Boisterous, Booming Beijing

欣欣向荣的北京（2）

我望着两旁那些闪闪发亮的高楼大厦，简直不能置信。
印象中的北京正深受“文化大革命”的摧残，风沙扑面，死气沉沉，落后闭塞。
如今北京已敞开大门，并且已迈开大步奔向21世纪。
我从他们的脸上看到乐观的情绪，从北京的外貌上，看到一个充满希望的城市。

By Paul Raffaele
保罗·拉菲尔

[6]My destination『目的地；终点』is Zijin Cheng, the Forbidden City. Hundreds of thousands of artisans『工匠』toiled to build the original palace in the 15th century. Many more added to it over the years. A glittering maze『迷宫』of pavilions『亭子』, with more than 9,000 rooms spread over 100 hectares, this secluded『与世隔绝的；隔离的』paradise was inhabited『居住』by 24 emperors, their eunuchs and ladies-in-waiting. For 500 years it was closed to outsiders, on the pain of death.

[6]我要去的地方是故宫－紫禁城。紫禁城始建于公元15世纪，耗费了几十万能工巧匠的心血和辛劳。几个世纪以来又多次重修与扩建。金碧辉煌、气势磅礴的建筑群占地100多公顷，共有9000多个房间，有如一座迷宫，住过24位帝王，以及他们的太监、宫女。500年间，紫禁城一直把外人拒之门外，擅自闯入者将被处以死刑。

【背景知识】故宫始建于明朝永乐四年（公元1406年）六月，建成于永乐十八年十一月。明朝14代皇帝，清朝10代皇帝在这里居住，实行对全国的最高统治。
【解字】hectare可拆解为hect + are。are是“公亩”的意思，而hect（o）则表示“一百”。其他类似的词还有：hectogram（一百克）,hectometer（一百米）等等。

[7]Today hordes『成群结队』of visitors from across the globe pour in. Pavilion follows pavilion, courtyard melts into courtyard, wall towers over wall, shielding what awed『畏惧的；敬畏的』Chinese call Da Nei, the Great Within. The Forbidden City has been the backdrop『背景』for many of China's greatest intrigues『阴谋；诡计』. It was here that the ruthless Cixi, the 19th-century dowager empress, wrested『夺取；抢走』power from her nephew and, according to legend, ordered her eunuchs to drown『淹死；溺死』one of his favourite concubines in a well.

[7]今天世界各地的旅游者蜂拥而至。这地方宫殿一座接一座，庭院一个接一个，城墙一道高于一道，拱卫着所谓的“大内”。这里曾上演了众多出惊天动地的事件。19世纪心狠手辣的慈禧就是在此地削夺了侄儿（光绪）的皇位，并命令太监把侄儿的一名宠妃（珍妃）溺死于井中。

[8]Emperor Pu Yi was forced out of the Forbidden City by Republican troops in 1924. He died 43 years later, after emerging from "reeducation " in a Communist prison. His brother-in-law, Runqi Guobuluo, who shared his prison cell, is still alive at 86. This last link to China's imperial past is meeting me for dinner.

[8]溥仪皇帝在1924年被要求共和的军队赶出了紫禁城。他死于43年后，之前曾在共产党的监狱里接受过“再教育”。他的妹夫润麟·郭布罗曾和他关在同一间牢房里。今年已86岁的润麟仍然健在。这最后一位与中国皇室有联系的老人与我共进了午餐。

【背景知识】Pu Yi: 溥仪，清宣统帝。1908年即位，1912年2月12日，颁布“逊位”诏书，清王朝结束。1924年被驱赶出宫。日本帝国主义侵华其间，在东北“满州国”任傀儡皇帝。抗战胜利后，先是被前苏联囚禁，后回国监禁于抚顺监狱。1959年获政府特赦，成为新中国公民。1967年10月17日在北京病逝，享年61岁。

[9]As we talk, more than a dozen dishes are served, among them the gelatinous『胶状的』webbing of sea turtle, a gigantic『巨大的；庞大的』mandarin fish and sausage-shaped sea cucumbers-prized『重视；珍视』as an aphrodisiac『补药；催欲剂』. Our repast『膳食』ends with one of Empress Cixi's preferred dishes, minced『切碎的；剁碎的』beef served in a sesame bun. "It was much favoured in the palace," Runqi says, matter-of-factly『平淡地；不带感情地』.

[9]我们谈话当中，已上了十几道菜。有胶状的甲鱼脚掌、一条大桂鱼和酷似香肠的海参-都被当做是补药。我们那顿饭是以一道慈禧太后最爱吃的菜-芝麻牛肉馅火烧结束的。“这道菜在宫里大受欢迎。”润麟一本正经地说道。

【解字】gigantic 和titanic

[10]The young Runqi took his meals with the emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Several dozen dishes would be set out after eunuchs sampled『抽样检查；试尝』them, testing for poison, not taste. The emperor's magnificent『豪华的；奢侈的』daily feast reflected the Chinese love of food, a national obsession『着迷；固有的观念』that has led Beijing's cooks to dream up some of the world's most bizarre『奇特的；古怪的』meals.

[10]润麟年轻时和皇帝一起在养心斋用过膳。每顿饭总得有几十道菜，全都由太监先尝过，以免有人在里面下毒。御膳之奢华，反映了中国人讲究美食的特点。这种讲究迫使北京的厨师们创造出一些世界上最奇特的饭菜。

[11]At my hotel, among the 121 dishes served are deep-fried scorpion, dog meat in chili, duck's web and braised『焖；炖』camel tendon. Dessert is frog ovum in crystallized sugar.

[11]在我下榻的饭店里，吃的121道菜里包括炒熟的蝎子、辣烧狗肉、烧鸭蹼和炖骆驼肉。甜点是蜜饯青蛙卵。

.