the capital there are great mansions, venerable old buildings, quaint houses, unrivalled collections of art treasures, tremendous sweeps of glorious parkland and colorful ceremonies to suit every possible taste and mood. history is from there and ,of course, it is worthwhile visiting london.

悉尼的英文介绍

7kao.com 852 11-28

australia's premier city is the oldest settlement in australia, the economic powerhouse of the nation and the country's capital, canberra is everything but name. built on the shores of the stunning port jackson, you would have to die and go to heaven before you see a more spectacular setting for a city. it's a vital, self-regarding metropolis, making itself a melting pot with people from all over the world.

　　when to go

　　the best times to visit are of spring and autumn, especially around march to april or october to november. sydney is blessed with a temperate climate. sometimes torrential downpours often break the heat between october and march. winters are cool rather than cold. beach lovers unperturbed by the hazards of lizard-skin should come between december and february.

　　sydney harbor

　　the harbor is the defining characteristic of the city. its multiple sandstone headlands, dramatic cliffs, rocky islands and stunning bays and beaches, make it one of the most beautiful stretches of water in the world. officially called port jackson, the harbor stretches some 20km inland to join the mouth of the parramatta river. the most scenic area is on the ocean side of the bridge. the sydney harbor national park protects the scattered pockets of bushland around the harbour and offers good walking tracks. the best way to experience the harbour is to go sailing, but if you're lacking nautical skills there are plenty of ways to enjoy it. try catching the manly ferry, swimming at nielsen park, walking from manly to spit bridge, having a drink at watsons bay, dining with a view at rose bay, balmoral or circular quay, or cruising to the heads on the bounty.

　　sydney opera house

　　australia's most recognizable icon is dramatically situated on the eastern headland of circular quay. its famous sail- and shell-like roofs were inspired by palm fronds, according to architect jorn utzon, but may remind you of turtles engaging in sexual congress. the opera house is so unique that it has been photographed a zillion times, appears on an army of cheap t-shirts, every other sydney postcard and decorates the frames of dame edna's dramatic glasses. it was built between 1959 and 1973, but plagued with construction delays and political difficulties which culminated in the resignation of utzon in 1966. although some visitors are disappointed by the interior, designed by a consortium of australians after utzon quit, it's a truly memorable place to see a performance or to sit at one of its outdoor cafes with a bottle of white wine and watch harbour life go by. the opera house hosts theatre, classical music, ballet and film, as well as the seasonal opera performances. there is free music on the prow of the opera house on weekends and a craft market on the forecourt on sunday.

　　the rocks

　　the rocks is the oldest, quaintest part of sydney. today it is unrecognizable from the squalid, overcrowded and plague-ridden place it used to be. reinvented by visionaries in the building industry and the trade union movement in the 1970s, the rocks is now a sanitized, historical tourist precinct, full of cobbled streets, colonial buildings and stuffed koalas. if you ignore the kitsch, a stroll around the rocks can be delightful. attractions include the weekend market, the earth exchange geological and mining museum, and numerous craft shops and art galleries.

　　but it's the old buildings, alleyways and historic facades that attract most visitors. try exploring the less developed areas in the contiguous suburb of millers point, which has not sacrificed its community life to the tourist dollar. check out the lord nelson brewery hotel and the hero of waterloo, two of sydney's oldest pubs.

　　circular quay

　　circular quay is built around sydney cove and is considered by many to be the focal point of the city. the first european settlement in australia grew around the tank stream which now runs underground into the harbour here. for many years this was the shipping centre of sydney, but it's now both a commuting hub and a recreational space, combining ferry quays, a railway station and the overseas passenger terminal with harbour walkways, restaurants, buskers, parks, the museum of contemporary art and, of course, the sydney opera house.

　　macquarie street

　　sydney's greatest concentration of early public buildings grace macquarie st, many of them commissioned by governor macquarie and designed by the convict architect francis greenway. the most impressive are the elegant, two-storied parliament house, sydney hospital, the mint building, the exquisite hyde park barracks, st james church and the voluminous state library. the barracks and the mint are now museums, the library hosts exhibitions and there are tours of both the hospital and parliament house. macquarie st is the eastern boundary of the central business district and borders the domain and the royal botanic gardens. it runs from hyde park to circular quay.

　　the domain, art gallery & botanic gardens

　　the domain is a large grassy area east of macquarie st which was set aside by governor phillip for public recreation. today it is used by city workers for lunchtime sports and as a place to escape the bustle of the city. on sunday afternoons, it's the gathering place for impassioned soapbox speakers, who do their best to entertain or enrage their listeners. it is also the venue for free events held during the festival of sydney in january and the popular carols by candlelight at christmas. the art gallery of new south wales is in the northeast corner of the domain. it has excellent permanent exhibitions of australian, european, japanese and tribal art, and has some inspired temporary exhibits.

　　the royal botanic gardens encompass farm cove, the first bay east of circular quay, and include the site of the colony's first vegetable patch. they contain a magnificent collection of south pacific plant life, tropical displays in the arc and pyramid glasshouses, and a beautiful, old-fashioned formal rose garden. the spectacularly located gardens are a favoured spot for family picnics and wedding photographs.

　　darling harbour

　　this huge waterfront tourist and leisure park comprises walkways, gardens, museums, an aquarium, convention centre, casino, eateries and shops. it was once a thriving dockland area, but it declined to the level of an urban eyesore before being reinvented as darling harbour in the 1980s by a combination of vision, planning, politicking, forbearance and huge amounts of cash. the emphasis is on casual fun and enjoyment of the kind appreciated by families with small children and coach tourists. the highlights are the sydney aquarium, the australian national maritime museum, the water sculpture, the chinese garden, the massive imax cinema, and the nearby powerhouse museum, sydney's most spectacular museum.

　　bondi beach

　　bondi beach is the grand dame of sydney's beaches with a magnificent sweep of sand and a never-ending series of majestic rollers crashing into the shallows. the suburb of bondi beach is an eclectic mix of ice cream parlours, designer cafes, greasy fish & chips joints, kosher shops and surf fashion stores. the seafront promenade and pavilion have been given a welcome facelift; car parking and fixing the offshore sewage outlets remain the only problems.

　　ku-ring-gai-chase national park

　　[r-p6]ku-ring-gai chase national park covers 150 sq km (60 sq mi) of sandstone bushland at the mouth of the hawkesbury river, 24km (15mi) north of sydney. the park has over 100km (60mi) of shoreline, plenty of forest and wildlife, a number of walking tracks and some magnificent aboriginal rock art. elevated parts of the park offer superb views across pittwater towards the northernmost suburbs of sydney.

　　royal national park

　　the royal national park, 35km (22mi) south of city, is the oldest gazetted national park in the world. the sea of low scrub which covered the sandstone plateau in the north of the park was devastated by the 1994 bushfires, but the forested river valleys and the beaches were unscathed. the park is dissected by the hacking river and there are riverside picnic and boat hiring facilities at audley. there's a spectacular 26km (16mi) coastal track stretching the length of the park, which is accessible from bundeena. it passes the lovely lagoon beach at wattamolla, and the popular surfing spot at garie beach. the best views are from the southern boundary of the park overlooking bulli from the edge of the illawarra escarpment.

　　most visitors to sydney arrive at kingsford smith airport. airfares to australia are expensive - it's a long way from anywhere and flights are often heavily booked. the most pleasant way to get around in sydney is by ferry. a trip on the manly ferry is the best way to experience the harbor if you can't charm someone into taking you sailing. major roads from sydney go north to newcastle, west to the blue mountains, south to melbourne and canberra and down the south coast to wollongong.

　　anyway, you will certainly find this trip to sydney australia one of your most memorable experiences in your life. the trip will leave you sweet memories that you would like to share with your family and your friends.

