拙政园英语导游词

Humble Administrator’s GardenNow we have been in the Humble Administrator’s Garden, which is one of the four most famous gardens in China. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, imperial censor Wang Xianchen resigned from his post, returned to his hometown and built this garden on the site of Dahong Monastery. The name of the garden comes from a line “administration by the inept” in Idler’s Prose written by Pan Yue of the Jin Dynasty (265-420).The designer of the garden was Wen Zhengming, one of the four outstanding painters in the Ming. It took sixteen years to complete the garden between1509-1525. The principal element in its layout is water, which accounts for one-fifth of its total area. And in its central part water occupies one third of the area. Most of the major buildings are constructed beside water’being the largest of Suzhou’s gardens, it takes up 5.2 hectares of land and consists of three sections—east, middle and west. Since 1961, it has been the historical monument for national preservation. In 1997 it was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO.East SectionThe East Section lies right inside the main entrance. It is said that after the founder of the garden passed away, his son lost the garden in gambling. Three winners divided it into three parts. The east part was owned by Wang Xinyi, who named his new possession Return-to-countryside Garden Villa. It had long been neglected. Reconstruction was started in 1955 and finished in early 1960. ponds were dug, rockeries built and trees planted against a setting of low mounds, lawns and bamboo groves. Orchid Snow Hall Lotus Studio, Heavenly Spring Pavilion View Gazebo and Millet Fragrance Hall were restored to carry forward the traditional style and bring forth some spacious ideas.Orchid Snow ParlourThe Orchid Snow Palour is the first classical building across the yard from the garden’s entrance to the east section. It houses a large lacquer screen, on which a carved picture shows the layout of the entire garden.The name of the parlour is based on the line from an ancient poem which goes: “Gentle breeze sprinkles over orchid and snow.” The owner of the garden used it to express that he was aloof from politics, material pursuits and worldly considerations.Cloud-embellished PeakIt is made of the Taihu Lake stones and keeps visitors from viewing the entire scenery of the east part of the garden. In terms of Chinese classical landscape gardening, its function is known as the view-concealing or view-blocking. Its purpose is to make visitors eager to see the scenes behind the peak.Lotus PavilionThe waterside Lotus Pavilion is built partially on water and partially on land. In the distance over numerous green lotus leaves is a zigzag stone bridge with low balustrades, which is a typical Ming-dynasty-style bridge. From this pavilion visitors can obtain a fine view of a lotus pond reaching out to a huge hill.It is a scenic spot for appreciating lotus flowers in summer. This garden has vast water surface. That’s why lotus is grown in many places. Many classical buildings in the garden are named after lotus or regarded as the best spots to view lotus. Among them are the Drifting Fragrance Hall, Lotus Breeze Pavilion, Fragrant Islet, Lotus-root Fragrance Waterside Studio and Stay-and-Listen Parlour.Since 1996 the garden has made the lotus festival every summer an annual event. Shown in the garden are over 100 kinds of lotus such as the king lotus，the lotus grown in –bowls, etcHeavenly Spring PavilionThis octagonal pavilion is the largest pavilion in Suzhou’s gardens. It’s named the Heavenly Spring Pavilion, which houses an ancient well in center of its floor. The well was dug in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), and it is much older than the garden itself. The pavilion’s large size matches well with the surrounding open space.The walkway alongside the hill-side brook leads to the central section and passes the Millet Fragrance Hall.Millet Fragrance HallThis hall faces a brook and a well-afforested island with a pavilion atop. Behind the hall is the garden’s northern boundary, beyond which there used to be the paddy fields.The character millet here refers to rice in our area south of the Yangtze River. When rice ripens, its fragrance can spread afar. Hence the name. Once it was used as a tea house for many years, and now it houses a souvenir shop.Around the hall we can see lots of different trees such as ginkgo, magnolia, crape murtle, sycamore, camphor, boxwood, cypress, maple, etc.Walking along the corridor with shelter and viewing scenery behind the lattice windows set on the white wall, visitors can appreciate trees, water in the