Built in the early fifteenth century (1406-1420 A.D.), it is also called the Palace Museum or the Old Palace.

故宫建于十五世纪早期（公元1406-1420年），也称为故宫博物院或故宫。

As you pass through Tian An Men you will enter a walled courtyard.

穿过天安门以后，你就进入了一个有墙的庭院。

Although you cannot see them, on either side of this courtyard are many gardens and halls.

你尽管看不到，但是，在这个庭院的两边有很多的花园和大厅。

Of particular interest if you have time might be the Imperial Ancestral Temple, which is to the right, and the Sun Yat-Sen Park, on the left.

你如果有时间，右边的太庙和左边的中山公园都非常值得一看。

Covering an area of 175 acres, the Palace is enclosed by walls over 10.4m high and surrounded by a moat 52m wide.

故宫占地面积72公顷，围墙10.4米高，护城河有52米宽。

Today this moat is still full of water.

直到现在，护城河还是注满了水。

Four watchtowers are placed, one at each corner.

四周各有一个角楼。

Used as the imperial palace by both the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911 A.D.), the Imperial Palace is the largest and most complete group of ancient buildings standing in China.

故宫作为明、清两代的皇宫（公元1368-1911年），是中国现存的最大的、也是最完整的古建筑群。

The halls and palaces which comprise the Imperial Palace are all built of wood and brick.

构成故宫的宫和殿都是由木材和砖块建成的。

With a total of over nine thousand rooms, most of the Palace had undergone some reconstruction to repair damage caused by fire and other ravages of time during the long years of its history.

故宫共有九千多间房子，大部分都进行了重建，来修复在漫长历史当中由火灾或者时间流逝带来的破坏。

Throughout you will find typical masterpieces of ancient Chinese architecture.

从头到尾你都会发现中国古代建筑师们留下的杰作。

Two notable examples are the ingeniously constructed watchtowers and the magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony.

建筑巧妙的角楼以及庄严宏伟的太和殿是其中最值得一提的两个例子。

To further insure the Imperial Palace would be given special protection, in 1961 the Chinese government decreed that the entire area be considered one of China's "most important historical sites".

为了进一步确保故宫受到特别的保护，中国政府于1961年颁布条令，规定将整个故宫地区划为中国最重要的历史遗迹。

The Palace Museum, with four gates, has its main entrance to the south, known as the Meridian Gate.

故宫博物院共有四个大门，它的主门是南门，也叫午门。

This is the gate you will approach as you continue along the cobbled roadway from Tian An Men.

沿着天安门的那条石子路向前就能走到午门。

The Imperial Palace is divided into two ceremonial areas: the Outer Palace and the Inner Court.

故宫博物院分为两个重要的区域，一是外朝，二是内廷。

Through the Meridian Gate and across the Golden Water Bridge, one comes to the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the main gate of the Outer Palace.

穿过午门，跨过金水桥，我们就来到了太和门，这是外朝的主门。

The main buildings in the Outer Palace are the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Complete Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

太和门是外朝的主门，外朝的主要建筑是太和殿、中和殿、保和殿。

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