巴厘岛的英文介绍

7kao.com 563 11-28

　have you heard of bali, a place to the south of indonesia? it's a small island but is becoming more and more famous by its fascinating tourist attractions enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people from world at large. bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the indian ocean. but the postcard paradise gloss has been manufactured and polished by the international tourist industry rather than by the balinese themselves who don't even have a word for paradise in their language.

　　when to visit

　　just considering the weather, the cooler dry season from april to october is the best time to visit bali. the rest of the year is more humid, cloudier and has more rainstorms, but you can still enjoy a holiday.

　　there are also distinct tourist seasons that affect the picture. the european summer holidays bring the biggest crowds —— july, august and early september are busy. accommodation can be tight in these months and prices are higher.

　　balinese festivals, holidays and special celebrations occur all the time, so don't worry about timing your visit to coincide with local events. it could be a nice treat to fuse into the local culture and enjoy the traditional cuisine and local delicacies.

　　off-beaten tourist attractionskuta and legian

　　including the two beach sites of kuta and legian, this area is a major sightseeing for travelers, offering cheap accommodation, western food, great shopping, surf, sunsets and riotous nightlife. although it's fashionable to contempt kuta for its rampant development, low-brow nightlife, the cosmopolitan mixture of beach-party and entrepreneurial energy can be exciting.

　　kuta is not pretty but it's not dull either, and the amazing growth is evidence that a lot of people still find something to appreciate in kuta. it's still the best beach in bali, with the only surf, which breaks over sand instead of coral. lots of cheap accommodation is available and there's a huge choice of places to eat. shops and venders offer everything from local handcrafts to genuine antiques. even the tourists themselves have become a tourist attraction, with visitors swarming into this small island on the tropical area.behind the beaches, roads and alleys lead back to the most amazing district of hotels, restaurants, bars, food stalls and shops. the renowned poppies gang, running directly back from kuta beach, is where most of the quieter, inexpensive hostels and restaurants are located. cheap beachfront accommodation is available in legian; the lanes running parallel to the beach are the best places to start trawling for a decent bed.

　　the bali museum

　　the bali museum consists of an attractive series of separate buildings, including examples of both palace and temple architecture. the exhibits themselves are not always well presented, but there are enough arts and crafts and everyday items displayed to make it worthwhile. the tiny cane cases for transporting fighting crickets are pretty special. the abiankapas arts center houses a collection of modern painting and woodcarving. dancing groups and gamelan orchestras regularly perform here, mostly for the benefit of touri sts.

　　ubud

　　situated in the hills 20km north of denpasar, ubud is the serene cultural center of bali. extensive development in recent years has meant that ubud has engulfed a number of nearby villages, although these have retained their distinct identities. head off in any direction and you're in for an interesting walk to a secluded craft hamlet, through the rice paddies or into the dense monkey forest, just south of the town center.

　　in ubud itself, the puri lukisan museum displays fine examples of all schools of balinese art in a beautiful garden setting. there are several other quality galleries such as museum neka, which features work of some western artists who have painted in bali, and agung rai gallery, a commercial operation which also houses a small, but important, permanent collection. the homes of influential western artists walter spies and rudolf bonnet, who played key roles in transforming balinese art from the purely decorative, can also be viewed. ubud is a good place to see balinese dancing and hear balinese music, and it has some of the finest restaurants on the island.

　　tenganan

　　the ancient village of tenganan, inland from the east coast port of padangbai, can only be reached by motorbike or on foot. it's a walled bali aga village, busy with unusual customs, festivals and practices. it's the center for the weaving of the little-seen double ikat cloth, and ancient versions of gamelan and accompanying dances are performed here. the nearby towns of amlapura and tirtagangga are known for their decaying water palaces - relics of the power of the balinese rajahs - which are surrounded by beautiful terraced rice paddies.

　　the bali barat national park

　　the bali barat national park covers nearly all the coral reef and coastal waters. most of the natural vegetation in the park is coastal savanna with deciduous trees, which become bare in the dry season. over 200 species of plants inhabit the various environments. animals include black monkeys, leaf monkeys and macaques; java, barking, sambar and mouse deer; squirrels, wild pigs, buffalos, iguanas and pythons. the bird life is prolific, with many of bali's 200 species represented, including the striking bali starling. the park's attractions include hot springs, uninhabited deer island (which has great diving) and guided jungle treks.

　　transportation

　　transport from ngurah rai international airport, 2.5km south of kuta, is quite simple. choose from an official taxi counter, where you pay a set price in advance, or walk across the airport car park and hail a metered cab. the lightly-laden can walk straight up the road to kuta, although it's a more pleasant stroll along the beach. the main forms of public transport on bali are the cheap buses and bemos (minibus) that run on more or less set routes within or between towns. if you want your own transport, you can charter a bemo or rent a car, motorcycle or bicycle. the balinese drive on the left, use their horns a lot and give way to traffic pulling onto the road. tourist shuttle buses, running between the major tourist centers, are more expensive than public transport but are also more comfortable and convenient.

　　so, after such a descriptive guide about this tiny little island in the south east asia, are you in the mood of visiting it. it's worthwhile for sure.

圣彼得堡特写

7kao.com 278 11-28

st. petersburg. the very name brings to mind some of russia's greatest poets, writers and composers: pushkin, dostoevsky, tchaikovsky. the 19th century was a golden age for st. petersburg's wealthy classes. it was a world of ballets and balls, of art and literature, of tea and caviar.

　　圣彼得堡，只要提到这个名字就让人想起那些俄国最伟大的诗人、作家以及作曲家：普希金、杜斯妥也夫斯基、柴可夫斯基。十九世纪对圣彼得堡的富有阶级来说是段黄金岁月。那是一个充满了芭蕾舞和舞会、艺术和文学、茶和鱼子酱的世界。

　　the golden age ended with the advent of world war 1. working people were growing more and more discontented. in 1917, communism came, promising peace and prosperity.

