The two years in Forbidden City

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The Two Years in Forbidden City

The reason why I read this book is that it’s a book about Forbidden City.The history of ancient period is very fascinated me especially stories that happened in Forbidden City.Besides,it tells us a lot of interesting things concerning Her Majesty,the Empress Dowager of China,who influenced modern history of China deeply.The most important thing is that a lot of useful phrases can be learned,which i s not only improved the skill of translation,but also broaden my horizon.Actually,I read the Chinese version first.It’s easier for me to read the English version directly.Then,I read from the whole part rather than word by word.As far as I’m concerned, it’s very helpful for you to grasp the wonderful expressions and exquisite sentences thoroughly.

To be honest,I thought the Emperor Kwang Hsu was an incompetent person before I read this book.But actually not,just like writer’s said,He had very expressive eyes.He was entirely a different person when he was alone with us.He would laugh and tease,but as soon as he was in the presence of Her Majesty he would look serious,and as if he were worried to death.At times he looked stupid.I was at the Court long enough to study him,and found him to be one of the most intelligent men in China.He was a capital diplomat and had wonderful brains,only he had no

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opportunities.He was compelled to give up a great many things on account of the law.He told me that he never had studied literature very much,but it came natural to him.He was born musician and could play any instrument without studying.He had very good taste for foreign music,too.I found him a good companion and a good friend,and he confided in me and told me his troubles and sorrows.We talked a great deal about western civilization, and I was surprised to learn he was so well informed in everything.He used to tell me,time after time,his ambitions for the welfare of his country.He loved his people and would have done anything to help them whenever there was famine or flood.I noticed that he felt for them.

Of course,Her Majesty’s life was very extravagant compared with ordinary people’s or foreign officers even though she thought she had already frugal enough.”We went into this hall immediately and saw an old lady dressed in a beautiful yellow satin gown embroidered all over with pink peonies,and wearing the same kind of headdress with flowers on each side made of pearls and jade, pearl tassel on the left side and a beautiful phoenix in the center made of purest jade.Over her grown she wore a cape ,the most magnificent and costly thing I ever saw.This cape was made of about three thousand five hundred pearls the size of a canary bird’s

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egg,all exactly alike in color and perfectly round.It was made on the fish net pattern and had a fringe of jade pendants and was joined with the pure jade clasps.In addition to this Her Majesty wore two pairs of pearl bracelets,one pair of jade bracelets,several jade rings and on her third and little fingers of her right hand she wore gold finger nail protectors about three inches long and on the left hand two finger nail protectors made of jade and about the same length.Her shoes were trimmed with small tassels made of pearls and embroidered with tiny pieces of different colored jade ””This day we had pork cooked in ten different ways ,such as meat balls ,sliced cold in two different ways ,red and white,the red being cooked with special kind of sauce made of beans which gives it the red color and has a delicious taste.Chopped pork and chopped bamboo shoots,pork cut in cubes and cooked with cherries and pork cooked with onions and sliced thin.Then there was a sort of pancake made of eggs,pork and mushrooms chopped fine and fired,also pork cooked with cabbage and another dish cooked with turnips,etc.”

The book contains a lot of traditional festivals of China.What’s more,the terrific buildings and fascinating sceneries in the book attracts me very much.

“The gardens surrounding the houses were arranged in

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Chinese way,with small lakes,stocked with gold fish,and in which the beautiful lotus flower grew;crossed by bridges;large weeping willows along the banks;and many different varieties of flowers in prettily arranged flowers beds,running along winding paths,which wound in and out between the lakes.The gardens were a solid mass of flowers and foliage,and much admired by all who saw them. ”As the light grew brighter and I could distinguish objects,a very pretty view gradually opened to me,and as we came nearer to the Palace I could see a high red wall which zigzagged from hill and enclosed the Palace grounds.The tops of the wall and buildings were covered with yellow and green tiles and made a most dazzling picture in the bright sunlight.Pagodas of deferent sizes and styles were passed,and when we arrived at the village of Hai Tien.”

To enter Audience Hall one must mount some twenty odd steps of white marble,with rails on either side of the steps made of the same material.At the top of the steps a large veranda,supported by huge pillars of wood,painted red ,surrounded the building .The windows along this veranda were of marvelously cared trellis-work,designed to represent the character”Shou”arranged in different positions.The floor is of solid gold and had been there for centuries bricks.They were

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of a peculiar black color,doubtless painted over,and were so slippery that it was most difficult to keep one’s feet.And that the throne was made of dark brown wood inlaid with jade of different colors.

The two years the writer spent at the Court of Her Majesty,the Empress Dowager of China,must be the most eventful and happiest days of her girlhood.