pond, hillocks and classical building appearing or disappearing. This is the magnificent view of the central section, which is the main attraction of this garden.Central SectionThis is the quintessence of the garden. Walking westward from the Millet Fragrance Hall, we can see a long corridor with 25 windows in different patterns, and then come to the Rainbow-Embraced Pavilion. Most of the garden’s scenery can be seen from here. Another pavilion beyond the ponds is named the Pavilion of Different Universe, or the Pavilion of Another Wonderland. These two pavilions set each other off from a distance, forming opposite scenes.The towering North Temple Pagoda a kilometer away from the garden seems to be in the west section of the garden. This is the method of “borrowing scenes”used in the art of garden construction in Suzhou. It gives the garden an art of depth and serenity. The pagoda is 76 metres high with nine stories. It was built in the Song Dynasty some 850 years ago. It’s an octangonal pagoda protected by the central government.Secluded Pavilion of Phoenix Tree and BambooIt is a unique pavilion that has four moon gates on all four sides, providing frames for some exquisite scenes. Hung inside the pavilion is a pair of couplets and a wooden tablet. Shown on the tablet are four characters written by Wen Zhengming for the name of the pavilion.The pair of couplets consists of fourteen characters which read:Gentle breeze brings refreshing cool, and moonlight illumination.Flowing water expresses movement, and mountains stillness.Please look out over the northern side. Through the moon gate we see two phoenix trees grow by bamboo graves. Phoenix tree is a popular name for Chinese parasol tree.In late September or early October, a few leaves of the very tree begin to fall. In China an old saying goes, “one leaf knows autumn.”That means “One leaf falling, one knows that autumn comes. So the Chinese parasol tree is the first to report the coming of the autumn.Frost-Awaiting PavilionCrossing a zigzag stone bridge, we can arrive at the hillock with the Frost-Awaiting Pavilion at its top. Suzhou produces tangerines, which are deep green in autumn. After they are frost-bitten in winter, tangerines turn red. So that’s why the pavilion is surrounded with some tangerine trees.Snow-Fragrance-Abundant-Clouds PavilionThis is a rectangular pavilion, which is built on the top of the highest hillock in the garden. Looking southward beyond the lotus pond, we can catch a glimpse of the main building of the garden, named the Distant Fragrance Hall.The tablet hung under the roof has six characters that read: “Amidst Mountain Flowers and Wild Birds.”Hung on two pillars of the pavilion is a pair of couplets written by Wen Zhengming, which reads:The shrilling of cicadas makes the forest more peaceful;The twittering of birds brings the hills more tranquility.We know Wen Zhengming designed this garden. He was one of the four famous painters in the sixteenth century, who organized Suzhou Painting School. This Suzhou-style Painting School is still active today in our city.Lotus-Breeze-on-Four-Sides PavilionWalking down from the highest hillock, we arrive at the Lotus-Breeze-on-Four-Sides Pavilion where the pools meet. Here, in mid summer, luxuriant willows provide a cool shade, lotus flowers thrust upward from the water, and lotus-scented breezes caress the visitor’s face. On two of the pavilion’s columns hangs an old couplet:Lotus on four sides and willows on three,Half a pool of autumn water reflects a hill.Located west of the pavilion is a winding bridge which leads to the long corridor, named the Willows’Shade and Winding Path. The bridge is of light and airy construction with low balustrades. Bridges have the effect of separating and integrating the water surface and the surrounding scenery, playing a big role in Suzhou’s classical gardens. Sitting in the pavilion, we can have a good a view of such scenes as the Mountain-in-View-Building, Fragrance Islet, Little Flying Rainbow, little Gentle Waves and Distant Fragrance Hall.Mountain-in-View-BuildingFollowing the corridor named the Willow’s Shade and Winding Path toward the northeast, we can arrive at the Mountain-in-View Building which has water on three sides; and instead of stone steps, a rockery is piled up next to the building, providing access by means of a covered corridor rising through the rockery and leading to the second floor.During the period of the Taiping Uprising (1851-1864), one of the princes, Li Xiucheng by name, stayed here. His office is known as Loyal King’s Residence, which is Suzhou Historical Museum now and protected by the central government.Seen across the pond from distance, the Mountain-in-View