　　这段黄金岁月因为第一次世界大战的来临而结束。工人阶级的不满愈来愈高涨。1917年时，共产党来了并向人民保证和平与繁荣。

　　st. petersburg had become petrograd in 1914. people wanted a russian name for their city. ten years later, the city's name changed again, this time to leningrad. then in 1991, leningraders voted to restore the city's original name. some people opposed the name change altogether. others thought it was just too soon. old, run-down soviet leningrad, they said, was not the st. petersburg of 19th-century literature.

　　圣彼得堡在1914年变成彼得格勒。人们想为这个城市取个俄国名字。十年之后，这个城市的名字又改了，这一次叫做列宁格勒。然后在1991年，列宁格勒的居民投票恢复了此城最初的名字。有些人彻底反对改名字，有些人认为名字改得太快了。他们说老旧的苏维埃列宁格勒已不再是十九世纪的圣彼得堡了。

　　what, then, is st. petersburg? in the confusing post-communist world, no one really knows. the quiet, if soviet-style, dignity is gone. the communist sayings are down, and gaudy advertising up. candy bars and cigarettes are sold from boxy, tasteless kiosks. and clothing? well, anything goes. everyone wants to be a little different. but many people do not know the true meaning of freedom. personal crime has gone up, up, up in the past few years.

　　那么，到底圣彼得堡是什么呢？在共产党结束执政后的令人困惑的情形下，没有人真正知道这个答案。那种安静却又无聊的苏维埃式的尊严已经成为过去了。共产党的标语被换了下来，代之以俗气的广告。那些四方形、没有品味的摊子出售糖果和香芋。至于穿着呢？嗯，任何样式都有。每个人都想要有点与众不同。但是许多人仍然不知道自由的真意为何。在过去数年里，个人犯罪率一直不断地上升。

　　yet in spite of this, you can still find some of the city's grand past. stand at the western tip of vasilievsky island. to the right is the elegant winter palace, former home of the czars. its light blue sides and white classical columns make it perhaps st. petersburg's most graceful building. it houses one of the worlds most famous art museums: the hermitage. inside, 20 km of galleries house thousands of works of art. look over your right shoulder. the massive golden dome of st. isaac's cathedral rises above the skyline. you'll see, too, why st. petersburg is called a 'floating city.' standing there, nearly surrounded by water, you can see four of the city's 42 islands.

　　但是，尽管如此，你还是可以找到一些这个城市辉煌的过去。站在维丝利瓦斯基岛的西端，右边是优雅的冬宫，是沙皇从前的住处。它那浅蓝色的外墙和白色古典的园柱，使它成为大概是圣彼得堡中最优雅的建筑物。它里面有世界上最有名的艺术博物馆：赫米提巨博物馆。在里面，长达20公里的艺廊收藏了数千件的艺术作品。朝你右肩后方看去，圣以撒大教堂巨大的金制圆顶伸入了天空。你也会了解，为什么圣彼得堡又被称为「漂浮的城市」。站在那里，几乎完全被水环绕，你可以看见这城市四十二个岛屿中的四个。

　　cross the bridge and turn behind the winter palace. in the middle of the huge palace square stands the alexander column. it commemorates russia's victory over napoleon. the 650-ton granite column is not attached to the base in any way. its own weight keeps it upright. hoisted into place in 1832, it has stood there ever since.

　　过了桥转到冬宫的后面，巨大的冬宫广场中间竖立着亚历山大圆柱。它是为了纪念俄国和拿破仑交战的胜利。这个六百五十吨的花岗石圆柱底部并未以任何方式固定，底部也无任何支撑。自1832年被竖立起来之后，便一直站立在那里。

　　continue to nevsky prospekt, the heart of the old city. let the crowds hurry by while you take your time. admire the fine carving on bridges and columns, above doorways and windows. cross over canals and pass by smaller palaces and other classical structures. let your eyes drink in the light blues, greens, yellows and pinks.

　　继续走到纳瓦斯基街，这个老城市的中心。在你悠闲地漫步的时候，让人群从你身旁匆匆走过。欣赏那些在桥上和圆柱上，门口以及窗戶上面的精致雕刻。穿过运河并经过较小的皇宫以及其他的古典建筑物。让你的眼睛饱享淡篮、青绿、黄色和粉红色。

　　take time to wander among kazan cathedral's semi circle of enormous brown columns. or, if you prefer russian-style architecture, cross the street and follow the canal a short distance. the church of the resurrection occupies the site where czar alexander 11 was assassinated in 1881.

　　花些时间漫步于喀山大教堂里巨大的棕色圆柱所围成的半圆形。或者，如果你喜欢俄国样式的建筑，穿过马路并随着运河走一段短距离的路。复活教会正好位于沙皇亚历山大二世在1881年被暗杀的地方。

　　travel outside the city to petrodvorets palace for a taste of old imperial grandeur. after a visit to france in the late 17th century, peter the great decided to build a palace for himself better than versailles. his dream never came true in his lifetime. it took almost two centuries to complete the palace and park complex.

　　离开市区往彼得城方向游览，一尝古老皇宫富丽堂皇的风味。彼得大帝于十七世纪末到法国游览了一趟后，他决定要为自己盖一座比凡尔赛宫还好的皇宫。在他有生之年，这个梦想一直没有实现。皇宫和公园的复合建筑几乎花了两个世纪才完成。

　　seldom does any city have the chance to reinvent itself. that chance has now come to st. petersburg. a few people might hope to return to the glory of the past, but most know that is impossible. they want to preserve the best of past eras and push ahead. you can bet the city won't be old st. petersburg, but something altogether different.

　　很少有城市有机会再创造自己，这个机会现在降临到了圣彼得堡。有些人可能希望回到过去的荣耀里，但是大多数人知道那是不可能的。他们希望能将过去年代当中的精华保留住，并进步向前。你可以打赌这个城市将不再是老圣彼得堡，而是一个完全不同的城市。

斯德哥尔摩特写

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surrounded by forests and water, stockholm has the feel of a small town. the royal capital of sweden is actually a collection of islands linked by bridges. to the east, the baltic sea bustles with ferries and ships. to the west, lake malaren provides plenty of space for water sports and sailing. stockholm's residents seem to be more a part of a small community than a sophisticated european city. but they are intensely proud of their city.

　　斯德哥尔摩为森林和湖海所围绕，很有小乡镇的味道，这个皇家的瑞典首都事实上是众多小岛的结合，其间并以桥梁相连接。在东边，波罗的海上渡船与各式船只熙来攘往；而西边，则有梅拉伦湖为水上运动和帆船提供广大的空间。虽然斯德哥尔摩的居民似乎比较像是一个小城镇的一部分，而不属于一个高级的欧洲都市，但是他们确是热切地以他们的城市为荣。

　　stockholmers have good reason to be proud. their city's blue waters are so unpolluted that swimming and fishing are possible in the city center. fishermen catch trout and salmon near the royal palace. swimmers can take a dip within view of the old town. this experience is a small miracle that few cities can offer.

