Unit 2 古香古色与现代元素的混搭：韩国、日本世界文化遗产

2.1 Himeji-jo—The Most Famous City in Japan姬路城——日本第一名城

姬路城是日本的一座城堡。它最初建于14世纪，之后又在16世纪和17世纪间被黑田孝高与池田辉政进行了大规模的修复和扩建。姬路城是个高大的、木石混筑的多层建筑，外墙被漆成白色，并带有一系列精雕细琢的屋檐，犹如展翅欲飞的白鹭，这也是为什么它也被称为“白鹭城”的缘故。姬路城的中心为“天守阁”，周围是由迷宫般的小道组成的城墙，这些城墙和城门的布置方式会迫使攻击者不得不在城下绕来绕去，还带着陷入死胡同的危险。这样防守者就可以很轻易地集中火力消灭侵入者的先锋部队。但实际上这个精巧的设计从未被检验过——因为整个中世纪这座城堡都未曾受到过攻击。

姫路城作为日本著名的建筑，凝结了日本无数人对古代建筑的热爱。每年都会有无数的游客来到姫路城，观看这座文明世界的建筑。如果一个人是研究日本古建筑的，那么姫路城必定是他会去的地方。

姬路城是17世纪早期建筑保存最为完好的典范，而日本在这个时代防御建筑技术则达到顶峰。包括主要城堡主楼的八座建筑被视为国宝，其余74座则被确认为国家的重要文化财产。保存完好的建筑物和外围工事在向世人展示伟大遗产的同时，又体现了日本城堡建筑的精致和战略防御技能，是研究日本军事建筑的重要素材。

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 82 buildings with highly developed systems of defense and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period.

It is a masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls and in the subtlety of the relationships between the building masses and the multiple roof layers.

Because its pure white appearance with white plaster coating looks like a dancing Shirasagi (Egret) with wings spread, this famous castle is also called the "Shirasagi-jo" or "Hakuro-jo". It was spared from damage during the war and from many other disasters and is in a remarkably preserved state compared to other castles. Seventy-four structures within the castle site including a tower and gate are designated as important cultural assets of Japan.

The year of establishment was 1346. Later, the warlord（军事领袖）Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536—1598), who ruled over most of Japan, built a full-scale castle wall, which became the base for present-day Himeji-jo. At the start of the Edo（江户）period, the castle underwent considerable（相当大的）renovation over a 9-year period to create the magnificent appearance we see today.

If you are confident in the strength of your legs and back to climb up and down, you should take a look around the inside of the castle. Clearly, beauty was not the only priority of those in power throughout the ages. Its complicated（复杂的）structure, particularly the three tall watchtowers connected by columns and winding maze-like passages, functions well as a war fort and conceals（隐藏）a mechanism to halt the invasion of enemies and throw them into confusion. The design is intended to prevent access to the tallest watchtower and castle keep, situated at the heart of the castle, which functions as a center, so beware if you go there without a map, you may get lost!

Among the many gates are the remains of gate mechanisms for dropping stones on the enemy if they manage to enter, or gates with an extremely narrow passageway so that not many people could pass at once. Numerous holes to shoot from are made in the castle wall and there are windows from which to drop gigantic（巨大的）stones on the enemy, too. It is very interesting that there is a kitchen in the inner court in case the castle falls under siege（包围）or an attempt is made to starve out the occupants. By the way, the thick coating of white plaster on the outer surface is not just there for aesthetic purposes but also for defense, because of its excellent resistance to fire and bullets.

The castle keep rising from the peak of Mt. Hime-yama is built with a total height of 32m on a stone wall approx. 15m high, and the view from the top of the keep is spectacular. On a fine day, you can imagine the emotions of a feudal warlord with his ambitions to dominate the whole country. At night, the entire castle is lit up, so a visit after sunset is highly recommended as well.

用英语畅谈Himeji-jo黄金句

☺ Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 82 buildings with highly developed systems of defense and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period.姬路城是日本17世纪早期城堡建筑中保存最为完好的典范。城堡由82座建筑物组成，其高度发达的防御系统和精巧的防护装置，可以追溯到幕府初期。

☺ Because its pure white appearance with white plaster coating looks like a dancing Shirasagi (Egret) with wings spread, this famous castle is also called the “Shirasagi-jo” or “Hakuro-jo”.姬路城外墙以白石膏覆盖，纯白外表看起来就像是一只展翅欲飞、翩翩起舞的白鹭，所以这座著名的城堡也被称为“白鹭城”或者“白露城”。

☺ At the start of the Edo period, the castle underwent considerable renovation over a 9-year period to create the magnificent appearance we see today.在江户初期，城堡进行了大规模的翻修，花了9年的时间才打造出了我们今天看到的这般华丽壮观的城堡外观。

☺ Later, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536—1598), who ruled over most of Japan, built a full-scale castle wall, which became the base for present-day Himeji-jo.后来，统治了日本大部分地区的军事领袖丰臣秀吉（1536年至1598年）建了全面的城墙，这就构成了今天姬路城的基础。

☺ On a fine day, you can imagine the emotions of a feudal warlord with his ambitions to dominate the whole country.选一个好日子，你就能想象得到一个封建军事领袖雄心勃勃地想要统治整个国家的心情。

用英语畅谈Himeji-jo