用英语介绍紫禁城

文章思路：首先介绍了故宫的地理位置及基本情况，接着介绍了故宫的历史，最后详细介绍了故宫的结构。

北京故宫是中国明清两代的皇家宫殿，旧称紫禁城，位于北京中轴线的中心。北京故宫以三大殿为中心，占地面积约72万平方米，建筑面积约15万平方米，有大小宫殿七十多座，房屋九千余间。

Beijing Palace Museum is the Royal Palace of Ming and Qing Dynasties in China, formerly known as the Forbidden City, located in the center of Beijing's central axis. The Palace Museum in Beijing, with three main halls as its center, covers an area of 720000 square meters and a construction area of 150000 square meters. It has more than 70 palaces and 9000 houses.

北京故宫于明成祖永乐四年（1406年）开始建设，以南京故宫为蓝本营建，到永乐十八年（1420年）建成，成为明清两朝二十四位皇帝的皇宫。

The Palace Museum in Beijing was built in 1406, the fourth year of Yongle reign of emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty. It was built in 1420, the 18th year of Yongle reign. It became the palace of 24 emperors in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

民国十四年国庆节（1925年10月10日）故宫博物院正式成立开幕。北京故宫南北长961米，东西宽753米，四面围有高10米的城墙，城外有宽52米的护城河。

In the 14th year of the Republic of China, the National Day (October 10, 1925) officially opened the Palace Museum. The Palace Museum is 961 meters long from north to South and 753 meters wide from east to west. It is surrounded by a 10 meter high wall and a 52 meter wide moat.

紫禁城有四座城门，南面为午门，北面为神武门，东面为东华门，西面为西华门。城墙的四角，各有一座风姿绰约的角楼，民间有九梁十八柱七十二条脊之说，形容其结构的复杂。

The Forbidden City has four gates: Meridian Gate in the south, Shenwu gate in the north, Donghua gate in the East and Xihua gate in the West. At the four corners of the city wall, each has a graceful turret. Among the people, there is a saying that there are nine beams, eighteen columns and seventy-two ridges, which describes its complex structure.

北京故宫内的建筑分为外朝和内廷两部分。外朝的中心为太和殿、中和殿、保和殿，统称三大殿，是国家举行大典礼的地方。三大殿左右两翼辅以文华殿、武英殿两组建筑。

The Palace Museum in Beijing is divided into two parts: the outer court and the inner court. The center of the outer court is Taihe hall, Zhonghe hall and Baohe hall, which are collectively referred to as the three main halls. It is the place where the state held the grand ceremony. The left and right wings of the three halls are supplemented by Wenhua hall and Wuying hall.

内廷的中心是乾清宫、交泰殿、坤宁宫，统称后三宫，是皇帝和皇后居住的正宫。其后为御花园。后三宫两侧排列着东、西六宫，是后妃们居住休息的地方。

The center of the inner court is Qianqing palace, Jiaotai palace and Kunning palace, collectively referred to as the latter three palaces. It is the main palace where the emperor and queen live. After that was the royal garden. On both sides of the latter three palaces are the six palaces in the East and the west, where the empresses and concubines live and rest.

东六宫东侧是天穹宝殿等佛堂建筑，西六宫西侧是中正殿等佛堂建筑。外朝、内廷之外还有外东路、外西路两部分建筑。

The east side of the East six palaces is the Tianqiong hall and other Buddhist hall buildings, while the west side of the West six palaces is the main hall and other Buddhist hall buildings. In addition to the outer court and the inner court, there are two parts of buildings, waidong road and waixi road.