　　斯德哥尔摩的居民的确拥有值得骄傲的理由。这个城市的湛蓝水域非常地洁净未受污染，在市中心都可以游泳或钓鱼，渔夫们可以在皇宫附近捕到鳟鱼和鲑鱼，而游泳者可以在这幅旧城的图画中游泳。这样的经验算是个小小的奇际，而且是很少城市能够提供的。

　　since water defines stockholm in so many ways, no visitor should miss a tour by boat. tour boats pass by many of stockholm's beautiful bridges, palaces and churches. one of the most famous tours is named 'under the bridges of stockholm.'

　　既然湖海是斯德哥尔摩如此重要的特质，游客们就绝对不能错过游船观光。游船会经过许多美丽的桥梁、宫殿、和教堂，其中最有名的游船旅游称为「斯德哥尔摩桥下之旅」。

　　the typical boat tour includes the old town, or gamla stan. situated on an island, this old city center still looks like a medieval city. the 608-room royal palace houses the royal armory and the royal treasury. the treasury includes underground rooms where the crown jewels are on display. in the state apartments, the writing room of king oskar ii has remained untouched since his death in 1907. the nearby stockholm cathedral displays ancient wooden carvings. the 700-year-old riddarholm church is the traditional burial place for swedish kings. besides historical attractions, gamla stan also offers chic shops and world-class restaurants.

　　典型的游船观光通常会参观旧城区（或称gamla stan），它位于一个岛上是一个古老的市中心，如今仍像一个中世紀的城镇。皇宫中有608个厅室，包括有皇家的军械室和金库，金库还有地下室陈列着皇家珍宝。在市政府办公大楼中，瑞典国王奥斯卡二世的写字间在1907年他过世后，至今仍保持原状。邻近的斯德哥尔摩大教堂展示着古老的木雕，而长达七百年历史的利达尔教堂则是传统以来瑞典国王的长眠之处。除了这些历史悠久的观光点之外，旧城区也提供了时髦高级的商店以及世界级的餐厅。

　　after leaving the old town, the boat tour also goes by city hall on lake malaren. the building's large square tower rises from the corner facing the water's edge. here the king and queen of sweden look on each year as the nobel prize winners receive their awards. the elegant interior includes the famous blue room , where the nobel banquet takes place.

　　离开了旧城区之后，观光游船还会经过梅拉伦湖畔的市政府大楼，从大楼一角高起了大型的方形高台面向水畔，每年诺贝尔奖得主领奖时，瑞典的国王和皇后都在此观礼。其中幽雅的厅室中包含了有名的蓝厅（blue room），是诺贝尔餐宴举行的地方。

　　on the city's baltic side, the tour takes visitors past the skansen museum. skansen is an outdoor 'sweden in miniature.' the 80-acre park has sections representing the different regions of the country. the visitor can wander from lapland in the north to skane in the south. a stroll through the park also takes the visitor through five centuries of swedish history. resident craftsmen demonstrate some traditional trades: glass blowing, pottery making and printing. an animal park provides a close-up look at wolves, reindeer and elk, as well as typical farm animals.

　　旅行团还会带游客经过史肯恩森博物馆，它位于这个城市靠波罗的海的那一边。史肯恩森可以说是一个戶外的「瑞典小缩影」，这个80英亩的公园被分隔开来以代表国家中各不同的区域，游客们可以从北部的拉普兰漫游到南方的史肯恩，在园中逛逛的同时也带游客走过了瑞典五个世纪的历史。当地的工艺师父示范着一些那里传统的生意：吹玻璃、陶器制作、以及印刷业。还有一个动物园可以让人近距离好好地看看狼、驯鹿、麋鹿，和一些典型的牧场动物。

　　also on the baltic side of the city, the wasa museum, the home of the flagship wasa, stands near the water's edge. once the pride of the swedish navy, the ship sank on its maiden voyage. now restored, it is a perfect example of a 17th-century seagoing vessel. the thousands of everyday objects recovered with the ship give a fascinating picture of daily life in sweden 300 years ago.

　　在市区靠波罗的海沿岸的这边，还有瓦萨博物馆——也就是瓦萨旗舰的所在地。它耸立在岸边，曾经是瑞典海军的骄傲，却在首航时便沉没了。如今被修复的是十七世纪远洋舰艇的绝佳范本，船中放满了数千件的日常用品，为三百年前瑞典的日常生活勾勒出吸引人的图像。

　　after a boat tour of the city, the next step should be a trip to some of the 24,000 islands in the beautiful stockholm archipelago. some are just rocks; others are green with forests. many have small villages and country homes. everyone is welcome to fish, swim and camp.

　　在搭船参观了此城之后，下一步应该去看看斯德哥尔摩群岛2400个岛中的一些岛了。其中有些纯粹是礁石的岛，有些则布满了绿色的森林，其中很多岛上有小村庄和村舍，它欢迎着大家去钓魚、游泳、和露营。

　　as the 'venice of the north,' stockholm takes water seriously. every august, the city goes all out for the stockholm water festival. the festival sports events and other activities go on 24 hours a day: swimming championships, marathons, music, art and dancing. in the evenings, fireworks light up the sky. the king awards the stockholm water prize for the most outstanding contribution to water conservation. by preserving its precious natural resource, stockholm has become one of the most pristine cities in the world. it has every reason to celebrate.

　　身为「北方的威尼斯」，斯德哥尔摩对水非常的重视。每年的八月，整个城市举城欢庆这个斯德哥尔摩水上节庆，这个节庆中的体育竞赛和其他活动都是全天候24小时进行的：游泳比赛、马拉松赛跑、音乐、艺术和舞蹈。到了晚上，烟火点亮了整个天空，国王会颁发斯德哥尔摩水上奖给对保护水资源最杰出贡献者。由于保存了其珍贵的天然资源，斯德哥尔摩已经成为世界上极原始纯正的国家之一，他们当然有足够的理由可以好好的庆祝喽。

巴黎风情介绍

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ah, beautiful paris. for centuries this city has attracted the admiration of the world. the allure and charm of paris captivate all who visit there.

　　啊，美丽的巴黎！几世纪来，这个城市吸引了整个世界的崇拜。巴黎的诱惑与魅力吸引了所有到此游玩的人。

　　where can you discover the charm of paris for yourself? is it in the legacy of all the french rulers who worked to beautify their beloved city? is it in the famous castles, palaces, statues and monuments, such as the eiffel tower? can you find it in the world-class museums, such as the louvre? perhaps paris' allure lies in the zest and style of the parisians.

