1、第1页/共13页【故宫】午门MeridianGate午门是进出紫禁城的主要通道。这样命名是因为皇帝认为自己是“天子”，紫禁城是宇宙的中心，因此贯穿南北的中轴线作为子午线贯穿故宫。ThemainentrancetothePalaceistheMeridianGate,whichwassonamedbecausetheemperorconsideredhimselftheSonoftheHeavenandthePalace,thecenteroftheuniverse,hencethenorth-southaxisastheMeridianlinegoingrightthroughthePalace.午门在紫禁城南面城垣正中，为禁城正门，是紫禁城四座城门中最大的一座。明永乐十八年（1420年）建成。Meridiangate,inthemiddleofthesouthwall,isthemineentrancetotheForbiddenCity.Its
2、thelargestoneinthefourgatesoftheForbiddenCity,builtintheeighteenthyearofEmperorYongle,MingDynasty.(1420).城台中央门洞为皇帝出入的“御路门”，此外只有皇后大婚时喜轿入宫，殿试高中的状元、榜眼和探花出宫时可以走中门，以示皇帝的优崇。宗室王公则出入西门，文武官员出入东门。Thecentraldoorwayisfortheemperortogoinandgetout,called第2页/共13页“ImperialGate”.Inaddition,toshowtheemperorspreferentialtreatment,onlythequeensweddingsedanintothepalace,theChampionscholar,Runner-upscholarandtheThirdintheimperialexaminationoutth
3、epalacecanwalkinthecentraldoor(“ImperialGate”).Imperialclangetinandoutfromthewestgate,officialsfromtheeastgate.明代，皇帝施淫威处罚大臣的“廷杖”也在此进行，“推出午门斩首”的说法即由此讹化而来。InMingdynasty,Emperorpunishedtheirministerby“CourtBeating”infrontofMeridianGate.“Launchmeridiangatebeheaded”wasincorrectlyrelayedthisinformation,whichisnotreal.(Asthelegendgoes,theMeridianGateusedtobeaplacewherecondemnedrankingofficialswouldbeexecuted.Thisnottrue)内金水桥Inner
4、GoldenWaterBridge流经太和门广场，蜿蜒呈弓形。广场中央五座汉白玉石桥跨越河道，齐指太和门方向。正中主桥是皇帝专用的“御路桥”，栏杆上雕云龙柱头。两旁四座宾桥栏杆皆饰二十四气柱头，主桥旁两座供宗室王公行走的称“王公桥”，再次两座供三品以上文武大臣行走，称“品级桥”。BeyondtheMeridianGateunfoldsavastcourtyardacrosswhichthe第3页/共13页InnerGoldenWaterRiverrunsfromeasttowest.Theriverisspannedbyfivebridges,whichweresupposedtobesymbolsofthefivevirtuespreachedbyConfuciusbenevolence,righteousness,rites,intelligence,andfidelity.GoldenWaterBridge:Theyarefivewhitemarbleston
5、ebridgesacrosstheriver.Theoneinthemiddlewasusedexclusivebytheemperoranditsbanisterswerecarvedwithdragonandphoenixdesigns,called“ImperialBridge”.Therailingsoftheotherfourbridgesonbothsidesaredecoratedwith24SolarTerms.Thebridgesflankingtheimperialonewerereservedforprincesandotherroyalmembers,calledMaharajaBridge.Therestwereusedbypalatines,calledGradeBridge.太和门GateofSupremeHarmony是紫禁城外朝庄严的门户，明永乐年建成，初称奉天门，嘉靖朝改名皇极门。清顺治入主北京后始名太和门
6、。现有建筑为清光绪年间火灾后所重建而成。太和门坐落于汉白玉基座上，丹陛下列铜鼎四只，门前左右分列石亭、石匮，还有两只宫内最巨大的青铜狮子为明代铸造。东侧玩一个球的石狮是男性,象征着权力和全民团结。另一个在西侧幼崽拥抱在它的爪下的是女性,代表繁荣无休止的继承。Builtinyongleyear,Mingdynasty,atfirstcalled“Mukdendoor”.第4页/共13页GateofSupremeHarmonyislocatedonawhitemarblepedestal,therearefourbronzetripods,andstonepavilionandstonecabinetareintheleftandrightsidesrespectivelyinfrontofthegates.Intheforegroundstandtwomassivebronzelions,theyarethebiggestonesinthepalace.
7、TheywerecastedinMingDynasty.Theoneontheeastplayingwithaballismale,symbolizingpoweranduniversalunity.Theotheronthewestwithacubcuddlingunderneathitsclawisfemale,representingprosperitytheendlesssuccession.奉天门（即太和门）在明代是皇帝早朝御门听政的场所，且洪熙、宣德、正统三朝皇帝即在此门登基即位，所以在明代又被称为大朝门。清入关后，顺治皇帝也在此颁诏天下。Mukdendoor(GateofSupremeHarmony)intheMingDynastyistheplacetheemperorandministerstodiscusspoliticslikeamorningrally.AndthreeemperorsofMingdynastyascend
8、thethronghere.InQingdynasty,theemperorshunzhialsointhereissuedproclamationstotheworld.太和殿HallofSupremeHarmony是紫禁城中的至尊金殿，即民间所谓皇宫中的“金銮宝殿”，这里是皇帝举行重大朝典之地。Itsnameindicatesthehopeofharmonyintheworld.Itsthe第5页/共13页supremacypalaceinthecentraloftheForbiddenCity,calledthe“Majesticpalace”inthefolk,wheretheemperorheldthemomentousceremonyandcelebrations.太和殿是紫禁城中最大的殿宇，也是中国现存规制最高的古代宫殿建筑。大殿内外饰以成千上万条金龙纹，屋脊角安设十个脊兽，在现存古建筑中仅此一例。Thehallofsupremeharm
9、onyisoneofthelargestpalacesintheForbiddenCity,isalsotheChineseexistinghighestregulationofancientpalacebuildings.Insideandoutsideofthehallwasdecoratedwithhundredsofthousandsofgolddragon,tenridgebeastswereinstalledontheroofAngle,allofthesemakeittheonlyoneintheextantancientbuildings.太和殿,长方形,高27米,面积2300平方米,在宫殿群中是最伟大和最重要的大厅。它也是中国最大的木结构和灿烂的色彩组合在现有宫殿的一个杰出范例。这个大厅举行重大场合的典礼，像是:冬至,春节,皇帝的生日和即位,和作战调兵遣将等。在这些场合会有一个皇家仪仗队站在大厅前,一直延伸到午门。TheHallofSupremeHarmony,rectangularinshape,27metersinheight,2,300squaremetersinarea,isthegrandestandmostimportanthallinthePalacecomplex.ItisalsoChinaslargest第6页/共13页existingpalaceofwoodstructureandanoutstandingexampleofbrilliantcolorcombinations.Thishallusedtobethethronehallforceremonieswhichmarkedgreatoccasions:theWinterSolstice,theSpringFestival,theemperorsbirthdayandenthronement,andthedispa