紫禁城：另辟蹊径，不落俗套
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老桑说
在这有着500多年的风雨历史
历经了24位皇帝的紫禁城中穿行散步
探索中国王朝的辉煌历史
体验中华文明的诸多成就
是一种无比美妙的感受
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「 朋友，你好！我是老桑。 」
△老桑春天在颐和轩
对许多人来说，游历紫禁城是会铭记一生的旅程，没有看过世界上最大的宫殿建筑群的中国之行是不完整的。在这有着500多年的风雨历史、历经了24位皇帝的紫禁城中穿行散步，探索中国王朝的辉煌历史，体验中华文明的诸多成就，是一种无比美妙的感受。
△大石雕
由于居住在北京的缘故，我有幸能够经常去游览故宫（也被称为故宫博物馆）。这么多年了，我自认为自己已经探索过故宫的每个nook（角落），但每当再次走进去，我都会领会到一些新的东西。
“当你学到越多的知识时，你会发现你知道的越少。”——阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦
许多朋友常常会问我在故宫都看到了什么。我想他们真正想要问的是：“除了经典的地方之外，有什么其他游客都看不到的特别的地方吗？”毕竟，人们不会到处说：“哇，我去了故宫，看到了太和殿！”因为大家通常会选择分享那些有着独特体验的故事。
换句话说，朋友们更想知道该如何“不落俗套”。
在英语中，“off the beaten path”或“off the beaten track”是指那些人们不经常去的地方。“To go off the beaten path”是指选择一条很少有人走的路，或者尝试那些人们不常做的事情。这也意味着去独立思考，开辟一条没有人前往过的路。
故宫规模庞大，面积超过100万平方米，有超过800幢的建筑、9000个房间。我经常会看到许多游客——无论是中国人还是外国人——都会在故宫南方向的午门入口进来后感到晕头转向，被庞大的面积和复杂的构造绕晕。
△随大流
在这种情况下，我发现许多游客都会做同样的事情：他们会保持在故宫的主干道上，沿着中轴线走过各种宫殿。这样走下去，穿过三大殿和其他的宫殿后，他们就会经过御花园，然后走到北门出去。
中国很多的顶级旅游景点都很大，需要很多时间去慢慢探索。像长城、兵马俑、阳朔、泰山和敦煌等景点都给了我类似的感受。当我们面对不熟悉的情况时，最容易做的事情就是跟随其他人，并且不敢离开主干道——我承认我自己就这样做过！
不过，我在故宫的一些特别的经历，告诉了我该如何做到另辟蹊径。与其他时刻不同，我没有选择直着沿着主干道走，而是选择了zigzag（曲线前进）。这种选择带给我的感受就是即便是在人群最拥挤的时候，那些鲜为人知的景点处还是很少的人。下面是一些例子：
在穿过太和门之前，你可以选择参观东西两侧的展馆，那里有书法、绘画和陶瓷的展览。在我近期的故宫之旅中，我看到了刘炳森的书法展，在那里向游客们展示了刘炳森先生鲜明的绘画技术，他将人物的出名特点绘画的惟妙惟肖，此外他的书法更是平易近人，让许多普通老百姓都能够欣赏。
△刘炳森书法
这些展览通常开设于武英殿和文化殿，不过这些宫殿偶尔会在展览间隙或装修时关闭。但不必担心，因为在这条“独辟之径”上还有很多其他值得看的东西。通常，当你离中轴越远时，你会发现越多的令人惊讶的事物。
宁寿全宫中有一些鲜为人知的宝石，需要单独买票才能进入参观。一进来，你就能看到中国三大九龙壁之一，北京故宫九龙壁；可以看到摆满exquisite（精致的）金、银、珍珠和凤冠等首饰珍宝的珍宝馆；以及畅音阁——有着奇妙入口的三层楼的歌剧院。
△畅音阁
△九龙壁
由于游览东六宫的人少，所以你可以更近距离地欣赏那些珍贵稀有的中国艺术品。你将体会到故宫九龙壁的气势恢宏，惊叹于皇室衣装和艺术品的精巧细致，在三层的畅音阁中欣赏美妙的音乐，余音绕梁，久久不能忘怀。
在19世纪，中国向西方出口了大量的丝绸、茶叶和瓷器，但回报甚微。尽管如此，清朝皇室却对外国的钟表intrigued（很感兴趣）。虽然中国当时已经有了自己的计时设备（交泰殿中有一个18世纪的漏壶），但是国外钟表的精美的特点让这种艺术形式达到了一个新的高度。
同样的，钟表馆的展览也是需要单独的门票才可以入内参观，但是这真的非常值得。其中的许多钟表都有着奇妙的图案花纹、奇异的动物雕刻、中西的特色图案以及具有特色的造型设计。在参观时，你都会忍不住问自己：“我自己的想象力和创造力什么时候能达到这种水平呢？”
△安索尼亚钟表公司的钟表
在这个展厅中为数不多的美国钟表之一是安索尼亚钟表公司（Ansonia Clock Company）制造的。该公司在19世纪创建于我的家乡康涅狄格州，这种奇妙的巧合让我感到我和中国之间又多了一层独特的联系。
未建造完成的水晶宫是故宫内唯一一座西方风格的建筑。这是由德国人建造的，有着错综复杂的白色大理石雕刻外墙和铸铁的屋顶结构。但是由于缺乏资金，这个建筑于1909年就遗憾地停止建设了，但如果建成，水晶宫将会有玻璃窗的装饰，并且在有一个展示外来稀有鱼类的地下水族馆。
△水晶宫
这个建筑融合了东方和西方的风格，也从一定程度上反映了当时中国的国际化进程。现在，我只能想象着如果他们完成了它会是多么壮观的景象，我真的很想知道那时的人们会如何在冬天保护这些外来的稀有鱼类！也许答案就藏在邻近的中山公园之中，因为那里有罕见的金鱼池塘。
西六宫中的经典是养心殿，这是清代皇帝们所居住的地方。你可以通过这些皇室的家具和房间布局来想象皇帝们的私人生活是什么样的。
慈禧太后在大堂东厅的一个幕布后与太子和大臣们商讨国事。
△狮子
穿过西六宫之后，你就可以进入到皇帝和他的妃嫔们平日生活的地方了——这对于当时的老百姓们来说可想都不敢想。虽然生活非常opulence（富裕），但很多游客们都会思考当时的皇帝们是否真的享受这种奢靡的生活，亦或是感到被周围的环境所囚禁呢。
△守护者
朋友，游览故宫的珍贵回忆将会伴随着你的一生。要看到经典之处，但同时也要不落俗套、独辟蹊径。你会因自己发现的独特美景而惊叹，为自己进一步了解了古代皇帝的生活而兴奋，并会听到看到那些能够帮助更好地保护与传播故宫那神秘又恢弘的文化历史的故事。
英文版
English
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The Forbidden City:
Get off the beaten path
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「 Hello, my friend！
I’m John Smagula. 」
For many people, a visit to the Forbidden City is a trip of a lifetime. No trip to China would be complete without visiting the largest palace complex in the world. Home to 24 emperors over 500 years, to walk through the Forbidden City is to explore China’s dynastic splendor and experience the many achievements of Chinese civilization.
△Dragon-Head Spouts
Living in Beijing, I am fortunate to be able to visit the Forbidden City (also known as the Palace Museum) with some frequency. Over the years I think I have explored every nook and cranny, but each time I visit, I learn some new things.