　　你在哪里可以找到巴黎对你自己的吸引力呢？是否是在历任的法国统治者们在美化他所钟爱的城市所留下來的遗产里？还是在那些有名的城堡、皇宫雕像和纪念碑例如艾菲尔铁塔之中？你能否在世界一流的博物馆，倒如卢浮宫中找着呢？或许巴黎的诱惑力在于巴黎人的特殊品味和风格。

　　when you visit paris, you don't have to spend all of your time visiting museums and monuments. they are certainly worthy of your time, but ignore them for a day. first take some time to look around and experience life in paris. you'll find it charming.

　　当你到巴黎游玩时，別把时间全都花在看博物馆和纪念碑上面。它们当然很值得你花时间，但今天先忘掉它们。首先来四处看看，并体验一下巴黎的生活。你会发现它的迷人之处。

　　take a stroll along the seine river. browse through the art vendors, colorful paintings. peek through delicate iron gates at the well-kept gardens. watch closely for the french attention to detail that has made france synonymous with good taste. you will see it in the design of a doorway or arch and in the little fountains and quaint balconies. no matter where you look, you will find everyday objects transformed into works by art.

　　沿著塞纳河漫步。浏览艺术家们丰富色彩的绘画，透过那些精致的铁门，向內偷窺那些精心照看的花园。仔细留心法国人对于细节的留心。这使得法国成为「好品味」同义字。你可以在门廊或拱门以及小喷泉和古怪有趣的走廊的设计上看见。不管你往哪里看，你都可以发现日常物品已经变成了艺术品。

　　spend some time in a quiet park relaxing on an old bench. lie on your back on the green grass. when you need refreshment, try coffee and pastries at a sidewalk cafe. strike up a conversation with a parisian. this isn't always easy, though. with such a large international population living in paris, true natives are hard to find these days.

　　花些时间，在一个安静的公园里面的旧板凳上轻松地休息。躺在青草地上。想吃点心的时候，尝尝路边咖啡店的咖啡及点心。找一个巴黎人展开一段会话，但这也不太容易。有这么大的国际人口居住在此地。在这个年头要找到一个真正当地的巴黎人是很难的。

　　as evening comes to paris, enchantment rises with the mist over the riverfront. you may hear music from an outdoor concert nearby: classical, jazz, opera or chansons, those french f olk songs. parisians love their music. the starry sky is their auditorium. you can also hear concerts in the chateaux and cathedrals. in paris the music never ends.

　　巴黎到了傍晚时分，随着码头上的雾气升起，巴黎的诱惑力也随之而起。你也会听到附近室外音乐会所演奏的乐曲。古典、爵士、歌剧或是香颂、即法国的民歌。巴黎人热爱自己的音乐，繁星点缀的天空，就是他们演奏的大礼堂。你也可以在皇宫或教堂里聆听音乐会。在巴黎，音乐是不会停止的。

　　don't miss the highlight of paris evening: eating out. parisians are proud of their cuisine. and rightly so; it's world famous. gourmet dining is one of the indispensable joys of living. you need a special guidebook to help you choose one of the hundreds of excellent restaurants. the capital of france boasts every regional specialty, cheese and wine the country has to offer. if you don't know what to order, ask for the suggested menu. the chef likes to showcase his best dishes there. remember, you haven't tasted the true flavor of france until you've dined at a french restaurant in paris.

　　別错过了巴黎夜晚的高潮：下馆子。巴黎人对其烹饪非常骄傲。理当如此，因为它世界驰名。美食本来就是与生活享乐不可分割的。为了帮你从几百家绝佳的餐厅中作选择，你需要一本特別的指南。法国的首都以各地的特色风味、乳酪和酒著称于世，如果你不知道要叫什么，可以要「推荐菜单」来看。大厨喜欢在此将他最拿手的菜作一番橱窗展示。请记住，在你尚未在巴黎的法国餐厅里吃过饭之前，都不算尝过法国真正的风味。

　　after your gourmet dinner, take a walking tour of the floodlit monuments. cross the pont neuf, the oldest bridge in the city, to the ile de la cite. the most famous landmark of paris looms up in front of you the notre dame cathedral (cathedral of our lady). stand in the square in front of the cathedral. here, you are standing in the center of france. all distances are measured from the front of notre dame. every road in france leads to her front door. all french kings and leaders have journeyed here to commemorate important occasions and give thanks. notre dame is the heart of paris and the heart of france.

　　在你的美食晚餐之后，可以到被聚光灯照耀的纪念碑去走一趟。穿过第九桥（pont neuf）此城市中最古老的桥。到达城市之岛（ile de la cite）。巴黎最有名的标志即隐约地呈现在你的面前：圣母院。站在教堂前面的广场。在这里，你即处于法国的正中心。所有的距离皆是以圣母院前门开始计算。法国的每一条路都通往它的前门。所有的法国国王或统治者都曾经旅游到此来纪念重要的节日或感恩。圣母院是巴黎的中心，也是法国的中心。

　　your visit in paris has only just begun. you've just started to discover the charm of this old city. may the rest of your journey be unforgettable. when it is time to leave, you will go reluctantly. you will say with the french, 'a bientot, paris, a bientot!' (see you again soon, paris!)

　　你的巴黎之旅才刚刚开始呢。你才刚刚开始发现这个古老城市的魅力。希望你剩余的旅程将令你难以忘怀。当你该起程回家时，你会依依不舍。然后用法文说道：「后会有期，巴黎！」

雅典风情介绍

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athens——the name brings to mind buildings with tall, white columns and statues of greek gods and goddesses. museums take visitors back to the time of ancient greece. when visiting the city, visitors feel like they're in the middle of a history lesson.

　　雅典，这个名字令人想到有着高大的白色圆柱的建筑物，以及希腊诸神的雕像。博物馆将带游客回到古希腊时代。当游客造访此城时，会觉得仿佛置身在历史课堂上。

　　athens gave birth to western culture. this is where the west's ideas of government, law, justice and liberty all began. architecture, science, drama and poetry also flourished here.

　　雅典是西方文明的摇篮，西方的政府、法律、法律制裁和自由这些观念，都起源于此。建筑、科学、戏剧和诗词也在这里大放光芒。

　　the history of athens is tied to mythology. the god that came up with the most valuable legacy for humans was to give the city its name. poseidon and athena each wanted the honor. athena produced an olive tree-the symbol of peace and wealth. poseidon offered a strong horse needed for war. the gods decided athena's gift would better serve the people, and the city became known as athens.

　　雅典的历史与神话密不可分。哪一个神能够带给人类最宝贵的遗产，就可以为此城命名。海神波塞冬和雅典娜女神都想得到这份殊荣。雅典娜造了一棵橄榄树，象征和平与财富。波塞冬则提供一匹骁勇善战的马。后来诸神决定雅典娜的礼物对人类比较有意义，于是此城就取名为「雅典」。

　　the acropolis, or 'high city,' stands on a hill overlooking the city. western civilization's most important ancient monument was built by pericles, the leader of athens from 461-429 b.c. he spared no expense when he constructed the buildings of the acropolis. he used only the best materials, architects and artists. his artists created huge statues of marble and covered them with gold and jewels. sadly, only ruins remain of this 'high city' of temples.

