故宫的红墙 · The Red Walls of the Forbidden City

故宫Gùgōng的de红墙hóng qiáng黄瓦,huáng wǎ可kě算suàn是shì皇家huángjiā建筑jiànzhù的de缩影。suōyǐng

The Forbidden City's red walls and yellow tiles can stand as a reduction of all imperial architecture.

红色hóngsè代表dàibiǎo权威quánwēi与yǔ尊贵,zūnguì黄色huángsè象征xiàngzhēng皇权。huáng quán

Red represents power and dignity, yellow symbolizes the throne.

我wǒ曾céng在zài初冬chū dōng的de清晨qīngchén站zhàn在zài这些zhèxiē高墙gāoqiáng下。xià

I once stood beneath these high walls in early winter.

阳光yángguāng缓缓huǎnhuǎn地de在zài墙qiáng上shàng移动,yídòng像xiàng一场yì chǎng无声wúshēng的de潮水。cháoshuǐ

Sunlight slowly traveled across the wall, like a quiet tide.

乌鸦wūyā从cóng金顶jīn dǐng上shàng飞fēi过,guò留下liúxià几声jǐ shēng尖锐jiānruì的de鸣叫。míngjiào

Crows passed over the gold-tiled roofs, leaving a few sharp cries.

王朝wángcháo的de主人zhǔrén早zǎo已yǐ在zài这里zhèlǐ化为huà wéi尘土。chéntǔ

The rulers of dynasties have all turned to dust here.

但dàn红墙hóng qiáng依然yīrán挺立,tǐnglì见证jiànzhèng着zhe时光shíguāng缓慢huǎnmàn的de流动。liúdòng

But the red walls are still standing, witnessing the slow course of time.

走zǒu出chū宫门,gōng mén我wǒ忽然hūrán感到gǎndào一种yì zhǒng人间rénjiān的de安静。ānjìng

Walking out of the palace, I suddenly felt a kind of human stillness.

故宫Gùgōng有yǒu九千多间jiǔ qiān duō jiān房子,fángzi走完zǒu wán要yào好几天。hǎo jǐ tiān

The Forbidden City has over nine thousand rooms; walking them all takes days.

从前cóngqián住zhù在zài这里zhèlǐ的人,de rén一辈子yíbèizi也yě见不到jiàn bú dào皇帝huángdì几次。jǐ cì

Those who once lived here might not see the emperor more than a few times in a lifetime.

宫女gōngnǚ进宫jìn gōng的时候de shíhou大多dàduō十三四岁。shísān sì suì

Most palace maids entered the palace at thirteen or fourteen.

她们tāmen中zhōng的de很多人,hěn duō rén再也zài yě没有méiyǒu走出过zǒu chū guo这道门。zhè dào mén

Many of them never walked back out through this gate again.

红墙hóng qiáng的de颜色yánsè其实qíshí每隔měi gé几年jǐ nián就要jiù yào重新chóngxīn刷shuā一次。yí cì

The color of the red walls in fact has to be repainted every few years.

工匠gōngjiàng说,shuō那种红nà zhǒng hóng要yào用yòng矿石kuàngshí磨成粉,mó chéng fěn再zài一层层yì céng céng上。shàng

The craftsmen say that red is ground from mineral stone and laid on layer by layer.

太阳tàiyáng晒久shài jiǔ了le会huì褪色,tuìsè雨水yǔshuǐ也yě会huì带走dài zǒu一些。yìxiē

Long sun fades it, and the rain carries some of it away.

所以suǒyǐ我们wǒmen看到kàndào的de红,hóng是shì一代代人yí dài dài rén不断búduàn补上去bǔ shàngqù的。de

So the red we see is what generation after generation kept putting back.

建筑jiànzhù不会bú huì自己zìjǐ活下来,huó xiàlái是shì有人yǒu rén一直yìzhí在zài照顾zhàogù它。tā

A building does not survive by itself; someone has been caring for it all along.

这zhè大概dàgài也是yě shì一种yì zhǒng记忆jìyì的de方式。fāngshì

That is probably a form of memory as well.