Building looks like a dragon. It is a crouching dragon which is about to fly into the sky. The building may be regarded as its head and the rising corridor takes resemblance to its body.Fragrant IsletThis is a unique classical building, which looks like a boat, anchoring in shore. There is a small bridge leading to this boat. The bridge without rails is regarded as the gang board. We can see the two characters Fragrant Ialet on a horizontal tablet, which were written by Wen Zhengming, the designer of this garden. The upper section is called the Watching –Clear-Water. A large mirror in the cabin reflects the necessary across the pond. This is a good example of the garden-building technique of contrasting the real with the unreal and of borrowing scenery.Such a classical building is known as a dry boat. It combines four basic forms of Chinese architecture: pavilion, terrace, chamber and tower. The terrace serves as the deck of a boat. Linking the boat is a stone bridge without rails, which is regarded as the gangplank. The pavilion serves as the shelter in front of the passengers’cabin. The cabin is actually a water-side chamber. The tower with two stories indicates the boat is a double deck boat. If tome permits, let’s goaboard later on.Southwest of the dry boat is the Magnolia Hall of the Ming Dynasty construction. Facing a quiet and secluded courtyard, the hall is believed to have been Wen Zhengming’s painting studio.Little Flying RainbowStanding by the Lotus Pavilion, we can command a nice view of the tile-roofed bridge beyond the southern pool. This is the only covered bridge in the gardens of Suzhou, and it’s slightly arched. So it looks like part of a rainbow, hence it’s named the Little Flying Rainbow.Little Gentle WavesTo the south of the bridge is a three-bay studio on the water. It is called the Little Gentle Waves Water Courtyard. Hung on the columns is a pair of couplets. The first line of the couplets reads: “When the gentle waves water is clear, I’ll wash my hat tassels. When the gentle waves water is dirty, I’ll wash my feet.” And its second line means: “Man of wisdom takes delight in the water,Man of benevolence is delighted with mountains.The remarks on that pair of couplets are quite meaningful and thought-provoking. It reflects the idea to withdraw from society and live in seclusion.Distant Fragrance HallYuan Xiang Tang, or Hall of Distant Fragrance in English, lies in the central south of the Central Section with the lotus pond to its north. The hall, where the owner of the garden used to give banquets and meet visitors, is the main building in the middle section. A Ming structure, it has windows on all four sides but no walls. This hall is three bays wide and has entrances both front and back, providing a good view of the surrounding scenery. In summer, soft breeze wafts the scent of lotus leaves and flowers into the hall, reminding one of the line “distant fragrance is all the more delicate and fresh.” This line is taken from a prose piece entitled On Loving Lotus by Zhou Dunyi, a writer of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).Around the hall are terraces, pools, rockeries, flower beds and old trees. This is one of the best scenic areas in the garden. Sitting inside it, people can see perspectives from all directions. So it is popularly known as the Four-Sided Hall.West SectionThe pavilion above the moon gate is popular known as the Western Half Pavilion. It’s also known as the Pavilion of Another Wonderland. Upon entering the moon gate set in the dividing wall, we’ll get to the western section.Good-for-Both-Families PavilionWhen the garden was divided, the owner of the western part intended to build a pavilion on this rockery near the dividing wall in order to view the beautiful scenery of the central section. But his neighbour disagreed.Knowing this, the former was so wise as to give the pavilion such a name as the Pavilion Good for Both Families. He explained, “Although I can see your garden, you and your family members can also see my pavilion which seems to be located in the most inner part of your garden so it is beneficial to both families.” Then the name came from a poem by Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty (618-907)—“Green poplars serve to bring spring to both families.”At last the pavilion was constructed here. The contradiction was peacefully settled in a friendly way.Above-Water CorridorA corridor was built along the white wall over the water. It links the moon gate with the Shadow Reflection Building. This corridor, which rises and falls so that sightseers feel as if they were walking on waves, is one of the most exquisite in Suzhou.In the middle of the corridor is a