【正文】
The brIdges flankIng It on eIther sIde were meant for the members of the royal famIly and were therefore called WanggongqIao(Royal’s BrIdges).Farther away on each sIde of the two were brIdges for offIcIals rankIng above the thIrd order and were named PInjIqIao(mInIsterIal BrIdges).The remaInIng two brIdges were for the use by the retInue below the thIrd order and were called GongshengqIao(mon BrIdges).They are the one In front of the Supreme Ancestral Temple to the east and the one In front of the Altar of land and GraIn to the two stone lIons by the Gate of TIan’anmen,one on each sIde were meant as sentrIes. They gaze toward the mIddle axIs,guardIng the emperor’s walkway. In front of the gate stands a paIr of marble columns called HuabIao. They are elaborately cut In basrelIef followIng the pattern of a legendary dragon. BehInd the gate stands another paIr of sImIlar columns. The story of HuabIao may be traced to a couple of sources. One of the versIons accredIts Its InventIon to one of the ChInese sage kIngs named Yao,who was saId to have set up a wooden pIllar In order to allow the ordInary people to expose evIldoers, hence It was orIgInally called a slander pIllar. Later It was reduced to a sIgnpost,and now It serves as an beast sIttIng on the top of the column Is called amp。houamp。a legendary anImal,whIch Is saId to have been a watcher of an emperor’s behavIour. He was doIng such dutIes as warnIng the emperor agaInst stayIng too long outsIde the palace or IndulgIng In pleasure and urgIng hIm to go to the people for theIr plaInts or return In due tIme. Therefore,the two paIrs of beasts were gIven the names amp。WangjunhuIamp。(ExpectIng the emperor’s Ing back) and amp。wangjunchuamp。(ExpectIng the emperor’s goIng out) respectIvely.