　　阿克罗波利斯，或称 「高城」，耸立在山上俯瞰全城。它是西方文明最重要的古老遗迹，由西元前四六一至四二九年间的雅典统治者——伯里克利——所建。他不惜成本，斥下巨资建造阿克罗波利斯。他只用最好的材料、建筑师和艺术家。他的艺术家雕刻了巨大的大理石雕像，外面还包上黄金和宝石。可惜的是，这个神庙「高城」如今只留下一片废墟。

　　more treasure of ancient greece lies in the national archeological museum. opened in 1874, the museum contains the best collection of greek art in the world. it is crammed with treasures-more than visitors can see in a single visit. visitors can view treasures from all the ancient civilizations that controlled the city throughout history. the vases, statues, carvings and other art objects show the life of those who lived in ages past.

　　「国家考古博物馆」中收藏更多的古希腊珍宝。这个博物馆在西元一八七四年开幕，里面收集了全世界最精致的希腊艺术品。馆中满是宝物，访客无法一次看完所有的收藏品。游客在这里可以见到历史上每一个曾统治此城的古文明珍宝。花瓶、雕像、雕刻品和其他艺术品显示出远古居民的生活。

　　but a visit to athens is more than a lesson in ancient history. modern athens hums with activity. the city offers every modern convenience.

　　但是，到雅典一游不只是去上一堂古代历史课。现代的雅典十分繁荣。这个城市提供了各种现代化的便利。

　　one thing that hasn't changed since ancient times, though, is greek hospitality. ancient greeks believed that a stranger might be a god in disguise. therefore, they always treated strangers kindly. nowhere else in europe will you find people who invite complete strangers to their homes for coffee or dinner.

　　但有一件事自古至今仍未改变，那就是希腊人的好客。古希腊人相信，陌生人可能是神的化身，所以他们总会善待陌生人。全欧洲只有这个地方的人，会邀请一个完全陌生的人到家里喝咖啡或吃晚饭。

　　if you do go to a greek home for dinner, do your best to eat everything on your plate. uneaten food insults the cook. taking second helpings is the best way to show how much you enjoy the meal.

　　如果你真的到希腊人家里吃晚饭，一定要尽量把你盘中的食物吃光。东西沒吃完对厨师是一种侮辱。吃完再要第二份，最能表示你吃得多尽兴。

佛罗伦萨特写

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　the city of florence eats, sleeps and breathes art. examples of man's artistic genius stand on nearly every street. dozens of museums and art shops wait to be explored. florence, italy, is an art lover's paradise.

　　在佛罗伦萨这个城市里，吃的、睡的、和呼吸的都是艺术。人类艺术天赋的典范几乎矗立在每一条街上，成打的博物馆和美工艺品店等待着您去探索。意大利的佛罗伦萨是艺术爱好者的天堂。

　　during the renaissance (or 'rebirth' of art), florence was a paradise for artists themselves. in fact, the renaissance began here more than 500 years ago. before this time, art focused completely on religious subjects. renaissance art began to include more variety. artists painted pictures of ordinary people. they painted scenes from history and characters from greek and roman myths.

　　在文艺复兴时期（或称艺术重生时期），佛罗伦萨对艺术家们本身就是个天堂，事实上在五百多年前，文艺复兴就在这儿发迹了。在这之前，艺术作品完全集中在宗教主题上，而文艺复兴时期的艺术则包含更多变化的风貌，艺术家们描绘一般人物的画像，也绘画希腊罗马神话中的历史和人物。

　　michelangelo was the greatest of florence's artists. visitors line up for hours at the accademia museum for a look at his impressive david. this 14-foot-high statue has become the ideal human figure of the renaissance. david is an example of michelangelo's talent for sculpting people simply, yet powerfully.

　　米开朗基罗是佛罗伦萨艺术家中的佼佼者。游客们在阿卡得米亚博物馆前大排长龙达好几个钟头之久，为了一睹他感人的大作「大卫像」的丰采，这一尊十四英尺高的雕像已经成为文艺复兴时期最完美的一尊人物塑像，「大卫像」是一种典范，表现出米开朗基罗雕塑人像简洁而有力的风格。

　　more of michelangelo's work can be seen in the great palazzo vecchio. this building housed the florentine government from 1299-1322. paintings and carvings of famous italian artists fill the palace rooms. michelangelo helped decorate the outside, too. he chiseled a head into the palace wall. a story says that to win a bet, michelangelo carved the head with his hands behind his back, facing away from the wall.

　　在维琪奥宫可以看到更多米开朗基罗的作品，这栋建筑在1299年至1322年曾是佛罗伦萨政府的所在地。著名意大利艺术家的画作和雕刻作品，摆满了宫中的各厅室。米开朗基罗也协助装饰其外观，他在宫墙上雕刻头像，有一个传说提到，为了跟人打赌，米开朗基罗背对着墙，两手背在后面雕刻头像。

　　not far from the palazzo vecchio lies florence's cathedral square. the beautiful domed duomo, or 'house of god,' took nearly 150 years to build (1294-1436). one of the most famous engineers of the day designed it. visitors still marvel at the dome, the crowning feature of the cathedral. to this day, no building in florence may rise above the dome.

　　离维琪奥宫不远的地方座落着翡冷翠教堂广场。华丽圆顶的翡冷翠教堂，或称「神的殿堂」，花了将近150年才建造完工（1294-1436），并由当时最著名的工程师设计而成。今日的游客仍惊叹于这个圆顶，它是教堂中最引人注目像皇冠似的一景。时至今日，在佛罗伦萨没有任何一栋建筑高过这个圆顶的。

　　nearby stands the cathedral works museum. the building once housed the offices of the men who commissioned art for the cathedral. today it contains sculptures that used to decorate the outside of the cathedral.

　　教堂文物博物馆耸立于附近，这栋建筑曾经是那些为此座教堂定制艺术品的人的办公室 ，今天它收藏了过去装饰教堂外观的雕像。

　　a short walk through the narrow streets of florence brings visitors to the famous uffizi gallery. this building dates from 1560 and used to be an office building. (uffici means office in italian.) today it boasts an outstanding art collection. visitors should be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as exploring the gallery takes many hours. some of the most famous works in the collection include botticelli's primavera and birth of venus.