pavilion-style terrace, actually part of the corridor, which is given a literary name the Angler’s Terrace.Whom-to-Sit-With PavilionSoutheast of the Bamboo Hat Pavilion lies a water-side veranda which is named Whom-to-Sit-With Pavilion. It was laid out the shape of a folding fan to suit the terrain. Its ground, ceiling and window are all in the shape of a folding fan. Even the stone table inside it looks like the surface of a folding fan too. So its popular name is the Fan Pavilion, which is based on an ancient poem.With whom shall it?The bright moon, light breeze and myself.These two sentences were meant to convey the feelings of the lonely auther who admired his own purity of spirit. But here the name of pavilion stresses the tiny size of the pavilion.One thing is worth mentioning. When we stand by the second column on the corridor-over-water north of the moon gate and look across the water, we shall find that the rounded top and ridge tiles on the Bamboo Hat Pavilion overlap the roof of the Fan Pavilion so as to form an inverted fan. Of course, it’s a folding fan. It is a very interesting design.Mandarin Ducks HallFurther west lies the main hall of the West Section, named the Mandarin Ducks Hall. Its northern part is known as the Thirty-six Mandarin Ducks Hall, and its southern part is called the Eighteen Camellias Hall. These structures, one behind the other, are separated by a screen with carved gingko frames. The north hall faces a lotus pond in which mandarin ducks swim, and the south hall is named after the eighteen kinds of camellias growing in its southern courtyard.In the southern hall the owner of the garden received his friends while in the northern part the wife of the owner met her friends. In old China, men and women were strictly separated from each other.Four side rooms, also known as ear rooms, adjoin the four corners of the hall. They were originally used by servants, or as make-ip rooms for actors and actresses when the garden’s owner watched Kunqu Opera performance. So the ceilings and rafters were made in curves. Thus there would be a good result acoustics.All the windows are inlaid with blue and white glass, through which sun beams look quite graceful. Either in hot summer or in snowy winter there appears a striking contrast.Pagoda Reflection PavilionA corridor stretches southward to an octagonal pavilion in the middle of a pool. Its reflection in the water looks like a pagoda. Hence the name Pagoda Reflection Pavilion.Stay-and-Listen PavilionNorth of the Pagoda Reflection Pavilion lies the Stay-and-listen Palour, which neighbours the lotus pond on the east side. Its name was inspired by a poem written by Li Shangyin of the Tang Dynasty:Autumn gloom does not disperse and frost flies late;Leaving the withered lotus leaves to listen to the sound of rain.The parlour is elegantly appointed. The cloud-and dragon carvings on the partitions are of exquisite workmanshiped, as they are left over from the Ming Dynasty. Carved on it are gnarled pine trees, nice bamboo, plum blossoms, rocks and birds.Located west of the Stay-and-Listen Hall is the bonsai garden, where visitors may have a short rest amidst hundreds of miniature potted trees, rockeries and azaleas. Many of these bonsai trees are about one hundred or two hundred years old.Floating-Verdure TowerOn a hill behind the Stay-and-Listen Hall stands the Floating-Verdure Tower, a two-storied building and the highest point in the garden. Looking around from its second floor, one sees a sea of luxuriant green vegetation. Nearby stands a smaller pavilion built in the shape of a bamboo hat. Hence its name, the Bamboo Hat Pavilion.Inverted Reflection BuildingGoing northward along the Above-Water Corridor visitors come to the Inverted Reflected Building, which is also named the Memorial Hall for Wen and Shen. Wen Zhengming is the designer of this garden. His prttrait is carved on a stone tablet set in the eastern wall of the hall. Opposite to Wn’s portrait is the portraitof Shen Zhou (1429-1509), teachers of the Wen Zhengming (1470-1559).In the Ming Dynasty (1368-644)There were four outstanding painters who organized Suzhou-style Painting School and were all natives of Suzhou. The other two are Tang Yin(1470-1523) and Chou Ying (1500-1552).Showing inside the Inverted Reflection Building is a wooden screen on which is carved the bamboo painting drawn by Zheng Banqiao, one of the Eight Eccentric Painters in Yangzhou in the Qing Dynasty.Thank you for your listening.1、一池三岛Threes Islets in One Pond reflect the traditional structure of classical gardening and the garden owner’s worshipping of the three Taoist where Eight Immortals are believed to live.从东面观山景，一山高过一山；从南面看，一山连着一山；从西面看，一山压倒一闪。