北京的四合院（英文）.doc

Selection 1 Quadrangles in Beijing Visitors to Beijing often like to see its traditional residences — the quadrangles. A quadrangle is a courtyard surrounded by houses along the four sides to the north, south, east and west. The quadrangle is the most typical and representative construction among various traditional Chinese residences. Quadrangles together with lanes make up the arteries of Beijing, while the people make up the blood flowing within them. A quadrangle contains profound cultural traditions, most notably among which are the ideas about social grades and order, and the personal importance in regard to ones family status. In 1215 Mongolian rulers occupied Beijing. The Mongolian sovereign, Kubla Khan (reigning 1280-1294), proclaimed himself emperor and established the Yuan Dynasty. Beijing was chosen as the capital city and was then named Dadu. Since that time large-scale construction has been under way in Beijing. Present-day Beijing city has been erected on the site of Dadu. Thanks to the fact that Beijing was the capital of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and that construction has never ceased, especially since 1421 when Zhu Di, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, moved the capital to Beijing from Nanjing, quadrangles along with many imperial palaces, princes dwellings, official buildings, streets and lanes came into being. In Beijing princes and ministers once lived in compact communities. They expanded the local quadrangles into large quadrangle compounds. Those became princes and princess dwellings, official mansions that can still be seen even today. Beijing natives describe such quadrangles as spacious houses in imposing courtyards. A quadrangle often has a large courtyard with independent houses along its four sides. The houses of the gentry and officials are usually strung together by corridors or verandas, which shelter the houses from sunshine and rain in summer and wind and snow in winter. This makes the owners mo