△Einstein
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” –Albert Einstein
Many friends ask me what to see at the Forbidden City. What they are really asking is, “Other than the highlights, what are some special places that many tourists don’t see?” After all, how often to people say, “Wow, I went to the Forbidden City and saw the Hall of Supreme Harmony!” Not as often as they would share a story about experiencing something unusual.
In other words, friends are asking how to get off the beaten path.
In English, “off the beaten path” or “off the beaten track” is a place where not many people go. To go “off the beaten path” is to take the road less traveled or to do something that is less common. It also means to think independently and blaze a trail where nobody has gone before.
The Forbidden City is gargantuan, with over 1 million square meters, 800 buildings, and 9,000 rooms. I have seen many visitors, Chinese and foreign alike, become overwhelmed as they enter the Forbidden City’s southern entrance at the Meridian Gate, not knowing which way to turn given the size and scale of the palace.
△On the beaten path
In these cases, I have observed that many visitors do the same thing: they stay on the main path, going through the huge ceremonial halls along the central axis. Once through the Three Great Halls and other central halls, they pass through the Imperial Garden and then out the north gate.
Many of China’s top tourist sites are enormous and take time to explore. For example, I have seen visitors with similar reactions when they arrive at the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Yangshuo, Tai Shan, or Dunhuang. When faced with the unfamiliar, it’s easiest just to follow the others and stay on the main path. I admit I have done this myself!
Some of my most special experiences at the Forbidden City, though, have been when I have gone off the beaten path. Rather than walk straight through, I make a zigzag. Even on the most crowded of days, there are generally fewer people in some of these lesser-known sections of the complex. Here are some examples:
01
Side Galleries
Before passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you can visit side galleries to the east and west, where there are exhibitions on calligraphy, painting, and ceramics. On my recent visit, I saw Liu Bingsen’s calligraphy exhibit, showing how he drew the characters for many famous logos and made calligraphy more accessible to the general population.
△Water Vat
These exhibits are usually housed in the Hall of Martial Valor and Hall of Literary Glory. The buildings are sometimes closed between exhibits or for renovations. Not to worry, though, as there are lots of other things to see on the unbeaten path. Often, the farther away you go from the central axis, the more surprising things you will find.
02
Eastern Palaces
The Palace of Peace and Longevity has some hidden gems and requires a separate admissions ticket. Once inside, you can see one of the three glazed Nine Dragon Screens in China; the Treasure Gallery with its exquisite gold, silver, pearls, and phoenix crowns; and the Pavilion of Cheerful Melodies, a three-story Opera House complete with trap doors for surprise entrances.
