【原文】

　　故宫，又名紫禁城，为明清共二十四位皇帝统治中国近500年的皇宫。它位于北京市中心，在天安门广场的北侧，形状为长方形。南北长960米，东西宽750米，占地72公顷，总建筑面积达15万平方米。故宫是世界上现存规模最大、最完整的古代木构宫殿。它分为外朝和内廷两部分，外朝是皇帝上朝处理国家大事的地方，内廷是皇帝和皇室的居住地。1987年，故宫被联合国教科文组织列入世界文化遗产。

　　【译文】

　　The Imperial Palace, also called the Forbidden City was the palace where the 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties ruled China for roughly 500 years. The Imperial Palace is located in the center of Beijing, on the northern side of Tian’anmen Square, rectangular in shape, 960 meters from north to south and 750 meters wide from east to west, with an area of 72 hectares and a total floor space of 150 000 square meters. It’s the world’s largest and most integral palace made of wood in existence. The Forbidden City is divided into two parts: the outer court and the inner court. The outer court was the place where the emperors gave audience and handled state affairs, while the inner court was the living quarters for the emperors and their families. In 1987 the Imperial Palace was listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites.

　　【翻译词汇】

　　故宫 the Imperial Palace

　　紫禁城 the Forbidden City

　　天安门广场 Tian’anmen Square

　　长方形 rectangular

　　建筑面积 floor space

　　现存 in existence

　　上朝 give audience

　　处理 handle

　　世界文化遗产 World Cultural Heritage