b. Each garden has pavilions built upon a lake or a pond so that half the structure is on land, while the other half is raised above a body of water.
c. Covered corridors are another key element of ancient Chinese gardens. They are built to allow the owners to enjoy the garden in the rain and snow.
Notes：1）artistic艺术的；2）recreation娱乐；3）landscape景色；
4）dimension容积；5）spacious宽敞的；6）grandiose宏伟的；7）urban城市的；8）delicate精美的；9）corridor走廊
9.你对殿宇屋顶上的动物造型知道多少？
What is known about the animal figures on the roofs
of ancient Chinese buildings?
On roofs, ancient Chinese palaces, temples and mansions have zoomorphic ornaments called wenshou (吻兽). Some are on the main ridges, and some on the sloping and branch ridges. These, which are on roof ridges on the top of palaces, temples and other ancient buildings, form an important part of traditional Chinese architecture.
The monstrous figures at either end of the main ridges is called chiwen (鸱吻). It appears roughly like the tail of a fish and looks as if it were ready to devour the whole ridge. According to Chinese mythology, chiwen is one of the sons of the Dragon King who stirs up waves and changes them into rains. So chiwen are placed at either end of the main ridge for their magical power to conjure up a heavy rain to put out any fire. At the end of the sloping and branch ridges, there often stands a group of smaller animals. Their sizes and numbers are decided by the status of the owner of the building in the feudal hierarchy.
The largest number of zoomorphic ornaments is found on the Taihedian Throne Hall (太和殿) in the Forbidden City, all with unusual names. A god riding a phoenix (or rooster), the first animal, leads the flock. Behind the god, come a dragon, a phoenix, a lion, a heavenly horse, a sea horse and five other mythological animals. Qianqing Palace (乾清宫， the Palace of Heavenly Purity) has nine animal figures; Kunning Palace (坤宁宫， the Palace of Female Tranquility) has seven; the other twelve halls used to house the imperial concubines each have five.
Placing animal figures on roof-ridges has been a traditional practice for at least 2,100 years. It is believed that an immortal being and various beasts serve to protect sacred buildings and keep evil spirits far away.
Notes：1）ornament装饰品；2）zoomorphic兽形的；3）monstrous怪异的；4）devour吞没；5）conjure施魔法；6）hierarchy等级制度；7）phoenix凤凰；8）rooster雄鸡；9）mythological神话的；10）tranquility平静；11）concubine妾
10.“九”的数目与皇家宫殿的关系是什么？
What is the relation between the number “nine” and imperial palaces?
“Nine”is the largest single digit number. In ancient China, this number had a special significance, symbolizing the supreme sovereignty of the emperor. For this reason, this number is often employed in palace structures and designs. For instance, ancient palaces generally consist of nine courtyards. The same is true for the Temple of Confucius (孔庙) in Qufu (曲阜), Shandong Province. The buildings of the Forbidden City in Beijing are traditionally measured as having a total floor space of 9,900 bays (a room spaces enclosed by four poles). Some even say 9,999 bays, but this may be an exaggeration. In the Forbidden City, nails on every door are arranged in nine lines with nine nails; and the doors, windows, stairs and fixtures are also in nines or its multiples. In addition, the watchtowers inside the four corners of the palace compound each have nine beam roofs, 18 columns and 72 ridgepoles. The three famous screen walls each have nine dragons.
The number“nine”is not only used on buildings. The New Year’s dinner for the imperial household had 99 dishes. Stage performances had to comprise 99 numbers to celebrate the birthday of an emperor as a sign of good luck and long life.
Notes：1）digit数字；2）supreme至上的；3）sovereignty主权；4）fixture固定装置；5）multiple复合的；6）watchtower瞭望台；7）ridgepole房屋的栋木；8）comprise包含
11.古建筑也反映了封建社会里的等级制吗？
Did ancient buildings reflect the social system of
feudal China?