△ Kneeling Elephant
As there are fewer people touring the Eastern Palace, you can get up close to some rarely-seen Chinese artistry. You experience the massive scale of the Nine Dragon Screen, marvel at the intricate detail of the imperial wardrobe and art collection, and imagine watching a three-story opera whose music lingers long after the show is over.
03
Clock Exhibition Hall
In the 19th century, China exported silk, tea, and porcelain to the West, while wanting little in return. The Qing-dynasty court, though, was intrigued with foreign clocks. Although China had its own time-keeping devices at the time (the Hall of Union has an 18th century clepsydra), foreign clock-making ingenuity brought this art form to a new level.
This exhibition hall also requires a separate admission ticket but is well worth it. Many of the clocks are adorned with whimsical figures, exotic animals, Chinese and Western motifs, and inventive features. As you walk by the clocks, you can ask yourself, “Could I push my own imagination to these levels?”
△Palace Cat
One of the few American clocks in the exhibit was made by the Ansonia Clock Company, founded in my home state of Connecticut in the 19th century. It felt like another connection of my personal history to China.
04
The Crystal Palace
The unfinished Crystal Palace is the only Western-inspired architecture within the Forbidden City. Built by Germans, the structure has an intricately carved white marble facade and cast-iron roof. Construction was halted in 1909 due to lack of funds, but if completed, the building would have had glass windows and an underground aquarium featuring exotic fish.
△The Crystal Palace
The building reflects a push for internationalization within China at the time, blending Eastern and Western styles. I can only imagine what it would have been like if they completed it, wondering how they would have kept all those exotic fish alive in the winter! Perhaps the answer lies in the neighboring Zhongshan Park, which features rare goldfish ponds.
05
Western Palaces
The highlight of the Western Palace is the Hall of Mental Cultivation, which is where the Qing dynasty emperors lived. You can experience their personal lives by seeing the imperial furniture and layout of the rooms.
The Empress Dowager Cixi held audiences with princes and ministers behind a silk screen in the hall’s eastern chamber.
△Treasure Gallery
A walk through the Western Palaces allows you to enter the intimate day-to-day lives of the emperors and their consorts, which would have been completely off limits to commoners at the time. Despite the opulence, many visitors muse about whether the emperors enjoyed a life of luxury or otherwise were imprisoned by their surroundings.
△ Roof Guardians
My friend, memories of a visit the Palace Museum will last forever. See the highlights, but also get off the beaten path. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll find, grasp a deeper understanding of imperial life, and acquire many great stories to tell that will help preserve and spread the Forbidden City’s history, mystique, and grandeur.
1.nook
a)含义：n. 角落；隐匿处
b)例句：
i.Over the years I think I have explored every nook and cranny, but each time I visit, I learn some new things.
这么多年了，我自认为自己已经探索过故宫的每个角落，但每次重新参观，我都会学到一些新的东西。
ii.The meeting reached into every nook and cranny of people's lives.
那个聚会涉及到人们生活的方方面面。
c)近义词：alcove, niche, recess
2.zigzag
a)含义：adj. 曲折的, 锯齿形的, Z字形的
v. 使成Z字形；使曲折行进
n. Z字形
b)例句：
i.Rather than walk straight through, I make a zigzag.
我没有选择直着沿着主干道走，而是选择了曲线前进。
ii.The bird runs along in a zigzag path, quivering its wings.
小鸟抖动着翅膀沿弯弯曲曲的路线向前跑去。
c)近义词：sidestep, weave, crooked
3.exquisite
a)含义：adj.优美的, 高雅的, 精致的
b)例句：
i.You can see the Treasure Gallery with its exquisite gold, silver, pearls, and phoenix crowns once you enter the Palace of Peace and Longevity.
一进入宁寿全宫，你就能看到摆满精致的金、银、珍珠和凤冠等首饰珍宝的珍宝馆。
ii.I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.
我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
c)近义词：elegant, delicate, fine
4.intrigued
a)含义：adj. 好奇的;被迷住了的
b)例句：
i.The Qing-dynasty court was intrigued with foreign clocks.
清朝皇室对外国的钟表很感兴趣。
ii.Most children are intrigued with fary-tales.
大多数孩子都对童话故事感兴趣。
c)近义词：bemused, engrossed, fascinated
5.opulence
a)含义：n.富裕，财富
b)例句：
i.Despite the opulence, many visitors muse about whether the emperors enjoyed a life of luxury or otherwise were imprisoned by their surroundings.
虽然生活非常富裕，但很多游客们都会思考当时的皇帝们是否真的享受这种奢靡的生活，亦或是感到被周围的环境所囚禁呢。
ii.Money flowed into Rome and supported a growing bureaucracy and opulence, which ultimately led to the Reformation.
越来越多的钱流入罗马，并支持了官僚主义的富裕，最终导致了改革。
c)近义词：affluence, luxury, sumptuousness
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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