　　稍作散步一番走过佛罗伦萨狭窄的小巷，游客将来到著名的乌菲齐美术馆。这栋建筑建于1560年间，当年是作为办公之用（乌菲齐在意大利语中是办公室的意思）。今日，它则以其出色的艺术收藏而自豪，游客们一定得穿着舒适的鞋子去参观，因为要一探这个美术馆得花好几个小时的时间。收藏中一些著名的作品包括有波提切利的「春」和「维也纳的诞生」。

　　even visitors tired of art won't want to miss the pitti palace. once home to florence's powerful medici family, the grand palace now houses three museums.

　　就算游客们已经对艺术品很厌烦了，他们还是不会错过彼蒂宫。它曾是佛罗伦萨的权贵，麦德西家族的住处，这个宏伟的宫殿如今包含了三个博物馆。

　　filled with priceless art, the numerous rooms glitter with gold decorations. for a breath of fresh air, wander among the statues and fountains of the palace gardens. they are some of the grandest gardens in italy. besides filling the gardens with sculptures and fountains, the medici experimented with growing potatoes and pineapples here.

　　那闪闪耀眼置满金饰的厅室中，摆满了珍贵无价的艺术品。若想呼吸一下新鲜空气，可以在宫廷花园的雕像和喷水池间漫步一番，这是意大利境內极佳的花园，麦德西家族除了在花园里置满了雕像和喷水池之外，还实验性地在这儿种马岭薯和凤梨。

　　after exiting the pitti, a right turn brings visitors to one of florence's famous outdoor sights, the ponte vecchio. this bridge over the arno river has been lined with jewelry shops and goldsmiths since 1593. those interested in purchasing a few modern treasures may want to shop here. the quality of the craftsmanship is very high-but so are the prices.

　　离开了彼蒂宫之后，右转便将游客带入佛罗伦萨最著名的戶外风景区维琪奥桥，此桥横跨阿诺河上，桥上自1593年便设有成排的珠宝店和金匠铺子。有兴趣购买一些现代宝物的人，或许可以在这儿采购一番。这儿的技术品质相当的高，不过价钱也是很高的。

　　to get a feel of modern florence, join the evening promenade. this traditional feature of italian life begins around 6 p.m. when everyone gets off work. people stroll down the streets of central florence to do last-minute shopping or just chat with friends. be sure to stroll past perche noi, home of the oldest and best ice cream in the city.

　　若想感受一下现代的佛罗伦萨，可以晚上到街上去晃晃，这种传统的意大利式生活情趣，大约从晚上六点开始。当大家都下班了，人们会晃到佛罗伦萨市中心的街上去，或是赶在晚饭前快速采购一些东西，或是跟朋友聊聊天。散步时別错过了波尔奇挪伊，它是全佛罗伦萨历史最悠久也最好吃的冰淇淋的产地。

　　florence has given the world many great art treasures. some stand in gardens and squares. others line the walls of beautiful palaces. still others are the palaces themselves. for art lovers, florence is indeed paradise.

　　佛罗伦萨提供了世人许多绝佳的艺术宝藏，它们有些矗立在花园和广场上，有些则陈列在华丽的宫墙上，而有些宝藏就是那些宫殿本身。对艺术爱好者而言，佛罗伦萨确实是天堂。

意大利：美丽神奇之国

7kao.com 391 11-28

italy-a beautiful and charming land

　　the name 'italy' is extremely old. it seems to have been used first in documents of the 5th century bc. to describe a small territory at the tip of the boot-shaped peninsula that extends into the mediterranean sea. historians used to think that the name came from that of a legendary king, italo. many other ingenious and improbable theories have been suggested to explain the origin of the name.

　　no matter what its origins, the name of that small ter ritory at the tip of the boot spreads, little by little, to indicate the whole peninsula. by about ad1000 the name designated a region, a dialect, and a culture. but it was not until the mid-19th century that the many separate nations on the peninsula were united into one nation, the nation to which the ancient name 'italy' was given.

意大利：美丽神奇之国

　　'意大利'这一名字极其古老。它最早被用在公元前5世纪的文件中，指延伸进地中海的靴形半岛顶端的那一小块领土。历史学家过去一直认为它取自一位传奇国王-意大洛的名字。人们还提出许多有独创性但却不大可能的理论来解释这一名字的来源。

　　不论其来源于何处，原来只指靴形半岛顶端那一小块领土的这一名字逐渐扩大到泛指整个半岛。大约到了公元1000年，它指一个地区，一种方言，以及一种文化。但是一直到19世纪中期，该半岛上的许多独立国家才联合成为一个国家，并以'意大利'这一古老的名字命名。

神秘的威尼斯

7kao.com 461 11-28

venice, which is considered one of the world's most beautiful cities, was founded by refugees fleeing from barbarian invaders in the 5th century a.d.

　　the refugees chose well. venetians called their city the bride of the adriatic and proudly spoke of being wedded to the sea, for it was the sea that brought them wealth. with its strategic location at the crossroads of east - west trade, venice grew into a great maritime power.

　　威尼斯被认为是世界上最美丽的城市之一。她是5世纪时，由逃避野蛮入侵者的难民所创建的。

　　这些难民选对了地方。威尼斯人称他们的城市为亚得里亚海的新娘，并自豪地宣称她与海洋联姻，因为海洋给他们带来了财富。由于地处东西贸易重要的十字路口，威尼斯拥有强大的海洋优势。

旧金山介绍

7kao.com 392 11-28

san francisco, open your golden gate, sang the girl in the theatre. she never finished her song. the date was 18th april, 1906. the earth shook and the roof suddenly divided, buildings crashed to the ground and people rushed out into the streets. the dreadful earthquake destroyed the city that had grown up when men discovered gold in the deserts of california. but today the streets of san francisco stretch over more than forty steep hills, rising like huge cliffs above the blue waters of the pacific ocean.

　　the best way to see this splendid city, where spanish people were the first to make their homes, is to take one of the old cable cars which run along the nine main avenues. fares are cheap; they have not risen, i'm told, for almost a hundred years.

　　you leave the palm trees in union square —— the heart of san francisco —— and from the shop signs and the faces around you, you will notice that in the city live people from many nations —— austrians, italians,chinese and others —— giving each part a special character. more chinese live in china town than in any other part of the world outside china. here, with chinese restaurants, chinese post-boxes, and even odd telephone-boxes that look like pagodas, it is easy to feel you are in china itself.

　　fisherman's wharf, a place all foreigners want to see, is at the end of the ride. you get out, pause perhaps to help the other travellers to swing the cable car on its turntable (a city custom), and then set out to find a table in one of the gay little restaurants beside the harbour. as you enjoy the fresh pacific sea food you can admire the bright red paint of the golden gate bridge in the harbour and watch the traffic crossing beneath the tall towers on its way to the pretty village of tiberon. when you've finished your meal, you may decide to take aboat-trip around the bay to look at the sights. you can stare, for example, at the famous, now empty, prison of alcatraz. then why not go to the fishing village of sansalito —— a little like london's chelsea or new york's greenwich village —— to see people painting and to look at their pictures. you will be able to enjoy a view of the city from the sea and take pleasure in the soft red and blue spanish-type houses shining in the bright pacific light. if you have time you might like to go by bus to carmel, a hundred miles south of san francisco, where you will discover a wild and wonderful coast with high cliffs.

