Words & phrases
衬映
chèn yìng
set off visually
华表
huá biǎo
ornamental column
Model sentences
站在广场上向北望，可以看见红色城楼的整体轮廓。
zhàn zài guǎng chǎng shàng xiàng běi wàng， kě yǐ kàn jiàn hóng sè chéng lóu de zhěng tǐ lún kuò。
Looking north from the square, you can see the overall outline of the red gate tower.
阳光照在屋顶的琉璃瓦上，颜色显得格外明亮。
yáng guāng zhào zài wū dǐng de liú lí wǎ shàng， yán sè xiǎn de gé wài míng liàng。
Sunlight falls on the glazed roof tiles, making their colour appear especially bright.
红墙在蓝天的衬映下十分醒目，远处也能看清。
hóng qiáng zài lán tiān de chèn yìng xià shí fēn xǐng mù， yuǎn chù yě néng kàn qīng。
Against the blue sky, the red walls stand out and can be seen clearly from a distance.
桥面横跨水道，把城门与广场一侧连接起来。
qiáo miàn héng kuà shuǐ dào， bǎ chéng mén yǔ guǎng chǎng yī cè lián jiē qǐ lai。
The bridge spans the waterway and connects the gate with one side of the square.
参观者观察华表的形状，也阅读说明了解它的历史。
cān guān zhě guān chá huá biǎo de xíng zhuàng， yě yuè dú shuō míng liǎo jiě tā de lì shǐ。
Visitors observe the shape of the ornamental columns and read the signs to learn their history.
维护历史建筑需要定期检查，并减少不必要的损伤。
wéi hù lì shǐ jiàn zhù xū yào dìng qī jiǎn chá， bìng jiǎn shǎo bù bì yào de sǔn shāng。
Maintaining historic buildings requires regular inspection and the prevention of unnecessary damage.
天安门
北京天安门广场的北面，天安门城楼高高立着。红色墙体托起黄色屋顶，屋檐向外伸展，在天空下面形成宽大的轮廓。清晨的阳光照来，屋顶比背阴处的墙面更加明亮。
běi jīng tiān ān mén guǎng chǎng de běi miàn， tiān ān mén chéng lóu gāo gāo lì zhe。 hóng sè qiáng tǐ tuō qǐ huáng sè wū dǐng， wū yán xiàng wài shēn zhǎn， zài tiān kōng xià miàn xíng chéng kuān dà de lún kuò。 qīng chén de yáng guāng zhào lái， wū dǐng bǐ bèi yīn chù de qiáng miàn gèng jiā míng liàng。
At the north side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing stands the Tiananmen Gate tower. Red walls support a yellow roof with broad, projecting eaves. Morning sunlight brightens the roof above the shaded walls.
城楼前面，金水河缓缓流过，石桥横跨水面。桥上有人走过，栏杆的影子落在地面；从稍远的地方看，几座石桥把河两边的空间连接起来。
chéng lóu qián miàn， jīn shuǐ hé huǎn huǎn liú guò， shí qiáo héng kuà shuǐ miàn。 qiáo shàng yǒu rén zǒu guò， lán gān de yǐng zi luò zài dì miàn； cóng shāo yuǎn de dì fang kàn， jǐ zuò shí qiáo bǎ hé liǎng biān de kōng jiān lián jiē qǐ lai。
The Jinshui River flows before the tower, crossed by stone bridges. People walk across them as railings cast shadows. From farther away, the bridges join the spaces on either bank.
附近的华表柱身带着雕刻，顶部又有不同的装饰。人们走近时，能够看清石头上的线条；退后几步，细节又与整根石柱合在一起。
fù jìn de huá biǎo zhù shēn dài zhe diāo kè， dǐng bù yòu yǒu bù tóng de zhuāng shì。 rén men zǒu jìn shí， néng gòu kàn qīng shí tou shàng de xiàn tiáo； tuì hòu jǐ bù， xì jié yòu yǔ zhěng gēn shí zhù hé zài yì qǐ。
Nearby ornamental columns bear carvings and decorated tops. Up close, people can see the lines in the stone; from farther back, the details become part of the whole column.
河水从桥下经过，水中的倒影随着波纹轻轻散开。站在桥的一端，可以望见城楼；换到另一端，华表和屋顶又形成不同的层次。
hé shuǐ cóng qiáo xià jīng guò， shuǐ zhōng de dào yǐng suí zhe bō wén qīng qīng sàn kāi。 zhàn zài qiáo de yī duān， kě yǐ wàng jiàn chéng lóu； huàn dào lìng yī duān， huá biǎo hé wū dǐng yòu xíng chéng bù tóng de céng cì。
Water beneath the bridge breaks reflections into ripples. From either end, the tower, columns and roof form different layers.
