After visiting the Beijing Normal School, Madame Peng took Sasha and Malia, my mother, and me to the Forbidden City, which is located right in the heart of Beijing。

　　在访问北京师范大学[微博]第二附属中学后，彭女士带着Sasha、Malia、我的母亲和我去位于北京中心位置的故宫。

　　For more than 2,000 years (up until 1912)， China was ruled by emperors who descended from many different dynasties, or families, who passed ruling positions on from generation to generation – and for nearly 500 years, the Forbidden City served as the emperor’s home。

　　2000多年来(直到1912年)，中国由许多不同朝代或家族的皇帝统治，一代代地传递统治地位。在将近500年的时间里，故宫就是皇帝的家。

　　Like the name suggests, the Forbidden City is large enough to be a city of its own – it includes nearly 1,000 buildings and nearly 10,000 rooms。

　　正如其名字所示，故宫(紫禁城)大到足以成为一座城市—它包括了近1,000栋建筑和近10,000间房屋。

　　In 1925, the new Chinese government turned the Forbidden City into a museum so that visitors like us from all over the world can stroll through many of the beautiful rooms and outdoor spaces。

　　1925年，中国新政府将故宫改为博物馆，这让像我们一样来自全世界的游客都有机会在这些美伦美奂的房间内外漫步。

　　Despite its size, some of the most interesting aspects of the Forbidden City are actually very small. Intricate carvings in jade and marble and glazed colored tiles fill the rooms and tell stories about ancient Chinese history. The ceilings are covered with detailed, carved designs. And miniature sculptures sit on the buildings’ roofs, where they watched over the emperors centuries ago。

　　尽管规模宏大，但故宫最有趣的一些部分实际上很小。雕刻精致复杂的玉石和大理石，色彩斑斓的琉璃瓦充满了这些房间，讲述关于古代中国历史的故事。天花板上覆盖着精致的雕刻图案。建筑物的屋顶上立着微型雕塑，数个世纪前它们就在那里注视着历届帝王。

　　The Forbidden City is far too large to fully experience in a single visit, but highlights include the following: The Hall of Union and Peace has almost 14,000 ornamental dragons. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is where the emperor viewed birthday celebrations and coronation ceremonies from his Dragon Throne. And then there are the Imperial Gardens, where you can walk along the paths and pavilions, admiring the beautiful rock arrangements, flowers and cypress trees。

　　故宫太大了，一次参观不可能看完，不过亮点有以下这些：交泰殿装饰的龙有近14,000条。太和殿是皇帝坐在龙椅上观看寿辰庆典和举行登基及册封等仪式的地方。然后是御花园，在那里你可以沿着小路和亭台漫步，欣赏美丽的假山，鲜花和柏树。

　　While we loved our visit to the Forbidden City, we only wish we had more time to see everything. But then again, I’m not sure there could ever be enough time to fully appreciate all of the art and history within this extraordinary place。

　　我们非常喜欢我们的故宫之行，只希望有更多的时间来看遍所有景点。但是话说回来，我不确定，真的能有足够时间来充分地欣赏这个非同寻常的地方所有的艺术和历史。