　　although the people of san francisco prefer riding to walking, you may like to climb up the steep streets. handrails are provided so that you can pull yourself up. you can enjoy the splendid shops, the view from telegraph hill, the houses with fountains and garden: you can also look at the stage coach, a familiar sight from western films, which is in the window of the wells fargo bank in montgomery street, near the business centre of the city.

　　i expect you'll notice that all over the city the cars are left with their wheels turned towards the side walk so that they can't roll away. wherever you walk you'll find it hard to lose yourself. at most of the important crossings there is a plan of the streets (lombard street; ohio street; market street; and so on)cut into the stone of the sidewalk so that you can look down and see where you are.

　　after so much walking you may feel tired and sticky and ready for a swim. there is often a thick morning mist from the sea in summer, but the weather can be very hot. yet nobody swims in the pacific. it is too risky. there are miles and miles of smooth hard sand, empty because of sharks —— those dreadful big man-eating fish —— and the high and dangerous waves of the sea. so take a street car from the city centre to the wonderful swimming pool on the edge of the ocean. afterwards you can go to the neighbouring zoo.later, while you wait to catch a street car returning to your hotel, you may even see the sign “doggy diner” —— a restaurant for dogs!

　　but what about meals for people? as in most of the big cities, the restaurants offer delicious food from almost every country. you could have dinner in chinatown and then, on the way back to your hotel, catch the last cable car after midnight: it's not unusual for passengers who arrive late to have to hang on to the sides of the last car for the whole journey.

　　on sundays parents often take their children to look at the strange trees in the pretty japanese tea garden in the huge spaces of golden gate park.

　　with its hot sun and gay night life, san francisco is a fine place to live in or to visit. it is the most european of all american cities and you'll be sure to grow fond of it instantly. so tell yourself in the words of a song from the last century, “san francisco, here i come!”

　　“旧金山，敞开你的金门吧!”剧院里的那位歌女演唱道。她没有唱完她的歌。这一天是1906年4月18日，大地震动，屋顶突然分裂，高楼大厦轰然坍倒，人们纷纷从屋里逃出，冲上街头。在加利福尼亚州沙漠里发现金矿后成长起来的这座城市，就这样被可怕的地震摧毁了。但时至今日，旧金山的街道四处延伸；遍布四十多座陡峭的小山，那些小山像悬崖峭壁般高耸于太平洋蓝色的海域之上。

　　要游览这座西班牙人最早在此落户的灿烂的城市，最好的办法是乘坐穿越九条主要大街的旧式缆车。缆车取费低廉，据说近百年来一直没涨过价。

　　联合广场是旧金山的中心，如果你离开广场的棕榈树，你就会根据店铺的招牌和周围人们的脸庞，注意到这座城市里居住着来自许多国家的人——奥地利人、意大利人、中国人和其他国家的人——这就使每一地段呈现出各自的特色。有许多中国人住在唐人街，其人数比中国本土之外世界其他任何地方的华人都多。这里有中国风味的餐馆、中国式的邮筒，甚至还有形如宝塔的奇异的电话亭。这种情况使你很容易感到仿佛是置身于中国境内了。

　　国外游客都想访问一下缆车的终点站——渔民之埠。车抵终点站，你下车后，也可能会暂时停步，遵照当地的风俗，帮助其他游客推动转车台上的缆车，使之掉头转向，然后移步到码头旁边的一家装饰华丽的小饭馆里找一个座位坐下。当你品尝太平洋的海鲜时，你可以观赏海港里漆着鲜红颜色的金门大桥，观看林立的高塔下通往美丽的村庄“蒂伯龙”的交通线上络绎不绝的车辆。餐后，你可能决定乘坐游艇绕着海湾观赏风景。比如你可以凝视遐迩闻名但现已空无一人的阿尔卡特拉兹监狱。接着，你何不去游玩一下桑萨利托渔村呢?那里有点像伦敦的切尔西区，也有些象纽约的格林威治村。有些人在渔村里绘画，你不妨去看看，观赏一下他们的作品。那时你还可以从海上远眺市容，饱览在太平洋上明媚的阳光照耀下闪闪发光的色调柔和、红蓝色的西班牙式房屋。如果有时间，你也许还想坐公共汽车前往旧金山以南一百英里的卡梅尔。在那里你会发现一片峭壁高耸、荒凉但引人入胜的海岸。

　　虽然旧金山人喜欢乘车代步，可是你也许会喜欢爬上坡度很大的街道。你可以抓住栏杆攀登，欣赏那些绚丽多彩的店铺，从电报山上眺望美景，饱览带有喷泉和花园的住宅。你还可以去看看陈列在韦尔斯法戈银行橱窗里的、在西部电影里常见的驿站马车，这家银行座落在靠近城市商业中心的蒙哥马利大街。

　　我想你会注意到，全市的汽车在停靠时为了防止滑动，车轮总是向着人行道的。还有，你无论走到哪里，都不容易迷路。在大多数的主要交叉路口，都有一幅街道(朗巴德街、俄亥俄街、市场街等等)的详图刻在人行道的石头上。只要你低头看一下，就知道自己所在的位置了。

　　长时间走动之后，你可能感到疲倦，很不舒服，想要游泳。这里的夏季清晨，海上往往吹来浓雾，但气候可能十分炎热。然而，谁也不敢在太平洋里游泳。那样太危险了。海边有连绵许多英里长的平坦坚硬的沙滩，渺无人迹，因为那里有吃人的凶猛可怕的大鲨鱼，还有海上卷起的汹涌巨浪。所以你还是从中心乘电车到太平洋岸边出色的游泳池去吧。嗣后，你可以逛一下附近的动物园。接着，在你等候电车回旅舍的时候，还可能会看到“狗饭店”的招牌——一家专门为狗服务的餐馆!��

　　可是供应旅客的饭菜是什么呢?这里的餐馆和大多数大城市的餐馆一样，几乎世界各国的美味佳肴应有尽有。你不妨在唐人街就餐，饭后赶午夜以后的末班缆车返回旅舍，晚到的乘客常常不得不抓着末班缆车的车侧走完全程。

　　每逢星期天，家长们往往带着孩子去参观金门公园占很大面积的美丽的日本茶场，观赏茶场里那些稀奇古怪的树木。

　　旧金山白天骄阳当空，夜生活热闹繁华，是个适宜于居住和旅游的好地方。它是美国所有城市中最富欧洲色彩的一个城市，你肯定是会很快就喜爱它的。因此请你默念十九世纪一首歌曲中这样的词句吧：“旧金山，我到你的身边来了!”

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