这座城门的历史可以追溯到明代。它曾有过不同的名称，也经历修建和变化。在明清时期，它与皇城的入口相连，进出的道路与周围建筑各有安排。
zhè zuò chéng mén de lì shǐ kě yǐ zhuī sù dào míng dài。 tā céng yǒu guò bù tóng de míng chēng， yě jīng lì xiū jiàn hé biàn huà。 zài míng qīng shí qī， tā yǔ huáng chéng de rù kǒu xiāng lián， jìn chū de dào lù yǔ zhōu wéi jiàn zhù gè yǒu ān pái。
The gate's history goes back to the Ming period. It has had different names and undergone rebuilding and change. In Ming and Qing times, it formed an entrance to the imperial city.
宽大的屋顶并不只靠外面看得见的墙支撑。木构件、砖石和装饰共同组成建筑，修建时需要不同工匠合作。木工加工材料，石工完成石件，还有人负责整体的安排。
kuān dà de wū dǐng bìng bù zhǐ kào wài miàn kàn de jiàn de qiáng zhī chēng。 mù gòu jiàn、 zhuān shí hé zhuāng shì gòng tóng zǔ chéng jiàn zhù， xiū jiàn shí xū yào bù tóng gōng jiàng hé zuò。 mù gōng jiā gōng cái liào， shí gōng wán chéng shí jiàn， hái yǒu rén fù zé zhěng tǐ de ān pái。
The broad roof is not supported only by the visible walls. Timber, masonry and decoration form the structure, requiring different craftspeople to work together on its construction.
一九四九年十月一日，中华人民共和国开国大典在这里举行。城楼上的宣布和广场上的人群，使这个地方与中国现代历史中的一个重要时刻相连。
yī jiǔ sì jiǔ nián shí yuè yī rì， zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó kāi guó dà diǎn zài zhè lǐ jǔ xíng。 chéng lóu shàng de xuān bù hé guǎng chǎng shàng de rén qún， shǐ zhè ge dì fang yǔ zhōng guó xiàn dài lì shǐ zhōng de yí ge zhòng yào shí kè xiāng lián。
On 1 October 1949, the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China took place here. The announcement from the tower and crowds in the square linked the place with an important moment in modern Chinese history.
今天，广场附近仍有许多人来往。有的人停下拍照，有的人望着城楼，听身边的人讲起往事。脚步、谈话和远处的车辆声，汇成城市里平常的一天。
jīn tiān， guǎng chǎng fù jìn réng yǒu xǔ duō rén lái wǎng。 yǒu de rén tíng xià pāi zhào， yǒu de rén wàng zhe chéng lóu， tīng shēn biān de rén jiǎng qǐ wǎng shì。 jiǎo bù、 tán huà hé yuǎn chù de chē liàng shēng， huì chéng chéng shì lǐ píng cháng de yì tiān。
Today many people pass nearby. Some take photographs; others look at the tower and hear memories from companions. Footsteps, conversation and distant traffic form an ordinary city day.
傍晚，光线慢慢变柔。红墙的颜色深了，桥上的影子也拉长了。最后一批游人沿道路离开，天安门城楼仍站在原处，背后是天空，前面是河流与开阔的广场。
bàng wǎn， guāng xiàn màn màn biàn róu。 hóng qiáng de yán sè shēn le， qiáo shàng de yǐng zi yě lā cháng le。 zuì hòu yì pī yóu rén yán dào lù lí kāi， tiān ān mén chéng lóu réng zhàn zài yuán chù， bèi hòu shì tiān kōng， qián miàn shì hé liú yǔ kāi kuò de guǎng chǎng。
At dusk, the light softens, the red walls deepen in colour and shadows lengthen on the bridges. Visitors leave while the tower remains between the sky, river and open square.
Conversation
A 你从哪里开始描写？
nǐ cóng nǎ lǐ kāi shǐ miáo xiě？
Where will your description start?
B 从远处的整体，再走向近处的细节。
cóng yuǎn chù de zhěng tǐ， zài zǒu xiàng jìn chù de xì jié。
With the distant whole, then closer details.
A 方位词为什么重要？
fāng wèi cí wèi shén me zhòng yào？
Why do direction words matter?
B 它们让读者知道城楼、河与桥的关系。
tā men ràng dú zhě zhī dào chéng lóu、 hé yǔ qiáo de guān xì。
They establish the tower, river and bridge relationships.
A 华表和石桥是一回事吗？
huá biǎo hé shí qiáo shì yī huí shì ma？
Are ornamental columns and bridges the same?
B 不是，我分别写形状与位置。
bú shì， wǒ fēn bié xiě xíng zhuàng yǔ wèi zhì。
No; I describe their shapes and locations separately.
